Sessions from Studio A

Join us for a live performance from singer-songwriter Olivia Ports on this week's show! This young performer from Aurora has a big story to tell. Her new EP Hospital Prom is out now everywhere and was inspired by Olivia's own experiences fighting a primary immunodeficiancy. Listen for a live set from Olivia Ports and guitarist Chris Leonard, recorded in Studio A. We'll also talk with Olivia about her music and the stories behind some of her songs.

Initially inspired by the first wave of post-punk, The Funeral March of the Marionettes has continued to evolve their sound and release new music thoughout the band's existence. Their latest EP Solace was released in the spring of 2020 and is available on their Bandcamp page.

We have a special, unique edition of Sessions from Studio A this week, with Rockford's Los Compadres del Tango. The duo is made up of pianist Erik Olson and Jacques Saint-Cyr playing flute. This is a new genre for us in Studio A, and it was a joy to learn more about the culture and history of tango. We hope you'll learn something new as well!

Our guest this week is singer-songwriter Joe Nanzer. He's released a string of singles over the past two years that you can find on Spotify, Apple Music, and all your usual streaming platforms. Hear him perform those songs live in Studio A this hour. We'll also talk with Joe Nanzer about his background, his influences, and about the stories behind some of his songs. That's all on this week's edition of Sessions from Studio A.

Emily Hurd does it all. She's a musician, a mother, chef, and restaurant owner of The Norwegian in Rockford. Despite the chaos of owning a restaurant in 2020, Emily still found time last year to record and release her latest record "Nightshades". We'll hear songs from that album performed live in Studio A on this week's show, and we'll talk with Emily about her music, The Norwegian, and more.

"Paralysis by Analysis" is the new album out now from DeKalb artist Mark Walters, also known as Kram. Join us for this week's show featuring music from that album and more, performed live in WNIJ's Studio A. We'll also talk with Mark Walters about his background, inspirations, and about writing and producing Paralysis by Analysis.

Glory Days is a high-energy pop punk and alternative band from the Chicago suburb of Wauconda. Their debut record "The Roads We've Traveled" was released in 2016, shortly after the band's formation, and they've released a string of singles in the past few years.

We are joined this week by the incredibly talented duo the bellow & the whale for their second appearance on our show! Join us for a talk with Julia Lee Norris and Bianca Goyette about their new pair of EPs, including The Noise Still Lingers and their brand new EP coming out tomorrow.

Join us for original music by Krystee Wylder on this week's show. Krystee is a central Illinois native who has spent time living in Rockford and Chicago. Her sound is a unique mix of singer-songwriter folk and pop. Hear her live performance in Studio A and check out some behind the scenes videos below. We'll also talk with Krystee about her background, her music, and about how she almost lost the ability to sing forever... that's all on this week's edition of Sessions from Studio A!

Derek Luttrell returns to Sessions from Studio A on this week's episode. We've heard Derek on the show before with his bands Name the Moon and more recently Sickhorse, but this time he's back with a new solo album, The Wolf Who Cried Boy. Join us as we listen through The Wolf Who Cried Boy and talk with Derek Luttrell about putting the album together.