Mookie's Artist Interviews: Recent Episodes
Marc "Mookie" Kaczor
Southern California neo-soul artist Nick Waterhouse brought his band to 88.5 FM to perform 3 songs off his self titled LP, courtesy of our friends at Innovative Leisure. Nick is an artist worth following and supporting. One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in rock & roll. His vintage/throwback sound is infectious.
The Los Angeles based group introduced their new seven piece lineup by performing songs from new album All the Things That I Did and All the Things That I Didn’t Do.
Sam Morrow stopped by 88.5 FM to share songs off of his latest album Concrete and Mud, including the single "Quick Fix".
88.5 FM recently presented Sunflower Bean at The Bootleg Theater to celebrate the release of their new album 'King of The Dudes'. The band stopped by 88.5 to discuss and perform songs from the EP.
The Wild Reeds visited 88.5 FM's studios in Mission Viejo for a live performance a day before the release of their newest LP 'Cheers' out now.
John Butler Trio stopped by 88.5 FM to perform songs from their latest album 'Home' before playing at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.
Massachusetts based Darlingside gathered around one microphone to perform gorgeous harmonies before their sold out show at The Echo.
Brandi Carlile performed songs from her album By The Way, I Forgive You in front of Contributing Members live at the Village Studios.
Van William played an exclusive 88.5 LIVE SESSION with a studio audience. This was the first session recorded at the state of the art Saddleback College TV studio.
Blitzen Trapper came to Los Angeles to visit Mookie and 88.5 FM before a show at The Bootleg Theater. The band played 3 stripped down songs from the record "Wild and Reckless" and the session sounded fantastic. Here's the audio from the interview/performance as it was heard live on the air.
Rebecca and Megan of Larkin Poe came to 88.5 FM in Los Angeles to talk about the release of the record "Peach". This talented sibling duo has been making music and collaborating with world class artists for years. We've watched this duo grow throughout the years and will continue to follow them for years to come. Here's the audio from their exclusive 88.5 FM interview and performance.
In October of 2017 Dan Wilson came to 88.5 FM in Los Angeles to discuss the release of his record "Re-Covered" and perform a few songs live on the air. Many know Dan from previous projects such as Semisonic, but the casual music fan may not know that he has written for (and collaborated with) many other artists on many hit songs. "Re-Covered" is a collection of reinterpretations of songs Wilson wrote for other artists. Here's the audio.
Multi instrumentalist and talented songwriter Suzanne Santo came to KCSN in Los Angeles shortly after her debut solo album Ruby Red was released. Formerly of the project known as HoneyHoney, Suzanne is creating her own brand of Americana and has recently crafted some of the most personal songs of her career. She talked to Mookie about her collaboration with Butch Walker and played a few songs off the new album. Here's the audio.
Jonny and Steve from Los Angeles band Lost Beach came to KCSN studios to talk about their EP called NIGHTBREAK. The guys gave some insight on how the band got started and Mookie played a few songs off the record. This was also the radio debut of the single "Classless Man". Here's the entire interview as it aired on 88.5 KCSN.
Greta Morgan (AKA Springtime Carnivore) came to KCSN studios in Los Angeles a few months after the release of her 2nd record under the name Springtime Carnivore. She talked about starting her musical career at a very early age and dropped some serious knowledge about how the album "Midnight Room" came to fruition. Here's the audio. Enjoy!
Hurray For The Riff Raff came to KCSN studios shortly after the release of the album The Navigator. Alynda Segarra admits that this is a politically charged, concept record that she envisions to be adapted for theater one day. This interview touches on many topics and the LIVE performances of Hungry Ghost, Living In The City and Rican Beach are inspiring. Here's the audio.
Minneapolis-based songwriter Jeremy Messersmith came to KCSN in May of 2017... shortly after the release of his album "11 Obscenely Optimistic Songs For Ukulele: A Micro Folk Record For The 21st Century And Beyond". Jeremy talked about the idea of this incredibly positive (palate cleansing) record, his micro-tour and more. Here's the audio.
Amy Shark came to Los Angeles and was nice enough to visit KCSN studios. This interview and exclusive performance was taped on 4/21/17... release day of her major label debut EP called "Night Thinker". Amy's song "Adore" is hugely popular in her native Australia. This fantastic songwriter will be back in LA in June to play the Echo and hopefully back to KCSN.
Doyle Bramhall II is an accomplished musician... writing, producing or collaborating with artists like T-Bone Burnett, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Dr. John and countless others. He came to KCSN studios to talk about his solo effort "Rich Man". Doyle talked a little about his past, his spirituality, his travels and performed a stripped down acoustic set LIVE on the air. Here's the audio.
Ben and Johnny from Los Angeles band The Palms came to KCSN studios to talk about their debut EP called Sway. They also talked a bit about their previous project Terraplane Sun and the perils of being an independent band. We also heard a couple of tracks from the EP and a LIVE version of the song Push Off. Here's the audio.
Chrissie Hynde called KCSN on 9/7/16 (her birthday) to discuss her brand new record called "Alone". The new LP from The Pretenders will be available to the public on October 21st and is produced by Dan from The Black Keys. Chrissie talk about linking up with Dan Auerbach, she gave some advice to up-and-coming musicians and of course... she talked about her birthday plans. Here's the audio.
In August of 2016 The Explorers Club came to KCSN studios in Los Angeles to talk to Mookie and to perform live on the air. This band has a classic throwback sound and they sing brilliantly together. The band talked about the release of their record "Together" and performed a raw, stripped down version of brand new songs. Here's the audio.
John Paul White came to Los Angeles in July of 2016... about a month before the release of his second solo album "Beulah". He brought along his band, as well as recent collaborators The Secret Sisters out of Alabama. This performance includes brand new material and an outstanding cover of a legendary Beach Boys song. Here's the audio.
Back on Friday, May 6th 2016 Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals played a FREE show at Amoeba in Los Angeles... one of the best record stores on the planet. We've selected 3 songs from their 7 song set to feature LIVE on the air at 88.5 KCSN. Here's the audio as it was heard LIVE at Amoeba. Enjoy. The full interview in the green room at Amoeba can be found on www.KCSN.org
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald came to visit Mookie at the KCSN studios in Los Angeles to play some music and talk about the release of the record "I Wanna Make It With You". This audio captures a three song stripped-down performance, interview and more. Here's the audio.
Zach from Rogue Wave came to the KCSN studios to talk to Mookie and perform some songs off the Delusions Of Grand Fur record, weeks before the release date. Zach was joined by his daughter Ren in-studio for the interview and Pat on drums for the performance... this session was truly a family affair. Here's the exclusive audio. Enjoy.
HEMMING came to the Unsigned Sunday radio show while sweeping through SoCal to support Chris Cornell. She talked about some of the themes she's written about and some of the songs that made it to her debut album. We even got her to play an exclusive version of "Some Of My Friends" for us. Here's the audio.
Larkin Poe. What a band! These girls are a breathe of fresh air. Not only are they influenced by rootsy rock and rollers of the past, they've also lent their talents to Elvis Costello and Conor Oberst. Here's the audio from an exclusive KPRI session with Mookie in San Diego. Enjoy.
This KPRI session includes an exclusive performance of 4 songs, a Q&A with Mookie from the radio station and more. It's been nearly 3 years since we got a new record from Family Of The Year... hear them talk about it. Here's the audio.
G. Love came to sweep through Southern California once again... this time he joined us in the KPRI studio with Mookie. He talked about his approach to his latest release, recent collaborations with Lucinda Williams and Citizen Cope and more. G. Love even played for us LIVE on the air. Here's the audio.
Gavin James took the time stop by the KPRI studio while sweeping through SoCal. He talked about playing huge arena shows with Sam Smith, his musical influences and even performed for us on the air. Here's the audio.
It was nice to catch up with Anderson East just before his major label debut LP "Delilah". Anderson also played us a couple of new songs on the air... including an amazing stripped-down version of Satisfy Me. Here's the audio.
Rhett Miller came to KPRI studios to talk about some of his solo work. Even better... he brought an acoustic guitar and Annalisa Tornfelt from Black Prairie to perform for us. Here's the audio.
Zella Day came to the KPRI studios the week of the release of her Kicker LP. She talked about her musical roots and more. She also talked about KPRI's Green Flash Concert Series event this Summer. Here's the audio.
The guys from Delta Spirit came back to San Diego to kick off a nation wide tour. Here's the exclusive audio from the KPRI Studio i Session as it happened live at Lestat's on Adams Ave. The guys performed 4 songs and had a Q&A with Mookie.
We got HoneyHoney in our studio just before the release of their LP called "3". This project is a duo at their core, who write beautiful music together. They played 4 songs for us and a Q&A with Mookie from KPRI. Here's the audio.
Dawes played an intimate room at Ocean West Studios in San Diego, talked about Taylor's affiliation with The New Basement Tapes, the direction of the band AND performed 4 songs including the single "Things Happen".
Edgey and Delila from The Last Internationale came to San Diego's KPRI studios to talk about the release of the We Will Reign LP and to perform LIVE in-studio. They talked about recruiting Brad Wilk on drums, the themes they've been writing about, the recording process and more. This was a fun interview... concluding with a stripped down performance of two songs.
Marc Broussard took the time to come to San Diego's KPRI studios to chat about his "A Life Worth Living" LP and perform LIVE on the air. He talked about some of his musical roots and even gave some advice for musicians. Here's the audio.
Southern California's own Salt Petal took the time to come to the KX 93.5 studios to perform LIVE on the air. We heard two songs from the Sea Monster album, talked about songwriting and collaborating and much more. There are many musical influences apparent with this band. We like their brand of indie/jazz/soul. Here's the audio.
Things are good for Galvanized Souls. This Southern California rock band came to the KX 93.5 studios to chat with Mookie about this relatively new musical project. The guys talked about being an independent band, how they make their own instruments and more. They even performed LIVE on the air. Here's the audio.
Shana & The Hooligans is the musical collaboration of Shana Halligan and Chuck Wild. Both have been affiliated with other projects in the past like Thievery Corporation, Captain Planet and much more. The duo came to the KX 93.5 studios to debut new songs, talk about this new musical endeavor and perform LIVE on the air. Here's the audio.
Ryan Corn took the time to come to the KX 93.5 studios in Laguna Beach to talk about his music and to perform LIVE on the air. We debuted two new tracks from his upcoming EP, talked about his affiliation with Curb Records and more. Here's the audio.
Australia's Lime Cordiale came to the KX 93.5 studios a few weeks after the release of the "Falling Up The Stairs" EP. Touring as a five-piece, the guys talked about the inception of the band, the similarities of Southern California to Australia and more. Here's the audio.
The guys from Not In The Face came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about their latest self-titled EP and to play LIVE on the air. The band had a day off from playing SoCal shows which included a residency at The Viper Room. They also talked about the transition from being a duo to a four-piece and more. Their shows are high energy and tons of fun. Here's the audio.
Brian Marquis stopped by the KX 93.5 studio while taking a break from The Vans Warped Tour. Not only did he perform LIVE... but he also talked about the release of his debut solo LP called "Blood & Spirits". The new record is different from his post-hardcore past. This segment was a good one for music lovers. Here's the audio.
Sydney from Echosmith called the KX 93.5 studios just weeks after the release of the new "Acoustic Dreams" EP. She talked about their second time being featured on the Vans Warped Tour, the inspiration behind the acoustic record and more.
This episode features two inspirational musicians. Judith Owen came to the KX 93.5 studios after touring the country to support her Ebb & Flow record. She talked about the accomplished musicians who play on the album, her 1970's troubadour inspired vision, the tour mascot and more! Judith and Lee also performed LIVE on the air for us.
Aimee Mann and Ted Leo of The Both called the KX 93.5 studios while touring the California coast. They talked about how the project got started, the collaborative effort and gave some good advice to aspiring musicians. We had to talk about Aimee playing herself in an episode of Portlandia too... hey, it's not often you get to talk to Ted Leo and Aimee Mann on the phone! Here's the audio.
Van and Marte from San Francisco based WATERS came to the KX 93.5 studio to talk about the release of their upcoming LP, the inception of the project and the success WATERS has already had with the single "Got To My Head". They even performed a couple of stripped down songs LIVE. Here's the audio.
Hollis from Seattle's own The Flavr Blue called the KX 93.5 studio to talk with Mookie on the afternoon show. They talked about playing shows around the country, the release of the latest EP and the fact that they appeal to not only indie/alternative music fans, but also the hip hop community. Here's the audio!
Michele Clark brings the music industry together. Not only does her Sunset Sessions event connect the industry with artists, but it also connects artists with listeners and music fans. A music fan at heart, she was nice enough to stop by the KX 93.5 studios to talk about Sunset Sessions Rock in San Diego.
Scott and Chase from Open Air Stereo came to the KX 93.5 studios on Mookie's afternoon show to talk about the release of their debut record and the upcoming Sunset Sessions showcase. We like their brand of indie electro-pop. Here's the audio.
Los Angeles band Fused By Defiance came to talk about their project and perform a (not so stripped down) set LIVE on the air. This band fuses outstanding lyricism with polished, rock driven instrumentation. This was one of the more "rocking" sessions we've ever had in the KX 93.5 studio.
The Singles have been around for a hot minute, putting out records and shuffling the line-up through the years. Now a duo, Vincent and Nicky came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about their new LP called "Look How Fast A Heart Can Break" and to perform a totally stripped down song LIVE on the air.
Jeremy Messersmith came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about the release of the new Heart Murmurs LP, life on the road, his affiliation with Glassnote Records and much more... he even performed LIVE in the studio for us. Here's the audio.
Okapi Sun knows how to bring the party. Dallas and Leo came back to KX 93.5 to talk about the release of their debut LP Techno Prisoners. This duo even performed LIVE in-studio... it was the first ever "acoustic" Okapi Sun performance. Here's the audio.
Los Angeles four-piece DWNTWN came to the KX 93.5 studios less than a week before the release of their self titled EP. They talked about the inception of the band, the evolution of their sound and they even performed a stripped down set LIVE on the air.
LA's own Tori and Wolf Prize came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about the debut EP and to perform LIVE on the air. Tori describes her unique sound as a fusion of artist influences from the likes of Tom Waits and Mazzy Star. Listen to the audio here.
Phil and Joie from 7horse came back to the KX 93.5 studios just before the release of their second LP called Songs For A Voodoo Wedding. We debuted two new tracks on the air and the guys also performed a stripped down set in the studio, including the song A Friend In Weed. This rocking duo has a signature sound and clearly knows how to have fun. You may have heard the song Meth Lab Zoso sticker on TV and film as well. This might be your new favorite band. Here's the audio.
Independent musician Aura Bakker came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about the release and recording process of her LP Desert Sea. Aura performed a couple songs LIVE on the air and talked about how crowd-funding programs could be good for artists who need a little help from their friends.
KX 93.5 was the first station in the country to spin the infectious song Cardiac Arrest... now this SoCal band is blowing up. Mookie had the guys on his afternoon show to talk about their new EP, performing on Conan and what's next for the band. Here's the audio.
Southern California's The Circus Kids came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk to Mookie about their debut self-titled LP. This band has the Stooges in their head and the Rolling Stones in their heart. The dynamic duo also performed a stripped down set LIVE on the air.
Rome Ramirez came to the KX 93.5 studio to talk about the upcoming release of his solo LP called Get Free. He talked about his collaborations with Dirty Heads and what's down the road for Sublime With Rome. Here's the audio from the acoustic set and interview with Mookie... they also debuted the brand new single Terrorista.
Miniature Tigers came to the KX 93.5 studio weeks before the release of the "Cruel Runnings" LP to debut a new single. They talked about relocating to Jamaica to record the album, the producer they linked up with and more. Here's the audio.
28 North came to visit the KX 93.5 studios just before the release of their World On Fire LP. Fresh off of a tour with ZZ Top, these guys are a bunch of passionate musicians with a drive to write meaningful songs and perform all over the country. Here's the audio from their interview and stripped down performance on Mookie's afternoon show. Enjoy.
Tone and C.C. are an independent alt/blues duo out of San Diego. They stopped by the KX 93.5 studios to hang with Mookie and talk about the release of their 2nd full length LP Gold Fever as well as a bunch of other things. This band has already had great success in the alternative music world and they're just getting started. Here's the audio.
Jeremy Messersmith took the time to call the KX 93.5 studios to talk about the latest tour, his extensive back catalog of music and his new relationship with Glassnote Records. His Glassnote debut LP Heart Murmurs is available now. Here's the audio.
Fresh off a UK tour and a bunch of gigs at SXSW, New York's own SKATERS came to KX 93.5 to talk about things... including their major label debut LP, the inception of the band and their self-published zine. Here's the audio.
Sam Roberts came to the Laguna Beach KX 93.5 studios off the heels of playing SXSW and in the middle of a sweep up the west coast. His new record Lo-Fantasy is a wonderfully produced LP and an absolute winner of a record. Sam brought Dave Nugent to the studio and they both performed a stripped down set for us too. Here's the audio.
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe is more than just an average jam band... they fuse together soul, funk, jazz and rock in an original and compelling way. Karl Denson came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk with Mookie about the details of the New Ammo LP, his jazz and mo-town roots and past collaborations with various artists.
Southern California's own KIEV came to visit Mookie in the KX 93.5 Pearl Street studios to talk about their latest record Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth, their upcoming festival appearances AND to perform LIVE on the air. These are some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in indie music today.
Independent R&B/Soul/Rock singer London Rose stopped by the KX 93.5 studios to talk with Mookie about her new Kick Drum EP, her latest swing through the left coast and to perform some stripped down songs LIVE.
The Bay Area's own Dig The Kid took the time to cruise to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about their EP and perform a stripped down set LIVE on Mookie's afternoon show. This is a very hard working 3-piece with a great core of fans. We like this rock band a bunch. Here's the audio.
Southern California's own Kiven came to talk with Mookie in the KX 93.5 studios just days before the release of their debut self-titled LP. These guys have put together a brilliant modern rock/progressive/alternative leaning record. Here's the audio from the interview and stripped down performance.
Moises, Sean and Matt (formerly of Tomorrow's Bad Seeds) have a brand new project called LIFE. These talented Southern California musicians came to the Pearl Street studios to visit Mookie on the KX 93.5 afternoon show to debut their new single, perform a stripped down set and talk about what's next for the band.
Authority Zero took the time to hang with Mookie during his afternoon show. They came to talk about their latest record, perform a couple of songs LIVE in our Pearl Street studio and talk about the latest tour with Guttermouth and the Ataris. These are some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in rock music.
Liam Gowing came to the KX 93.5 studios to talk about his background in writing, the formation of his record Drunk Sluts Forever and his own record label called MojoSon Music. Here's the audio from the interview and exclusive acoustic performance as it happened on the air. Mookie has been calling Liam Gowing's debut solo album an instant indie-rock classic.
Erica and the guys in Blondfire took the time to chat on Mookie's radio show before a Southern California show with The Mowgli's and Hunter Hunted. We talked about the inception of the band, the nature of the industry, their music in film AND we even premiered a brand new song from their upcoming LP due out in February.
The Burning Of Rome (once again) came to the KX 93.5 Pearl Street studios to chat and perform LIVE on Mookie's afternoon show. They talked about their brand new record "Live and Acoustic at The Belly Up", their signature IPA and new LP which is on schedule to be available early 2014.
This musician/poet/performer took the time to chat with Mookie about the inception of her musical project "Nostalghia". She also debuted 3 songs from her upcoming self produced LP.
Mookie was joined by Reverend Horton Heat on the air before a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana. We debuted two songs from his upcoming 11th record due out in January 2014, talked about the roots of rockabilly and more. This artist has been blazing trails in the rockabilly genre for years.
Jordan from Son Of Stan came to visit Mookie in the Pearl Street studios to talk about the release of his debut LP called Divorce Pop. Jordan has performed with Ringo Starr, Ben Harper and countless others in the past. The Divorce Pop record is available now and is an instant indie rock classic.
Cayucas is a gem from the California coast. The guys came to the Pearl Street studios to talk about their music, the latest tour and the release of their Bigfoot LP. Here's the audio from the interview and LIVE radio performance.
Sons Of Hippies are a psych rock trio from Florida with a debut LP called Griffons At The Gates Of Heaven. On their first ever sweep through Southern California, the band took the time to come and chat with Mookie AND play LIVE in the Pearl Street studios.
Jarinus is the songwriting / production team of Linus of Hollywood and Jaret Reddick... it is also the world's greatest bro-mance. These guys have made a living in the music industry and have a GREAT record out which features Mookie's new musical obsession, The Morrissey Song.
Mookie talked to to published author, former frontman of Soul Coughing and accomplished musician Mike Doughty about his various projects, new album of re-imagined Soul Coughing songs and his current tour.
Arthur Channel is the project featuring Jon Greene, Jack Irons, Alain Johannes and Greg Richling. Jon has linked up with some talented musicians who have been involved with other successful projects in the past. Jon and Greg came to the Pearl Street studios to talk with Mookie about their debut record. We even got a stripped down LIVE performance from Jon.
Danny, Eddie and Clark from Lost In Los Angeles came to talk to Mookie in the Pearl Street studios and play a stripped down set on the air. They talked about being an independent band on the road, other project they're involved in and performed a song from "The Hovering" EP as well as a previously unreleased track.
After meeting in an Environmental Analysis program at Pomona College, Trapdoor Social‘s Merritt Graves and Skylar Funk bonded over a deep concern for the future of the planet. The duo introduced themselves with the “Death Of A Friend” EP and a full length is now in the works.
Last time Mookie talked to Bryan from The Neighbourhood it was weeks before their major label debut and just after a set at Coachella. This time... we got him on the phone while on a well deserved break from touring the country.
Jocelyn is an amazing guitar player. She coined the term "Radical Classical" and that's exactly what her style is... classical guitar infused with rock, pop and punk rock.
The twins of Pop Noir came to the Pearl Street studios to chat with Mookie about their great new EP called Jealousy. This talented duo even performed LIVE for us... and introduced us to their 1980's Casio keyboard. We had a blast.
Gary Numan called the studio before a show in Santa Ana to talk about his new record Splinter (Sounds From A Broken Mind) the tour and why he took a hiatus for roughly 7 years.
Kate Nash came to Mookie's show while touring the California coast... it was actually just one leg of her WORLD tour. She's been making records since 2007 and her third LP called "Girl Talk" may be her best work yet. We talked music, social networking and philanthropy.
The Filthy Souls took time out of their busy schedule to come and hang with Mookie at our Pearl Street Studios. Dave Green and his band have already had tremendous success here in Southern California in a relatively short period of time.
Nick and Islands came to visit our studios while touring the West Coast to support the new record "Ski Mask". The new LP is one of our favorites of the year. Islands have been putting out records since the mid 2000's, originally out of Montreal. We talked about the recording process, comic strip characters AND the guys even performed with two acoustic guitars on loan from the music store.
It was a very special treat to have Mike Kinsella in our Pearl Street Studios to chat about his new album "L'Ami du Peuple" and play a couple of outstanding songs.
We're big fans of independent band Quiet Company out of Austin Texas. Their music has been consistently good through the years. Mookie had the band in-studio before a couple of SoCal shows and they performed brilliantly with their acoustic guitars.