WFPK's First Cut

Did you know?

- The first songs Jade Bird learned to play on guitar were from an Oasis chord book.

- Jade exclusively wrote sad songs until discovering country music, which she considers her "route into happy or uplifting music."

- Jade Bird idolized Johnny Cash, which she says was "bizarre" for a girl from South Wales.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Which of the following was a band Devon Gilfillian was in?

A. Black Sheep

B. Black Cat Crossing

C. Yet To Be Seen

D. All of the Above

You'd better believe it's all of the above, and that just goes to show how much you have to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- The first record Joan fell in love with was "The Sound of Music" soundtrack.

- Joan took a songwriting workshop under the legendary songwriter Doc Pomus.

- Joan developed her first musical obsession as a seven-year-old when she caught "This is Tom Jones" on late night television.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- In addition to his beautiful singing voice, Eric Burton also plays guitar, keys, and violin.

- Eric comes from a musical family, and his uncle Steve Harrison is also a recording musician who taught him how to write songs.

- When Eric falls in love with a song, he'll listen to it over and over and over again, sometimes without even listening to the other tracks on the album.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- Kathleen Edwards spent time living in Korea during her formative years.

- Kathleen opened a coffee shop in Ontario called Quitters Coffee.

- Kathleen's first band was named after a Cormac McCarthy novel.

This time we KNOW you have things to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut, because as Kathleen said... "I've never told anyone this, this is super weird secrety stuff!"

Did you know?

- Josh was inspired to learn the flute from watching 'Aladdin' when he was seven years old.

- By 6th grade, Josh was already gigging in his first band called "Into the Crowd."

- One of the first concerts Josh attended was the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- Laura writes HUNDREDS of songs for each of her albums before narrowing it down to the final track list.

- Laura's latest single "Burn Too Bright" was written about Richard Swift, a songwriter who "seemed to burn too bright for this world."

- Laura's first album was Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and of course she learned to do the dance too.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- Dan Wilson went on a "four or five year Beatles fast" in which he "got kind of obsessed with not listening to The Beatles."

- Dan reunited with Semisonic to release their first new material in 19 years this June, but unfortunately had to cancel their planned reunion tour.

- Although Dan had been studying classical and jazz piano since 2nd grade, his first band was a "super fast punk rock" band called The Panic.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- Prince was a big Ani DiFranco fan, and would frequently show up to her concerts.

- Ani DiFranco was infatuated with her poetry teacher Sekou Sundiata, who also taught Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing and Chris Barron of Spin Doctors.

- Ani DiFranco listens to the same music as her daughter, which lately has been a lot of Amy Winehouse and Billie Eilish.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of WFPK's First Cut!

Did you know?

- The first song Michael wrote was about Barney Fife from "The Andy Griffith Show."

- While touring with U2, Michael repeatedly referred to The Edge as 'Ed' because he misheard his name.

If you answered NO to either of these questions, then you've got a lot to learn from this episode of The First Cut!