Sounds and Sparks

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song.

Jaedyn James is a soulful, passionate singer from the Twin Cities who’s music is inspired by classic R&B, peak era Whitney Houston, and straight up rock n’ roll to create vibrant and memorable live performances. Her latest album “Loving You So Hard” deals with the ideas of love at their most intense moments. With themes unrequited romance, escaping abuse into safety, and tragic loss, her powerful voice cuts through it all to find herself stronger on the other side.

Sounds and Sparks is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song.

Eli Gardiner is an Americana guitarist and songwriter originally from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, now residing in the Twin Cities. His first live album was recorded at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis, featuring songs from his previous album “The Fire and the Medicine” as well as many previously unreleased tracks over his decades of songwriting. Live in Minneapolis features Gardiner and his new, full live band captured as a whole for the first time.

Sounds and Sparks is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song.

Dre AKA Jamaican is a rapper from Grand Marais, MN who returns with his second full length album called “1998”. The moniker of Andre Robinson, he often writes songs featuring the students of the school he works at, going over the subjects they’re learning and stories they read, along with lyrics involving fairy tales and fantasy realms. Here, Robinson and his frequent collaborator Dane Kofa talk about every song on the record.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song. In this edition Rich Mattson gives us background behind every song on the new album “Out There” by Rich Mattson and the Northstars, an album written during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 that deals with overcoming isolation, anxiety, depression all in a rock and roll fashion.

If you’re a fan of folk music, Americana, or original tunes with a hint of a country twang, you’d be hard pressed to find a band more full to the brim with talent than The Foxgloves, a six piece band out of the Twin Cities. An all women group, their stellar harmonies, unique instrumentation and overall musical prowess shines on their first full-length album Mama Was a Bandit, which came out in September. The record’s ten tracks range from being high energy and fun-loving to beautifully somber, and manage to express heavy topics and heart-aching stories with grace.

The Foxgloves are: Maura Dunst, Nikki Lemire, Sara Tinklenberg, Liz DeYoe, Steph Snow, and Nyssa Krause

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP where Minnesota-based artists reveal stories and inspirations about their new music, going track by track through their latest albums.

Sounds and Sparks is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song. This edition focuses on the new second album from the Rochester-based group Clay Fulton and the Lost Forty entitled “Positive Numbers”. Will Moore speaks with Fulton about how making a hard change in career and lifestyle inspired the songs on the record, and how the six-piece band collaborated in studio to make the songs shine.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song. In this segment, we dive into the new EP from Ginger Bones, the trio of guitarist Abby Zak LeGare, bassist Willow Waters and drummer Zack Baltich. Their debut recording together features themes of food, hospitality, and nostalgia with a huge sound featuring a swath of musical friends from the Twin Cities.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP that goes in-depth into new album releases by Minnesota artists, going back by track into the stories, places, and ideas that inspired every song. In this piece Will Moore chats with Twin Cities based artist Jesse Anderson, who’s debut album “If I’m Here I’m Here With You” was several decades in the making and features a collage of different genres.

Hard rockers of the Northland, the Christopher David Hanson Band, have a new album out called Whippoorwill. The new record features the group in their latest trio format, and has 11 new songs penned by Hanson with plenty of bluesy rock goodness. Hear samples of ever song as Hanson talks about the whole album track by track in this latest edition of the Sounds and Sparks series.

Still Life is the latest album from Minneapolis based artist Humbird, the moniker of songwriter Siri Undlin. Her second full-length release, Still Life was largely written in the in early part of 2020 amidst first COVID-19 lockdown as well as the protests in the wake of the George Floyd’s killing across the Twin Cities.

Sounds and Sparks is a series on WTIP where Minnesota-based artists reveal stories and inspirations about their new music, going track by track through their latest albums.

Sounds and Sparks is a new feature here on WTIP that features Minnesota musicians telling the stories and meanings behind their latest songs and diving into their own creative process. This first segment features Duluth’s Laura Sellner, better known as Superior Siren, and her latest EP entitled Kill Your Darlings.

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Sounds and Sparks is a new series on WTIP that features Minnesota musicians discussing the latest songs on their newest albums. We go track by track and learn the meanings and stories behind the songs, as well as interesting anecdotes from first inspiration to the recording process. (more…)

Austin Carson of Minneapolis creates multi-layered and multi-faceted electronic tunes as YYY. His latest album aquadungeonafterdark features 10 new tracks and countless wild moments. He gives the stories and inspirations behind them all in this addition to the Sounds and Sparks series.

Scott Zosel is a Twin Cities songwriter making his solo debut with an album called Tiny Yellow Room. An avid reader, Zosel has made an album full of songs inspired by some of his favorite poets, literary figures, and lyricists.