CHIRP Radio Podcasts

Production Director Amanda Roscoe-Mayo caught up with Radar State members Josh (also of The Anniversary) and Jim (also of The Get Up Kids) at Riot Fest this year. They chat about how the band got together, playing Riot Fest as their second show ever, and choosing a band logo before they even had a name. produced by Brad Helm photo by Mike Alexander

Local band The Curls came by the CHIRP studios recently to chat with Features Director Amelia Hruby about their upcoming album Super Unit. See them at their album release show on 11/30 on Emporium. produced by Amelia Hruby (@ladyameliaa)

I feel like the music is really whatever I'm feeling, and women contain multitudes. - Ali CHIRP Features Director Amelia Hruby caught up with Ali and Nicole of Upset at Riot Fest 2017. They chat about how the band got together, recording with bronchitis, and their neverending fear of someone finding all the notes and voice memos on their phones. produced by Amelia Hruby (@ladyameliaa)

After opening Lollapalooza 2017, Evanston native Kweku Collins met up with Dylan Peterson to talk about moving into a segregated Chicago, channeling Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and making music about Dylan's girlfriend, Rose. Kweku Collins makes his homecoming at Space on November 25th, for Red Bull Sound Select's 30 Days in Chicago. produced by Dylan Peterson (@_dylanclub_)

CHIRP Volunteer, Amanda Mayo, caught up with Swedish rockers, INVSN at Riot Fest 2017. Listen to them discuss the origins of their name, the significance of politics in their music, and much more!  produced by Amanda Mayo

CHIRP volunteer Michael Reed interviews Andrew Cashen from A Giant Dog before their recent show at the Empty Bottle. They discuss the personal nature of the lyrics on their new album Toy, how a Texas taxidermy shop inspired Andrew to sculpt the Toy cover art, and his favorite Chicago bands. produced by Michael Reed

Lakshmi Ramgopal is the artist behind ambient project Lykanthea. She was invited to perform this fall at MCA Hearts Chicago as part of the museum's 50th anniversary celebration, and she's gathered a diverse ensemble of dancers and musicians to develop new songs and arrangements for the October 21st event.  Lakshmi and her collaborators Adele Nicholas and Bindu Poroori recently came by the CHIRP studios to speak with Features Director Amelia Hruby about Lykanthea and the upcoming ensemble performance. produced by Amelia Hruby (@ladyameliaa)

CHIRP Volunteer, Andrew Meriwether, sits down with Chicago rapper Rich Jones. They talk about his recent feature on NPR Music, hip-hop in Chicago, his latest EP Vegas.  Produced by Andrew Meriwether

Marites Velasquez is the Outreach Director for CHIRP Radio and the bass player and singer for Chicago indie rock band, OVEF OW. She spent the last decade organizing for the PIRGs, a consumer and environmental advocacy group. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Marites left the glitzy lights of the Strip for Chicago seven years ago. Produced by Brian Heath

Natalie Grace Alford was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1987. She was raised in a suburb of Chicago and was classically trained in music from the age of 11. She is a multi instrumentalist playing piano, guitar, and uses loop pedals to perform and make the song live. She has opened for various artists such as Jack Garrett, Nellie Mckay, Tim Fite and many more amazing artists. She was also named The Deli Music Magazine's artist of the month for March of 2017. You can find her music on ITunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, Google Play, and Amazon. Produced by Brian Heath

Wes Needham is an actor, writer and producer here in Chicago, having performed at iO Theater, Second City and ComedySportz. Currently he's Content Director, writer and producer for "Good Evening with Pat Whalen", Chicago's only political late-night talk-show. As an ensemble member of The New Colony theater company, he's appeared in such shows as 11:11, Sordid Little Story, Frat, reWilding Genius, Merge and B-Side Studio. You've maybe even caught him oh-so briefly keeping the streets safe from riff-raff on NBC's "Chicago PD". Produced by Brian Heath

Dan Shapiro is a writer and comedian from Wichita.  He is a regular at local writing performance competition, Write Club.  He co-hosts a mental illness and addiction themed variety show the first Wednesday of each Monday at Schuba's in Chicago called Psychotic Break. Produced by Brian Heath

Chicago-native Plastic Crimewave aka Steven Krakow is known for being a "psychedelic guru" of sorts, and is the creator of the Galactic Zoo Dossier, a hand-drawn magazine published by Drag City since 2001. Crimewave also runs the Galactic Zoo Disk reissue label imprint that is manufactured/distributed by Drag City and roving label Galactic Archives, draws/writes the bi-weekly Secret History of Chicago Music comics for the Chicago Reader for over a decade, has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary art, and has drawn countless comics, posters and album covers.and art for Lush Cosmetics. From 2001-2011, PCW headed up Plastic Crimewave Sound, legendary space-punk ensemble that recorded 5 LPs, toured nationally with Acid Mothers temple, Comets on Fire and The Ponys, and whom Julian Cope described as "outtasite." PCW currently leads Plastic Crimewave Syndicate (who have opened for Hawkwind, Keiji Haino, Loop, Purling Hiss and Woods); conducts the Plastic Crimewave Vision Celestial Guitarkestra of up to 70 guitarists (performed in NY, Hyde Park Arts Center, and every year at the Hideout block party), and has DJ-ed all over the world--from London to Tokyo. produced by Brian Heath

In addition to writing stories for fun and her own amusement, Micki LeSueur is a creative director and copywriter, writing fiction posing as non-fiction and putting on shows for major corporations and their agencies. She is also the founder and host of Fictlicious, a live reading and music series at The Hideout in Chicago, and president and founder of Coat Angels, a local not-for-profit proving warm winter coats for cold Chicago kids.   produced by Brian Heath

CHIRP volunteer Amelia Hruby caught up with Angus Andrew of Liars at this year's Riot Fest. They talked about how the band now functions as a solo project, recording the new record Theme from Crying Fountain in the Australian bush, and the meaning behind the album's wedding imagery. produced by Amelia Hruby (@ladyameliaa)