Indie 102.3 Sessions

Surfer Blood passed through Denver earlier this month for a headlining show at Larimer Lounge. We met the Florida indie rock band at the venue to record an exclusive performance and interview. Surfer Blood this year released the album “Snowdonia,” its first full-length since the death of guitarist and founding member Thomas Fekete. The band performed three songs and spoke with Alicia Bruce Mitchell about coping with their bandmate’s death, the dream that inspired “Snowdonia” and a forthcoming covers record.

The core songwriting duo behind Whippoorwill met at the 2013 South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Alysia Kraft and Staci Foster began sending each other songs and last year made their debut album “Good To Be Around.” The Fort Collins folk band expanded to a trio and shared the stage with acts like Lydia Loveless and Old Crow Medicine Show. Whippoorwill stopped into the CPR Performance Studio to play three new songs. The band members also spoke with Alicia Bruce Mitchell about the music scene in Fort Collins, the influence of Texas country artists and encountering a series of tornadoes on a recent tour in Oklahoma.

Clouds & Mountains returned to the CPR Performance Studio just before the release of the new album “High & Low.” The Boulder folk-rock band recorded the LP in Colorado, Anacortes, Wash., and Houston with members of Chimney Choir and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Clouds & Mountains performed a few songs from “High & Low,” and a previously unreleased song, in our studio. Frontman Macon Terry also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about the themes of loneliness on the album, recording in various locations across the country and adding new instruments to the band’s lineup.

Wolf van Elfmand started his music career as a country-folk artist in Brooklyn. Three albums later, he’s relocated to Denver and teamed up with Elephant Revival members Dango and Charlie Rose for the new “Real Wolf” EP. Wolf van Elfmand and his band visited the CPR Performance Studio to play some songs from the new record. He also spoke with Jeremy Petersen about his musical career so far, writing self-referential songs and teaming up with Colorado musicians for his latest release.

Froth started out as a “fake band” that its members would tell people about at parties, but didn’t actually exist. But when they picked up instruments and started playing together, the joke was over. The Los Angeles quartet has since released three albums, including this year’s “Outside (briefly).” Froth stopped into the CPR Performance Studio to play four songs from the new LP. The members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about the band’s origin, touring with British shoegaze band Ride and the psychedelic visuals of their music videos.

The members of Pan Astral have stayed busy since they visited the CPR Performance Studio last year. The Denver band has recruited a new drummer and written some new material. Frontman Gabriel Otto produced the politically charged “NOENEMIES” album from fellow Coloradoans Flobots — which also features contributions from guitarist Tad Lusk. Pan Astral returned to our studio before a show at Denver’s Walnut Room to play a few songs from its catalog. The band members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about retooling its lineup, working with Flobots and incorporating live projections into their concerts.

Desirae Garcia and Inaiah Lujan are core members of the Pueblo folk band The Haunted Windchimes, but the married couple also makes music as in/PLANES. The duo’s music leans more toward a sparse pop sound influenced by notable music spouses like Paul and Linda McCartney. in/PLANES — with help from drummer Carl Sorensen — stopped into the CPR Performance Studio to play some new music. The band members also spoke with Alisha Sweeney about bonding over a love of The Velvet Underground, balancing their time with the two bands and the arts and music scene in Pueblo.

Chicano Batman is having a breakout year. NPR tabbed the Los Angeles quartet to perform at its Radio Day Showcase at South By Southwest in March alongside Spoon and Valerie June. 2017 also marks the release of the new album”Freedom Is Free,” a record that finds the band incorporating retro soul and funk music into its sound. Chicano Batman stopped by the CPR Performance Studio before a show at Denver’s Bluebird Theater. The band members — along with backup singers — performed five songs and spoke with Jeremy Petersen about the political themes on “Freedom Is Free,” paying tribute to the soul music of the 1970s and how their audience has grown with the new album.