By Mike Romero
Since 1991, WXPN/Philadelphia has produced World Cafe, the nation’s most-listened to public radio music program. Distributed by NPR to 280 radio stations across the United States, World Cafe exposes nearly 600,000 listeners each week to new music in genres ranging from singer-songwriter, classic rock, indie rock, Americana, alt-country, blues, world music, R&B, and soul.
World Cafe’s daily two-hour block broadcasts interviews and in-studio performances from established and emerging artists. This week, Host Raina Douris and Contributing Host Stephen Kallao will tell the world all about Provo, Utah’s music scene. Provo is the most recent city explored by World Cafe, which has visited dozens of musical hotspots around the globe to capture each city’s unique music scene for its “Sense of Place” series. “Sense of Place: Provo, Utah” will be aired from Thursday, January 18 though Friday, January 26.
The seven-episode series will feature interviews from musicians and music influencers in Utah’s music industry, including The National Parks, Little Moon, JTM, Scott Wiley of June Audio, Corey Fox of Velour Live Music Gallery, Zach Collier of Provo Music Magazine, and more.
“On the surface, Provo seems like a quiet mountain town,” says host Raina Douris. “But when you scratch the surface you’ll find a lively music scene that is both influenced by – and rebelling against – the strong LDS Church presence there. We’re excited to showcase a group of pioneering musicians and music lovers.”
The World Cafe team – Douris, Kallao, Senior Producer Kimberly Junod, and Producer Miguel Perez – traveled to Utah from the show’s home base at WXPN/Philadelphia in November 2023 to produce the show.
The series can be heard on the 280+ U.S. radio stations that carry World Cafe and online at World Cafe on NPR Music. Below is the schedule for World Cafe’s “Sense of Place: Provo, Utah” series. Episode descriptions are courtesy of WXPN/Philadelphia.
Thursday, January 18 – The Aces
For a long time, four-piece band The Aces tread carefully when it came to writing songs about their hometown of Provo, Utah — and how difficult it was growing up as queer kids in their mostly Mormon community. On their latest album, I’ve Loved You For So Long, the indie pop band decided to open up more than ever before about their story so far. In this episode, The Aces talk to Producer Miguel Perez about their latest album and growing up in Provo, and perform for World Cafe.
Friday, January 19 – June Audio, The National Parks and Velour Live Music Gallery
Walking through downtown Provo, you might not expect the city to house a state-of-the-art music recording facility that has hosted the likes of The Killers and Post Malone – but June Audio is part of what makes the music scene there so unique. Contributing Host Kallao talks to local band The National Parks, who recorded most of their music at June Audio, and the man behind the studios, Scott Wiley, to learn more about Provo’s prolific music scene. Then, Corey Fox talks about his one-of-a-kind, all-ages venue called Velour Live Music Gallery, which serves as the heartbeat of Provo’s performing scene – and how he and Velour have championed bands such as Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, and The Moth and the Flame.
at June Audio Recording Studios (credit: M. Perez).
Monday, January 22 – JR Boyce, Booker at ABG’s Libation Emporium
Though Provo, Utah, has a lot going on musically, it has only one place to see bands where you can enjoy an alcoholic drink. John-Ross Boyce, who books the bands at that venue, ABG’s Libation Emporium, gives Host Raina Douris an inside look at what it is like being part of the fabric that supports the Provo music scene.
Tuesday, January 23 – Provo Music Magazine on new bands and trends in Provo
Provo Music Magazine coined the term “Dusty Deseret” to describe a genre that is unique to Provo, Utah. Zach Collier, co-founder and editor of Provo Music Magazine, talks about what makes “Dusty Deseret” different from other types of Americana music, and plays some familiar and some not-so-familiar bands with the “Dusty Deseret” sound.
Wednesday, January 24 – Melody Clinger on the first women’s rock and roll band
Melody Clinger led three of her sisters in the first rock and roll band in which women played their own instruments. So why have so many never heard of The Clinger Sisters? Melody talks with Host Raina Douris about growing up just outside of Provo, Utah, before moving to Los Angeles with her family to pursue music, and what it has been like as one of the unsung trailblazers in rock.
Thursday, January 25 – Encore: Little Moon
One of the latest bands from Provo, Utah, to grab national attention is Little Moon, winner of NPR’s 2023 Tiny Desk Contest. In a previously-recorded segment with Contributing Host Kallao, Little Moon lead vocalist and guitarist Emma Hardyman shares the band’s origin story, how they crafted their winning song called “Wonder Eye,” and what it’s like to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight.
Friday, January 26 – JTM on being a Mormon rapper
For JTM, the artist formerly known as James the Mormon, hip hop was both a genre he loved and a way he thought he could share something of Mormonism without sounding as if he was trying to convert people. He became popular but didn’t attract the type of fans he had hoped to have. In this final edition of World Cafe’s “Sense of Place: Provo, Utah” series, JTM shares with Host Raina Douris about why he eventually wanted to leave both the church and music behind, and why he ultimately didn’t, in a conversation where he is joined by his producer, Chance Clift.
Make sure to follow World Cafe on Instagram. You watch the lyric video for The Aces’ song “Not the Same” below!