The Hole Story

Carrie Fussell: “Cherry” [The Hole Story]

The Hole Story is a new series from KUTX. Taped live on the front stage of Hole in the Wall – we’ve invited artists to not just perform, but also share the inspiration, meaning, or backstory behind each one.

Opened in 1974, Hole in the Wall is one of Austin’s most legendary dive bars. It continues to be a launchpad for generations of Texas songwriters — from Blaze Foley and Doug Sahm to Spoon, Shakey Graves, and Gary Clark Jr. It also happens to be right across the street from the KUT/X Studios.

Raised in rural East Texas, Carrie Fussell learned early that imagination could be a survival skill. For more than a decade, she applied that instinct into the Austin psychedelic folk collective Calliope Musicals.

When that chapter closed, she stepped away from performing.

Then came a midnight reset.

Invited by Jon Dee Graham to join his long-running Wednesday residency at the Continental Club, Carrie took the late-night slot and started again. In those after-hours sets, BRUCE emerged, along with the songs that would become Must Love Teeth. It’s a stretch, Carrie said, “saved her life.”

The Hole Story airs tonight at 10PM. More from the Hole Story here.

Hayes Carll: “Live” [The Hole Story]

The Hole Story is a new series from KUTX. Taped live on the front stage of Hole in the Wall – we’ve invited artists to not just perform, but also share the inspiration, meaning, or backstory behind each one.

Our latest installment of the Hole Story finds us in a full-circle moment. 25 years after moving to Austin, and after spending years in Nashville and New York City, Hayes Carll announced his return to Austin on the heels of his tenth album, We’re Only Human. Known for his folk-leaning songs permeated with poetry and steeped in humor, Carll shared many stories last August at the Hole In the Wall, and we thought we’d leave one in for ya. Listen below as Hayes shares a little bit about his songwriting process, specifically for the violin-forward tune “High.”

Grace Sorenson: “Cologne” (The Hole Story)

he Hole Story is a new series from KUTX. Taped live on the little front stage of Hole in the Wall – we’ve invited artists to not just perform, but also share the inspiration, meaning, or backstory behind each one.

Opened in 1974, Hole in the Wall is one of Austin’s most legendary dive bars. It continues to be launchpad for generations of Texas songwriters — from Blaze Foley and Doug Sahm to Spoon, Shakey Graves, and Gary Clark Jr. It also happens to be right across the street from the KUT/X Studios.

Much ado is made about the changing Austin live music scene, but its impact is felt in its younger class of musicians – including R&B/soul songstress, Grace Sorenson. Born and raised here in Austin, Sorenson credits the city’s live music scene for her focus on overall craftsmanship in her work rather than chasing flashy or trendy instrumentation. In the final song of her episode of The Hole Story, Sorenson demonstrates this approach in a stripped-down version of “Cologne,” a song she quips is a “KUTX fave.” Even with just a guitar and a vocal, “Cologne”‘s message about that empowered feeling of getting ready to go out, whether you’re getting ready for a morning at church or a night out at the club, carries through loud and clear.

You can hear the “hole” episode tonight on KUTX at 10 o’clock.

Born and raised in the Austin area, Grace Sorensen is an R&B singer/songwriter whose work often lives in richly produced, collaborative spaces.

Releasing music since 2020 – Collaborations and featured vocals with BLK ODYSSY and Magna Carda, and an EP release, landed her a spot at ACL Fest in 2023.

In February of 2025, the debut album, Blueprint, marked a major step forward. A month later, with a five piece band in tow, Grace delivered a stellar performance at KUTX’s early morning broadcast during SXSW.

For this episode of The Hole Story – we wanted to hear these songs at their core – in a way that lets the lyrics and vocals come forward. With her longtime guitarist, Matt Muehling, Grace joined us at Hole in the Wall during her reign as KUTX Artist of the Month in August of 2025.

Grace Sorensen: “Cologne” [Live At the Hole In the Wall]

KUTX’s Artist of the Month Program is powered by PNC Bank.

Fresh off her debut full-length BLUEPRINT, Austin R&B/soul singer (and our August Artist of the Month) Grace Sorensen has made it abundantly clear she is a force to be reckoned with. Well before her debut LP dropped, Sorensen had become an integral part of Austin’s R&B and rap scenes — including a guest appearance on BLK ODYSSY’s debut album, BLK VINTAGE, and a single featuring Austin rap group Magna Carda for some guest verses. She’s also been an official SXSW artist, performed at ACL Festival, AND opened for Diana Ross.

Today we’re sharing another preview of our new series The Hole Story. Think of it as MTV: Unplugged, but Austin. Short, stripped-down story-driven solo sets by some of our favorite Austin musicians performed on The Hole In the Wall’s famous front stage. And starting January 16th, we’ll be sharing new installments every week online, on-air, and right here with Song of the Day. Sorensen’s full episode will premiere on February 6th.

Half Dream: “Fly” [Recorded Live at the Hole In the Wall]

For over a decade, the windows in the KUTX booth and the front of the Hole In the Wall have gazed at each other from across the street. Generations of musicians and music lovers have storied memories of the 51-year-old venue, whether you were there to see Townes Van Zandt’s regular performances or Lucinda Williams get her start, spotted icons like Courtney Love and Dave Grohl, or witnessed Yard Act’s first show in the U.S..

So it would make sense that two iconic Austin music institutions would finally converge. Over the last few months, we’ve invited our Concert Club members to be part of a new tradition, a series we’re calling The Hole Story. Think of it as MTV: Unplugged, but Austin. Short, stripped-down story-driven solo sets by some of our favorite Austin musicians performed on Hole In the Wall’s famous front stage.

And now, we’re sharing these sets with you, kicking it off with our May Artist of the Month Half Dream. A regular on the Hole In the Wall calendar, Half Dream’s Paige Renee Berry performed a plugged-in solo set, showcasing her lofty, haunting vocals and bare-it-all-while-sometimes-taking-no-prisoners songwriting prowess.