WNIJ 89.5 FM is pleased to announce a new season of “Sessions from Studio A,” its locally-produced show dedicated to showcasing regional and touring musicians. The season premieres on Thursday, Aug. 3, and features new episodes every Thursday at 7 p.m. Sessions from Studio A airs on WNIJ (89.5 FM – DeKalb/Rockford, 89.1 FM – Freeport, 91.5 FM – Sterling, 91.3 FM – LaSalle). Rebroadcasts can be heard on Sundays at 6 p.m. and online at wnij.org.
“Sessions from Studio A” features locally-recorded performances and presents genres of music ranging from folk to indie rock, blues, alternative country, Americana, world music and more, in a way that provides the listener with a live concert experience. Hosted by Carl Nelson, these performances are accompanied by interviews with the artists who discuss their inspirations, aspirations and the stories behind their original songs.
“We’re thrilled to provide a platform to showcase local talent,” explains Nelson, “I’ve worked venues as a musician and technician all over the area, and it’s exciting to share artist’s stories and music with a wide audience.”
Nelson is particularly excited about this season of Sessions. The premier will feature LASKA, a trio of sisters whose beautifully hard-hitting harmonies are backed by an accomplished backing band. Other upcoming performances include Country Music Awards and Grammy award-winning Jim McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, local guitarist Jim Kanas, recently featured on WTTW, Chicago classics Cheer Accident, and Northern Wind, NIU students who perform Mongolian throat singing.
Studio A is a professional recording studio and performance center operated by Northern Public Radio from the NIU Broadcast Center in DeKalb. It serves as the home for Sessions and as a venue for spoken word recitals, radio dramas, live events and other projects. Community groups interested in recording for Sessions or other projects in Studio A can contact Nelson and Northern Public Radio at sessions@niu.edu.
Listeners can hear the season premiere of Sessions from Studio A on 89.5 FM or stream it from wnij.org by clicking Listen Live. The program is available on-demand on the WNIJ mobile app and at northernpublicradio.org/programs/sessions-studio.
