KSPS PBS Podcasts

Hank Cramer is a singer/songwriter and traditional folk troubadour from Winthrop, Washington. Hank has spent his life collecting and sharing American and Celtic folk songs of the soldier, sailor, cowboy, pioneer, laborer, traveler, and friend alongside his own original music. A lover of history and storytelling, he delivers memorable performances with his guitar and distinct baritone vibrato. Hank joined today's host Tina Swannack to talk about his formative experiences with music and performance, sharing details of how a folk artist makes a living now a days. Inland Sessions is a KSPS-PBS production from Spokane, Washington. For Hank's full recorded performance, alongside other musicians from the Inland Northwest, or to find more interviews with Inland Sessions artists about art, music, passion, performance, and the business side of it all visit ksps.org/inlandsessions. To support Public Media, and non-profit KSPS-PBS productions and to see our schedule of broadcasts visit ksps.org to watch, learn more, volunteer, or donate.

Mixing pop, grunge, punk, psyche, and jazz into a noisy new stew, Matt Legard and Tom Deckert of The Colourflies from Spokane, Washington join us in the studio to tell us how they discovered their passions for music and how they think about authenticity and performance as a balancing act. The Colourflies premiere on Inland Sessions Monday, March 3rd at 7:30pm Pacific on KSPS-TV and streaming at ksps.org. More information about Inland Sessions artists, see full performance episodes, or visit to explore more podcasts with independent artists of the Inland Northwest featured on Inland Sessions visit ksps.org/inlandsessions KSPS PBS is the independent PBS affiliate of the Inland Northwest, reaching from the Columbia River to the Arctic Circle, from the Cascades to the far side of the Rockies creating and curating hyper-local content for and about the people of the INW.

Neo-soul singer/songwriter Helmer Noel visits the studio to talk about how growing up, his mom was the church choir director who got him hooked on music and singing early on, giving him the confidence to explore expressing himself through performance and eventually his own music. Also how finding creative collaborators after moving to Spokane, Washington helped change the direction of his life and his music. KSPS PBS is a PBS affiliate in Spokane, Washington delivering stories about the people, places, and events around the Inland Northwest, building community through local storytelling. Find more podcasts from Inland Sessions artists, or watch full-length episodes of Inland Sessions performances at ksps.org/inlandsessions. Helmer Noel's half hour performance of his originals with collaborator Logan McDonald will be broadcast Monday, February 24th at 7:30pm Pacific time on channel 7.1 and streaming at ksps.org/watch. Find out more about Helmer at https://www.helmernoel.com/ KSPS PBS is a non-profit public media station which survives because of viewers and listeners like you. Find out more about KSPS including how to support our mission at ksps.org.

Classically-trained singer/songwriter Pamela Benton visits the studio to talk about being immersed in a world of music for as long as she can remember, starting with the violin when she was 7 years old and progressing to teaching herself guitar by the time she was in Jr. High her music is built around her electric violin and guitar in contemporary cross-genre arrangements. She also delivers a stripped down acoustic performance as she talks about how her shyness used to hold her back, but music and community gave her the breakthrough she needed to unleash herself when performing. Inland Sessions is a production of KSPS PBS in Spokane, Washington serving the Inland Northwest U.S. and Canada providing informative, entertaining, and uplifting programming from producers and storytellers from every corner of North America. KSPS-PBS is a 501(c)3 non-profit and has a hyper local production team focusing on creating enlightened programming around people, stories, events, and news happening across the heart of the Inland Northwest. Watch KSPS live or on-demand at ksps.org. Watch Pamela Benton's full in-studio performance episode, visit our archive, or listen to more podcasts at ksps.org/inlandsessions

Singer/songwriter Carli Osika joins us to talk about music, collaborative writing, and how spending time in Nashville offered her lessons that she has brought home to Sandpoint, Idaho. Carli was 8 months pregnant when she filmed her Inland Sessions episode which airs Monday, February 10th 7:30pm pacific time on KSPS channel 7.1, and streaming or on demand at ksps.org. Her new son was born January 2025 and Carli was gracious enough to join me for her interview via Zoom during nap time. Facing audio difficulties, our interview sounds a little different than previous episodes, thank you for understanding. Find her videos on youtube, and learn more about how to see her live through her social media accounts. To meet other artists in the Inland Northwest, visit ksps.org/inland sessions for all our podcasts, full performance episodes, and more. Consider becoming a member of KSPS PBS and support local storytelling across Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alberta Canada from the heart of Spokane, Washington.

Bradford Little and Konrad VanDeest visit the studio to talk about their funky jam explosion, the B Radicals from Spokane, Washington which has been a backbone jam band for almost 20 years in the region. Their groovy sound which has an experimental edge invites audiences to a cosmic exploration, and failing that... they hope it makes you want to dance. Bradford and Konrad talk about how they first explored music and how they create their sonic landscapes, built upon their brotherhood of friendship and funky vibes.

Dancer/Choreographer Monica Mota and guitarist/composer/arranger Mellad Abeid return to talk more about their live dance + music project Quiero Flamenco and their beautiful upcoming show "Gradience", in Spokane, Washington presented by KSPS-PBS at the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center on January 10th, 2025. All music courtesy of Quiero Flamenco performing in studio at KSPS PBS studios, except a small excerpt from Jed Miley, their guest flamenco guitarist from Oleaje Flamenco in Seattle, Washington and self-produced audio from "warming up with Vicente's Granaina" recorded in 2017 which was used with permission. The January 10th live performance of Quiero Flamenco in front of a live audience will be produced and broadcast for air on KSPS, ksps.org and pbs.org on Feburary 14th. 2025.

Jenny Anne Mannan, Caroline Fowler, and Karli Fairbanks are all singer/songwriters who love Christmas music, and in 2022, they gathered themselves around the band name Alcohol & Feelings and joined us in the Inland Sessions studio to record a half-hour of their sweetly bittersweet original holiday music. Sit down by the fire with a cup of cocoa and enjoy set of new Christmas music that is rooted in feelings of joy and the bright memories that gather us together on crisp winter nights. Please enjoy this music-based set, and watch the whole episode at ksps.org/inlandsessions

Today Rosie Cerquone joins us in the studio to talk a little about her life & music, and play solo for us one of her oldest songs, one of her newest songs, maybe even a little Billie Eilish while accompanying herself on the vibraphone. See her full musical performance with her band on Inland Sessions airing Monday, December 9th at 7pm Pacific time on KSPS-PBS, or on demand without commercial interruption at ksps.org/InlandSessions. If you like this interview, check out our other Inland Sessions artist interviews at ksps.org/InlandSessions and feel free to binge them all and tell others! KSPS-PBS is the Public Television affiliate in Spokane, Washington focusing on stories and artists from in/around the Inland Northwest. Inland Sessions is an original and local production focusing on the new and original music of local creatives and performers, including music, poetry, and dance. Find out more about Public Television at pbs.org, or donate directly to support this endeavor at ksps.org.

Young singer/songwriter Isaac Tonasket joins us in the studio with his mother, Monica Tonasket to talk about what has been driving him since his early years to forge his own path through life with music and honesty. Self-recording and self-releasing his song "Boyz Don't Cry" brought a lot of new attention and millions of views to Isaac's work, and he takes the opportunity to share some of the reasons he does what he does. Isaac Tonasket's full performance will air on KSPS Channel 7.1 at 7:30pm Pacific Monday December 2nd, or watch the broadcast stream at ksps.org/live Find his episode after broadcast at ksps.org/inlandsessions where you can also watch more performances and hear more interviews every week.

Sacha Boutros is known across the U.S. and Europe as a singer of the American Songbook, performing all around the world with her renditions of American jazz standards, but today she visits the KSPS-PBS studio to talk about recording her original music, and her experience in the music industry as an outspoken independent artist, musician, songwriter, promoter, and advocate for women and people of color in professional music. KSPS-PBS is the Inland Northwest PBS affiliate serving most of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alberta, delivering quality entertainment, education, and news to homes even in the most remote areas. KSPS-PBS is a non-profit independent media focused on building community through creative use of media for the public good. Learn more and donate at ksps.org to support our efforts.

Dancer/choreographer Monica Mota and guitarist/composer Mellad Abeid join me to talk about how they each found flamenco, where they found each other as artistic collaborators, and why flamenco is so stylistically singular, passionate, and powerful. Watch their full episode their dance/music performance on Inland Sessions premiering Monday, November 18th at 7:30pm PT on KSPS-PBS Channel 7.1 in the INW, streaming on ksps.org, and all past episodes archived at ksps.org/inlandsessions

Eddy Pace of Evergreen Afrodub Orchestra joins us to talk about following his dream to build a collaborative ensemble of the region's best musicians to come together for the love of reggae, Afrobeat, jazz, and funk. Colossal horns, big percussion, and layered guitars over a backbone of bass describes EAO's mostly instrumental jams, but it doesn't explain how Eddy brought Evergreen Afrobeat together or what it takes to keep a rotating band of 8-10 musicians dedicated to the style of groovy rhythms this band loves to lay down for audiences. Watch Evergreen Afrodub Orchestra's full Inland Sessions performance premiering Monday November 4th, 7:30pm PST on KSPS-PBS digital on TV, and ksps.org to stream live everywhere else. Please explore our archive of Inland Sessions performances and podcasts at ksps.org/inlandsessions.

Singer/songwriter Olivia Brownlee visits to talk about her music and all the ways she's found (so far) to connect people and communities through song and dance as a musician, educator, communicator, and presenter on this week's episode, and brings us unplugged performances of her original music alongside a surprise heartfelt acoustic cover. Find out more about Inland Sessions and featured artists at ksps.org/inlandsessions Learn how to support education, local music, independent artists, and regional storytelling through donations to KSPS-PBS, the Public Television station for the Inland Northwest, broadcasting quality programming to urban, rural, and remote areas across 4 U.S. states and 3 Canadian territories at ksps.org.

Raleigh Brown, Sky Dornbirer, and Zack Francis of Left Over Soul join us for a chat and a couple stripped down unplugged versions of their 9-piece soul combo's music. Inland Sessions is produced by KSPS-PBS TV in Spokane, Washington showcasing the original music and talented musicians of the Inland Northwest. Find exclusive performances, extras, and more Inland Sessions podcasts at ksps.org/inland-sessions. Find out more about today's guest Left Over Soul, by looking for them on social media!

Jayson Orth visits Inland Sessions to talk about how he developed as a musician and his newest project, a one-man lo-fi instrumental sound machine he calls August to August. Watch August to August perform a half-hour set without commercial interruption streaming on demand at ksps.org/inlandsessions, and with ads for a global audience at youtube. KSPS-PBS produces Inland Sessions in Spokane, Washington and broadcasts PBS content all the way from the Cascades to the Rockies, and between the Columbia River to the Arctic Circle.

Jason Garrett Evans is a neo-soul artist from Spokane, Washington and brought Cosmic Fantasy to help him fill out his original music on his second visit to Inland Sessions. Jason talks a little about how church introduced him to music, how karaoke gave him room to try new things, and how becoming a music director for a church helped him learn to communicate with audiences through live performance.

Quinton Kamara and Bobby Meador of No Soap, Radio! a larger 7-piece ensemble - to talk about being a marching band nerd and learning to have the greatest time of your life playing music with your friends. What do they sound like? Quinton suggests "headbanger jazz!"

Dario Re is the songwriter and bandleader of Heat Speak, and he visits to talk about the heart of his music including an exclusive acoustic solo performance of "Cupboard of a Grand Fir" of their brand new De Bouquet Ok album.

Ben Rose of Hoodoo Udu join us in studio to talk about his initiation into the world of music and how he expresses himself as a musician, songwriter, and teacher. Inland Sessions is recorded and produced in Spokane, Washington by KSPS-PBS. See full uninterrupted musical performances by this artist and more at ksps.org/inlandsessions