Champaign Is Also A Band
One songwriter, one song. Podcast about stories & songs of Champaign-Urbana music. In each episode Sven sits down with a person from the C-U music scene to hear the story & the background of a favorite song they’ve written.
Listen on:
Episodes
Friday Aug 18, 2023
Friday Aug 18, 2023
Sven chats with Robbie (He/HIm) and Chris (They/Them) about their song "Breathless" off of the album "Unfriendly Reminder"
SONG: Breathless
ALBUM: Unfriendly Reminder
BAND: Rude Echoes
Favorite treat: Mandarin Jarritos/Hi-Chews
Photo credit: Marciel Shepard
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Friday Jul 28, 2023
Sven sits down with Clayton Burke Deering (He/HIm) to chat about his song "Wild Thing," collaborating with Kenna Mae (EP13), playing pedal steel in his solo project Neon Gravel, what makes a good music scene, and his favorite non-musical things.
SONG: Wild ThingALBUM: No Immediate Plans
BANDS: The Fights, The Rebekah Songer Band, Tractor Kings, Cole Bridges & the Overpass, Emily Anne Band, The Landovers, Neon Gravel, and The Clayton Burke Band
Cover Photo: JP Goguen
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Friday Jul 14, 2023
Sven chats with Red (They/Them) and Grey (They/She) of Red's Head about their song "Glitch," creating a DIY venue, and their favorite non-musical things.
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Sven chats with Carrie (She/Her) & Liz (She/Her) about their song "Cheers to This," the CU music scene, and their favorite non-musical things.
SONG: Cheers to This
ALBUM: Merryann’s at Midnight
BANDS: Carrie: none Liz: First Gig, Girls Rock, Poisoned Rationality
Favorite treat: Carrie: unsweetened iced tea, caramel corn Liz: sprite or hot tea
Photo credit: Carrie
Friday Jun 16, 2023
Friday Jun 16, 2023
Sven chats with Clint (He/Him) and Chris (He/Him) of MOONSYDE about their song "IKKE!," the race they feel like finishing, playing house shows, and their favorite non-musical things.
SONG: IKKE!ALBUM: Single BANDS: Clint: Illini Contraband (cover band), performed locally on campus(Joe’s, Canopy Club, Wesley Church), Noontime Performer at the Illini Union Bandside UIUC (met other band members)HIDEOUT formerly called Hip-Hop Collective (met Chris)MOONSYDE (current band)
Chris: Kuri Ken (solo artist)HIDEOUT (aka Hip-Hop Collective, served as President for ~3 years)MOONSYDE (current band)
Favorite treat:
Clint: Black Sugar Bubble Tea/Choco Boy (chocolate biscuit)
Chris: Beach Plum La Croix / A phattttt Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
Photo: Josh Blustein
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Friday Jun 02, 2023
Sven chats with IamLostTwo (He/Him) about his song "Grounded," creating a musical soundscape, being true to his sound, and his favorite non-musical thing.
SONG: Grounded
ALBUM: Released as a Single
BANDS: Half House Studios, Hip-Hop Collective UIUC/HIDEOUT, IamLostTwo independent artist
Favorite treat: Earl Grey, Honey as sweetener
Photo credit: Lost and Grey Photography
Friday May 19, 2023
Friday May 19, 2023
Sven meets up with José Guzmán (He/Him) in the lobby at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to talk about his composition "Holande Pa Uste" as performed by the UIUC Latin Jazz Ensemble, finding a musical connection with blending different Puerto Rican musical traditions as well as West African styles, and his favorite non-musical things. José is running the 2023 Chicago Marathon for his favorite charity: Mercy Home, you can donate to his fundraising here: https://marathon.mercyhome.org/chicago2023/jguzman
SONG: Holande Pa Usteperformed by UIUC Latin Jazz Ensemble. Soloists: Matthew Storie on alto sax, Jack Cassidy on trumpet, and Kurt Reeder on piano.
BANDS: Mr. Chair (Madison, WI), KASA Quartet, Eddie Barbash with KASA Quartet, The Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Favorite treat: Almond croissant or Banana bread with black coffee.
Photo credit: Herminio Rodriguez
Friday May 05, 2023
Friday May 05, 2023
Sven chats with Jules Rose (She/Her/They/Them) about her song "Run" off of her album "One Year," working with Half House Studios (BEP25), we talk about her first performances, the CU music scene, and her favorite non-musical thing.
SONG: Run
ALBUM: One Year
Favorite treat: Black Coffee/Uncrusables
Photo credit: MacKenzie Archibald
Friday Apr 21, 2023
Friday Apr 21, 2023
Sven chats with Carissa Yau (She/Her/They/Them) about her song "I-57," some local shoutouts, acting, and her favorite non-musical thing
See Carissa Yau at The Station Theatre "The Good Person of Setzuan" on opening April 27th at runs through May 7th 2023 (see website for details)
SONG: I-57ALBUM: UnreleasedFavorite treat: SalamiPhoto credit: Kati Yau
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Friday Apr 07, 2023
Sven zooms with Jon Ginoli (He/Him) of The Outnumbered and Pansy Division to talk about his song "Tell Me What's Wrong" from their 1987 album "Work... Buy... Die," the CU music scene back in the 80's, following your ambition, and other memories from back in the day.SONG: Tell Me What’s WrongALBUM: Work… Buy… DieBANDS: The Outnumbered, Pansy Division
Photo credit: selfie