In this episode, Johnny Mullenax talks about starting the bluegrass brunch, touring, and plays his song 'Used to Work For a Living.'

Clay Street Unit’s first album, titled Sin & Squalor, was scheduled for release last year through a Sony label. But, when the label folded and the release of the bluegrass band's album was uncertain, it was just another thing for Sam Walker and the group to weather.

In this episode, Sam Walker talks about finally being able to release the album and the mix of influences that make up the sextet's sound.

Now, under the moniker Haffway, he's starting his first headlining tour in Tulsa after releasing his album, Wither, last fall.

The album purposefully is a roller coaster of highs and lows, reflecting Westhoff's mental health journey, one that took him from a psych ward in September 2024 to the stage at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville just six months later.

In this episode, he talks about moving from Tulsa to Nashville, and the difficulty of releasing his album Wither.

That's the plan for this weekend's Horton Fest, celebrating 20 years since the label began. Over the weekend, Horton Fest will bring together Tulsa musicians and others Horton considers friends of the scene.

In this episode, he talks about how they've made it 20 years as an independent label that only releases Oklahoma music, the evolution of the Tulsa music scene and what he hopes the future looks like.

At the time, Jennings was graduating college and unsure of where his life would take him. On this episode, he reflected on the album and reconnecting to songs written by a younger him and the decades since.

With Turnpike on hiatus at the time, Edwards asked Roark to join his Americana rock band, RC & the Ambers. When Turnpike returned to the studio in 2022, Roark joined Edwards to co-write the song "Chipping Mill."

Now as a solo artist, the Gore-native and Tahlequah resident has toured with Turnpike, as well as Shane Smith and the Castellows. His solo debut album, Bad Reputation, is about evolving and earning a reputation that maybe others perceive as bad.

In this conversation, Lindsey reflects on 15 years of Broncho, the origins of the band and his musical life, and how this album is different from previous Broncho albums.

And despite their wildly different genres, they found they got along, watching movies and going to shows together.

Hayden Pedigo is known for beautiful acoustic guitar. While Chat Pile songs are full of noise and growled lyrics.

In this episode, they talk about how they met, what it was like working together, and how the album is still shocking even for Pedigo to listen to.

Inspired by his son's discovery of classic and southern rock, Brent's latest album, Ain't Rocked in a While, looks back at his earliest influences while also exploring what it takes to be a working musician, just trying to make a living for the last two decades.

In this episode, he talks about the highs of touring with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers and Luke Combs, while still having to deal with hecklers, like one he encountered in Oklahoma City.

They are opening up for The Droptines this Friday in Oklahoma City and will be playing Tiny Porch in Tulsa on Saturday.

Matthew Viriyapah spoke to Ross before his show in Oklahoma City at Scissortail Park in June, opening up for Wilderado.

The two recorded a duet of that song “Purple Gas” which kickstarted the Canadian twenty-something's country career that has continued to overlap with Oklahoma.

She toured with Stillwater's Wyatt Flores and had her first American sold-out headlining date in Tulsa earlier this year.

She’s spent this summer opening up for The Turnpike Troubadours and Zach Bryan on their European tour, and is opening for them and Oklahoma rock band Kings of Leon in San Francisco this Friday, Aug. 15.

Matthew Viriyapah spoke to her before her show in Oklahoma City at 89th Street this spring to talk about those Oklahoma connections, her song "Purple Gas" and her latest music.

In this episode, Vincent Neil Emerson talks about the title track, the song he wrote inspired by Uvalde, Texas, and connecting with other Native musicians.

This money had already been promised and budgeted for at KOSU and public media stations across the country. Losing it is devastating, and one NPR estimate shows that roughly 18% of the country’s public radio stations will close imminently, and nearly a third of listeners would lose access to NPR programming.

The rescission package is expected to be signed by President Trump soon, as he initially requested the move from Congress.

To be clear, this does not mean KOSU is going away. Thanks to you, KOSU is set up well for the future. However, this loss of foundational funding will likely result in a reduction of programming or local news without additional support.

What can I do to help?

1. Support KOSU directly by making a donation, or increasing your existing monthly or annual gift. This is the most effective thing you can do for KOSU. Support from people like you makes up the largest part of KOSU’s budget.
2. Sign up for email alerts from KOSU so you never miss an update. You can do that here.
3. Spread the word. Share this page with your family and friends, and tell them what KOSU's news, information and music service means to you and our community.

Still have questions about how you can help?

Please reach out to us at director@kosu.org.

Our previous episode we explored the life and legacy of the native Guitarist who played with Bob Dylan, Jackson Brown, and more.

On this episode we talk about the process of putting together the book, working on the Bob Dylan exhibit with poet in residence Joy Harjo, and the album of previously unreleased Jesse Ed Davis tracks.

You can help by calling Senator Lankford and Senator Mullin to ask them to resist the rescission because of the impact it would have on Oklahoma. Here is a sample script.

Sen. James Lankford: 202-224-5754

Sen. Markwayne Mullin: 202-224-4721

Don't live in Oklahoma? Check this listing for your Senator's contact information.

Find out more on how you can make a difference at kosu.org/cuts.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Miller takes us through the life and work of Jesse Ed Davis and how his legacy carries on since his death in 1988.

In this episode, hear her talk about overcoming newfound stage fright, spending hours beading her album cover, and how studying Choctaw helped solve her personal mystery.

Matthew Viriyapah catches up with Johnny about the years since, how LA compares to OKC, and the new book club he's starting at Commonplace Books.

Composer and classical musician Steven Stark talks about what inspired the event and how he hopes to foster more connections between Oklahoma's film and music industries.

Matthew Viriyapah spoke to him about his journey from Oklahoma State University student to covering artists like The Great Divide, Turnpike Troubadours, and attending more than 30 shows of Wyatt Flores for his latest book, Red Dirt Unplugged.

Singer Max Rainer talked about the album having a more "Oklahoma sound," as well as a band and crew that all call Oklahoma home.

In this episode, hear Mike McClure, JJ Lester, and Kelley Green talk about what it was like going into the studio for their latest album, playing concerts in Stillwater, and why they prefer being called the "uncles" of the Red Dirt scene.

Folksinger Willi Carlisle is not a native of the Arkansas Ozarks. But it's a place that he fell in love with.

He has a new album out titled 'Critterland,' partially about trying to find community there and how he tries to share that with people who come to listen to his music.

In this episode, hear Carlisle talk about the album, moving to Arkansas, and his favorite Oklahoma story.

Tulsa's King Cabbage Brass Band is bringing a taste of the Mardi Gras iconic sound to Oklahoma.

They released their self-titled album last October and are playing with acclaimed New Orleans outfit, the Soul Rebels, on Thursday, Feb. 1 at Beer City Music Hall in Oklahoma City.

In this episode, hear founder Gregory Fallis talk about the culture of Mardi Gras and New Orleans brass band music, and starting his own brass band in Tulsa.

Punk band Skating Polly has released a double LP titled Chaos County Line. The band is made up of siblings, Kelli and Kurtis Mayo and Peyton Bighorse. After five years, Kelli Mayo said that they wanted to "walk to the separate corner of the map on all of our influences."

In this episode, hear Kelli talk about writing a double album, and how after years of being in a band with her siblings, they're getting more honest with their lyrics.

He released his debut self-titled album in 2020, but after its release he said that music wasn't making sense to him anymore. It wasn't until he moved back to Oklahoma where he found the inspiration to create again.

He released an EP titled Take Me Back last fall and is working on new music while splitting his time between L.A. and Oklahoma.

In this episode, hear Thunder Jackson talk about how his father was an Elvis impersonator and got him a license to play in bars as a teenager, creating the moniker Thunder Jackson, and returning to Oklahoma.

The title track draws from a feeling they both had to start anew. In a new place, they were surrounded by new people and the natural scenery of Colorado.

In this episode, hear them talk about drawing inspiration from their new surroundings and friends, changing their name, touring with Tori Amos, and their process of writing songs together.

The first track's title, "It Won't Always Be This Way" was a statement that she and her mother would repeat during a particularly rough period of their lives. And that statement has proven to be true. In just the last year or so, Kaitlin married fellow musician Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry, moved to Nashville, and recorded this sophomore album.

Listen to hear Kaitlin talk about going through that time, what it's like being married to another musician, and being more weird in country music.

Shari Jackson is the executive director of Norman Music Alliance, the organization that throws the free festival that Jackson calls the 'best annual party in the state.'

Listen to hear her talk about the festival's impact, what the last two years have been like, and how an all-volunteer board put together this year's festival in 90 days.

His upcoming release 'Will Rap For Change' is his first producer album where he got sixteen other artists to join him. It is set to come out on March 19th with an accompanying release show where the proceeds for the show and album will be going to charity.

Listen to hear Sun Deep talk about being a late-blooming artist and how his background affects his production and rap style.

Their self-titled debut album was largely written in an old church that was being sold at auction. After a couple of years of struggling with writing, Rainer wrote songs there dealing with his struggles balancing being a father and a touring musician.

Hear Max talk about writing in a church by himself, his fear of being an absent dad, and how he put those feelings into song.

The album, Big Country, is named after OSU basketball player, Big Country Bryant Reeves and puts together stories and players around Tahlequah and Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. With a new band, he says it feels like reliving early days with the Troubadours.

Listen to hear RC talk about working with Amber, writing a folk song about Bryant Reeves, and how he thought about experimenting with a new group.

Ford left his home in Tulsa looking for his 'Black Flag get in the van' experience, but he has since been back for about ten years. Now, in his late forties, he has continued to put out music with his band, Unwed Sailor. Their first album came out twenty years ago and has just been reissued. They have put out an album a year for the last three years, with another planned for next year.

In this episode, hear Ford's stories of early 90s Seattle and coming back to Tulsa, his approach to songwriting as a bassist and how he wrote and recorded their latest album, Truth or Consequences.

In this episode, hear more about how Parker started writing more using an iPad and feeling more fearless in his approach to songwriting.

In this episode, hear more about why she took on a pseudonym as an artist and her advice for someone going into music school.

In this episode, hear more about what it was like graduating in a pandemic, how Josh's plans for the future have changed because of it, and what it was like putting out his first studio album.

In this episode, Kitt talks about how he has navigated his career since his start in grunge cover bands and recording radio commercial music, earning his 'street cred' in the music industry and how he recently rediscovered his sister after forty years apart.

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a white mob with the support of local law enforcement attacked, burning dozens of homes and buildings and killing an estimated 300 people.

Now 100 years later, a collective of Oklahoma hip-hop artists have released a commemorative project via Motown Records and Black Forum titled Fire in Little Africa.

Combining the talents of more than 40 different artists, rappers, poets, and singers, Fire in Little Africa hopes to shine on not just the Tulsa hip-hop scene, but also a part of history that for many of the artists was never really taught to them in school.

In this episode, hear more about how the album was recorded, the growing Tulsa and Oklahoma hip-hop community that it represents, and what it means to them.

In this episode, Matt talks about his style of folk music which takes influence from places like Ireland, Appalachia, and Romania, and also about slowing down in the last year to self-record his latest album.

In this episode, Morgan Hartman, lead singer of the Oklahoma City rock band, talks about the album's release, writing a song based on A Tale of Two Cities and what it's like to listen to those songs now.

In this episode, hear Quese IMC talk about his story in hip hop, the growth of Native hip hop as a genre, and his five year hiatus from making music.

With the pandemic giving many in the music industry a lot more time at home this year, Mike believes his latest solo record, Looking Up, is his most cohesive album yet. The album was written in the wake of close friends and mentors passing away, as well as him coming to grips with drinking.

Hear him talk about his decision to give up drinking, recalling those early Red Dirt days and advice for those going through tough times.

While making this record, he lost his mother due to cancer and then was on the verge of giving up music. It threw him into a depression, but out of that grief, came a project that he calls some of his best work.

In the episode, he talks about writing songs in his car and how he dealt with his mom's death.

It comes after about a decade of playing guitar professionally in Nashville. When he was 16, he was the youngest person to ever play with the Don Kelly Band at the historic Robert’s Western World and then toured with musicians like Paul Cauthen.

A Young Man's Country was produced by Robben Ford and draws from his inspirations, such as The Grateful Dead and Merle Haggard.

Hear how he tries to combine all of those into his banner of "cosmic country" and the story of how he got into the Grateful Dead thanks to his high school history teacher. 

Born in England, Bartees Cox Jr. grew up in a military family that bounced around from place to place until they settled down in Mustang, Oklahoma. His mother is an opera singer and he sang in church choirs and operettas, before taking up football.

He even planned to walk-on at the University of Oklahoma. Things changed, but for most of his life, he's felt like he has been forced to just do and be one thing at a time.

Now as a musician, he released his debut LP Live Forever, where he wants his songs to be able to continue the conversation started by artists like Tyler, The Creator.

His newest album, The Country, is an ode to country music. Each song represents a different style of the genre, from the ’50s to outlaw to alt-country. He even covered his dad’s favorite song, "Pancho and Lefty."

In this episode, TJ talks co-writing with Cody Jinks and recording with Dwight Yoakam's band. He also talks about why female artists are writing most of the great songs in country music today and explains the origin of his name.

The album is inspired by everything from Spaghetti Westerns and Ennio Morricone soundtracks, to short stories by Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King. And it features appearances from other members of the Troubadours and fiddle legend Byron Berline. 

In this episode, Nix talks about what it was like working with his bandmates again, those inspirations, and what it was like to record and release his debut album.

He helped put together last weekend’s Oklahoma City march commemorating the March On Washington and organized a Juneteenth celebration earlier this summer. He also released a song with Julius Jones, a Black death row inmate whose petition for clemency has been taken up by Jabee, several professional athletes and others.

In the episode, he talks about meeting Julius Jones, Juneteenth, the album and more.

With songs drawn from his life about things like a camping disaster with his sister, the death of his pet chameleon and destroying his car, the punk rocker translates bad experiences into music. But he tries to be careful not to glorify the myth of the tortured artist.

In this episode, Babcock talks about his recent engagement and about that "fine line" in writing songs about mental health. 

Following three car accidents in 2017, Crain was left with debilitating injuries to her hands. She had to cancel her entire U.S. tour and suffered from depression and anxiety as a result. That period is reflected in the album's title, A Small Death.

Crain talks about what it was like going through that period, the eventual making of this album, and her continued efforts to write music in the Choctaw language.

Jennings is also an architect and documentarian, having made a documentary (and accompanying album) titled The Veridigris about his relationship with Will Rogers.

In this episode, Jennings spoke about that documentary, The Thunderbird and its newly released acoustic sequel, Son of Thunderbird, and drawing songwriting inspiration from people he meets.

The band released a noisy debut EP titled 'This Dungeon Earth' in May 2019, channeling what happened to Picher.

In this episode, Griff and Randy, who also go by stage names Luther and Raygun Busch, spoke about what Picher means to the band, the making of their debut EP, and bad movies.

In this episode, Moreland talks about growing up in the Christian punk rock scene in Tulsa, the recording and songwriting process behind LP5 and relearning how to enjoy songwriting amidst new pressures and expectations.

The Oklahoma City band spent all of 2019 releasing one song a month, which culminated in their latest LP, One Big Beautiful Sound.

In this episode, Johnny talks about the challenge the band set for themselves last year, plans for their next album, and how collaborating with a YouTuber helped them reach a whole new group of fans.

He has been featured on NPR, Rolling Stone and Billboard and has played the Grand Ole Opry, Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival and several venues in Oklahoma.

In this episode, Charley talks about his recent open heart surgery, the relationship between blues and country, and his love for Oklahoma musicians and places.

Drawing inspiration from Devo and Talking Heads, Husbands' new album, After The Gold Rush Party, is about trying to balance their jobs and families with their creative energy.

In this episode, Wil Norton and Danny Davis break down the album and explain how they went from a pool of seventy songs to just thirteen for the album.

No Cover host Matthew Viriyapah spoke with John on two different occasions: just as he was about to leave on tour in spring 2019 with Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires and again in fall 2019, before the release of his 2019 solo album, Safe Passage.

In the first half of this episode, Abney talks about how he found his own voice on his 2018 album, Coyote. He also explains his view on the craft of being a sideman and his wide range of influences, such as Japanese video game composers, The Beach Boys and those he calls his friends and peers. In the second half, Abney explores the origins and the making of his latest album, Safe Passage, and what his mom thinks about it.