Elizabeth McQueen

This Song: Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend

Ezra Koenig, lead singer and songwriter for the band Vampire Weekend, explains why he recently became obsessed with “I Don’t Think Much About Her No More” by country singer and songwriter Mickey Newbury. He loved it so much that he even included a cover of the song as a bonus track for the Japanese release of the band’s latest record Father of the Bride. Listen as he describes why he finds that song so compelling and explores what it was like to apply country music’s direct approach to songwriting to some of the the songs on Father of the Bride.

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📸 Monika Mogi

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This Song: Krissy Teegerstrom on “Mojo Pin” by Jeff Buckley

On the last episode of This Song until the fall, Krissy Teegerstrom, a self-made artist, creative consultant, podcaster, and designer at Featherweight Studio talks about how listening to “Mojo Pin” by Jeff Buckley transported her to a place beyond the real and showed her how to follow her creative intuition. Jeff Buckley’s performance style confirmed the idea of creation as a form of devotion and self-expression, something that Krissy, at first, felt like she couldn’t relate to. Inspired by her own roundabout journey to an artistic life, she started a podcast about overcoming obstacles creativity. That podcast, fittingly titled Beyond + Back, has accumulated ten episodes in its first season, talking to artists like Aimee Mann and Billy Joe Armstrong. The second season will be released on Saturday, June 29th.

Recorded at the Tiny Texas Podcasting Festival this conversation with Krissy Teegerstrom is an inspiring look into creativity, the arbitrary obstacles we use to limit ourselves, and what opening yourself up to the unknown can do for your art.

— KUTX Intern, Claire Hardwick

📸 Todd V. Wolfson

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Black Pumas’ Eric Burton on “(Sittin’ On)The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

Black Pumas, the new musical project by California native Eric Burton and Grammy Award winning producer and guitarist Adrian Quesada has been taking the Austin music scene by storm- even winning Best New Austin Band and Best New Song for “Black Moon Rising” at the 2019 Austin Music Awards, all before they’ve even released their debut album.

On this episode of This Song, Eric Burton, the lead singer of Black Pumas, talks about what he learned about honesty and connection from Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and how he went from busking on the Santa Monica Pier to fronting a band in Austin, Texas. His generosity and gratefulness for the art he creates are palpable in this interview, which was recorded live in front of an audience of aspiring teenage podcasters at the 2019 ISAS Arts Festival.

Stream the Black Pumas debut record right now at Relix.

Black Pumas debut album comes out this Friday 6/21 on ATO Records and you can catch their release show at Antone’s the same night.

-KUTX Intern, Claire Hardwick

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📸 Gabriel C. Pérez

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This Song: Tiarra Girls on “Just a Girl” by No Doubt

Austin based sisters Tori, Tiffany and Sofia Baltierra have been playing as the Tiarra Girls since they were in elementary and middle school. Listen as they describe how seeing the video for No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” influenced them all stylistically and helped them find their voices as young women in music. They also tell the story of the genesis of their song “Leave it to the People” and trace how that song’s release has helped them see their music as a way to empower their community and advocate for the change they want to see in the world.

Tiarra Girls will be playing Chingona Fest on June 22nd at Hops and Grains Brewing along with Tribes and Bidi Bidi Banda. Get Tickets to Chingona Fest here.

📸 Juan Figueroa for KUTX

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This Song: Rhett Miller (rerun)

Musician, writer, and frontman for Old 97’s Rhett Miller launched his own podcast “Wheel’s Off With Rhett Miller” earlier this year. In it, he talks to artists about what it’s really like to live a creative life.

In this 2017 episode, he describes how hearing the Jewish Lesbian Folk singer Phranc perform ‘The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” changed his life and showed him the power of musical connection.

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Listen to John Prine describe why “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” changed his life.

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This Song: Strand of Oaks on “Lazarus” by David Bowie

“This is the sound that quasars make when they’re being born or the resonant frequency of the big bang.”

Timothy Showalter, who leads the folk-rock band Strand of Oaks, chronicles his journey through depression on the band’s new record, Eraserland. Listen as he describes how hearing David Bowie’s “Lazarus” at the end of the recording process helped him see how powerful documenting dark times could be. Then hear how the process of making Eraserland helped bring Showalter to the other side of his own dark times. “(The record) exists in this wonderful place where it did start in a pretty dark place personally, but where it ended up turned out to be the brightest most love filled moment.”

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This Song: The Bishops on “Soundtrack to My Life” by Kid Cudi

Our May Artist of the Month- The Bishops explain that hearing “Soundtrack to My Life” by Kid Cudi for the first time as middle schoolers changed what they thought hip-hop music could be. Kid Cudi spends the song highlighting his negative mental health, an idea that Cara and Troy Bishop hadn’t heard before in the artists they were listening to at the time like Lil’ Wayne and 50 Cent. It led them to write songs that have an emphasis on being lyrically vulnerable, a mission that they hope to continue with each new release. Explains Cara “I’ll always want to be vulnerable in songs because I know other people are too and the fact that they are means we can connect to each other.”

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This Song: Thea Wood on “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett

Writer and entrepreneur Thea Wood describes how hearing Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” while watching the documentary of the same name reignited her passion for music and inspired her to make a huge change in her life. Listen as she explains how that experience led her to create the “Backstage Chats With Women in Music” podcast as well as the the Backstage Chats Foundation which seeks to “eliminate gender disparity in modern music by amplifying the voices of women in music and accelerating their careers through grants and scholarships.”

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This Song: The Teeta on “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Austin rapper The Teeta breaks down all the reasons he loves “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and how it influenced the direction he took on “Rain” from his latest record Teeta World.

The Teeta will join Confucius and Fresh, hosts of our hip-hop show The Breaks for “The Breaks Live: Graduation Edition” this Friday, May 10th at Empire Control Room along with Grizz, DJ Manny Mo, and Dj Yupthtsher.

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This Song: Pocket Sounds

Austin’s Pocket Sounds is the solo project of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and arranger Mike St Clair. Listen as he describes how hearing Dionne Warwick’s version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” at a kiddie pool party inspired him to meld the classical, jazz, pop and rock parts of himself, and influenced his new song “Radio Song.”

Pocket Sounds will be celebrating the release of a cassette single containing radio song at the Mohawk this Saturday May 4th at Mohawk.

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This Song: Citizen Cope

Clarence Greenwood is Citizen Cope, an American singer-songwriter who has been making entrancing blends of rock and soul music since the early 2000’s.

In this episode Citizen Cope details how his emotional connections to legends such as Randy Newman and Trouble Funk aided his understanding of the powerful energy that music can have. Cope then goes on to discusses how his experiences of the last seven years — which include reconciling with his estranged father and becoming a parent himself — led him to the songs on his latest record “Heroin and Helicopters.”

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This Song: GRiZ on Disney’s “Fantasia”

Grant Richard Kwiecinski, who goes by GRiZ, is a producer and multi-instrumentalist who combines electronic music with funk and soul to create a sound that is as uplifting as it is danceable.

Listen as GRiZ describes how seeing Disney’s “Fanstasia”as a child helped him understand that music could take the listener on an emotional journey and how that experience ultimately led to his interest in making music on the computer. Then listen as he explains why he wanted to explore his own complex emotional journey on his latest record “Ride Waves.”

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This Song: Ian Graham from The Well on “Ocean Size” by Jane’s Addiction

Ian Graham, guitarist, songwriter and singer for the Austin psych metal band The Well, describes how hearing “Ocean Size” by Jane’s Addiction when he was a kid showed him how powerfully music could convey a feeling by transporting him “to somebody else’s movie.” He describes how poetry, songwriting and playing music as a teenager helped him feel less alone in the world and saved his life and explores what he loves about the metal he makes in The Well.

The Well is KUTX’s Artis of the month!

The Well’s new album Death and Consolation out next week!

See The Well live at their release show next week at Barracuda

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This Song: Cautious Clay On “B.O.B” by Outkast

When Cautious Clay saw the video for Outkast’s “B.O.B” for the first time, the combination of the duo’s rapid fire rap style, techno influenced production and hyper-saturated psychedelic visuals blew his 7-year-old mind. On this episode, he tells us how that experience continues to have a profound impact on his own work, especially on his new project “Table of Context.” Plus, he explores how Outkast, along with his beat-boxing flute teacher, taught him to approach creativity without boundaries.

Cautious Clay just released a new EP called Table of Context

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This Song: Patty Griffin on “Secret World” by Peter Gabriel

Patty Griffin’s latest record “Patty Griffin” is a gorgeous acoustic exercise in vulnerability. The album was borne out of a period in her life where she stepped back from music to undergo treatment for breast cancer.

Listen as she explores all the ways that Peter Gabriel’s “Secret World,” from his epic breakup record up US, impacted her life and her songwriting. Griffin also explores how her friendship with George Reif inspired the song “Luminous Places,” and how important it is for her to allow herself to be vulnerable in her work.

“That’s what I would always like to try to arrive at. Something that’s deeply true and that I learn from. Then I’ve really got something to give”

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This Song: Jenny Lewis on “Govinda Jai Jai” by Alice Coltrane

“Music is energy and music can be healing…music has so many different purposes, but at this stage in my life I’m looking for something that’s a little bit nourishing or just like a slight clue to the universe.” — Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis’ 4th record On the Line is a collection of songs that tackle love, lust, relationships and death. Lewis recorded the album in Capitol Records Studio B with a band of legendary instrumentalists — Benmont Tench on keys, Don Was on bass, and Jim Keltner on drums with contributions by Ringo Starr and Beck.

In this episode Jenny Lewis describes the effect that hearing “Govinda Jai Jai” by Alice Coltrane while on a road trip across California with Jim James and Gary Burden had on her spirit and on her approach to her new record.

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This Song: Warren Hood on “High Hill” by Uncle Walt’s Band

In the early 70’s Uncle Walt’s Band, the acoustic trio made up of Champ Hood, Walter Hyatt and David Ball came to Austin, TX from Spartanburg, SC. The band brought with them a unique acoustic sound that melded folk, jazz, blues and pop. Though the music of Uncle Walt’s Band never caught on nationally, it continues to inspire countless Texas musicians like Lyle Lovett and Shawn Colvin.

Listen as Warren Hood, Champ Hood’s son, describes how hearing the song “High Hill” gave him a deep appreciation for the music of Uncle Walt’s Band while helping him process his grief around the loss of his father.

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This Song: Amanda Palmer on Nick Cave’s “Magneto”

Amanda Palmer’s latest release, “There Will Be No Intermission” is a collection of devastating songs that explore her experiences with death, parenthood, miscarriage, abortion and living in this current, chaotic moment.

On this special live episode, recorded at SXSW, she explores how seeing Nick Cave’s performance of “Magneto” in the documentary “On More Time With Feeling” showed her how powerful inviting an audience into deeply personal experiences could be. “The ability too walk into the dark and carefully take people with you is why we do our jobs.”

She also describes how powerful it was to see Nick Cave’s bandmates hold space for his grief in the recording studio and how liberating it has been for her own community to hold space for her during the writing, recording and release of the new record.

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This Song: Moving Panoramas Return

Moving Panoramas have a new record out called “In Two.” Listen as vocalist and instrumentalist Cara Tillman describes the joy that Elton John’s “Burn Down the Mission” brings her, followed by guitarist Rosie Castoe who explores her life long love of Peter Gabriel’s “Steam.” And lead singer and songwriter Leslie Sisson explains why “Some Song” by Elliot Smith made her feel less alone, and all the “happy accidents” that led to the band’s latest sound.

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Moving Panoramas is KUTX’s Artist of the Month for March.

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This Song: Allison Moorer

Allison Moorer just released a new book and record, both titled “Blood.” Both works explore the legacy of her childhood in an abusive, addicted household and examine the impact that her parent’s murder suicide had on her life. In this episode, Moorer describes how “Every Breath You Take” by the Police gave her a window into an entire other world of music, and helped her define herself apart from her family.

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