Wakarusa Music & Arts Festival

The Weekly DJ: John Richter

This week, I caught up with John Richter, the current equipment manager of the station, and talked with him about his show. Be sure to tune in to the station from 7-8pm on Tuesdays!

How long have you been a DJ with WPLS?
Since last year. I signed up for a spot just a few weeks after the Activities Fair.

Do you have a name for your show?
I generally don’t. Some days, I’m in the mood for rock. Others, I want to play some remixes and mashups. I call my show according to what I play on it.

What kinds of music do you play on your show?
I like a lot of rock. I play everything from indie rock to heavy metal. I usually don’t play heavy metal on the air, however. I also like a lot of remixes and mashups.

What sets your show apart from other shows in terms of interactive or creative things that you do?
I have a Twitter account specifically for on-air coverage. I’m always on Facebook, so people are welcome to interact with me via social media outlets. Listeners can interact with me not just through the phone but also through other means.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Definitely Muse in February in Atlanta. I was only about twenty rows back. It was a 360 degree stage. I’m actually getting goosebumps just thinking about it right now.

If there was one band or artist that you could see live right now, who would that be?
Envy on the Coast, a band out of Long Island, NY, who recently disbanded. They’ve got an amazing mix of rock. Their lyrics are absolutely amazing. I’ve looked up several of their live shows on YouTube.

The Weekly DJ: Preston Cornish

This week, I had the opportunity to interview Preston Cornish, who is a very dedicated and talented DJ. Learn more about his show and be sure to tune in on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9pm until 12am!

How long have you been a DJ at WPLS?
Since my freshman year, so a little over a year now.

Do you have a name for your show?
Mainstream Radio.

Where did you come up with that name?
I took it from the amount of hating that Fox News puts on the mainstream radio. I decided I would call it Mainstream Radio and then play all independent music that nobody had ever heard of before. People still ask me about it all the time. I tell them that I play nothing but Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Katy Perry and Jason Derillo.

What kinds of music do you play on your show?
Most of what I play sort of falls into the indie rock/pop overall genre. Some of my favorite bands include Delta Spirit, Yeasayer, Washed Out, White Rabbits, and Friendly Fires. I also play some folk and bluegrass from time to time. For example, the Infinite Stringdusters. I like to mix it up between 90s alternative and 90s independent music. I also like to play unsigned artists from blogs whenever I can.

I noticed that you just referenced a current event a few moments ago. Do you do that often?
I used to do a lot more talking during my show last year. I talk about things I see on TMZ and the New York Times website. I’d say that my show is about 90% music and 10% me talking.

What sets your show apart from other shows in terms of creative and interactive things that you do?
I have more knowledge of unsigned bands and up and coming acts than other shows. I try to have a good mix of unestablished indie bands like the Shins and Vampire Weekend. Tonight I played P. J. Simas and Cap City Blue. I also try to keep the show pretty lively and I don’t have a lot of talking segments. When I do talk I try to keep it relevant to music or interesting pop culture stories. And I have a beautiful radio voice.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Dan Deacon at the 9:30 Club in DC. He played with an ensemble which he doesn’t normally do. He’s a pretty great artist, and he only charges $10 to $15 for tickets. It’s just an incredible dance party, and he gets the audience really involved in the music. He actually comes out into the crowd and is face to face with his fans. He lets fans run onstage and dance right next to him.

If there was one band or artist that you could see right now, who would that be?
Iron & Wine. But I am seeing them in three weeks at the Orange Peel in Asheville.

The Weekly DJ: Matt Werner

This week’s DJ is Matt Werner. He is a very dedicated and talented DJ who plays a wide variety of rock music. Be sure to tune in to his show on Mondays and Fridays from 12-1pm!

How long have you been a DJ with WPLS?
Since fall of my freshman year, so just over two years now.

Do you have a name for your show?
I don’t really have a name for it, but I refer to myself as DJ Beanstalk on the recommendation of my friends.

What kinds of music do you play on your show?
I play all kinds of rock, as long as it is not too mainstream. For example, I play Rush, Porcupine Tree, Coheed & Cambria, Devon Townsend, the Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Yes, and Dream Theater on a regular basis.

What sets your show apart from other shows in terms of interactive or creative things that you do?
I sometimes play full albums. The Friday before last, I played “My Arms, Your Hearse” by Opeth. I have also played “In Rainbows” by Radiohead in its entirety.

What is the best concert that you have ever been to and why?
Rush, September 29, 2010 (Time Machine Tour). They performed “Moving Pictures” in its entirety.

Lastly, the most important question of all: What is your power animal?
A giraffe.

The Weekly DJ: Nadia Shamsedin

Welcome back, everyone! This year is off to a great start for WPLS. We have received many applications from freshmen interested in having their own radio shows. Now, we have finally gotten around to the Weekly DJ post on the website! This week’s DJ is Nadia Shamsedin, who is very dedicated to playing underground bands and artists. Be sure to tune into her show on Tuesdays from 6-7pm!

Here Nadia is with Jake Epstein, who is one of her favorite actors!

How long have you been a DJ at WPLS?
I started at the beginning of my freshman year, so a little over a year now.

Do you have a name for your show?
Off-Brand Radio. Last year my show was called “Underground Hour,” and Off-Brand Radio sounds a little less pretentious.

What types of music do you play on your show?
I play a wide variety of alternative, indie, pop rock, and acoustic music. I figure that most people in college like to listen to indie bands. I try to play bands that people probably have never heard of before. I like to play some more recognizable artists as well, but I like to stay away from mainstream music. Here is a list of some bands that I play on my show:

Mansions
Look Mexico
Tides of Man
So Long Forgotten
WeAreGiant
A Love Like Pi

What sets your show apart from other shows in terms of interactive/creative things that you do?
I feel that it is not a typical college radio show because I do not play bands that would perform at the Orange Peel every weekend. I also strongly encourage listeners to call in to the station with any requests they may have. I just had my first one tonight!

If there was one band that you could see live right now, who would it be?
That’s easy: Mansions.

What is the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Secret Lives! of the Freemasons. I’ve seen them probably twelve times, and they are always incredible.

Check back next week for an interview with another DJ!

A Night Light Serenade With Jay and Derek – A WPLS Nocturnal Session

In preparation for tonight’s Nocturnal Session – “A Night Light Serenade”, we (Maia and Ryan) sat down with Jay Knudsen and Derek Stadther from A Random Act of Harmony and picked their brains for a little while.  The exclusive concert will take place in the WPLS station at Furman University, beginning at 8pm tonight.  They will be showcasing some brand new original tunes as well as some revamped covers.  Seats in the station have been filled already, so if you would like to hear the concert, please tune in to 95.9FM (if you’re in Greenville, SC) to hear the show.

Why the band name?

Jay – Literally, I was sitting in class at the beginning of the year, and we discussed getting a band together and figured we needed a name for it.  Right before DG Band Bash, we realized we needed a band name for them to call out when we came on stage.  It was really quite spontaneous.  We then added three more people and kept the name.

Who is in A Random Act of Harmony?

Jay Knudsen-vocals/guitar, Derek Stadther-guitar, Andy Oneill-drums, Michael Souer-Bass, Hillary Taylor-vocals   We have been known to have 6 guitars on stage at any given time.

What is the band dynamic like when practicing and writing songs?

Derek – The song writing duties have been mostly Derek and I, taking stuff from before and throwing it together to make cohesive songs.  The other band members tend to learn that written material, and of course make it better.  We have all have been friends for a good amount of time, so working together is usually pretty easy.  Everyone is very talented and can play together with no problem at all.

What are your main musical influences?

Derek – Eddie Van Halen, Dave Mathews, John Mayer (but not his “sissy” stuff )

Jay – Matt Nathanson, acoustic singer-songwriters with a  laid-back sort of style

The band – Matchbox 20, mid 90s bands, but usually more recent alternative music

What’s on your iPod right now?

Jay – Michael Buble, John Mayer, Dave Mathews

Derek – Muse, Mute Math, 30 Seconds to Mars

Do you get any influences from weird or non-conventional music?

Jay – Newton Faulkner has an ecclectic style of playing. He uses a finger-tapping method on the fretboard to make different sounds.  The songs are usually in separate tunings, which help to create a folky and acoustic-pop blend.  I try to get Faulkner’s character in the music I write, kind of with an off-brand word-play and some weirder chord structures.

Do you guys plan on keeping this band going through college?

Derek – Yes, we definitely do.  Jay is going abroad in the fall and then Hillary is going to Africa in the spring, so things will be a bit different next year,  but its definitely do-able.  The majority of our music that is played has already been learned by Derek, Jay, and Andy so it really doesn’t take very long to teach the music to the remaining members.

What are some things you like and don’t like about playing live?

Derek – doesn’t like small crowds, Jay is the same.  Used to playing in the coffee house/bar where the music is in the background, instead of the main focus.  Playing live can be therapeutic as well as playing alone just to get our minds off of things.

How long have you been playing?

Derek – Since 6th grade.  I started on drums, actually, then moved on to guitar after I realized that’s really where my passion was.  I learned how to read sheet music at an early age, so I prefer that over tabs.

Jay – I picked up my first guitar in 3rd grade and took lessons for classical guitar, but I didn’t like that too much and ended up putting the guitar down for a few years.  So I picked back up in 8th grade, and have been self-taught since.  The best way to learn new music is listening to music and deciding if I likes it or not.  Then I find the tabs and go from there.

The Weekly DJ: Chase Ollis

Chaser and Jack

Welcome back, everyone! After a very long break consisting of final exams, a couple of holidays, and some fireworks, the WPLS DJs are back on the airwaves! Today I present to you a brand new DJ, our very own Chase Ollis. He’s awesome — let’s find out why. And if this interview doesn’t convince you, tune in to his show every Thursday from 5-6pm on WPLS 95.9FM.

How long have you been a DJ at WPLS?
Since Fall term Freshman year. I was practically a babeh.

Do you have a name for your show?
Happy Hour with Chaser, soon to be Happy Hour with Jack and Chaser.

What type of music do you play on your show?
I play whatevah sounds good at the time — a little bit of alternative, hip-hop, live recordings, and sometimes I do themed shows. My specialties are double shots where I play two songs from the same artist or band back-to-back.

Do you have any interactive or creative approaches to the way you do your radio show that might set it apart from other shows?
I do — I tell people to call in and cuss me out if they don’t like what I’m doing or what I’m playing. One time I had someone call in during my radio show from France.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Zach Deputy at the Pour House in Charleston. It was crazy! I danced front and center with some friends, and Zach Deputy played the song I requested and I got to meet him which was awesome and he played for 3 hours which was even more awesome. Y’all should check him out!

Tell me a random fact about yourself/your life.
I have moved 5 times in the same city.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you or your show?
It’s probably the best hour of music you’ll ever hear.

Most importantly: what is your power animal?
A puffin, ’cause they’re a verb, too!

The Weekly DJ: Kevin Thomas

Due to a month-long hiatus (thanks a lot, homework), it’s now finally time to introduce you to another dedicated, outstanding DJ.  His name is Kevin Thomas.  First, read about him; then remember to tune in to his show, which airs every Friday from 2 to 3 pm!

To start us off, how long have you been a DJ at WPLS?
Since fall of freshman year, this is my third year as a DJ.

What do you like most about having a radio show?
I like having the chance to play my own music and sharing my music with the Furman community and with other people.

Do you have a name for your show?
Less chatter, it’s music that matters. I try to cut down the amount of talking I do on my show because I don’t like how on mainstream stations the DJs talk a lot. I let the music do the talking for me.

What type of music do you play on your show?
Last year I played any kind of rock, especially classic rock. I’ve always liked classic rock — I grew up with it, my parents like it. Since I started my show, though, I’ve expanded my tastes to other music, like electronic music. I saw Pretty Lights and Pnuma Trio a couple of weeks ago, and it was awesome. Here’s a list of bands that I like to play on my show for anyone who wants to know more:

Electronic

Pretty Lights
The Pnuma Trio
Lotus
The Disco Biscuits
Bassnectar
Sound Tribe Sector 9
Big Gigantic
Zoogma

Jam Bands

Phish
moe.
Umphrey’s McGee
String Cheese Incident
Yonder Mountain String Band
Railroad Earth
Perpetual Groove
Tea Leaf Green
Widespread Panic
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
Dave Matthews Band

Classic Rock

Led Zeppelin
The Beatles
The Who
George Harrison
John Lennon
ZZ Top
Jeff Beck Group
Steve Miller Band
Marshall Tucker Band
Pink Floyrd
The Rolling Stones
Van Morrison
Yes
Blue Oyster Cult

Modern/Indie Rock

Dr. Dog
Modest Mouse
Band of Horses
The White Stripes
The Raconteurs
Wilco
Ben Folds
Carbon Leaf
The Black Crowes
Counting Crows

If you could see one band or musician live right now, who would it be?
That’s easy: disco biscuits.

What sets your radio show apart from other shows in terms of the creative/interactive things you do on the show?
Like I said earlier, I don’t talk as much, so I can play more music. I also play a wider variety of music, so that listeners can find something they like and hopefully they’ll discover something new that they had never heard before listening to my show.

And now to the last and most important question. What is your power animal?
A giraffe.

Videos from “Nocturnal Sessions: An Evening With Gwyn Fowler”

Two videos from Gwyn Fowler’s October 1st performance in the WPLS station on Furman’s campus.

“Phantom Pain”

“Venn Diagram”

(This could be you!  Contact us if you would be interested in being featured as our next “Nocturnal Session”)

The Weekly DJ: Bud Lehn

A week has passed since our last adventures in interview land with Anna and Meg, and now it’s time to introduce you all to a new DJ!  Well, not so new, actually.  For this week’s interview, I had the honor of speaking with long-time DJ Bud Lehn, known around the studio as “The Sinatra Guy.”  After 15 years as a Furman employee, this will be Bud’s last semester before his retirement.  However, Bud will continue to do his show, which currently airs every Tuesday and Friday from 11am to 12pm.

How long have you been a DJ at WPLS?
Fourteen years, since 1995.

Since you’ve been a DJ for so long, in what ways have you seen the radio station change?
I love the radio station. When I first started here, the radio station used to broadcast at about 10 watts and only reached as far as the dorm rooms. Now it broadcasts at about 100 watts, so now it reaches the community. We have the potential for getting picked up by more listeners, and that’s great. Most of all, I’m thrilled with the new transmitter.

Do you have a name for your show? Along that line, what type of music do you play?
I call my show “Sinatra and Company,” the reason behind that being that, in the ’50s a DJ by the name of William B. Williams nicknamed Sinatra the “Chairman of the Board,” so that’s where “and Company” comes from. “And Company” allows me to play other artists besides Sinatra, including Michael Bublé, Harry Connick, Jr., and Ella Fitzgerald. If Sinatra is the “best male singer,” I consider Ella Fitzgerald the “best female singer.” I like to play music that the audience would like, and I try to introduce new artists, like Eva Cassidy. Generally, I play people who fit the Sinatra mold, in terms of singing style. I’m from the old school.

How did you become interested in Sinatra?
When I was about 13 or 14 years old I took a box of my parents records and played them one at a time. I had an immediate connection with Frank’s voice — he sang with feeling. His voice just jumped off the record and really blew me away. Ever since, and especially once I started my show, I’ve built a collection of about 90 or so Frank Sinatra CDs. I figured if I was going to do a show on Sinatra, I would have enough of his music to do him justice and honor any requests from callers.

Did you or do you currently have any interactive or creative approaches to the way you do your radio show that might set it apart from other shows?
I started to have some guests in the last couple of years, in a segment called “Spotlight on Furman.” It was mostly Furman Administration or other workers in the University Center. I brought them into the studio so they could talk about who they were. It was just a nice way to welcome new members of the Furman community.
I also used to have something that I called the “World-Famous Tower Café Medley” in honor of the Tower Café and its employees. I played two Frank Sinatra songs back-to-back called “The Coffee Song” and “When I Take My Sugar to Tea.” Both just so happened to be on the same record, Ring-A-Ding-Ding!

What has changed about the way you did your show when you first started out and how you do your show now?
I used to script my shows, but after a couple of months I started to just wing it. The show is about music, and I don’t talk a lot while I’m doing my show.

Say more about yourself and/or your time here at Furman.
I’ve been a custodian at the University Center for about 13 years, but I’ve been at Furman for 15 years. I started out as a Public Safety dispatcher and decided to relocate within the Furman community. The radio station is my favorite place in this building, and it’s the best it’s ever been. The radio station was moved to the top of the dining hall for a while, and before that it used to be in the lower level of the University Center. Another great addition were the speakers installed in the UC, so that we could pipe music playing from the radio station into the building. Of course the icing on the cake is the new transmitter.

Is there anything else that you would like people to know about you or your show?
My first show was on a Saturday from 9 to 11 in the morning. I got a chance to play Sinatra, who I love, and once I got a hang of how to do my show and work the dials, it was the biggest rush. I have never gotten tired of it, or of Frank’s voice and timing. My philosophy with radio is that you should play music as if you’re in your living room with your friends, and, most importantly, not to worry about making mistakes.