“Youth Revolution Now”: Sharp Pins on Chicago’s DIY Scene
Sharp Pins is the solo project of 20-year-old Kai Slater, who also runs a zine called Hallogallo. Based in Chicago, he started the zine during the height of the coronavirus pandemic as a teenager, overwhelmed and frustrated with a life dominated by screens. So, both his music and zine are analog, made with tape recorders, photo copiers, and type writers. KEXP’s Dusty Henry talks with Slater about his music and the thriving DIY scene in Chicago. “The way that you remain young is by staying in touch with your creative side,” Slater says in the interview. “If I were to stop that, I would surely die,” he adds with a chuckle. Sharp Pins’s album Radio DDR came out March, 21 2025 on Perennial Records. Support the show: kexp.org/deeper photo by Jolie M-ASupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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27:44
Outer Spaceways Incorporated Honors Sun Ra’s Cosmic Legacy
The Kronos Quartet — founded in Seattle, now based in San Francisco — has shaped modern classical music for more than 50 years. Their 2024 album Outer Spaceways Incorporated reimagines the work of the trailblazing American jazz pianist, Sun Ra, featuring covers and collaborations with artists like Jlin, Armand Hammer, and others. In addition to recorded testimonials from Laraaji, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and longtime Arkestra leader Marshall Allen, KEXP’s Larry Mizell, Jr. spoke with one of the Kronos Quartet’s founding members, David Harrington. “The more I’ve learned of Sun Ra, the more I’ve realized we’re like brothers or something,” Harrington laughs in the interview. “The question I have been asking all these years is: What’s next? What can music be that it hasn’t been so far? How might I become a better musician? How might I learn more about the world through music, with music, because of music?” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper photo via Impulse! Records and ABC/Dunhill Records Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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25:52
The Revival of Panchiko, a '90s “Lostwave” Band
Owain Davies received a message from a stranger in 2020 asking if he might have been the singer of a band called Panchiko more than two decades ago. As it turns out, he was — but they never put their music online. They just had seven demo tracks on CDs, but Panchiko never really broke out of their scene in central England at the time. Fast forward to 2025: Panchiko is back in action with their second album since the band’s revival, Ginkgo, out on Nettwerk Music Group. Now, thanks to a devoted fanbase, Panchiko is embarking on a tour to play in front of thousands of people. KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour spoke with Davies and his bandmate Andy Wright about being “rediscovered.” “Just say yes to opportunities — I almost didn’t,” Davies says in the interview. “Because we said yes to a simple thing of, ‘Yeah, we’ll start talking to you about this weird album you’ve discovered,’ it led to this. Try things out. You never know where it’ll go.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Photo Credit: Adam Alonzo Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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28:45
Tune-Yards: “I don't need hope. I need wonder and a will to live.”
Merrill Garbus says the lyrics simply poured out of her mouth on several tracks for the new Tune-Yards album, Better Dreaming. This time, she and her partner Nate Brenner trusted their gut more in the writing process. The record is heavily inspired by current events domestically and abroad, the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and unexpected lessons from unexpectedly becoming a parent. “I'm not a maker of sad music generally,” Garbus says in the interview. “My general take on music is: Let's sweat this out because we have to keep moving on. I love music for that. It allows that kind of movement through grief, through trauma, through hardship.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeperSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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40:15
Hiro Ama Creates Peace with a 1980s Japanese Synthesizer
Hiro Ama, born in Japan and based in London, plays drums in the indie pop band Teleman. In late 2024, he released his debut solo album, Music for Peace and Harmony, which leans heavily into the sounds of a 1980s Japanese synthesizer called Waraku, which literally means “peace and harmony” in Japanese. KEXP's Dusty Henry spoke with him shortly after the release. “I used to be quite a perfectionist,” Ama says in the interview. “Then again, when you listen to old jazz records, you can hear a lot of mistakes, the bad notes, and people chanting in the background, and that becomes part of the character of the music. Once I realized it, I started putting in a lot of field recordings and embracing the imperfection.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On A Deeper Listen, host Emily Fox and other storytellers from KEXP talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.
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