Get to know KEXP: the indie radio station putting out sweet in-studio sessions
- Text by Joshua Gabert-Doyon
From under-the-radar college bands to more mainstream festival hoppers, KEXP’s cramped studio is a music mecca. The independent radio station out of Seattle has perfected the art of in-studio sessions: high-quality videos of artists playing intimate, no-bullshit sets. Started by students at the University of Washington in 1972, the station showcases some of the best acts playing today.
KEXP’s speciality, as you might have guessed from a station in the Pacific Northwest, is alt rock and punk. But the station covers a variety of genres and has consistently solid performances from a mind-boggling number of artists. The sessions are well mixed, well filmed, and released almost every day.
Bands frequently use KEXP as a testing ground for new material. College radio stations offer a space for smaller bands to gain exposure even in an informal setting. The videos are stripped down: mostly just black studio walls and minimal banter, KEXP steps aside to let the bands do what they do. The West Coast station has become a pillar in independent music in the U.S. Supporting local acts and bands passing through Seattle, spinning them on the radio and releasing the videos online. Their Youtube channel has become an index of underground music in the States.
Bands frequently use KEXP as a testing ground for new material. College radio stations offer a space for smaller bands to gain exposure in an informal setting. The videos are stripped down: mostly just black studio walls and minimal banter, KEXP steps aside to let the bands do what they do.
The West Coast station has become a pillar of independent music in the States, supporting local acts and bands passing through Seattle, spinning them on the radio and releasing the videos online. Their YouTube channel has become an index of underground music in the States.
Here are some of our favourite performances from KEXP’s live in-studio sessions:
The Internet
Parquet Courts
Chastity Belt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkQomq_rgK4
FIDLAR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0X4U96OnpA
DARKSIDE
Savages
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Throwback portraits of the UK’s first punks
Punks 1978-1980 — While working as a photographer in the army, Wayne “Spike” Large would moonlight as a punk on the weekends. His new photobook revisits the characters that he captured from the genre’s heyday.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Analogue Appreciation: For Those I Love
Carving The Stone — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s post-club producer-songwriter For Those I Love.
Written by: David Balfe aka For Those I Love
Brian Eno announces Palestine fundraiser concert at Wembley Arena
Together for Palestine — It will take place on September 17, with “every penny donated” going to humanitarian relief in Gaza via Choose Love.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Raquel Martins: “I was trying to track down this uncomfortable, groundless feeling”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Latin-soul singer-producer Raquel Martins.
Written by: Raquel Martins
In 2025, festivals have become defiantly political. Roskilde is one of the most powerful
A sea of people — Music and countercultural movements have a hand-in-hand relationship spanning decades. As authorities increasingly police traditional on-street protests, dancefloors and crowds are again becoming crucial spaces for solidarity, writes Ella Glossop, reporting from Denmark’s largest festival.
Written by: Ella Glossop
DJ AG teases that he is working on a 2026 festival
AG Fest? — The open format DJ dropped a cryptic post on social media yesterday, along with a link to sign up to a mailing list.
Written by: Isaac Muk
