Kansas Public Radio is excited to announce a new program coming to KPR airwaves this fall. 105 Live is a contemporary music show, showcasing new and noteworthy music from all 105 counties in Kansas, Allen through Wyandotte. Celebrating and promoting music made right here in Kansas, each show will include an in-studio session recorded in KPR’s Live Performance Studio. Interviews, live tracks, artist debuts and song premieres are all on the agenda for the hour-long program, airing Saturday evenings at 5 p.m.
The Moth Radio Hour - currently airing at 5 p.m. Saturdays - will be making a move to our 11 a.m. Saturday slot, replacing Bullseye with Jesse Thorn.
105 Live is hosted by Nick Carswell, an Irish native who has lived in Lawrence, Kan., since 2011. Primarily a musician by trade, Nick had a parallel career as a broadcaster in his native Ireland, before moving to the Midwest in 2011. Since then, his band Carswell & Hope has built a firm following for their thoughtful and creative songwriting, emotive instrumentation and engaging live performances.
In recent years, Nick has taken on roles with non-profits in arts & culture as a consultant for the Kansas Arts Commission and the Mid-America Arts Alliance, with the goal of supporting artists and developing a vibrant music ecosystem. Nick recently founded the Lawrence Music Alliance, a non-profit that works with the music community and the City of Lawrence to support and advocate for artists. 105 Live sees him return to the radio host seat, with a mission to share the best of Kansas music.
“I’ve always been passionate about radio and especially how it relates to the music scene,” said Carswell. “It’s a very different landscape today, with how people discover and connect with artists. But we know that there is great music being made in our communities, and there’s just nothing like discovering a band or artist from your hometown that resonates with you in the way only music can. It’s my goal to find that and share it with you on 105 Live.”
The show’s aspirational goal is to find music from each of the 105 counties in Kansas, and submissions are open now!
Kansas artists can submit music using this form or can mail EPKs and media releases to kansas105live@gmail.com. Please do not send mp3s directly, but include a download link to broadcast quality WAV files. If you are from Kansas or have a Kansas connection, let us know!
105 Live launches Saturday, October 5, at 5 p.m., on Kansas Public Radio, and can be heard on demand on kansaspublicradio.org and the KPR app.