- Give us a brief rundown on WWVU past, present and future.
Back in '82 the first song WWVU FM ever broadcast was "Video Killed the Radio Star." In those days our music directors had to contact labels to finnagle vinyl for airplay. While The Buggles aren't exactly punk we've had and maintained a DIY approach since our start. We're busy now changing with the times, balancing digitally promoted albums with the dusty vinyl in our library. In the future we plan on having a larger internet presence and increasing our already strong on-campus presence as well. For really real.
- What prompted you to get involved with college radio?
The money! No, but seriously, where else are you going to hear Sonic Youth on the radio? You can barely see stuff like that on TV. To hear it on the radio was nuts! Before I applied to WWVU I'd sit at home listening to it with my jaw on the ground at how eclectic and left of the dial their music was. So that was a draw, but my sister also worked in the station's News Department too.
- What's your favorite part about working at WWVU?
The people. I was a despondent dork before starting... Have you ever played Magic: the Gathering solitaire before? I have... And that's a sad and lonely world that you don't want to know about. People like my fellow DJs Jesse Novak and Daniel Conway are like brothers to me. Brothers that pee on our hotel wall drunk at CMJ, sure, but brothers nonetheless. And I still find time for D&D too... Not really.
- What kind of music do you as a DJ play for your audience?
I try to create brief sets that contain old and new music, but that hang well together in some way. So something older like My Bloody Valentine or Adorable next to something more recent like "Keen On Boys" by The Radio Dept. Or Clandestino-era Manu Chao next to "Heart It Races." "Paper Planes" next to "Straight to Hell," so I can talk about the sample. Logical and coherent but informative sets of music I suppose.
- What does WWVU do to support the local music scene?
Our DJs love to promote local shows on-air. When bands give us their albums we give them tons of rotation spins in addition to having a specialty show dedicated to local music. We help flyer for shows, some DJs are in bands, and when the station sets up concerts we always have local acts as openers. It's been interesting seeing locals get promoted at college radio. Morgantown bands like The Emergency have done it, and One Hundred Hurricanes want to. It's also neat when musicians from Morgantown join bands after moving. Great bands like New Yorkers Black Swan Green have connections to WWVU FM, and that's awesome.
- So you're located in Morgantown, West Virginia. What is the biggest challenge being a station in a [relatively] small town?
Even though our wattage is pretty decent, sometimes I wish we could be heard further out. Stations like KEXP get huge exposure, and even though that's awesome it's also sort of intimidating for stations that aren't practically bi-coastal. It is, however, a motivator to work harder. It's also hard to convince out of town bands to stop in, and money's not always as readily available to us as it is at bigger college stations.
- This is your sixth year as an undergrad. Why has it taken you so long to finish your degree and what do you plan on doing with all the knowledge you have acquired in the past 6 years?
Academic concerns come second to radio. I've been in college this long because I love WWVU FM, and I won't regret that. As an English major my literary and radio interests overlap to give me a talent for writing about music. One of our DJs, Sandi Ward, recently restarted our zine, Wireless, and it's nice to have that outlet for showing the skills I've acquired in these areas.
- Where do you see college radio in 5 years?
It seems like in the last few years there's been this panic about things changing: iPods, leaks, and slowing album sales have people worried about whether or not radio's still relevant. I think it is, and I think worrying about it exacerbates the possibility that there's a problem. If we all stay confident and deal with these changes in five years college radio will be as relevant as it has been in the past -- maybe even moreso.
- You don't seem like a hairy guy, yet from what I've heard all your body hair is entirely localized around your stomach. Do you think that it has anything to do w/ being a Hare [hairy] Krishna?
If you couple living my twenty-four years eating a high protein vegetarian diet with weekly brainwashings down at the cult compound you get a lot of body hair, yes. But let's be honest: the ladies love it. So do dudes. Real talk.
- What is one of the most memorable experiences at WWVU [aside from being trained by a legend?
Booking Lightning Bolt, White Mice, and Ecstatic Sunshine to play a show in Morgantown. That style is so particular that not everyone can enjoy it, but while Lightning Bolt were playing I was just beaming, you know? I felt like I had helped bring something really beautiful to everyone in town. Those bands rule.
- If you could do an in-studio with any musician who would it be and why?
John Fahey. You often hear critics talk about seeing singer songwriters, and about how "it was just a guitar and his voice" or something, making a big deal out of how little it takes for those people to entertain. But with Fahey it's JUST a guitar. The emotions are in the music instead of in the lyrics. You hear a song like "On the Sunny Side of the Ocean" and it's just mindblowing how much emotion he can put into three minutes of melody on an acoustic guitar. He was also mysterious and funny from what I understand, and came from a damaged background, so an interview would've been amazing. Unfortunately he passed on, but someone out there needs to do a lot of research and write an in-depth biography.
- 3-part question - you used to work at a juice bar called Elixir, so tell me... What is your favorite fresh juice and smoothie concoction to make on the job? What type of requests would customers make that would irritate you more than anything in the world? What was your favorite album to put on while slinging frozen treats?
I was a big fan of making smoothies using freshly juiced watermelon, blueberries, banana, and acai. Three out of those four things are high in antioxidants, so it was really good for my emaciated, Moby-like body. The worst things people asked for were things that they expected me to do that didn't fit the job description. Like mixing in the protein someone brought from home instead of them just buying the protein we already had, and then, to top it off, them asking for the extra even though there was only extra because of their weird protein. All without tipping! C'mon people! I liked listening to Dizzee Rascal, The Hidden Cameras - upbeat stuff. My boy Cliff, a co-worker, really liked The Teenagers track "French Kiss," and also M.I.A. Anything that customers liked was good too.
- What is your favorite memory from this year's past CMJ Festival?
Jesse Novak winning Specialty Director of the Year was definitely awesome. He deserved recognition, and I'm glad CMJ voters gave it to him. But Daniel "The Mongoose" Conway, my assistant and roommate, brought me to a DJ night at The Annex. XXXChange, Pase Rock, Eli Escobar, and tons of people from that crew were there, including Amanda Blank and Spank Rock. That may not mean much to some people, but it was definitely the most fun night I had that week.
- Since you'll be graduating this May what advice will you be giving to the future WWVU MD?
To represent the best of each kind of genre in rotation and not just the genres she or he is into. Call label people and promoters to replace missing stuff, network, keep track of what WWVU FM's DJs like and don't like, and also see what other stations are into. The most important thing is to do more than the basics. Exceed people's expecations.
