Soundcheck

Folktronica songwriter Ásgeir didn’t plan on becoming a singer. When he was younger, all he wanted to do was to make music with his garage band. He only found himself singing in front of a microphone because “somebody had to do it.” 

As he grew into his musical identity, Ásgeir immersed himself in the music of his vocal heroes, including Jeff Buckley, Jónsi of Sigur Rós, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Their ethereal falsetto tones influenced his own approach to singing and a new Icelandic star was born.

Ásgeir’s first record, titled Dýrð í dauðaþögn, became the best-selling debut album in Iceland to date in 2012, beating the debuts of Björk and Sigur Rós. Since then, he’s been singing his songs mostly in English, often with lyrics borrowed from the poetry of his father, Einar Georg Einarsson. In his fifth studio album, Julia, Ásgeir takes the pen in his own hands for the first time, interpreting his life experiences from a singular lens. He plays some songs from that record and reflects on their inception. (- Sırma Munyar)

1. Smoke 2. Ferris Wheel 3. Sugar Clouds

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Saxophonist Isaiah Collier spent most of his lifetime playing his instrument religiously. He looked up to his idol John Coltrane so much that he performed several tribute concerts in his name. But the young jazz composer is ready to take on new creative challenges with his upcoming EP, JOY. What kind of new challenges? Well, he showed up at our studio without his saxophone, for one. 

On this episode of Soundcheck, Collier plays our piano and sings his soulful new songs with his band: with Davis Whitfield on keys, Conway Campbell on bass, and Tim Regis on drums. Collier’s compositions are deeply personal, but they carry the spirit of communal celebration, which becomes most apparent in these exuberant, dynamic, and spontaneous performances. (- Sırma Munyar)

1. Where I'm Loved 2. When the Dust Settles 3. Joy

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Music can be a serious business. But no one says, “I work music.” You play music. In this episode, discover two very different musical acts who understand the significance of having a playful streak. First, we welcome three best friends who formed the indie rock band Horsegirl when they were still in high school in Chicago; they play a couple of songs from their sophomore album, “Phonetics On and On.” Later, New Orleans-born, three-time Grammy-winning jazz pianist and composer Sullivan Fortner makes good use of our piano, performing some of his original music as well as a piece by Chopin in a way only he can.

Horsegirl Set list: 1. Where'd You Go 2. Switch Over 3. 2468

Sullivan Fortner Set list: 1. Grandpa's Spells (Jelly Roll Morton) 2. It's A Game 3. Chopin's Valse Du Petit Chien

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What happens when an electric guitar is used to interpret music from cultures that completely ignore the Western tonal system? Guitarist Marisa Anderson dove into the depths of late filmmaker Harry Smith’s record collection to find out. While Smith himself once did similar research to compile his influential Anthology of American Folk Music, Anderson was more interested in compositions and improvisations that emerged outside of her country. She felt particularly drawn to recordings from places the United States has been in conflict with for decades, which led her down the path of producing her own Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music.

Transcribed in her “first language”, the electric guitar, and accompanied by soundscapes built with keyboards, the accordion, and other instruments, Anderson carefully arranged pieces from Afghanistan, Yemen, Vietnam, and more. As she bent the strings of her guitar to achieve some form of microtonality, she kept questioning the concept of being unamerican: “Who are the people we’ve been told in our lifetimes are “unamerican?” What have we lost or been denied access to in the fallout from that label?”

Anderson brings some of her interpretations to our studio for a solo performance and explains her process. “This project changed me permanently… I’m a better listener,” she says, as she approaches each new territory with the curiosity and joy of a child in a candy store. (- Sırma Munyar)

1. Hamd 2. Sarvi Simin 3. Taqsim for Guitar

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Photo of Lara Downes by Ebru Yildiz

Pianist Lara Downes has spent the last couple of years traveling the country and collecting not only music, but also stories, for a pair of projects that celebrate America at 250. One is her multimedia piece called The Declaration Project, and the other is an album of music that spans at least 250 years of American history called Hold These Truths, which amplifies the stories gathered in her Declaration Project. The music ranges from before the nation’s founding to new works – an overall reflection on revolution, resistance, and resilience from early 20th century composer Harry T. Burleigh to Nigerian-American composer Shawn Okpebholo. Lara Downes plays some of these works, in-studio. 

Set list: 

1. Harry Burleigh: The Frolic 

2. Christopher Tin:Hope Is the Thing with Feathers 

3. Jeff Beal: Elation 

4. Shawn Okpebholo: Wondrous Free 

5. Ricky Ian Gordon: Finding Home

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