Indie 102.3 Sessions

Pickwick last joined us in the CPR Performance Studio back in 2014, when the Seattle indie rockers were on tour in support of their debut album, “Can’t Talk Medicine.” The six-piece returned to CPR’s OpenAir last month following the release “LoveJoys,” a sophomore record nearly five years in the making. Pickwick played four songs from “LoveJoys” in our studio. The band members also spoke with Jeremy Petersen about the long break between albums, working with hip-hop producer Erik Blood and taking inspiration from disco artists like The Bee Gees.

Denver musician John Runnels began performing as Morning Bear in 2014. He draws inspiration from indie folk artists like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver while adding classical instruments like flute and cello to his music. Next month the band heads to Brest, France — one of Denver’s sister cities — to perform as part of a cultural exchange program. Morning Bear stopped into the CPR Performance Studio with string quintet Denver Nexus Project. In addition to playing a few songs, Runnels spoke with Jeremy Petersen about his teenage street performances on Denver’s 16th Street Mall, how he started the band after a spontaneous trip to Europe and his forthcoming visit to Brest.

Motion Trap’s music ranges from party-ready dance music to ethereal synth-rock. The Denver duo of Kyle Williams and Nathan Rogers formed the band in 2012 and this month released its sophomore album, “Heavenly Bodies.” Last week Motion Trap stopped into the CPR Performance Studio for the first time. Williams and Rogers played four songs and spoke with Scott Carney about forming the band in a college dorm in Nebraska and taking inspiration from dance-rock bands like Cut Copy for “Heavenly Bodies.”

The music of Ancient Elk is hard to define. The Denver quartet has won a Westword Music Award in both the “avant-garde” and “Americana” categories. But it also incorporates jazz, psych-rock and folk on its debut self-titled album, which it released this week. Ancient Elk visited the CPR Performance Studio to play four songs from the LP. The members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about writing the album over the course of three years, the coloring book they’re offering with “Ancient Elk” and their connection to the Moon Magnet music collective in Denver.

The Guestlist last visited CPR’s OpenAir in 2015, then known as Josh Moorehead & The Guestlist. Since the name change, the band has released the new album “Racing, Chasing.” The six-piece crafts an exciting blend of jazz and Americana-rock on the new record, which explores themes of creative struggle. The Guestlist performed four songs from “Racing, Chasing” in the CPR Performance Studio. The members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about the band’s name change, recording at the new Denver studio Hum House and collaborating with members of Denver band Paper Bird on the new LP.

Pleasure Prince is a New York-based duo featuring Lilly Scott, formerly of Denver band Varlet. She and bandmate Will Duncan create pop music that blends disco, electronica and psychedelic influences. Scott switches instruments from guitar to synthesizer for the new band, but her outstanding vocals remain a centerpiece of her music. Pleasure Prince stopped into the CPR Performance Studio before a headlining show at Denver’s Hi-Dive. Scott and Duncan played three songs and spoke with Scott Carney about the origin of their collaboration, how teaching piano lessons helped the band develop and plans for a full-length record.

Panther Martin first caught our attention with 2015’s “Pile” EP, a collection of psych-surf rock songs recorded with members of Inner Oceans. The Denver quartet has since made a splash with performances around Colorado, including a gig at this year’s Underground Music Showcase. Panther Martin stopped into the CPR Performance Studio to play three new songs. The members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about their long musical friendship dating back to middle school, their recent burrito-themed concert and their involvement with the Colorado-based Grouphug Records.

Solohawk is the acoustic side project of Steve Faceman, best known as frontman for Denver rock group FaceMan. He performs understated folk songs with Kansas musician Til Willis backing on guitar and stomp box. The duo last year released its debut album “Another Way Out.” Solohawk stopped by for its first session in the CPR Performance Studio earlier this month. Faceman and Willis played four songs and spoke with Alisha Sweeney about the origin of their collaboration, the experimental studio techniques on “Another Way Out” and how Solohawk differs from their other bands.