Sharp Pins is the solo project of 20-year-old Kai Slater, who also runs a zine called Hallogallo. Based in Chicago, he started the zine during the height of the coronavirus pandemic as a teenager, overwhelmed and frustrated with a life dominated by screens. So, both his music and zine are analog, made with tape recorders, photo copiers, and type writers. KEXP’s Dusty Henry talks with Slater about his music and the thriving DIY scene in Chicago.

“The way that you remain young is by staying in touch with your creative side,” Slater says in the interview. “If I were to stop that, I would surely die,” he adds with a chuckle.

Sharp Pins’s album Radio DDR came out March, 21 2025 on Perennial Records.

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photo by Jolie M-A