#1139 – March 18, 2026 Playlist | Wednesday MidDay Medley

Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

New & MidCoastal Releases + Christena Graves + IVORY BLUE + Dandelion Lakewood + Rosie O’Brien of Sass-a-Brass Band

“It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979 [
[WMM’s theme]

Mary Gauthier – “Soldier of Fortune”
from: “Soldier of Fortune” – Single / Mary Gauthier / March 13, 2026
[Mary Gauthier is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, known for songs that blend emotional resonance, depth of character, and lyrical insight. Her storytelling—raw, honest, and unwavering—has established her as one of America’s most compelling voices, offering beauty in sorrow, healing in loss, and perspectives only an artist of profound empathy can provide. Gauthier’s songs have been recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, Bettye LaVette, and many more. She has received honors from the Americana Music Association, International Folk Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards, the GLAMA Awards, and the UK Americana Association. Her work has appeared extensively in film and television, including Yellowstone and ABC’s Nashville, and her memoir, Saved by a Song, was published by St. Martin’s Press. // Recorded mixed and mastered by Mark Hallman, in Austin, TX. Co-written by Mary Gauthier with Eliza Gilkyson in memory of Alex Jeffrey Pretti and Renee Goode, shot dead on the streets in January 2026 in Minneapolis, by ICE. This song is dedicated to the people fighting state terror everywhere.

Soldier of Fortune Lyrics (Gauthier/Gilkyson)

You were the Roman soldier, you hid behind the helmet and sword
You were only following orders when you nailed his hands to the board
You mocked him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” you gambled for his clothes
You heard his mother crying out and said, “hey, that just how it goes”

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You drove the trucks full of innocents, the Gestapo overseeing the trains
That carried them to concentration camps and they were never heard from again
You terrorized in the dead of night, you wore the white sheet and the hood
Quoting the bible, burning the crosses, and you’d string ‘em up again, if you could

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You’re nothing but a gun for hire, hiding behind a mask
You didn’t care if she was somebody’s mother
When you shot her in the face through the window glass
A VA nurse on a city street, full of the courage you lack
A beacon of mercy, helping stranger and you fired ten bullets into his back

Soldier of Fortune, a devil pacing the cage
You’re nothing new, we know about you
You’ve been here in every age, soldier of fortune

You are a soldier of fortune you do it for the money and laughs
It happened before now it’s happening again, just like it did in the past

Anjimile – “Destroying You”
from: You’re Free To Go / 4AD / March 13, 2026
[Anjimile also released the singles “Waits For Me on March 13, 2026 and “Like You Really Mean It” earlier this year. Today North Carolina based singer-songwriter Anjimile announces plans to release the full-length album You’re Free to Go, due out March 13, 2026 on 4AD. The announcement comes with the luminous lead single “Like You Really Mean It” which overflows with tenderness and vulnerability, accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Caity Arthur. // Anjimile shares: “I wrote this to make my girlfriend want to give me a kiss. We live about an hour apart, and I was just by myself thinking about her. Thinking about wanting a kiss. What could I do to get a kiss from my sweetheart? Write a song about it! Anyway, it worked.” // “Like You Really Mean It” comes after the November single “Auld Lang Syne II,” a tender note-to-self on resilience and hard-fought freedom, characterized by delicate finger-plucked strings, charming horn passages, and intimate vocal delivery, which Stereogum called “stunning” upon its release; a song Anjimile says was: “originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back.” // Contrasting the intricacy and complexity of The King, You’re Free to Go unfolds organically under the intuitive direction of producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Mavis Staples). The album’s songs bloom naturally, grounded in warm acoustic guitars, subtle synth textures, lush string arrangements, and delicate rhythmic layers. Collaborative efforts with musicians Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver), and guest vocalist Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) – a personal hero of Anjimile whose music deeply influenced the album even before his involvement – cultivate an exploratory yet intimate atmosphere, perfectly aligned with Anjimile’s nuanced storytelling. // Anjimile (ann-JIM-uh-lee) Chithambo has forged a distinctive musical path characterised by unflinching introspection and deep honesty. Emerging from Boston’s vibrant indie scene while studying at Northeastern University, Anjimile captivated audiences with earnest songwriting, delicate sonic textures, and performances that felt like prayer and celebration. // Critical acclaim quickly followed; 2020’s Giver Taker, hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the year’s best albums, positioned him as a compelling voice exploring enduring themes of spirituality, identity, and liberation. With The King(2023), Anjimile intensified his examination of Black and trans existence amid personal and societal turbulence, reaffirming his courageous commitment to navigating discomfort as a means of liberation. // You’re Free to Go picks up where The King left off, but with its hands open wide – a central question being: what happens when you let go and let love in? // Crafted over years marked by transformation, the album traces vividly the profound complexities of change – from breakups to new love; deep grief and loss to renewal and rediscovery. “The past two years have been a deeply transitional point in my life,” Anjimile explains. On You’re Free to Go, he learns to trust life again. The album’s title symbolises Anjimile’s expansive perspective on love and personal freedom, influenced profoundly by his relationship with his partner and their joyful embrace of non-monogamy. He describes this dynamic playfully: “I view non-monogamy as setting out milk every night on your porch for the cats; they can come if they want,” – a reminder that connection thrives when it’s truly chosen and not confined and restricted by normativity. This same playfulness runs through “Rust & Wire” which captures the exhilaration of falling in love again and again (“ripen in the heat like wine”). // Elsewhere, You’re Free to Go explores heavier, darker truths; ‘Exquisite Skeleton’ hauntingly portrays the ache of familial estrangement and ‘Ready or Not’ the exhaustion of facing transphobia. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be free… When I was a little boy, I wanted to be real.”, he disarmingly reflects on “Waits For Me,” a powerful reckoning on childhood identity. But even in its most searching moments, the record radiates light. // Each song holds space for healing – for turning pain into something tender, communal, and free. // Spirituality remains the heartbeat of Anjmile’s work. “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question,” he says. Across You’re Free to Go, sacredness feels alive and imperfect — a practice of breathing, wondering, forgiving. The album hums with that same sacred energy: messy and full of grace. // Throughout You’re Free to Go, Anjimile skilfully integrates a variety of musical inspirations to heighten the album’s emotional impact. Tracks such as “Turning Away” and “The Store” channel the raw and unadorned authenticity reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. The collaboration with Sam Beam on “Destroying You” adds a gentle warmth that beautifully complements Anjimile’s refined vocal expression. Melodically, the album evokes a subtle nostalgia for late-’90s alternative pop, seamlessly blending folk sensibilities into inviting, memorable hooks. Anjimile has notably evolved, adopting a more relaxed and expressive approach to his singing, partly due to his ongoing hormonal therapy – a transformative journey he embraces gladly. This newfound vocal depth amplifies the album’s emotional resonance, allowing him to express himself with greater authenticity. // As Anjimile prepares to share You’re Free to Go live, he envisions intimate performances that reinterpret rather than replicate the album’s recordings. He aims for the authenticity and vulnerability embedded in these songs to resonate deeply, emphasising, “This record feels very authentic to my life experiences. It’s about as close to getting to know me as you could ever get with a record.” // You’re Free to Go is a portrait of transformation — not as a wound, but as an opening. Richly textured, this collection of songs is an honest reflection of life’s fluctuations. It holds space for contradiction and finds liberation in tenderness. As Anjimile beautifully articulates, the album embodies “breathing into the question,” acknowledging that life’s most profound moments often come without clear answers, but rather exist in the gentle tension of uncertainty and discovery. In every note, Anjimile provides space for each listener to reflect and uncover their own truths, while gently reminding us that freedom isn’t the absence of pain, but the courage to love, to ask, to keep beginning again.]

Irreversible Entanglements – “Juntos Vencemos (ft. Helado Negro)”
from: Future Present Past / Impulse! Records – Verve / March 27, 2026
[Irreversible Entanglements open their new album, Future Present Past (Impulse!), with a simple message: together we win, or “Juntos Vencemos,” the latest single from their upcoming sixth studio album. The LP was announced with a double single “Don’t Lose Your Head” / “Vibrate Higher,” both featuring contributions from MOTHERBOARD. // On “Juntos Vencemos,” the free jazz collective joins forces with Helado Negro for the album’s rallying call. IE’s resident horn wielder Aquiles Navarro heralds the track with resonant, lengthy tones, behind which follows brisk percussion. The energy of the drums seems to enliven the cheers and whoops in the background as well as Helado Nego’s own vocals. With its invigorating spirit, “Juntos Vencemos” sets the stage for Future Present Past’s collection of fight songs. // IE shared their thoughts behind the meaning of the track: ”Juntos Vencemos” means “together we overcome” in Spanish. At one point in our recording session at Rudy Van Gelder studio, we gathered spontaneously in the center of the main room, collected our percussion and, without plans or fanfare or being told what to do, commenced collaborating in the moment. A moment of trust, listening, and action. Such acts honor the human divinity of togetherness and unity, in order to create a multidimensional healing force beyond the power of singularity. Outside authority, boxes, quotas. What more needs to be said that won’t land the sayer on a watchlist, in a cage, or worse?” // For their fifth album, the band gladly returned to historic Van Gelder Studio in October of 2024 to record most of the main tracks. Future Present Past sees the quintet at the height of its group improvisational-compositional-rhythmic powers, weaving diasporic liberation music into our shared story of existence – futures full of possibility, the present with all its uncertainties, and strands of the past as wellsprings of ancestral wisdom. To flesh out this more complex sound, additional recording and production took place over the following nine months. Jonathan Schenke worked closely with the band editing and arranging in his Brooklyn studio in the summer of 2025 and Andrew Lappin returned to mix the collection. Guests MOTHERBOARD and Helado Negro seamlessly blend into the collective sound. The result is a call to action by the band, who recognize that no one is coming to save us; we must look after each other. // The band shared this statement about the record: The weight of a certain world can feel cruel and unusual. Another world uplifts. We form as five and transform into billions. Billions of us on this planet sharing this journey through existence—futures full of possibility and potential, the present with all its anxieties and uncertainties, pasts as wellsprings of ancestral wisdom and histories’ warnings. // This album is five standing on the shoulders of legions. The healers, the alchemists, the rebels, the mothers and fathers who have fought and weaved and invented new ways of being, seeing, and balancing the frequencies of this planet towards trans-dimensional liberation and universal understanding. // We assume our role in this music as messengers, continuing in the tradition’s long march along the arc of the universe. Freedom fighters telling us not to lose our heads amidst imposed chaos. It is our duty to vibrate higher, beyond the noise, above the hype, away from the novelty, over the walls, across the borders: to keep going. // The spirit moves us to sing these fight songs, to sing fight songs, we overcome. To hold on, to keep going, together we overcome.]

Christena Graves – “Wait It Out”
from: FINDING MY FOOTING /Junco Records / February 11, 2021
[Recently Christena Graves released the singles: “One Good Thing” on February 24, 2024; “Summer’s End” on August 3, 2023; “Swingin’ On The Stars” on June 28, 2023 // Christena Graves released her album, FINDING MY FOOTING on February 11, 2021. It was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021. Christena Graves writes songs in order to make sense of her world. Her lyrics are a mixture of a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain and suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. It was a moment that gave fuel to her love of singing. // After leaving Michigan to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way. // 2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work being laid for her return to the music industry. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her new record. The album is titled, Finding My Footing. A nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward. // The release of Finding My Footing marks her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first project ever as a band leader. The songs are stories of loss, fear, struggle, and joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability and worth as an artist, as a woman, and a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am and I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.” More info at: http://www.christenagravesmusic.com]

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:15 – Interview with Christena Graves

Christena Graves writes songs to make sense of her world, with lyrics that are a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain & suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Graves own deep connection with the natural world helps her frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. Growing up in Michigan, she learned to sing harmonies with older brothers & sisters. She joined the music industry touring and recording with the band Waterdeep in 1990s and 2000s. Christena stepped away to raise her family, but continued songwriting and participating in music programs with her church. In 2019 the Christena Graves Band began, and in 2021, Christena’s solo album, “Finding My Footing,” marked her return to the music industry. “Finding My Footing,” was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021.

Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.

Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm. More info at http://www.christenagravesmusic.com

Christena Graves thanks for being with us again on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Christena Graves who grew up in western Michigan, and after leaving to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to Kansas City from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her album, Finding My Footing, her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first as a band leader.

Christena Graves has released several singles in the last few years:
“Swingin’ On The Stars” (June 28, 2023)
“Summer’s End” (August 3, 2023)
“One Good Thing” (February 24, 2024)

Christena and her husband Brandon have already recorded 12 new songs for their upcoming new album, to be released later this year. The album is currently in the mastering process. Christena shared a new song from the album.

10:19

Christena Graves – “ Hanging On” (LIVE)
from: Upcoming New Album as yet untitled due to be released later this year

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:22 – More Interview with Christena Graves

Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. // Christena grew up in western Michigan, and after leaving to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player.

Brandon Graves is a performer and educator based in Lawrence, KS. Brandon was a founding member of the band Waterdeep, with whom he spent many years touring the country and recording. He has been performing and teaching for over 30 years. He served as the Director of the Music School, Co-Director of the Recording Studio, and Faculty Percussion Instructor at the Culture House in Olathe, Kansas. In addition to a full teaching schedule, Brandon is an in demand clinician and performer on drum set. He can be seen playing drums locally with his band the Wrong Kata Trio as well as backing up local artists such as Christena Graves and Three Dollar Band. Brandon can be found on his YouTube page Brandon Graves Music or on Instagram and Twitter @beatcaster.

Waterdeep is a band from Kansas City, Missouri that is now based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is made up of husband and wife songwriters Don and Lori Chaffer. Waterdeep spent their early years as a renowned mid-western jam band–selling over 150,000 albums independently–but became nationally known when they signed to Squint Entertainment (Sixpence None the Richer, Chevelle) in 1999. A decade later, they relocated to Nashville, and employed their production and songwriting skills in service of other artists as well. In addition to their own songs, they’ve seen collaborations with Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones, Trent Dabbs, and others receive multiple placements in film and television. Nashville based duo, Don & Lori Chaffer have been making music together for a long time. With over 15 full-length albums under their belt, they continue to write and record music and, as of the last 10 years, also musicals.

After touring for several years, Christena stepped away to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena & Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way.

2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work for her return to the music. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist & producer. Greg offered his help to record songs that have become her new record. Finding My Footing is a nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward.

Finding My Footing marks Christena’s first full length solo album since 1996 & her first project as a band leader. The songs on Finding My Footing are stories of loss, fear, struggle, & joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability & worth as an artist, as a woman, & a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am & I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.”

Christena Graves thank you for being with us today on WMM.

Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.

Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm. More info at http://www.christenagravesmusic.com

10:27

Christena Graves – “Give Me a Minute”
from: FINDING MY FOOTING /Junco Records / February 11, 2021
[Recently Christena Graves released the singles: “One Good Thing” on February 24, 2024; “Summer’s End” on August 3, 2023; “Swingin’ On The Stars” on June 28, 2023 // Christena Graves released her album, FINDING MY FOOTING on February 11, 2021. It was one of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2021. Christena Graves writes songs in order to make sense of her world. Her lyrics are a mixture of a heartfelt acknowledgment of the pain and suffering in life, balanced by the steadying force of committed relationships. Growing up in a coastal area of western Michigan, Christena draws from her deep connection with the natural world to help frame the difficulty of the human emotional landscape. “Nature brings focus for me. I rely on it to color my lyrics.” She found her musical beginning learning to sing harmonies with her older brothers and sisters. Music was an important part of her family and they would often sing hymns together. She fondly remembers the day her oldest brother sat her on the kitchen counter and taught her to sing harmony to Jingle Bells. It was a moment that gave fuel to her love of singing. // After leaving Michigan to attend college in Missouri, she met her husband Brandon and joined the band Waterdeep as the keyboard player. After touring for several years, she stepped away from the band to raise their children. Songwriting became a release to help process the struggles of life. Eventually, she was writing songs for her church community and helping lead music on Sunday mornings. Once the kids were old enough, Christena and Brandon decided to form a new project and return to making music in a bigger way. // 2019 marked the beginning of the Christena Graves Band and the ground work being laid for her return to the music industry. In mid 2020 Greg Lafollette, a long time musical friend, moved back to KC from Nashville where he had built a successful career as an artist and producer. Greg offered his help to record a collections of songs that have become her new record. The album is titled, Finding My Footing. A nod to the difficulty of reengaging in a music business that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years but also a humble acceptance that life can be hard at times but it is important to keep moving forward. // The release of Finding My Footing marks her first full length solo album since 1996 and her first project ever as a band leader. The songs are stories of loss, fear, struggle, and joy. “This project ended up being much more than just making a good record. I spent a lot of time in self reflection—maybe I should call it a mid-life moment. I questioned my ability and worth as an artist, as a woman, and a human. It has been difficult to go through but I am learning so much about myself. I am happy with where I am and I am proud of what I’ve said with this album.” More info at: http://www.christenagravesmusic.com]

[Christena Graves plays Replay Lounge 946 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS., on Friday, March 20 at 6:00pm, with Flash Floods.]

[Christena Graves plays the historic Schwartz Family Theater at the Paola Community Center, 905 E Wea St., Paola, KS., on Saturday, March 28, at 7:00pm.]

10:30 – Underwriting

Ivory Blue – “Afterglow”
from: “Afterglow” – Single / IVORY BLUE / February 20, 2026
[Along with “After Glow” IVORY BLUE has released the singles: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” pon August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Fest, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

10:35 – Interview with IVORY BLUE

IVORY BLUE released her 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023, It was in the top 5 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. A free-spirited musician, IVORY BLUE has become an expressive multi-genre artist whose music is passionate rock, with a dash of pop hooks & a healthy dose of swagger. Since then she has released several new singles including: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; “Afterglow” on February 20, 2026; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. These single will be part of Ivory’s upcoming third full length album ECHO to be released on April 24, 2026.

At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put her up for adoption. IVORY lived with eight different “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express her pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video. The Van Lue family adopted IVORY into their family. As a multi-instrumentalist, IVORY refining her style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies, giving tsolo shows the feel of a full band.

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM.

IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024.

IVORY BLUE was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put them up for adoption. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long. IVORY lived with eight different “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express their pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video, captured from an open mike performance. Klaartje had moved to the United States from Belgium to marry her husband and then raise her son and daughter. Klaartje, a pianist and working mom, felt a connection, musically and maternally, sent a plane ticket for IVORY to fly to KC. The Van Lue’s adopted IVORY into their family. 10 years ago IVORY came out as “Transgender” helping to educate and to clear the pathway for a growing number of trans, queer, & non-binary musical artists who are part of KC’s diverse and collaborative music community.

IVORY BLUE released their full-length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. IVORY BLUE released the video of their song, “Family Table” directed by Mikal Shapiro, on August 21, 2021. IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, READY GET SET was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when IVORY was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. IVORY won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles, California to win the top prize.

IVORY BLUE has played Boulevardia, Kauffman Stadium, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, Apocalypse Meow, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The KC Public Library, The Viper Room (L.A.), ULAH with You Found Music, Arts In The Park, The Englewood Arts Center, MiniBar, recordBar, Lemonade Park, Davy’s Uptown Ramblers Club, Records With Merritt, The Tank Room, and many others. More info at: https://linktr.ee/ivorybluemusic

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM.

10:45

Ivory Blue – “Echo”
from: “Echo” – Single / IVORY BLUE / September 5, 2025
[What IVORY BLUE says: “Echo” is about the energy in the world and how we get back what we put into it. The theme came to me when I was in the hospital, listening to stories from all kinds of people who were there. Our situations were different, but we were part of the same community striving for the love and connection we all deserve. I wanted this song to capture the echoes of our actions, our struggles, and our hopes all returning to use like a gift from above.” // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Fest, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

10:48 – More interview with IVORY BLUE

We welcome a friend of the show, IVORY BLUE, making her 19th appearance on this program. IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024; “Olé!” on October 4, 2024; Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024; “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024; “Flashback” on March 15, 2024; “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Afterglow” on February 20, 2026. “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. These singles will be part of Ivory’s upcoming third full length album ECHO to be released on April 24, 2026.

IVORY BLUE thanks for being with us on WMM

IVORY BLUE released her 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023, It was in the top 5 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. A free-spirited musician, IVORY BLUE has become an expressive multi-genre artist whose music is passionate rock, with a dash of pop hooks & a healthy dose of swagger. At the age of four, IVORY’s birth mother put her up for adoption. IVORY lived with eight different “foster parent” families, before running away at 15. Ivory turned to music to express her pain and personal story. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw IVORY performing in a YouTube video. The Van Lue family adopted IVORY into their family. As a multi-instrumentalist, IVORY refining her style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies, giving tsolo shows the feel of a full band.

Ivory Blue thanks for being with us on WMM

10:57

Ivory Blue – “Forevermore”
from: “Forevermore” – Single / IVORY BLUE / November 28, 2025;
[Along with “After Glow” IVORY BLUE has released the singles: “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // IVORY BLUE’s single “Echo” was #3 in WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2025. // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025. //IVORY BLUE released the single “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // IVORY BLUE released the single “Exiled” on November 29, 2024. IVORY BLUE released the single “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Fest, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. More info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

11:00 – Station ID

Dandelion Lakewood – “Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun”
from: “Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun” / Dowager Records / December 19, 2025
[Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.” Dandelion Lakewood, also released the single “Clover, Hey Clover” o September 27, 2025 with himself on vocals, banjo, guitar, production and writing. // Dandelion Lakewood, the psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music had previously released “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen”on January 29, 2025, is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. // “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums and tambourine. and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mixture of sounds and rhythms. // Dandelion writes: “Years ago, I was backpacking and busking across Ireland with barely a penny to my name. I had some inspirational moments during that time and decided to pen a ballad in homage to my time absorbing the traditions of the Green Isle.” // Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. // Dandelion Lakewood released the singles: “Yerim Seni” on October 26, 2023; “More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” on August 1, 2023; “Mauna a Wakea” on May 3, 2024; “Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” on November 25, 2022; the 5-track EP – BY MYSELF on January 1, 2016; the 9-track album – Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams with Chicago Park District Kids on April 1, 2015; the 9-track album, FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co. on October 20, 2013 ; the 6-song EP – NOBLE CREATURES on September 15, 2012; the 7-track EP – ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co., on June 21, 2012; the 7-track EP – SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. on January 8, 2012; the single “Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” on August 27, 2011; the single “The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” on August 7, 2011; and the single “Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” on May 25, 2011. // Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, The Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms everywhere.]

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:04 – Interview with Dandelion Lakewood

Dandelion Lakewood is bard on a quest to assist global awakening and liberation. Dandelion Lakewood is an otherworldly bard: a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, audio engineer, sound designer, and video maker born in Kansas City. As if emerged from an ancient, abandoned temple woven from thriving, thick green foliage, Dandy conjures musical spells for creatures of distant realms so that they can remember their sovereign power and lift each other up. Lakewood integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of indie, folk, blues, jazz, noise, ambient, americana, balkan, middle eastern and psychedelic sounds. He also hosts a podcast, Voice Seeker, which features perspectives from a global assortment of speakers. His influences span 90’s trailblazers Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Portishead, indie auteurs The Microphones and Animal Collective, the austere electronic worlds of Kraftwerk, Monolake, Aphex Twin, and Plastikman, Turkish artists Erkan Oğur, Erkin Koray, and Gaye Su Akyol, , ambient soundscapes from Harold Budd, Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Faust, the folklore tradition from The Anthology of American Folk Music, The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Jimmie Rodgers, Leadbelly, and traditional folk songs worldwide. He has released 10 singles, 2 albums and 3 EPs 53 individual tracks. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms.

Dandelion Lakewood thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his stationary life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning 30 countries and 4 continents including Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, the Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests.
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Dandelion has shared the stage and collaborated with a diverse host of international artists, including Perija, Høly River, Julie Byrne, True Lions, YACHT, Nadja, ÖZGÜR BABA, Davey Dynamite, Plastic Crimewave, X Dirty Fingers, Billy Mack Collector, Jeremy Waun, Frank Hurricane, Eric Funn, Izpod Korenin, Damla Eker, Cross Record, Margo May, members of Seyyah, and more.
.
His influences span 90’s trailblazers Nirvana, Sonic Youth, and Portishead, indie auteurs The Microphones and Animal Collective, the austere electronic worlds of Kraftwerk, Monolake, Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Plastikman, Turkish artists Erkan Oğur, Erkin Koray, Gaye Su Akyol, Oratnitza, Selda Bağcan, Aşık Veysel, Aşık Mahzuni Şerif, and Oruç Güvenç ve Tümata, ambient soundscapes from Harold Budd, Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Faust, the folklore tradition from The Anthology of American Folk Music, The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Jimmie Rodgers, Leadbelly, and traditional folk songs worldwide.

11:17

Dandelion Lakewood – “World of Plenty” (LIVE)

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at ARTSKC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:21 – More Interview with Dandelion Lakewood

Dandelion Lakewood is bard on a quest to assist global a Dandelion Lakewood joins us in our 90.1 FM Studios. Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. He released the single “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” on January 29, 2025. The song is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. A bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums, tambourine, and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mix.

Dandelion Lakewood thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

The psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music.

Dandelion is currently thriving in Kansas City, crafting new recordings and developing the most recent incarnation of his indie-psychedelic band Bowl of Dust & Co.

Dandelion Lakewood Discography

“Dropping Leaves, Setting Sun” / Single / December 19, 2025
[Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.”}
“Clover, Hey Clover” / Single / September 27, 2025
“Yerim Seni” / Single / October 26, 2023
“More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” / Single / August 1, 2023
“Mauna a Wakea” / Single / May 3, 2024
“Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” / Single / November 25, 2022
BY MYSELF / 5-track EP / January 1, 2016
Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams w/Chicago Park Dist. Kids / 9-track album / April 1, 2015
FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co./ 9-track album / October 20, 2013
NOBLE CREATURES / 6-song EP / September 15, 2012
ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co. / 7-track EP / June 21, 2012
SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. / 7-track EP / January 8, 2012
“Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” / Single / August 27, 2011
“The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” / Single / August 7, 2011
“Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” Single / May 25, 2011

11:25

Dandelion Lakewood – “Clover, Hey Clover”
from: “Clover, Hey Clover” / Fire Next Time Records / September 27, 2025
[Released as a 2-song single with the 8 minute 8 second song “Longest Night.” Dandelion Lakewood, also released the single “Clover, Hey Clover” on September 27, 2025 with himself on vocals, banjo, guitar, production and writing. // Dandelion Lakewood, the psychedelic artist known for blending multiple genres of folk music had previously released “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen”on January 29, 2025, is a 6/8 minor key blues ballad telling the tale of a magical adventure in County Kerry, Ireland. // “Faerie Queen from Cahersiveen” is a bluesy folk song with a full arrangement of guitars, Irish penny whistle, Turkish banjo, hand drums and tambourine. and vocal layers. Lakewood’s characteristic singing blends all these ingredients into a captivating mixture of sounds and rhythms. // Dandelion writes: “Years ago, I was backpacking and busking across Ireland with barely a penny to my name. I had some inspirational moments during that time and decided to pen a ballad in homage to my time absorbing the traditions of the Green Isle.” // Dandelion Lakewood is a bard, multi-instrumentalist, composer, audio engineer, and video maker born in Kansas City. He is the founding member of the band Bowl of Dust & Co. and host of the podcast “Voice Seeker”. He integrates various styles into his eclectic blend of Folk, Blues, Americana, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Psychedelic sounds. // Dandelion Lakewood released the singles: “Yerim Seni” on October 26, 2023; “More Ta Nali (feat. Metka Knap)” on August 1, 2023; “Mauna a Wakea” on May 3, 2024; “Going My Own Way [Albanian Bunker Version]” on November 25, 2022; the 5-track EP – BY MYSELF on January 1, 2016; the 9-track album – Inferno Mobile Recording Studio Jams with Chicago Park District Kids on April 1, 2015; the 9-track album, FOX WITH HORNS AND ANTLERS with Bowl of Dust & Co. on October 20, 2013 ; the 6-song EP – NOBLE CREATURES on September 15, 2012; the 7-track EP – ERDGEIST with Bowl of Dust & Co., on June 21, 2012; the 7-track EP – SOUR MASH with Bowl of Dust & Co. on January 8, 2012; the single “Son of Katrina (Live 8/18/2011)” on August 27, 2011; the single “The Dividends (Drunk Phil Spector Demo)” on August 7, 2011; and the single “Pay Your Bills (Studio Teaser)” on May 25, 2011. // Dandy became a wandering bard unexpectedly in 2014. It was then that he abandoned his life in Chicago and went on a musical journey spanning Hawai’i, Europe, Ireland, North Africa, The Balkans, and Turkiye to absorb musical traditions and play music for countless people in festivals, bars, cafes, living rooms, barns, streets, and forests. He has been based in KC since 2022 and has music available on streaming platforms everywhere.]

[Dandelion Lakewood plays Manor Records Songbird Sessions onSunday, March ww, 2026 at 5:00pm at At ARTS KC, 106 Southwest Blvd. KCMO.]

11:29 – Underwriting

Paula Boggs Band – “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round (feat. Blind Boys of Alabama & Valerie June) (Album version)”
from: Sumatra / Boggs Media LLC / March 27, 2026
[“This collaboration is a perfect balm for these times when great positive change and shifts are needed worldwide. I am thrilled to work with Paula Boggs and the Blind Boys of Alabama on this motivational song of inspiration.” -Valerie June / “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” Traditional, additional lyrics/arr. Paula Boggs. / Artist Statement From Paula Boggs on the Track: “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” releases on February 27, 2026, straddling Black and Women’s History Months at a time when both are under unprecedented attack. Its release comes a month after two American citizens in Minneapolis exercising their respective constitutional rights were gunned down by their government. None of this was known, of course when we recorded the song in 2024. We decided to close album “Sumatra” with “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round shortly after recording it because we understood America was at a crossroads. We are an “American Roots band, after all, storytellers, and wanted our album to end with a potent message of hope and resolve. “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” is a song in the American folk tradition, carried by oral history and reborn in the 1960s as a Civil Rights anthem. Rooted in call-and-response of the Black church—where worship was, and can be in 2026, also resistance—it closes “Sumatra” the album as a bookend of faith and purpose, answering the album’s opening Gregorian prayer that urges listeners to “wake up.” This banjo and fiddle driven arrangement honors voices that will not be silenced, with an original bridge urging listeners to “get on board.” Adding the singular contributions of legendary Blind Boys of Alabama and Americana powerhouse Valerie June magnifies a 21stcentury call to action: “keep on marching to Freedom Land!” / Though the song emanates from the Black Church and 1960s Civil Rights Movement, its lyrics, melody and message are accessible to all who eschew hatred, injustice and inequality. The message of the song strikes us as fresh and compelling while also suggesting, at a time when many of us struggle to know what one person can do, that we march forward, make progress, put one foot in front of the other. When so much of our public discourse is negative, profane or cynical, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round” speaks of personal and community agency. – Paula Boggs / Paula Boggs Bio: A singular artist with a singular backstory, Paula Boggs has taken the life lessons she’s learned as a proud queer black woman who’s made her mark in various personal and professional roles that demanded excellence in her every endeavor. A former military liaison, legal officer, educator, writer, public speaker, and philanthropist, she’s found success in each endeavor, all of which have informed her ability to make music that contains both meaning and messaging, / Her sound is aptly identified as “Soulgrass,” a musical amalgam that’s as varied as Boggs’ life experience itself. A rich amalgam of bluegrass, jazz and Americana that draws from traditional trappings, it’s unique and specific in a creative and compelling way. Most importantly, it’s entirely her own. It defines her as a singular artist who shares certain truths with an unblemished honesty and a sound that’s soulful, satisfying and able to engage. / As the The San Diego Reader said so succinctly, “Boggs makes a certain kind of urban, jazzy music that seems permanently nested within the structures of traditional folk, bluegrass, and even standard blues harmony.” That statement summed up Paula’s verve and versatility. / That’s never been more evident than on her eponymous band’s latest LP, her fifth to date and due for release on March 27th. Titled Sumatra, after the coffee grown in Indonesia’s volcanic soils and prized for its bold flavor, smoothness, and balance from low acidity, the name is a fitting metaphor. It suits a collection of songs that are measured and mediative, a conceptual whole entirely inspired by real life revelations. Each track references a definitive encounter that resonates with insight and engagement. / “There are stories circulating around every single one of these songs,” Paula insists. “I’m merely the songwriter, the mother of these songs. It’s a storyteller’s album, and it’s holistic. These tracks, though distinct, are part of a whole. They relate to each other, and they provide different lenses into life’s journey with its ups and downs and curves. Here we are, and even with the craziness of today’s world, we still persevere.” / “As such, Sumatra remains both pleasing and provocative,” Paula maintains. “Sumatra also represents the band itself, which is so diverse in many, many ways – even generationally, with ages spanning 30 to 70. We are racially and ethnically diverse, gender diverse, sexual orientation diverse, and religiously diverse. Our life stories have brought us to this moment in which we were able to realize this album.” / Paula goes on to say that the place where the band is based, the city of Seattle, also has an impact on their efforts. “Some of us were drawn here because we believed we could achieve things in Seattle,” she suggests. “The band has tried to stay true to the brand of Seattle, because Seattle is a place where people believe they can draw outside the lines — regardless of whether it’s in the arts or business or music or photography or sports — especially in ways they could not do living in the places they were before.” // Naturally then, this long-time group of musicians — featuring Paula herself on vocals, guitar and ukulele, David Salonen on bass, fiddle and vocals, Tor Dietrichson on percussion and vocals, Paul Matthew Moore on keys, accordion and vocals, Daniel Walker playing synth, mellotron, accordion and pianos, Darren Loucas on banjo, guitar, harmonica, lap steel, and vocals, and Jacob Evans on drums — were wholly involved in the making of the album. Sumatra also features special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama and Valerie June sharing commanding vocals on the traditional tune “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” members of the Evensong Choir of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle who blend their voices on the opening title track, James Falzone adding penny whistle on “The Snow It Melts The Soonest,” and Josh Neumann who plays cello on “Traces Of You.” / Paula served as co-producer and the album’s executive producer. The majority of the songs were co-produced, engineered and mixed by Tucker Martine (whose credits include Rosanne Cash, Aoife O’Donavan, Sufjan Stevens, and The Decemberists, amongst many others) at Flora Recording and Playback, with assistant engineer Ryan Bridenstine. Matthew Brown co-produced “Route 66” and “Airline Boogie” at Avast Studios in Seattle, Washington, while Nicholas Denke co-produced, engineered and mixed those particular tracks at Electric Muses Studio in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. Paul Blakemore served as mastering engineer. / Scheduled for release this March under independent auspices, the album will be preceded by two singles, each significant in its own way: “Airline Boogie” on January 30 and the band’s thoroughly rousing and robust take on the age-old American classic “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” on February 27. / “Flying in 2025 was not for the faint of heart,” Paula says about the origins of the former. “Between DOGE, the firing of air traffic controllers, the helicopter crash, delayed or cancelled flights, TSA drama, folks coughing on you without masks, no free snacks, and whatever, it’s never been more stressful. Meanwhile, an out-of-control plane seemed a perfect metaphor for the anxiety so many of us feel these days. We arranged and recorded the song with a ‘live’ sound to accentuate the ‘clear and present danger’ vibe we wanted to convey.” / She goes on to describe the latter as a spiritual song in the folk tradition, rich with oral history and reborn as a Civil Rights anthem. Rooted in call-and-response of the Black church — where worship was also resistance — it closes the album as a paean to faith and resolve, while urging listeners to wake up to the need to take a firm stand. The banjo and fiddle arrangement honors voices that will not be silenced and adds an original bridge that suggests everyone needs to “get on board.” Adding the singular contributions of the legendary Blind Boys of Alabama and Americana powerhouse Valerie June magnifies it as a 21st century call to action and the need to “keep on marching to Freedom Land!” / The rest of the songs follow suit, maintaining those absolute objectives. Martine, the producer, was given the freedom to bring a sonic breadth to these tracks that allows both the music and messaging to remain in sync and in support of the larger narrative. // “There’s something undeniably smooth and digestible about her music, but do not be deceived,” James Falzone, Professor of Music at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, writes in the album’s liner notes. “There’s also boldness and intensity, found in the lyrics and in a voice that moves us to wakefulness. There is a call to action in the music of Sumatra as there is in the tradition of great spirit-filled music the world over—the experience of listening is simultaneously soothing and prophetic….these are not just songs, they are small homilies, and like all good homilies, they open a world into new ways––better ways––of being.” // That drive and determination have inspired Paula throughout her career, including her 14 years in the public service sector, including serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and legal counsel for the Department of Defense and the White House. She spent eight formative years in the military, earning Airborne wings as a paratrooper and a congressional appointment to the US Naval Academy, one of the first women to ascend to that post. She took the role of Chief Legal Officer, Executive Vice President and Board Secretary for Starbucks, Board Secretary for public radio station KEXP and a board member of the video and audio company Avid Technology. She also serves on the Board of Governors for the Recording Academy’s Seattle chapter. // That’s in addition to a prestigious appointment to President Obama’s Committee on The Arts and Humanities. She’s served four U.S. presidents throughout her career, spending much of her life committed to music education, veterans affairs and civic responsibilities. // Nevertheless, it’s Paula’s passion for singing, songwriting and leading a band of storied musicians that elevated her to a new level of craft and creativity. She initially took to writing her own songs at the age of ten, influenced by Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Simon and Garfunkel in particular, // “As those folks were emerging, their music began being incorporated into the Catholic mass for the first time,” she continues. “Even in the music I write today, you can hear that sort of 1960s and 1970s folk era sound that I was imprinted with. It became part of my musical DNA. From age 10 until my late 20s and early 30s, I was writing music with an idea of infusing it into a Catholic syntax. When I left the Catholic church, I thought that the era of musical creation and performance was in my past, and part of my past history.” // The factor that inevitably made her rethink her objective came about after she was made aware of a one-year songwriters course offered by the University of Washington within its continuing education program. “My wife urged me to audition for it in 2005,” she explains. “I got accepted and became one of 15 songwriters in this class of aspiring songwriters. It was the first time I’d been part of that particular community. I went through peer review and the vulnerability that it entailed, exposing my songs to a critique for the first time. I performed one of my original songs, and afterwards my teacher came up to me and said, ‘You know, Paula, I really think you have something with your songwriting, and what a shame it would be if you didn’t keep going.’ That was in 2006, but I still didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t have a clue what it meant to keep going for someone like me. I was Starbucks’ top lawyer and I had a full time job that was very demanding. But I also had this irrepressible musical muse that was getting bigger and bigger inside me.” // Shortly thereafter, she decided to pursue the dream that had laid latent for some 15 years. // “I decided I needed to do one open mic a month in 2007, and that’s exactly what I did,” Paula recalls. “As I took that journey, I met a couple musicians who really appreciated what I was doing. One of them, Tor Dietrichson, our percussionist, still plays with the band. We had our very first gig, in January of 2008.” // Now, after a 20-year music career that began belatedly but eventually spawned four previous albums — A Buddha State of Mind (2010), Carnival of Miracles (2015), Elixir – The Soulgrass Sessions (2018), Janus (2022), her latest, Sumatra, and one concert recording, Live At Sweetwater Music Hall (2024) — she’s emerged as a defining artist whose music resonates with affirmation and exhilaration in equal measure. // Along the way, she’s earned the praise of audiences and pundits alike. Influential radio deejay Bruce Swan, host of the popular show “Music My Mother Would Not Like” and Programming Director/WSFM 103.3 Asheville, NC raves, “The music of Paula Boggs puts its toe in many genres, and then makes them her own. Each song tells stories that are as personal as they are universal. Expect to be wonderfully surprised and captivated by each track. To hear her is to know her.” // Folk Radio UK concurred, a long history of activism from both Paula and her band as a whole, their music intends to inspire listeners to see the world through a slightly different and more unifying lens.” // “She is a woman with many stories, ones of whimsy, loss, and hope,” Paula’s longtime guitarist Darren Loucas proudly says. “On Sumatra, she invites all these stories to sit for coffee and the result is bracing and bold.” // Always pushing parameters and breaking boundaries, Paula is, in her own words, “a beneficiary of that broadening lens of acceptance and celebration, one that embraces the diverse voices within the very roots of American and Americana tradition. It includes not just how people look or who they love,” she continues, “but also how they sound. Over the past 20 years that we’ve been at this, the Americana scene has become more diverse while making space for a wider range of voices. Happily for us, we have been the beneficiary of that very notion.”

11:33 – Interview with Rosie O’Brien of Sass-a-Brass

Rosie O’Brien is a musician and organizer originally from Lawrence, KS. She studied Political Science, Studio Art, and Mandarin Chinese at Grinnell College in Iowa and pursued a career in political and environmental activism before transitioning into music full-time. Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional drumming with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to Kansas City in 2021 to expand the project, which has received grants from both the Charlotte Street Foundation and ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians. Sass-a-Brass Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of street activism, street band energy, and New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Since its inception Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

Rosie O’Brien thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Yesterday, March 17, 2026 Sass-a-Brass marched with 90.1 FM KKFI in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Sass-A-Brass came together in 2018 to lead the first-ever Pride parade in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. Co-leaders Kimberly (snare) and Rosie (trombone & Sousaphone) first connected at Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade and were called upon by Lawrence journalist and organizer Fally Afani to form a femme-fronted, queer and nonbinary-inclusive band to play second-line and funk tunes for the community.

During her undergraduate studies, Rosie sang and toured annually with the Grinnell Singers, where she debuted and recorded the original compositions of her mentor and director, Dr. John Rommereim, in both Iowa and Taiwan.

Rosie returned to Kansas in 2017, where she studied traditional djembe and dunun with Prof. Dylan Bassett via the KU West African Drumming Ensemble; she also joined Lawrence’s annual Mardi Gras parade community as a trombonist, simultaneously founding her own Mardi Gras-style street parade brass ensemble, Sass-a-Brass. Rosie moved to Kansas City in 2021 to expand the project, which has received grants from both the Charlotte Street Foundation and ArtsKC to increase accessibility within community brass bands for women and queer musicians.

Rosie joined the KC Ballet School as an accompanist in 2023 and plays traditional djembe for modern dance classes and the ROAD program. In 2025, Rosie will enter her second season as a soprano with professional choral ensemble Te Deum; she is in her third season as a Choral Associate with Country Club Christian Church, and enjoys performing locally as a vocalist and percussionist with her 8-piece free-improvisation band Apricot Glow.

Sass-a-Brass is Kansas City’s only queer street parade brass band, bringing the party with a mix of HONK-style activist street band energy and borrowing from the New Orleans Mardi Gras and second-line tradition. Our mission is to bring queer musical joy to the public, and also provide a welcoming space where underrepresented groups experience a sense of belonging and sustained growth as musicians. As a community-minded band, we intentionally recruit amateur, multi-generational and non-traditional players to join. Since its inception in 2018, Sass-a-Brass has involved a wide variety of instrumentalists, encompassing many genders and sexualities.

Over the years, Sass-A-Brass has benefited from the participation of many incredible musicians from the Lawrence and KC area; has involved wide-ranging instrumentation including keytar, amplified flute, and washboard; and has led musical celebrations for a diverse range of events (most notably an underground cave party and a Solstice parade ending in a public fountain).

Now split between Lawrence and Kansas City, the band continues to bring a bright and colorful vibe to Pride events, public parties and private gatherings alike. Through the sheer joy of community-based street parade culture, Sass-A-Brass spreads the good news: music is the key to liberation for all.

More on Rosie from: http://www.sustianus.org (As Rosie said, “…of her past, over 5 years ago)

Rosie is a thinker, artist and soil protector based in the Kaw Valley region of the Great Plains. She grew up climbing trees and eating homegrown veggies in occupied Kansa and Osage territory, in so-called Lawrence, Kansas. In 2016, Rosie graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa with degrees in Political Science and Studio Art, and has since lived in Slovenia, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Wichita, and Washington DC. Most recently, she has participated in an ongoing tree sit at Camp White Pine in rural Pennsylvania in resistance to Energy Transfer Partner’s Mariner East 2 pipeline.

Over the past five years, Rosie has become fluent in Mandarin Chinese, exhibited art in Berlin and Lawrence, organized for two Congressional campaigns, trained scores of anti-corruption activists in Momentum theory, led workshops and student groups on divestment campaigns against industrial food systems and animal confinement operations, worked on an organic bee farm in Germany, assisted with legal support for the 2017 Inaugural Felony Riot defendants through Defend J20, and continued to expand her tree climbing and direct action skill sets in the wake of ongoing ecocide and destruction of nature across the globe. She is currently working on a narrative nonfiction book about the political economy of love, and strives to build a world where wildness can be renewed.

Rosie O’Brien thanks for being with us on WMM.

Sass-a-Brass Shows:

Sunday, April 9 at 4:00pm at Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester St., KCMO Proceeds Benefit Advocates for Immigrants Rights & Responsibilities Emergency Fund & Indivisible KC with Outside Voices KC, Bob & Diana Suckiel, Pheasant Pluckers, The Recipe.

Saturday, May 9, at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, 4200 Warwick Blvd., KCMO

Friday, May 15, at Stockyards Brewing Company, 1600 Genessee, St. Ste 100, KCMO, Historic West Bottoms, as part of the Open Studios Show.

Saturday, May 30, – ManorFest 8 (final night) – Leading two parades

Saturday, June 6 – Lawrence Pride

Sunday, June 28, The People’s Pride – organized by Sass-a-Brass (Summer Solstice)

More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

11:54

Loose Cannon Brass Band – “Funkin’ at YJs”
from: I Heard It On 18th Street II: No Foolin’ We Schoolin’ / Independent (David Ford) / 2009

Next week, on Wednesday, March 25 the Lawrence based band, Hello Biplane joins us live in our 90.1 FM Studios, plus Chris Hudson returns to play live, and we talk with musician Brent Kinder of the band Angie Fights Crime.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals donanted $3924.00 going way over our show goal!

Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #1139