FUV Live Sessions

Country-inspired indie-folk singer-songwriter, Andrew Sa, joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about his debut album, American Rough, how his musical influences helped weave his multi-genre tapestry, the value in vulnerability and how infectious being vulnerable can be, and his late mentor Patrick Haggerty, the first openly gay country singer, who inspired so much of his journey. Songs: Under You, Your Whisper and Lavender Cowboy

Brian Fallon – frontman of The Gaslight Anthem – joined WFUV’s Director of Music Programming Russ Borris in Studio-A to talk about his latest solo record, Not Bad for New Jersey, how the songs he writes wind up either on solo projects or full band projects, how essential it is for people to embrace their individuality and write songs from that place, and why it’s such a great time to be listening to music right now. Songs: Not Bad for New Jersey, Better Before and Here’s Looking at You, Kid

Irish singer, songwriter and musician Dove Ellis joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about his debut album, Blizzard, how independently releasing music on Bandcamp turned into opening for Geese on their U.S. tour, his musical influences like Prince and Gillian Welch, and why his love for the saxophone runs deep even though his instruments of choice are piano and guitar. Songs: “Feathers, Cash” “To The Sandals” and “Nest Among Stars”

Brandon Flowers – the frontman of The Killers – sat down with WFUV’s Director of Music Programming, Russ Borris, to talk about his new solo album, Thrasher, how country music is woven into the fabric of his life, his love of Las Vegas and how deeply it influenced this project, and how special it was to record live in the studio with some of the most esteemed musicians to make music. The live performances you heard in this episode were recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville. Full Songs: Paradise and Plans

Seattle-based band, Telehealth, joined FUV host Sam Sumpter at WFUV to talk about their album, Green World Image, why it was important to curate an entire world that revolves around this project, the struggles of being a modern musician navigating today’s “chronically online” cultural landscape, and how art always finds a way. Songs: Age of Muralcide, Cool Job and Kokomo 2

Niko Kapetan of the Chicago-born band, Friko, joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about the group’s latest album, Something Worth Waiting For, how this transit-themed project came to fruition while on tour, what it was like to work with the Steve Albini trained producer, John Congleton, and the magical moments that came out of this recording process. Songs: Seven Degrees, Choo Choo and Certainty

Paul from St. Paul & The Broken Bones sat down with FUV host Sam Sumpter in the greenroom ahead of the band’s sold-out Brooklyn Paramount show in April to talk about their recent self-titled album, the importance of life’s simple pleasures, how the band has evolved since achieving their original goals, and live music as a spiritual journey. The live music in this episode is courtesy of Brooklyn Paramount in New York City. Photo courtesy of Q Prime. Songs: Sushi & Coca-Cola, Fall Moon and Ooo-Wee

Singer, songwriter and musician José González made his way back to WFUV to play a live set and talked to FUV host Alisa Ali about his latest album, Against The Dying Of The Light, how his background in scientific research influences his musical exploration, the nuances of AI and where it can be most useful, and how he navigates songwriting in Swedish, Spanish and English. Songs: Against The Dying Of The Light, Joy (Can’t Help But Sing) and Etyd

Young The Giant sat down with WFUV host Sam Sumpter after playing a live set in Studio-A to talk about their latest album, Victory Garden, how the band has evolved and taken on more production responsibilities over the past 15 years, the value of writing retreats to flesh out ideas as a group, and how the title for this album originated during an intimate conversation under the stars right before the band finished the record. Song: Ships Passing, Different Kind Of Love and Mind Over Matter

Ben Gibbard of both Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service talked to WFUV host Alisa Ali about Death Cab’s latest album, I Built You A Tower, what it was like to pull off a combined Death Cab-Postal Service tour post-pandemic, how his songwriting process has evolved as recording technology has changed, and how the band whittled down 90 potential songs into what you hear on this new album. The live songs you heard in this episode were performed by Death Cab for Cutie at Studio Litho in Seattle, mixed by Jason McGerr, and engineered by Jon Roberts. Photo by Ryan Thrower. Songs: Full of Stars, Pep Talk and Stone Over Water

Chicago-based band, Ratboys, joined midday host Alisa Ali at WFUV to talk about their latest album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, how they fashioned both a genre-fluid and cohesive record from this collection of songs, their mission to dispel any negative myths about Ringo Starr, and how a therapy session inspired the title for this album. Songs: Anywhere, Penny in the Lake and What’s Right?

Australian singer, songwriter and musician Courtney Barnett played an exclusive show for WFUV at The Bitter End in New York City and sat down with FUV host Alisa Ali after the show to talk about her latest album, Creature of Habit, her songwriting process, what it was like to be the subject of a documentary, and how a picture of a praying mantis helped her finish the song that pulled the entire project together. Songs: Site Unseen, Mantis and One Thing At A Time

Stephen Sanchez returned to Studio-A in the Bronx to perform a live set from his latest album, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and to talk to WFUV’s Alisa Ali about how Martin Luther King Jr. inspired the title track on this album, how he got his grandparents involved in the music videos, and what’s on the horizon for his inevitable third album. Songs: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, SWEET LOVE and High

Langhorne Slim joined WFUV host Emma Philippas in Studio-A to talk about his 2026 album, The Dreamin' Kind, how his songwriting has evolved since starting a family, his Nashville-based network that he collaborated with to bring the songs and music videos from this project to life, and how being a creative person is like being an octopus with many tentacles to pull inspiration from. Songs: Rock N Roll, On Fire and Dance On Thru

Gypsy post-punk rock international collective Gogol Bordello joined Cavalcade host Paul Cavalconte in Studio-A to play a live set from their new album We Mean it, Man! and to talk about how this group of musicians came together in New York from all over the world, how the mantra of this album – that life is possible again – comes at the perfect time given global catastrophes and how this album embraced electronics to honor the Balkan techno that has influenced the band from the very beginning. Songs: Life Is Possible Again, Ignition and We Mean it, Man!

In a special episode of FUV Live Sessions in front of a studio audience at Racket NYC, Jack Antonoff played an acoustic set featuring a few stripped down songs from Bleachers’ new album, everyone for ten minutes, and talked to WFUV host Alisa Ali about how the title of the album was born from a moment of accidental poetry with his iPhone, why he’s still optimistic about art even in the midst of AI and how we can better support artists by debunking the myth that there aren’t enough jobs for creatives. Songs: the van, Isimo, i can’t believe you’re gone, All My Heroes, 45 and i wanna get better

WFUV favorite, Fantastic Cat, joined host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about their new album, Cat Out of Hell, how this album gave the band an opportunity to record live in the studio together as opposed to building the layers apart, how they decide which individually written songs become full band songs, and the value in doing the things that feel “too dumb” or “too silly” because you never know who it might connect with. Songs: Donnie Takes the Bus, Don’t Let Go, Elevator and L U C Y

Brooklyn's own They Might Be Giants brought their “The Bigger Show” tour to The Sheen Center in New York City for an exclusive show with WFUV’s members and the Johns sat down with FUV Host Benham Jones before the show to talk about their latest album, The World Is to Dig, how their songwriting process has changed throughout their catalogue and how different sonic influences from power pop to math rock have kept them inspired and curious throughout their musical careers. Songs: Doctor Worm, Wu-Tang, Get Down and Birdhouse in Your Soul

Latin Grammy award-winner Silvana Estrada sat down with WFUV host Sam Sumpter to talk about her Sophomore album, Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, how she mulled over that title for a decade after reading a Sarah Teasdale poem, the spiritual experience a listener can expect at one of her live shows and the intersection of activism, art and her Mexican heritage. Songs: Dime, Flores and Como Un Pájaro

Whitney joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to play three live songs from their new album, Small Talk, and to discuss why it was essential to try something entirely different for this project, the impressive work ethic of Chicago musicians, and the not-so-small-talk themes that come up on this record. Songs: Back to the Wind, Dandelions and Won’t You Speak Your Mind

To celebrate the 100th episode of FUV Live Sessions, WFUV’s Music Director Russ Borris sat down with Iron & Wine ahead of an exclusive show at City Winery in New York City to talk about Sam’s latest album, Hen’s Teeth, what it was like to simultaneously work on two albums post-pandemic, why we’re all so obsessed with songs about relationships and the practice of sequencing songs for the fans who still listen to an entire album from start to finish. Songs: Naked as We Came, Grace Notes and Singing Saw

In a special episode of FUV Live Sessions in front of a studio audience, The New Pornographers joined WFUV host Alisa Ali at The Bitter End in New York City to play songs from their new album, The Former Site Of, and to talk about how that title came to be, what it was like to focus on writing narrative songs for this record and how important it is to kill your darlings when a song simply isn’t working. To watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Vhz-nIYPE Songs: Votive, Pure Sticker Shock, Spooky Action, Ballad of the Last Payphone and The Former Site Of

Lindsey Jordan, also known as Snail Mail, joined WFUV host Alisa Ali to talk about her third full-length album, Ricochet, how a Charlie Kaufman movie inspired this mortality-themed project, how she came back a stronger singer after surgery to remove polyps on her vocal chords and how she achieved her goals to level up both her singing and guitar playing on this latest record. Songs: Dead End, Tractor Beam and My Maker

Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy joined WFUV’s Director of Audio, Meghan Suma, in Studio-A to talk about his third album, The Weight of the Woods, how his native country influenced this project, how valuable time away from creating can be for both an artist and their fans, and how meaningful it is to write lyrics from the perspectives of other people in his life. Songs: Lost, Blue Eyes and Funeral

Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Gatlin joined WFUV host Benham Jones in Studio-A to talk about her debut full length album, The Eldest Daughter, how other singer-songwriters from the early aughts impacted her musical palette, how childhood experiences with worship music influence her sound still to this day and how music can serve as a tool for protest in the queer community. Songs: Florida Man, If She Was a Boy and Man of the House

Singer-songwriter and musician Billie Marten joined WFUV Host Kara Manning at The Bitter End in New York City ahead of an exclusive show for the radio station to talk about her latest album, Dog Eared, how important it was to do something different for this project, what it was like to work with producer Phil Weinrobe in Bed Stuy and how invaluable the collaborations were for this album. Songs: Feeling, Crown and Planets

Afie Jurvanen, AKA Bahamas, sat down with WFUV host Benham Jones in Studio-A to talk about his latest album, My Second Last Album, how playing music is the closest he gets to the flow state, the importance of feeling a sense of contentment in your career and the singer-songwriter renaissance he thinks is in motion across the industry. Songs: The Bridge, Shadows and Ready for a New Thing

Charley Crockett joined FUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to play some live tunes from his album, Dollar A Day, and to talk about why he was inspired to construct a trilogy project that includes this album, the struggles with the music industry early on in his career and how he persevered even though many things remain the same, and why the cowboy narrative is still evergreen in American culture. Songs: Tennessee Quick Cash, Ain’t That Right and El Paso to Denver

Jenn Wasner, known musically as Flock of Dimes, joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about her latest solo project, The Life You Save, how she adds fictional elements to her songwriting to create universal messages, what it was like to self-produce this project and what’s next for her solo work and the many bands, projects and collaborations she works on regularly. Songs: Keep Me in the Dark, Long After Midnight and Not Yet Free

Multifaceted artist, painter, writer, singer, songwriter and musician Josh Ritter joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in the studio to talk about his latest album, ‘I Believe in You, My Honeydew,’ how he channeled and honored his muse by creating this project, why it was so important to record this album in a dark place surrounded by starry skies and how he still believes in the human spirit even during this time when it’s a bit dicey. Songs: Wild Ways, Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding) and Thunderbird

Singer, songwriter, musician and long-time friend of WFUV, Kathleen Edwards, joins FUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about her latest album, Billionaire, what some of her early experiences in the music industry were like, the young woman who inspired this latest project and the production and collaborations that brought this album to life. Songs: Save Your Soul, When The Truth Comes Out and Little Red Ranger

Politically charged artist and social media sensation Jesse Welles joined WFUV host Kara Manning backstage at The Bitter End before an exclusive show to talk about the eight albums he has put out since 2024, what it’s like to make music that reflects the national zeitgeist and the icons he draws inspiration from like Joan Baez and George Carlin. Songs: Horses, Join Ice and Don’t Think Twice

In a special episode of FUV Live Sessions in front of a studio audience, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy joined WFUV host Alisa Ali at The Bitter End in New York City to play songs from his latest solo album, Twilight Override, and to talk about why he made a triple album, how creativity eats darkness, and the importance of sitting with your imagination every single day. For the full video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIVMj-X8SnU Songs: Enough, Amar Bharati, Feel Free, Stray Cats in Spain, Throwaway Lines and Lou Reed Was My Babysitter

Neko Case joined WFUV host Alisa Ali backstage at The Sheen Center in New York City ahead of an exclusive performance for WFUV Marquee Members to talk about her latest solo album, Neon Grey Midnight Green, how human-made music will always surpass AI, the importance of writing love songs that don’t revolve around a heteronormative couple and an upcoming project that will bring Neko Case songs to a different kind of stage. Songs: Louise, Rusty Mountain and Wreck

Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and producer Hannah Jadagu joined FUV Live Sessions’ Executive Producer, Meghan Suma, in Studio-A to talk about her Sophomore album, Describe, how much she loves finding the childlike state of play in the studio while she makes music, the layers of ethereal synths and vocal reverb signature to her sound and how difficult it is to get to the truth of the human experience in songwriting. Songs: Gimme Time, Doing Now and My Love

The English band Dry Cleaning joined UKNY host Kara Manning in WFUV’s Studio-A to talk about their 2026 album, Secret Love, the process of recording an album in multiple different cities at a number of different recording studios across the globe, how the emotional quality of the music can impact the songwriting and the role of songwriting and music in political activism. Songs: Hit My Head All Day, Evil Evil Idiot and Joy

The band Elbow joined UKNY host Kara Manning in WFUV’s Studio-A for the first time in 14 years to celebrate their 2025 EP, Audio Vertigo Echo: Elbow EP5, which was a follow-up to their 2024 album, Audio Vertigo, and the band talked about why they love playing New York City, the decision to make an album rooted in joyful distraction during a difficult time, and the importance of veteran artists taking up-and-coming musicians under their wings and lifting them up. Songs: Her to the Earth, The Seldom Seen Kid and Magnificent (She Says)

Jazz duo Rachael & Vilray sat down with WFUV’s Cavalcade host Paul Cavalconte to talk about their latest album, West of Broadway, how the two college friends came to collaborate years later, their mutual affection for showtunes and Great American Songbook standards and the beauty in blending contemporary humor and wit with classic sounds. Songs: Off Broadway, Is It Jim? and My Key to Gramercy Park

Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy joined WFUV host Alisa Ali backstage at City Winery ahead of a special event for the radio station to talk about the band’s most recent album, Hope We Have Fun, the self awareness that has evolved as the band’s success has grown, the unique collaborations that made this album a reality and the process of taking a real-life story and turning it into a song. Songs: Highway Queen, Pink Lady and Lucy

Brooklyn-based band, Nation of Language, commuted to the Bronx to play a live set in Studio-A and talk to WFUV host Alisa Ali about their latest album, Dance Called Memory, the difference between making music and showing it to other people, the importance of following your instincts without worrying about what listeners might like or not like, and the opportunity to work with Subpop Records. Songs: Inept Apollo, Under The Water and Silhouette

Indigo De Souza joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about her fourth studio album, Precipice, how important it is to be truthful and authentic during the songwriting process, the familial relationship between her touring team and the value in talking openly about mental health struggles. Songs: Not Afraid, Be Like The Water and Crying Over Nothing

In this episode of FUV Live Sessions, WFUV host Sam Sumpter weaved her way through the backstage of Forest Hills Stadium in Queens to get a chance to talk to Brittany Howard of the beloved band, Alabama Shakes – the two caught up about the band getting back together again, the new music they’ve put out in 2025 and how they’re better than ever because they took some time away to grow. The songs in this session were recorded live at Red Rocks in Colorado and Forest Hills Stadium in New York City. The music was recorded, mixed and mastered by Shane Haase. Photo by Brantley Gutierrez. Songs: Gimme All Your Love, Another Life and This Feeling

Nigerian singer-songwriter, Obongjayar, joined WFUV host Kara Manning in Studio-A to talk about his Sophomore album, Paradise Now (which was also released as a deluxe album titled Paradise Now & Forever the week before this session dropped), his first United States tour and playing Newport Folk Festival, how important it is to be authentic and to let the people you collaborate with be themselves, and where the cadence of his native language appears in his songwriting. Songs: Prayer, Sweet Danger and Jellyfish

Britpop band, Pulp, released their first album in 24 years, More, and Jarvis Cocker of the group chatted to UKNY host Kara Manning about the project, how he approached the band with the idea to do another album, how his lyrical writing process has changed over the course of his career and why radio is so essential to culture, music and artists across the board. Songs: Tina, Grown Ups and Slow Jam

English indie-rock band, Wolf Alice, caught up with WFUV host Kara Manning at The Power Station in New York City to talk about their latest album, The Clearing, how it feels to be the only band in the history of the Mercury Prize to be nominated for all their albums, what’s different about making music in their thirties versus making music in their twenties and the importance of making music both independently and then being able to come back together and turn it into an album. Songs: The Sofa and Leaning Against The Wall

John Oates joined Cavalcade host Paul Cavalconte at WFUV to talk about his latest self-titled solo album, Oates, how his recording process has both changed and stayed the same, his collaborations with up-and-coming artists like Devon Gilfillian and what it was like to be in the room and on the stage for historic musical moments like, “We Are the World” and Live Aid. Songs: Real Thing Going On, A Ways Away and She’s Gone

Karly Hartzman of the band Wednesday joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about the band’s latest album, Bleeds, how this project is a blend of music and audio archive for her small North Carolina town, what makes this record the spiritual counterpart to their previous album Rat Saw God and what exactly the genre “creek rock” is. Songs: Wound Up Here (By Holdin On), Pick Up That Knife and Elderberry Wine

Singer, songwriter, musician and muscle car enthusiast Natalie Bergman sat down with FUV’s Alisa Ali to talk about her latest solo album, My Home Is Not In This World, how this latest project is a departure from her first solo album, the role that faith plays in her music and what it’s been like to balance her roles as both a new mother and an artist. Songs: Lonely Road, Gunslinger and My Home Is Not In This World

New Orleans Bounce icon, Big Freedia, sat down with WFUV host Kara Manning in Studio-A to talk about her latest album, Pressing Onward, how her childhood baptist church of the same name inspired her musical journey, the connection between Gospel music and Bounce and the beauty in bringing people together no matter where they come from or who they are. Songs: Church and Take My Hand

Boston born Bebe Stockwell joined WFUV host Alisa Ali to talk about her debut full-length album, Driving Backwards, how her time at both Berklee as a teenager and NYU as an undergraduate student influenced her music, the gift of a wide range as a vocalist and coming to the realization that making music can be a fruitful career. Songs: Minor Inconveniences, Want Me and Blue Moon