Soundcheck

It’s common for songwriting artists to process their emotions through composing music. LA-based folk singer Annahstasia spent many years crafting her debut album, Tether, doing just that, without a metronome guiding her: “We’re human beings in a room following our heartbeats and the natural rhythm that we feel together… My production style is essentially like energy doula-ing,” she says. As for English baroque pop experimentalist Patrick Wolf , the making of his latest album, Crying the Neck , as well as other batches of new songs he’s been releasing that ended his decade-long hiatus, was a way to acknowledge that he was “a damaged vehicle”, after losing his mother to cancer and struggling to recover from a hit and run. Both artists are known for their big, often orchestral songs, but on this edition of Soundcheck, they each put on a solo performance, revealing the raw side of their lyrics and melodies. Annahstasia's Setlist: 1.Be Kind 2.Slow Patrick Wolf's Setlist: 1.Enter the Day 2.The Last of England Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche defines himself as a “chord progression artist”: “You establish a pattern, and then of course, you have to break it,” he says. This line of thinking is likely what drives him to disrupt the normal sequence of his daily life too, by staying out all night before a recording session, just to tap into the right emotion for a song the next day. Some artists don’t respond well to structure while creating and Sondre Lerche is definitely one of them. Whether he’s exploring acrobatic melodies that push his lungs to their limits or jumping from one genre to another, he seems to put the art first and figure out where he fits in it as a vessel later. Sondre Lerche’s latest album, aptly titled Acrobats , contains a big, cinematic sound, while blending elements of folk, jazz, pop, and rock. But his background in musical theatre becomes more apparent when it’s just him and his guitar, as he addresses the subjects of his songs as though they’re right by his side with unmistakable realism, for this episode of Soundcheck. - Sırma Munyar PS – Sondre Lerche is on tour in North America and Europe this Fall: https://www.sondrelerche.com/tour (Photo of Sondre Lerche by Hilde Solli) Setlist: 1.Little Kids 2.Acrobats 3.How Much of This Was Planned Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shearwater is the project of singer, songwriter, and ornithologist, Jonathan Meiburg , who recently took a trip to the Antarctica to study the “the bizarre life of the polar seafloor” and wrote a book called A Most Remarkable Creature : The Hidden Life of the World’s Smartest Birds of Prey . As he made significant attempts at understanding his natural surroundings, Meiburg also had several collaborators in Shearwater. Now, he’s back with a new album titled, The New World, joined by pianist Emily Lee and multi-instrumentalist Dan Duszynski. On the album, the band is also joined by a wide array of other respected musicians, from Firaz Zriek on qanun to Shahzad Ismaily on drums, bass, synthesizers, and more. But they bring a couple of other contributors to our studio: legendary avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson on vocals and violin, and Doug Wieselman on clarinet. Together, they perform skeletal, subdued, and sophisticated renditions of some of their cerebral new songs. Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater will be at Rough Trade Below on Thursday, September 17th, in New York , for a live acoustic performance and signing. - Sırma Munyar Setlist:1.Daydream Unbeliever 2.More and More 3.You and Your Dog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Folk music is known to be the music of the people, but it can sound vastly different from region to region. There are also songs that take inspiration from folk music but fall under a different genre altogether. For American singer-songwriter Mike Doughty , who is a founding member of the cult 90s band Soul Coughing, the art of storytelling found a home in alternative rock music. As for the Argentine recording artist and educator Sofia Rei , using electronics to blur the lines between traditional South American, Caribbean, and contemporary dance music is a natural practice. On this episode of Soundcheck, you get to hear both of their live performances and stories, recorded at WNYC studios. Mike Doughty's Setlist: 1.White Lexus 2.Mr. Bitterness 3.Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating in the Future Sofia Rei's Setlist: 1.El Mundo Es Redondo 2.Si Una Cae 3.Marciana Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Saul Williams is many things. A poet, a musician, an actor, and a writer, embodying multiple forms of art in his existence. He’s the preacher in the Oscar-winning 2025 film, Sinners. He’s the conceiver of several books, including his latest title, Songs My Mother Taught Me: Why the Artist Must Take Sides. And now, after seven long years, Williams is back with a new album called Leap Year, in which he uses his voice in more ways than one. He sings and speaks his contemplative words, often relying on his vocal samples to enrich the production. But in our studio, his solo performance is thoughtful yet subdued, putting his lyricism front and center. Hear those words, and a few others, as Williams shares his inner world with host, John Schaefer. - Sırma Munyar Setlist: 1.Friends That I Ain't Met Yet 2.Vengeful Spirit 3.Robot Slave (Photo of Saul Williams by Sam Lee) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

North Carolina singer and guitarist Alex Sauser-Monnig records under the name Daughter of Swords, in which they "combine the eerie sound of old Appalachian folk music with elegant guitar playing and touches of lo-fi pop." (John Schaefer) They're also part of the alternative folk trio Mountain Man, a group of singers whose precise harmonies offer songs of warmth, belonging, and community. Sauser-Monnig’s record, Dawnbreaker , a homespun country-pop offering of vulnerability, brings liberation to the "breakup record" and hope for the next phase of life. Daughter of Swords joins us to perform in-studio on this episode of Soundcheck from August 2019. - Caryn Havlik (Photo of Daughter of Swords by Kendall Bailey Atwater) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some musicians make ambitious records that dig into the depths of meaning behind art, mythology, time, or life itself. Two of those musicians are the British singer-songwriter Paris Paloma and the American alternative R&B producer Cautious Clay . Both musical adventurers sit down with our host, John Schaefer, to chat about their latest works and perform intimate live sets exclusively for Soundcheck. Hear how hitmaker Paris Paloma’s career progressed after her viral hit, “Labour”, and the process that led to the creation of her sophomore album, The Fatal Flaw. Then, multi-instrumentalist Cautious Clay explains how he takes listeners through each hour of the day and night in The Hours trilogy. Paris Paloma's Setlist: 1.labour 2.Miyazaki 3.Stem the Flow Cautious Clay's Setlist: 1.Tokyo Lift (5am) 2.Art Museum (2am) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trumpeter and bandleader Arturo Sandoval is a Latin music legend who began his career as a co-founder of the essential Cuban band Irakere and since moving to the States has incorporated the sounds of soul, jazz, funk, and Afrobeat into his music. Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and his life was the subject of the film For Love Or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story , with Andy Garcia starring as Arturo. The real Arturo Sandoval was born in Cuba, defected to America with the help of his friend Dizzy Gillespie, and became one of the foundational figures in Afro-Cuban jazz. By the way, he was recently knighted by the King of Spain. His new album shows that Sandoval retains his youthful enthusiasm; it’s called Sangú – an inadvertent bit of Spanglish that simply means “sounds good.” Arturo Sandoval leads his band in some of these latest tunes from Sangú - bebop, funk, Yoruba spiritual memory, riding along with Cuban phrasing and percussion, in-studio. He also demonstrates the jaw harp, shows off his “Red Trumpet”, and tells the harrowing story of how he gained political asylum for himself and his family while touring in Europe in 1990. - Caryn Havlik Set list: 1.Scat 2. La Ventura 3. Sangu Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ghost Hounds is a Pittsburgh-based blues-rock band with a sound that may remind you of classic early 70s bands like The Rolling Stones. In fact, they’ve opened for the Stones and do a cover of that band’s song “Gimme Shelter” on the new Ghost Hounds album. But most of their music is original and their latest record, called Justified, is full of apocalyptic imagery and songs that swagger their way through the End Of Days. Ghost Hounds brings a rootsy, intimate version of the band to play these new songs, in-studio. Set list: 1. Something Wicked 2. Sinner's Prayer 3. Pale Horse Riding Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For this episode of Soundcheck, the rapper, singer, and author Dessa gets political, and Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum gets historical. Minneapolis-raised singer and rapper known as Dessa has found a way to reflect modern society with scathing satire and wry humor, in both her songs and in her essays and poems. Her explicit commentary on the state of American politics, along with digressions on art, science, business, love, failure, and creativity fuel her latest songs, which she performs in-studio. Set list: 1. Camelot 2. Tough Call 3. What if I'm Not Ready And the Syrian-American rapper, poet, and peace activist Omar Offendum offers a musical history lesson of sorts, one with uncomfortable echoes of our own time, in “The Little Syria Show.” It’s about a remarkable immigrant neighborhood in New York that lasted from the 1880s to 1940 and was a center of music, poetry, and publishing – including a book you may well have on your shelf. In a celebration of Arab-American cultural heritage, Omar Offendum shares insights on diasporic memory and performs some of the songs from The Little Syria Show , in-studio. Set list: 1. Peddling Dervish 2. Mojaddareh 3. Not Quite White Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to a sampling of some of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, with pieces by Gyan Riley and an arrangement of Debussy by Australian guitarist brothers Ziggy & Miles , plus, recorded live in August at Bryant Park. Gyan Riley is the son of the groundbreaking minimalist composer Terry Riley, and began as the guitarist in his father’s All-Star Band. He plays all the guitars - electric, classical, and bass– with chamber music elegance and brilliant virtuosity. He was joined by drummer Kenny Grohowski (Imperial Triumphant, Titans to Tachyons, Secret Chiefs) and bassist Greg Chudzik , which made this an all-star lineup. Listen to their set, recorded live at the second night of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival. Then, Australian brothers Ziggy & Miles, who happened to be the first guitar duo (and, oddly, the first Australians) to be accepted into the Juilliard School’s Artist Diploma program play an arrangement of Claude Debussy’s “Claire de Lune.” Plus, hear another piece by the Chicago-based duo of Goran Ivanovic and Fareed Haque, from night one of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival. Set list: 1. Debussy: “Claire de Lune”, arr. Ziggy & Miles 2. Gyan Riley – “Jibberjab” 3. Gyan Riley, Greg Chudzik, Kenny Grohowski – “Greymaxxing with Blue” 4. Gyan Riley, Greg Chudzik, Kenny Grohowski – “Because Today” 5. Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque – “Adventure” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to a sampling of some of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival, with pieces by the duo of Goran Ivanovic and Fareed Haque and Pierre Bensusan recorded live in August at Bryant Park. Guitarist Goran Ivanovic is Croatian-born, while Fareed Haque is of Pakistani and Chilean descent. Both now live in Chicago, and their music is a deep dish pie of South Asian, Latin, and Balkan ingredients, liberally spiced with improvisation. Hear some of their Balkan-South Asian-Latin fusion, recorded live at the first night of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival. Topansko oro 2. IndoBalkan 3. Gypsy Circus Then, Algerian-born French guitarist Pierre Bensusan plays in the open tuning system known as DADGAD. Bensusan draws on Celtic traditional and North African music, adding improvisation, vocalise, and electronic effects to create his own sonic world. Listen to some of his set from the second night of the 2026 New York Guitar Festival. Hekimolu 2. The Alchemist 3. Intuit Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The London band Public Service Broadcasting makes music out of history: the space race, the UK mining industry, and now, the final flight of Amelia Earhart, have all been turned into albums. Public Service Broadcasting plays live. Then, hear Em Spel, the folk-rock singer from Chicago, also known as Emma Hospelhorn, a classical flutist who is a member of Chicago’s experimental chamber music collective Ensemble Dal Niente. When she steps into the universe of her solo project, Em Spel, she writes and sings surreal, beguiling songs that fall somewhere in between dream pop, art rock, and folk music. Em Spel also plays live for this best of Soundcheck. Public Service Broadcasting set list: 1. Electra 2. Arabian Flight. 3. Go! Em Spel set list: 1. The Poet 2. Sea Wall Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela first made a name for themselves busking in Dublin, Ireland, even though they spoke no English at the time. With roots in flamenco, classical, and thrash metal, they perform technical feats of wonder in both originals and incredible covers. The 2019 album, Mettavolution contains driving numbers, some incredibly fleet-fingered virtuosity, and a mind-altering psychedelic cover of a Pink Floyd tune. Rodrigo y Gabriela joined us for some stunning guitar precision in this 2019 session from the archives. Set list: 1. Mettavolution 2. Electric Soul 3. Terracentric Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Baltimore-based Dan Deacon has been a mad scientist of electronic music since releasing his debut album Spiderman Of The Rings in 2007. He built a reputation for wild, dance-oriented live shows, but Dan is also classically trained and in recent years has been doing a lot of film music, along with scoring music for dance. His latest album is the score for a National Geographic documentary called Time and Water , and Dan Deacon, along with an electro-acoustic chamber orchestra -which includes the Bergamot Quartet, members of Baltimore-based contemporary music group Mind on Fire, and a Yamaha Disklavier (an upright bot-assisted piano) - perform in-studio. Set list: 1.Weeping Birch 2. A Home For All Of Us 3..Become a Mountain Suite Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sometimes music takes us back or far into the future. Other times, time and travel are at the very core of the music we listen to. On this edition of Soundcheck, the (mostly) Havana-based band Orquesta Akokán takes us on a musical time travel through the classic Cuban dance sounds of the mid-20th century, live from our studio. After a substantial dose of mambo, cha-cha-chá, rumba, salsa, and more, Dallas-born and now New York-based singer-songwriter Hannah Jadagu studies the themes of time and travel in her dreamy alt-pop songs, which contain layered vocals that are as light as air. Orquesta Akokán's Setlist: 1.Con Licencia 2.Pan con Tibiri 3.Caracoles 4.Suave Suave Hannah Jadagu's Setlist: 1.Give Me Time 2.Normal Today 3.My Love Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dominican-Italian singer-songwriter YEИDRY has been around for over a decade, and in the span of her rich music career that’s lived many lives, she compiled highly personal songs, some of which would eventually end up on her debut album coming out this Fall. She called it “Como Agua”, which translates to “Like Water”, aptly summarizing not only YEИDRY’s way of making music, but also her way of life. In the process, she learned to go with the flow, taking her notebook filled with scribbled lyrics into the studio each day and getting comfortable with the cathartic moments of translating her experiences into music. Twice an immigrant with loved ones living all over the world, she hasn’t quite figured out where home is yet; she has found a sanctuary in her art instead. Having already sustained through many years of her “expensive” music career, YEИDRY likens herself to the mythological character of Icarus, flying too close to the sun. “I’m going to fall at some point if I keep wanting more,” she says, but all that fear disappears as soon as she starts singing her delicate melodies for this edition of Soundcheck. - Sırma Munyar Setlist: 1.Amapolas 2.Mala Mia 3.Espejo Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B ensemble, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, are back with their sophomore album, Trip the Night Fantastic, after a seven-year-long break. In line with their debut record, Waiting Game, the group has a new batch of songs dealing with a wide range of social justice issues, voiced in melodies and spoken words. “Once you open your eyes to any social issue, so many others go hand in hand, because they overlap. There are all these intersections, so I can’t really do anything without thinking about gender justice or even racial justice, because those are two huge parts of my identity,” says the bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington, whose day job as the founder and artistic director of Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice undoubtedly highlights the source material for the album. But, at the end of the day, Trip the Night Fantastic is a communal effort, with each member sparking the flame for a new creation which then becomes enriched with the input of guest artists such as Arooj Aftab, Brandee Younger, and Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball. And though those artists are missing from this Soundcheck session, most of the Social Science band is present, with Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, Matthew Stevens on guitar, Morgan Guerin on bass, joined by guest vocalists Christie Dashiell and Ian Michael, who also plays our piano. - Sırma Munyar (Photo of Terri Lyne Carrington by Meredith Truax) Setlist: 1.Autonomy Song 2.Children's Song 3.Solidarity Song Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the WASABI edition of Soundcheck! No, not the spicy green paste that comes with your sushi order. We’re talking about the collaborative project formed by the London-born indie rock band Art Brut and their New York counterpart, We Are Scientists , known as We Are Scientists Art Brut International . Though they released a collaborative record in 2019, each band visited our studios at separate moments in time. But how could we not combine their sessions into one when they all spoke so fondly of each other? Join us, as we revisit their recent live performances and interviews with our host, John Schaefer. We Are Scientists' Setlist: 1. Please Don't Say It 2. Dead Letters 3. What You Want Is Gone Art Brut's Setlist: 1. Formed a Band 2. Emily Kane Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brooklyn-based guitarist and composer Yasser Tejada & the group Palotré combine African-rooted Dominican traditional folk styles and fuse them with R&B, church gospel, funk, jazz, and rock into a celebration of Afro-Dominican culture. On this edition of Soundcheck from 2019, they play some songs from their record, Kijombo , in-studio. Watch the video of the session here . Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.