WNXP Podcasts

Porridge Radio's Dana Margolin said she wrote much of the band's new LP Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me in a period of disorienting stillness that she experienced in the wake of an aggressive touring schedule. Spanning identity and healing from the end of relationships, some of Margolin's rawest, most revelatory songs make up the British band's fourth album, which is WNXP's Record of the Week.

This week for What Where When-sday, we discuss Halloween, since many of us will be celebrating ahead of the Thursday holiday this year. Joining us with some ways to get your spook on is WPLN’s Rachel Iacovone.

For the first time ever we dedicated an entire show to just one artist — our current Nashville Artist of the Month Kings of Leon. Earlier this year Jason Moon Wilkins sat down with the most successful rock band in Nashville history at their newly built studio and rehearsal space. The wide-ranging conversation covered their new album 'Can We Please Have Fun' as well as particularly timely topics like why they have stayed out of politics up to this point and where they stand on the trend of “going country.” The unexpected influence of Ronnie Milsap shows up as well.

WNXP’s Record of the Week is The Academy by Lutalo. The Vermont-based songwriter who has ties to Big Thief was initially cast as an indie folk artist but Lutalo says this album was meant to shrug off those limitations. Playing every instrument, they show off a masterful command of multiple styles and genres to tell crucial, and often heartbreaking, stories of their first quarter of life while also making commentary on consumerism and politics in a way that never feels preachy. 

The week before the release, Lutalo joined us to share some reflections on the album and insight into how a particular Nashville-based artist gave them a peek into what was possible as an artist of color in the overwhelmingly white world of indie music.

DRKMTTR Collective is a local, all-ages music venue that hopes to build a community in underground music and arts scenes. This week for What Where When-sday, we discuss DRKMTTR Fest happening on Saturday and Sunday. Katy Kirby, one of the event’s performers and worked at the space for a few months, joined us to talk about how important the DIY venue was for her through her journey.

Styrofoam Winos are a radically equal in that there is no set lead singer, guitarist, drummer or bassist. It's unusual, but it works. Each song on their new album Real Time, has a different perspective and voice, but the beauty is the harmony they all create as one.

Musician Tucker Zimmerman is a bit of a musical Forrest Gump. In his 83 years he has sipped coffee with the Beats in San Francisco, taught David Bowie how to record in a studio, and now he has made an album with Big Thief. Dance of Love is a freewheeling album that brings intergenerational hippies together into one common feeling.

This week for What Where When-sday, we discuss Concert and Conversation: Night Train to Lovenoise: A Generation Journey of Black Music in Nashville. The event is taking place this Saturday at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum from 2:30 to 4.

A.G. Sully grew up in Hartselle, Alabama, just a few hours away from Nashville. She describes it as very small and very conservative, but it’s a place that shaped her to become who she is today. She said she started writing around sophomore year of college writing her first songs "Lil Mama" and "FOMO" which she wrote inside one of the practice rooms at MTSU. The music she started to make was a far cry from the Christian music she was used to singing. 

She describes her songwriting as linear and wouldn’t say it was super structured. Like many artists, she takes inspiration from what’s going on in her personal life. Her life between Space to Think and her new record, Premonition of Rain, has been vastly different and its reflected in the songwriting.

Alt-rock legends Violent Femmes are touring in 2024 celebrating the 40th anniversary of their sophomore release 'Hallowed Ground.' But in certain cities -- including Nashville on October 9 -- they're playing a wide selection from their discography with the accompaniment of symphony orchestras. Femmes frontman Gordon Gano shared with WNXP about the experience playing with so many instrumentalists, and also the sustained musical chemistry with bandmate Brian Ritchie.