Scenic Route

The eager and exuberant Jeff Austin is known for his expressive live performances and shredding on the mandolin with Yonder Mountain String Band and his own Jeff Austin Band. He calls from his hometown outside Chicago to join Will Moore on the Scenic Route ahead of his performance at Lutsen Mountains' Sweetwater Shakedown. He talks about starting in theater before moving to music, why he wants to push the limits of bluegrass, and tells the story of nearly missing his own show at the Blue Ox festival in Wisconsin.

Acclaimed Twin Cities bluegrass quintet Pert Near Sandstone headed up north to participate in the Sweetwater Shakedown at Lutsen Mountains, one of the pre-parties to their own Blue Ox Music Festival, held in Eau Claire, WI in June. The band joins Will Moore and Carl Solander to talk about the festival, origins of the band, and new music, with lots of laughs on the air.

Pert Near Sandstone is:

J Lenz - guitar
Kevin Kniebel - banjo
Nate Sipe - mandolin, fiddle
Justin Bruhn - bass
Matt Cartier - clogging

Erik Koskinen may have a twang to his guitar and voice, and wear a cowboy hat on stage, but he says he considers his music American roots-based more than country. Fresh off the release of a new single and upcoming album announcement, the St. Peter, MN-based musician calls from his RealPhonic Studio to join Will Moore on the Scenic Route. He talks about new things to expect on his next record Burning the Deal,  how he settled on making music in Minnesota after living around the country, and memorable stories that inspired his last album Cruising Paradise.

Northeast Timberland Band is a folk/bluegrass trio hailing from Duluth, with roots in central Minnesota. Comprised of string-playing father-son duo Neil and Xavier Witikko and vocalist Tim Lang, the group makes their WTIP debut on Scenic Route with Will Moore ahead of a show at Bluefin Grille in Tofte.

Earlier this year, David Huckfelt released Stranger Angels, an album inspired by an artist's residency on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. He returns to Cook County to play at Papa Charlie's Monday Night Songwriter Series, joined by Dave Simonett of Trampled by Turtles and Dead Man Winter fame, who was featured on that album. Together they chat with Will Moore about their musical lives, traveling, and more. 

Singer, rapper, author, and Doomtree member Dessa returns to the North Shore for her annual performance at Papa Charlie's with a new album, acclaimed new book, and brand-new single under her belt. She calls in live to the Scenic Route to chat with host Will Moore about interacting with people and other cultures during her recent international tour, upcoming recordings with the Minnesota Orchestra, and more. 

Matthew Santos is a Minneapolis born singer and songwriter who is a two-time Grammy nominee, and currently the lead vocalist of the Chicago-based band MONAKR.  He talks with host Will Moore about touring overseas with Dessa, where the band got its synthy sound, and more. 

Phil Oswald, AKA Dr. Oz E, is a Grand Marais resident and WTIP volunteer host who, for a decade, managed a music venue during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX. The festival is held annually every March. He sat down with Will Moore on the Scenic Route to recount his role managing the church-turned-venue, and touches on some incredible and now famous acts he witnessed over the years.

One Less Guest is a young Americana trio from the Twin Ports comprised of Nick Muska on guitar, Lauren Cooper on fiddle, and Nick Glass on bass. With many energetic original songs, they're quickly making a name for themselves. They join Will Moore for an in-studio session while in Grand Marais for a weekend performance at Voyageur Brewing.

Alan Sparhawk is best known as a guitarist and vocalist with the Duluth alternative band Low, but is part of a myriad of other musical projects such as Retribution Gospel Choir, Black Eyed Snakes, The Murder of Crows, and the annual Drone Not Drones event. Will Moore sits down with Sparhawk at Papa Charlie's in Lutsen ahead of his performance at their Monday Night Songwriter Series to talk about the making of Low's latest record "Double Negative", how music in Duluth has grown and changed since Low's inception, and more.