Interviews and In-Studios on Impact 89FM

Impact 89FM's Jovana Nagj sat down with Detroit techno legend Carl Craig to discuss his musical beginnings, Detroit’s techno roots and the implications of the genre for the greater Detroit community and world.

WDBM's Mike Merucci was lucky enough to chat with Claire Rousay, one of ambient music's foremost figures in the 2020s. They discussed Rousay's upcoming album, sentiment, in addition to covering the soundscapes of Los Angeles, the wonder of going to bars alone, Rousay's reading list and more.

WDBM's Will Misterovich sat down with power pop duo The Lemon Twigs before their performance at The Magic Bag this past October, discussing everything from future releases to Paul McCartney conspiracy theories. The Lemon Twigs are re-shaping sounds of the '60s and '70s, and through this interview, one can tell they're having quite a bit of fun in the process.

Shoegaze and noise fans pay attention: The Impact's Ashe Burr spoke with rising indie rocker Cruel Sister about her artistic process, her second EP, the Irish indie scene, and much more.

WDBM's Ashley Morgan sat down with Connecticut DIY band Cheem at The Goblin Zone in Lansing, Michigan, to talk about their current tour, their DIY experience in the Midwest, their evolution as a band, and more.

Ann Arbor artist Butterfly Chaser gave the Impact a window into the artistic process, sitting down with us to talk about starting off in the music scene, forming bonds in local music, the emotions involved in making a song, and more.

Ahead of the release of his solo debut, Inheritance, composer and sound artist Omar Ahmad sat down with The Impact to discuss the record and the influences behind it. Discussion revolved around the concepts of memory, identity, change and more.

On the final day of Stoopfest 2023, I had the pleasure of speaking with the members of Detroit ska band J Navarro & The Traitors. I last saw the band on April 4, 2022, when they opened for The English Beat at the Majestic Theatre and was thrilled when I heard they were coming to Lansing to perform at Stoopfest. The band is made up of varying established Detroit musicians, including Eric Abbey of 1592 and Dirty Notions; Scott Vesey of Trace The Veins; Jason Millbauer of Bad Assets; Steve Kachnowski of Telegraph; CEO of Reverend Guitars Ken Haas and Jay Navarro of Break Anchor, Hellmouth and The Suicide Machines. Filling the two-tone vacancy in the Detroit music scene, J Navarro & The Traitors are truly one of the best ska bands bringing it today.

On our final day of SXSW, March 18th, WDBM got to sit down and talk with Nicole Rodriguez of Pearla to discuss her new album Oh Glistening Onion, The Nighttime is Coming and some of the small but special moments that come with the production of an album over the course of several years. We also talked about songwriting advice that helped her hone in on some of the tracks of this record as well as her desire to explore the voice as an instrument. Listen on in!

WDBM got to catch up with Dream Pop/Shoegaze band Knifeplay on the heels of their latest album Animal Drowning at SXSW. I first saw them perform the day before the interview, on Thursday, after a storm warning delayed their set. However tiring it was to huddle into the small inside of this bar for two hours, the weather ended up setting a perfect environment for their brand of stormy music that took hold in the crowd when they did go on stage. We got to talking about fellow Philadelphia bands they enjoy, non-music art forms that inspire them and other instruments and sounds they’d like to explore in future projects. Listen to Animal Drowning and tap on in to the interview!

WDBM got to go down to Austin, Texas for SXSW this year and see a bunch of great shows and talk to some of the musicians playing. This first interview was with Ian Shelton of the Punk/Post-Hardcore band Militarie Gun on March 16th. We talked about his collaboration with other artists like Woolworm and MSPAINT, the grueling nature of touring, and the process that led up to the amalgamation of two EP’s into the All Roads Lead To The Gun album released this past October. As a personal aside, Big Disappointment has been stuck in my head for so long so it was absolutely sick to see him perform it live during the trip!

On Saturday, April 15, the 2023 Capital City Film Festival comes to an end. But from the ashes comes dancing: The Capital City Film Festival Afterparty will land at the Frandor Sears building at 9 p.m. that night. Headlining the event will be Detroit-based post-punk/techno band Decliner. In an exclusive interview with Impact89FM, Decliner's lead vocalist, Rob Luzynski, talked about the band's relationship with legendary producer Omar S, The Denny's Grand Slam, how Decliner came to be and more.

Delaney Rogers, Taylor Truszkowski and Matt Cruz connect with Hippo Campus before the band’s performance at the Breslin Center at the MSU 2023 Spring Concert.

Mason Vore, Mike Merucci and Matt Anikiej connect with Danny Brown before his performance at the Breslin Center at the MSU 2023 Spring Concert.

Impact’s music director, Mason Vore, had the fantastic opportunity to sit down and talk with Molly Rankin of Alvvays. The band is in the midst of a large North American/European tour and is at the tail end of an equally massive press tour, so these questions focused on unique details about the band and Blue Rev likely not covered in some other interviews done in this press cycle. For example: their collaboration with Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe for the “Many Mirrors” music video, their non-music-related influences and even some thoughts around Rankin’s interest in fantasy basketball and the Toronto Raptors.

Sara Tea and host of The Afterglow, Mike Merucci, conversed about the Songs for Discarded Souls EP, inclusivity in music, the magic of libraries, the Midwest’s complicated beauty and much more.

Mike Merucci interviews Joseph Kamaru (KMRU)'s. You will hear them talk about KMRU's most recent albums, Epoch and Limen, along with his tour supporting Big Thief, his methods for listening, and his experience making music in Berlin as compared to his experience making music in Nairobi. We also cover his field recording methods, his favorite sounds to record and listen to, and what musical escapades lie in his future.

Naethan Apollo is a singer-songwriter based out of Iowa who has spent years creating content online. Within the past year or so, Apollo has gained traction for his spoken word rap on TikTok and gained a cult-like following with 1.2 million followers. His newest album, Hello World, is loved by fans, but you likely know his viral hit “Person In The Mirror.” Today we talk about his songwriting process, the impact of ADHD on a creative mind, his live performance experience, the anomaly of Internet fame and more. (edited)

Entertainment Editor Kyle Davidson catches up with Daniel Gleason of Grouplove before the band's performance at the MSU 2022 Spring Concert.

Belonging Songs is available on all major podcast platforms. Find their original music on Spotify and visit their website at belongingsongs.com.