A Deeper Listen
A Deeper Listen
On A Deeper Listen, host Emily Fox and other storytellers from KEXP talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we uncover the humanity behind the music, allowing us to hear it in a whole new way.Social links:
The Raincoats’ Gina Birch on Career and Solo Album, Trouble
Gina Birch is a founding member of the legendary UK punk band, the Raincoats. Martin Douglas spoke with Birch about the themes behind the songs on her solo album, Trouble, her career, longtime connection to the Pacific Northwest, and more.
35:09
Cut Copy Finds Magic in Moments
The Australian group Cut Copy released their first album in five years in September — it’s called Moments. KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour spoke with frontman Dan Whitford about Cut Copy’s ongoing journey to blend synthesizers with indie guitars — all in the spirit of creating something danceable.
16:26
Smokey Brights on Grief, Roe v Wade and Northgate Way
The Seattle band Smokey Brights released a new album called Dashboard Heat this fall. The band is playing The Crocodile in Seattle on December 11. Emily Fox caught up with the band to hear about how the songs on the new album reflect the loss of a parent to cancer, the overturning of Roe v Wade and…
20:07
Say She She Shares Disco Demolition Night's Racist History
Say She She’s album, Cut & Rewind is one of the most played albums on KEXP in 2025. Emily Fox speaks with the trio about how they met sharing a wall in a New York apartment building, their reflections on women’s rights in their song She Who Dares and about the racist history of Chicago’s 1979 Disco…
16:21
Ribbon Skirt Reconnects with Anishinaabe Roots Through Music
The Montreal based and Anishinaabe-led band, Ribbon Skirt talks about their album, Bite Down and new EP, PENSACOLA. Frontwoman Tashiina Buswa talks with Emily Fox about how indigeneity comes up in her music, especially the song “Off Rez” and shares stories about her life and family, including how h…
28:19
Portugal. The Man’s Love Letter To Alaska
Portugal. The Man is out with a new album called SHISH. Emily Fox caught up with the band’s singer, songwriter and founder, John Gourley at Seattle’s Showbox SoDo to hear how his off-the-grid childhood in Alaska as well as his daughter’s genetic conduction influenced the album. “My mom and dad both…
31:31
Brandi Carlile Returns to Herself
Seattle’s Brandi Carlile recently released her eighth studio album — it’s called “Returning to Myself.” Carlile stopped by KEXP recently to speak with DJ Kevin Cole about the themes of togetherness, confronting middle age, and watching her daughters slowly grow up and become more independent. She t…
20:01
Neko Case on Her New Album and the Myth of Being “Lucky to Be Here”
Neko Case is out with a new album called Neon Grey Midnight Green. In conversation with Emily Fox, Case breaks down what spiderwebs can teach us about self-importance, what female and non-binary folks in the music industry have taught her about confidence and not caring about the male gaze and rock…
23:34
Kassa Overall Jazzes Up '90s Hip-Hop Classics
The Seattle-based jazz musician Kassa Overall released CREAM in September 2025, an album that showcases new, original takes on some of the most classic tracks in 90s rap — from Wu Tang to Biggie and beyond. Overall spoke with KEXP’s Dusty Henry about his work. "As we're recording these songs, I'm …
38:41
Jay Som Finds Where She Belongs
Jay Som is the moniker of Melina Duterte, a songwriter and producer originally based out of the Bay Area now living in Los Angeles. After producing music for other artists for so many years, she’s back with her fourth studio album, Belong, named for her quest to figure out her place in the indie mu…
32:59