KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
On this special bonus episode of (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen, audience members from our recent live taping at The Vortex share what the darkness means to them.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Austin ISD has some changes to its school consolidation plan. KUT’s Kailey Hunt brings us the latest updates.
The Michelin Guide this week honored more Texas restaurants, including Mercado Sin Nombre, a small, outdoor coffee and breakfast shop in East Austin recognized for making quality food at a quality price.
Halloween is the perfect time to embrace the darkness. KUTX’s Laurie Gallardo talks with Texas Standard’s Angela Kocherga about the goth scene in Texas and the Latine community.
Plus: Exploring one more horror movie filmed in Central Texas: “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” with Matthew McConaughey.
BLK ODYSSY talks about the darkness and reshaping the light, and offers his insight on connecting to the best frequency.
This is a live podcast taping recorded at the Vortex on October 16th, 2025.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
With 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot next week, state officials are reminding Texans what to expect at the polls. We’ll talk with the Texas Secretary of State’s Office about dos and don’ts while voting.
Both Austin and Houston are facing financial strain, but their solutions couldn’t be more different: One wants to raise taxes, while the other wants to hold the line.
Austin DJ Laurie Gallardo, host of the podcast “SPF 1000: Vampire Sunscreen,” discusses Latinx goth culture, its roots in border life and the darker side of music and identity.
Grammy-nominated musician and composer Adrian Quesada reflects on the spectrum of darkness, and the meaningful experience of connecting music with memories.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Comedian Avery Moore discusses the isolation of loneliness and lack of self-worth, and the revelation of actually liking oneself.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Austin and Travis County law enforcement are left in the dark when ICE conducts raids in the area – and though Austin officials say that’s not unusual, other places like Harris County are given a heads up. Why the different practices? KUT’s Mose Buchele looks into this.
As a once-disruptor of the music industry looks to be winding down, KUTX’s Maile Carballo talks about where the future could be headed.
What does the darkness mean to you? KUTX’s maven of darkness herself, Laurie Gallardo, on that very question and the live taping of (SP1000) Vampire Sunscreen happening Thursday Oct. 16.
Professor and forensic researcher Dr. Daniel Wescott talks about the life that follows death, and darkness as an uncertainty.
Learn More about the Forensic Anthropology Center aka the Body Farm
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
True crime historian and author Kate Winkler Dawson discusses the literal darkness of rural areas, and the role of empathy in true crime research.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Singer and songwriter Kalu James talks about darkness as a space of safety, and the mindful acts of creating art in dark times, and letting go.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Alex Maas of the Black Angels talks about the influence of childhood memories and raising a family during dark times.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, talks about the ways darkness and his mental health journey have shaped his music and his outlook on life. He also discusses the art of – and the anxiety behind – self-promotion, and the desire to connect with others.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.
You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
Season 2 of (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen starts Friday, September 12. On the podcast, host Laurie Gallardo is back to ask one question of her guests: What is the darkness to you? Or, what is dark to you?
In season 2, Laurie talks to musicians Shakey Graves, Kalu James, and the Black Angels’ Alex Maas. She talks to author and podcast host Kate Winkler Dawson, comedian Avery Moore, biological anthropologist Dr. Daniel J. Wescott, and more.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast and podcasts like it by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
On this special edition of (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen, recorded live at Laguna Gloria, artist and musician Thor Harris talks about the importance of empathy and creating art…and the insight of those who’ve gone to hell and back.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
Trevor Scott, cohost of We Are Austin, talks about facing the challenges of hopelessness, avoiding any middle ground when it comes to one’s passions, and the delicate balance between positivity and not tolerating any ridiculousness.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
Qi Dada (Riders Against the Storm) explores what people can learn from the darkness, and reexamines the different meanings of “dark” across the board – from dubious origins to something that’s comforting and even enlightening.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
L.C. Franke talks about embracing the darkness as inspiration, how it’s sparked his own creativity, and how darker things can be more intriguing – for better or worse.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
Dusty Gannon of Vision Video talks with Laurie about how the darkness of goth music inspires him and how horror films help him deal with his own fears.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
Jonathan Horstmann, Kevin Naquin, and Paxel Foley of Urban Heat discuss where the band falls on the light-dark spectrum and finding one’s inner child in the darkness.
(SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org.
Credits:
Host, Creator, Producer: Laurie Gallardo
Producer: Elizabeth McQueen
Editing and Mixing: Jack Anderson
Original Music: Rene Chavez
Photo and Video: Michael Minasi
Art: Dave McClinton
In (SPF 1000) Vampire Sunscreen host Laurie Gallardo simply asks one question of her guests: What is the darkness to you? Or, what is dark to you?
The season launches on Thursday, September 12th.