This week, Features contributor Daniel Edelstein speaks with Chicago-based pianist, producer, and teacher, Cesar Pino aka C3zr. They discuss his most recent full-length release, Round Voyage, the joy of connecting and collaborating with fellow artists, the jazz lounge, Opus, that he runs with his father and mentor, and his beloved keytar. "That's t…

This week, Features Co-Director Marjorie Alford speaks with musical director Laura Hall. They discuss her 20+ year career in music, her friendship with Lisa McQueen that lead to the creation of the Phony Award Winning musical series, last year's run of improvised Little Shop of Horrors, her 20 seasons on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and the creation o…

This week, Features Co-Director Marjorie Alford talks with Chicago-based MC Bob Rok. They discuss the history of the name Bob Rok, the skits he creates with Greenlights Music, the ways in which "politics" touch every facet of our lives and why he mirrors that in his music, his upcoming concept album The Automat about labor and workers, and his disd…

This week, Features contributor Liz Mason talks with Chicago-based singer songwriter Sacha Mullin. They discuss his new album Casino Wilderness Period, the surprising popularity of his favorite song Margaret, his musical background, and the importance of collaboration for artistic growth. "Just because you have a crayon in the box doesn’t necessari…

This week, Features contributor Michal Gliszewski speaks with Frank and River Rabbitte of Chicago-based "clandestine for no reason" alt-rock group wht.rbbt.obj. They discuss their failed attempt to keep their relationship separate from their musicianship, how their marriage continuously shakes up their musical abilities, and reading The Creative Ac…

This week Features contributor Alyssa Edes talks with Danielle Sines of Chicago-based bubblegrunge group Impulsive Hearts. They talk about friendship breakups, feeling ALL of your feelings, societal collapse, and the new album Fit 4 the Apocalypse. "It's sort of this mental preparation for the end of the world in my mind... Either I'm gonna get fit…

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Carrie Shemanski and Crispin Torres of Chicago-based surf rock band Wolfman. They discuss how they met through performing in various cover bands across Chicago, taking a risk and shredding with new friends, recording their debut five-song EP The Wolfman Agenda at Electrical Audio, and the upcoming…

This week, Features contributor Liz Mason speaks with Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter, and producer Melissa Harris of Born Days, a conceptual darkwave synth-pop project. They discuss Harris's pandemic-era roadtrip across the country to Arizona to find a quiet place to finish recording her album, spending hours experimenting w…

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Joseph Farago of the Chicago-based pop project, Joey Nebulous. They discuss his signature falsetto, the move from heavy piano-based singer-songwriter composition to celebratory and silly pop music, the creation of his pandemic album Joey Spumoni Creamy Dreamy Party All The Time​​​​​​​, and his que…

James Swanberg is able to do something that so many cannot. He can write songs that are memorable, songs that stick with you and follow you home, songs that you find yourself singing in the shower the next day, songs that are bonafide hits. The First Time is a live lit and music series recorded at Martyrs in Chicago's North Center neighborhood. Eac…

Former international street performer turned emcee, Sonal Aggarwal has brought her talents to Chicago as an actor, comedian, producer and movement artist. Her one woman show The Alchemy of Bliss played for a sold out weekend at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater and you can see her on Netflix’s Easy as well as the short A Period Piece which debuted at S…

Edward Kelsey Moore is the author of two novels, including the New York Times and international bestseller, "The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat." A feature film adaptation of which is currently in post-production at Searchlight Pictures. He has recently completed his third novel. His work has appeared in the New York Times and numerous literary…

Andy Vasoyan is a writer, audio editor/producer, and DJ at CHIRP radio. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, a place with decidedly too many hot people for most people to live there permanently. After he received a highly lucrative MA in journalism from USC, Andy worked as a freelance writer, as well as a producer and Weekend Edition host at an N…

This week, DJ Ninja speaks with Kip McCabe, Jay Ryan, and Jason Harvey of legendary Chicago two-bass band Dianogah. They discuss their still-here-ness, how they became a two-bass-and-drums outfit, their favorite collaborators, and their upcoming box set of reissues from Smashed Plastic. "There was a while where we had a motto that was 'nothing is t…

This week, Features contributor Matty G speaks with Kristin and Dan Kantor of The Kantors. They discuss the makeup of the band, the project's pandemic roots, and recording their debut EP Our Hearts Revealed at Friends of Friends studio. "Just be nice, be yourself, and the people that are nice and also being themselves will find you." - Kristin Kant…

This week, Features contributor Alyssa Edes talks with Katie Colt of goodkitty. They discuss the multi-year process of creating the EP Picture Albums, learning to make art for oneself by trusting "the gut check," and the mom life of making music after 8 p.m. "To have completed this work, it's like I sent a message to myself which is, you are capabl…

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Zach Moore of Honestly Same. They discuss the makeup of the band, their unique and improvisational approach to music making, and the many other projects Honestly Same's members are attached to. "Making this kind of music I feel is theraputic to me ... Everything in our world is so optimize…

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with formerly Chicago-based and now New York-based multidisciplinary artist, Jess Godwin. They discuss the unbreaking of her heart in the creation of her latest visual and music release, dreamer., the genesis of her highly customized body instrument, the Muze, and her varied and vast artistic backgroun…

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Zach Hjelmstad and Lilly Choi of Chicken Happen. They discuss the roots of the band, finding their groove as a three piece, pushing their own creative limits, and why friendship is important. "We were like why don't we take this opportunity to try something different? Like we've been a ban…

Kristen Soutakoun spent 4 years as Mulan at Walt Disney World, 3 years as an Entertainment Host for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and 5+ years in therapy to recover from both of those jobs. She has half a million followers on TikTok (@notkahnjunior) because she can find anyone’s birthday on the internet. It’s hard to explain. She promises it’s cool…

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Kira Leadholm of Madame Reaper and the Gentlemen's Club. They talk about bringing this unique concept to life, the grant that helped fund the album, rounding out the band - AKA The Gentlmen's Club, and why Madame Reaper is a sort of "gory robinhood." Madame Reaper's debut album Madame Reap…

This week, Features co-director Jessi D speaks with Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and "One-Third Emcee," Jovan Landry. They discuss the thirds that make up her multidisciplinary artistry, her new EP, Intellectual Frequencies, and winning a grant and leading the charge to create Synergy, the first all-woman produced, performed, and engineer…

This week, Features co-director Marjorie Alford speaks with Faith Callaway and Will Logan Sallee of Chicago-based art post-punk band, Edging. They discuss their origins and make up of the band, their self-ascribed descriptor of "landscaper punk" and how it lead to their band's name, how the politcal climate has shaped their art and expression, and …

This week on the podcast Johnny Cummings and Grant Goode of Chicago power pop group LLO LLO recently spoke with CHIRP DJ jdang. They discussed proper pronunciation of their name and how the band was formed plus their recent EP, recording the next one, and thinking about their musical future. Catch them at Promontory October 23rd with Jockey, GMG, a…

This week, Features contributor Mike Nikolich speaks with guitarist Bill Stephens of Chicago punk legends Naked Raygun. They disuss Naked Raygun's most recent release, a tribute album of dedicated Naked Raygun covers by a collection of punk luminaries, Godspeed: A Tribute to Pierre Kezdy, sales of which benefits the family of bassist Pierre Kedzy. …

This week, Features Director Marjorie Alford speaks to Ian Young of Slow Riser about their recent release Midnight Talks. They discuss the birth and evolution of the project - including restructing from a trio to a duo and the pace change of creating through the pandemic - as well as the ins and outs of their live shows, and the truth in art of bei…