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    Roots to Grooves

    "Roots to Grooves" explores the music, life and careers of musical artists from their earliest beginnings through to their most recent releases. Join musicians Jay Purcell and Jesse Quigley as they discuss a different artist each week, and share their own perspectives on the subject matters at hand. "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.
    en115 Episodes

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    Episodes (115)

    Charlotte Day Wilson

    Charlotte Day Wilson

    A completely self-produced, and self-released artist, Charlotte Day Wilson is a multi-talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto Canada. She first came to a lot of listener's attentions with her second EP "CDW" which dropped in 2016. Since then Charlotte has continued to drop singles, EP's and finally a debut album, 2021's "Alpha".

    Her sound has been solidly consistent throughout, with seemingly stripped back, minimal production enveloping her smooth vocals and layered electronic textures.

    Join us as we discuss her creative techniques and career so far.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    fun.

    fun.

    In the early 2010's there was no escaping the massively catchy big pop anthems of "fun.", a trio originally from New York who after their second album disappeared from the scene.

    We share the story of how "fun." got together in the the first place, explore their songwriting process, and discuss what brought about their so called hiatus.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Miink

    Miink

    "Miink" is a rising British producer who almost defies categorization. His music has been described as dark, mysterious and edgy, with his use of experimental organic sounding electronica and haunting vocals.

    Ultimately "Miink" doesn't want his music to be intellectualized, and thinks people will mostly likely enjoy his sounds in a solitary environment.

    Join us as we dive deeper!

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Arc De Soleil

    Arc De Soleil

    "Arc De Soleil" is just one of many musical projects from Swedish based producer Daniel Kadawatha, and a project which has often been described as sounding very similar to the Thai-funk-guitar sounds of "Khruangbin".

    Join us as we dive deeper into the sounds of "Arc De Soleil", and also explore the other projects and creative approaches of the multi-talented, genre hopping Daniel Kadawatha.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Nanna.B

    Nanna.B

    Nanna.B is a singer, songwriter and producer originally from Denmark.

    She first hit the scene with her amazing album "Vitaphone", a completely DIY release. But after realizing the limits her home country could offer her music career she made the move to Los Angeles where she has collaborated with luminaries such as "Shafiq Husayn", "Anderson .Paak" and "Mndsgn".

    Join us as we dive deeper into Nanna's sound and her creative approaches.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    ELIZA

    ELIZA

    Hailing from Camden, London, ELIZA is a singer and songwriter whose sound can best be described as restrained R&B and Neo Soul.

    ELIZA first came to public attention in 2010 as Eliza Doolittle, along with her debut album of the same title. At this time she was signed to the major record label "Parlophone", who were pushing her to write and release pop hits. After a couple of albums ELIZA become disillusioned with this approach. She left the record label, changed her stage name to simply "ELIZA" and began writing and recording a new album, "A Real Romantic", which would result in her most authentic sounding music to date.

    Join us as we discuss her career, her creative approaches, and her famous family.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Tennis

    Tennis

    Hailing from Colorado, "Tennis" are a husband and wife indie dream pop duo.

    Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore met during college while attending the same philosophy class. After becoming a couple and graduating college, Patrick convinced Alaina to join him on his quest to sail across the world, an adventure which they could later explore on their debut album "Cape Dory".

    Since those early days the duo have continued to release multiple albums and tour the world.

    Join us as we discuss their career to date, and spin a few select tunes from their discography.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Yaeji

    Yaeji

    Originally born in Flushing, Queens, Yaeji (aka Kathy Yaeji Lee) moved around a lot as a child, including Atlanta Georgia, and her parents homeland of South Korea. She found this clash of cultures evident in her early years but it wasn't until she went to college as a teenager that she would find comfort in the the worlds of hip hop and electronic music. Via a stint at the college radio station, a popular club night in the city, and to her own DJ'ing activities, Yaeji eventually found her own self-produced sound.

    Join us as we discuss Yaeji's history and creative approaches.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    An Interview with "Muzi"

    An Interview with "Muzi"

    "Muzi" is a South African singer, songwriter, DJ and producer who has released 4 studio albums since 2016, and who mixes traditional sounds with a new electronic approach.

    On this episode we discuss everything from his background, to his creative approaches and how fatherhood fundamentally changed his outlook to a career in music.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    MØ

    "MØ" is the stage name of Danish singer, songwriter and electronic pop artist "Karen Ørsted".

    MØ started her musical career in mid-2000's Copenhagen where she wrote and performed in a number of acts in the city's punk scene. From there her network grew and she started to make featured guest appearances on a number of EDM tracks from the likes of Avicii and Major Lazer. In fact it was her break-out track with Major Lazer, "Lean On" which  brought her to mainstream attention.

    Join Jay and Jesse for the full story, and to listen to a selection of tracks from "MØ".

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    MisterWives

    MisterWives

    MisterWives are a 5 piece indie pop/rock band originally formed in 2012 in New York, when lead singer Mandy Lee wanted an 80s cover band for her prom themed 18th birthday party. Guitarist William Hehir stepped up to help, enlisting a few of his musician friends and before long the whole group were writing original music together.

    After a few initial shows around New York, the band were signed at one pivotal show at the now closed Canal Room venue in Manhattan.

    Join Jay and Jesse for the full discussion on how this band got together, wrote their material, and released multiple albums to critical accliam.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Wu-Lu

    Wu-Lu

    Wu-Lu is Miles Romans-Hopcraft, a music producer from South London who defies genre categorization.

    A lot of newer listeners may be familiar with his punk infused 2nd album "LOGGERHEAD", his debut release on the legendary Warp Records. But Wu-Lu's history goes back further than that, incorporating numerous collaborations, singles and EP's, each one with a unique sound.

    Join us as we discuss the sounds and creative approaches of "Wu-Lu". 

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Masego

    Masego

    Originally born in Jamaica, and relocating to Virginia USA at the age of 8, Masego is a multi-talented solo artist, saxophonist and music producer who has coined his own genre, "Trap-House-Jazz".

    Masego is the stage name of "Micah Davis" who, by all accounts, grew up in a traditional and religious household. He was however surrounded by music growing up. At home his bedroom was also the place where his parents kept their large collection of vinyl records which included everything from Stevie Wonder to Cab Calloway. At Church, Masego was exposed to Gospel music and declared drums as the first instrument he gravitated to.

    As a teenager, via his friends in high-school, Masego would be exposed to Hip Hop music for the first time, and became a fan of artists such as Andre 3000. It was around this time that he started taking music more seriously, jamming with other musicians and starting to make his own beats.

    Today Masego is a rising R&B artist with impressive collaborations under his belt, such as the track "Champagne Poetry" with Drake.

    Join Jay and Jesse as they take a deep dive into Masego's work, and discuss the inspirational themes that come up.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Cleo Sol

    Cleo Sol

    Cleo Sol has kind of had two careers in music so far.

    In the late 2000's she had a major label deal with Island Records, and put out a few singles which gained moderate mainstream success in the UK. After recording an entire album which should have been her debut, Cleo decided to shelve it and go on a hiatus that would last over 5 years.

    When Cleo decided to return to music, she did it on her own terms, with all new material that is authentic, honest and supremely soulful.

    Join Jay and Jesse as they discuss Cleo's music career to date, and we spin a few of our favorite selections form her back catalogue.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Steve Lacy

    Steve Lacy

    At only 24 years old, Steve Lacy has managed to rack up an impressive list of credits. Not only was his first ever music project the album "Ego Death" by The Internet, he has also performed, featured and produced for the likes of Tyler the Creator, Solange Knowles, Kendrick Lamar and many others.

    What is even more striking is that this young singer-songwriter also produced and released a lot of his early work solely with the use of the Garage Band software on his iPod Touch.

    Join us as we discuss Steve's music, creative approach and mindset.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Joy Crookes

    Joy Crookes

    At only 24 years old, Joy Crookes has already achieved what many artists dream of. An appearance on "Colors" which reached millions of viewers across the world, performing live at the Glastonbury Music Festival, and selling out her own debut European tour.

    Joy's lyrics are full of narrative, and she certainly has opinions on modern day Britain.

    Join Jay and Jesse for the full conversation and listen to a few of their selections from Joy's discography.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Post Animal

    Post Animal

    With four full length albums under the belt, this Chicago five piece have been described as a mix somewhere between Tame Impala, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd, and also count Joe Keery (aka Steve Harrington from "Stranger Things") as a founding member.

    Join us as we dive into the sound and creative approaches of this still underground band.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Bag Raiders

    Bag Raiders

    "Shooting Stars" is a track that has been out in the wild for many years and you've probably heard it via the TV or, more likely, on a meme.

    Despite the catchy track, there is more to the story of this Australian indietronica duo known as "Bag Raiders". Join Jay and Jesse as we discuss their creative approaches and spin a few of our favorite tunes.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Sticky Fingers

    Sticky Fingers

    This week we discuss controversial Sydney rockers "Sticky Fingers".

    At one time this group described themselves as the "guinea pig for cancel culture". But was their cancellation justified and their own fault? As well as diving into the music Jay and Jesse discuss how this band might not have been prepared to deal with the negative media attention that came their way a few years ago, and how they bounced back to continue releasing new material.

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.

    Moonchild

    Moonchild

    Amber Navran, Max Bryk and Andris Mattson originally met while studying jazz at USC, but it wasn't until Amber was going on a solo West Coast tour that the trio came together, originally to play her music for the tour, they soon bonded over a shared love of Neo Soul artists such as Erykah Badu and D'Angelo.

    Since then "Moonchild" have seen steady, organic rise to their fan base. And it doesn't hurt that they have picked up a few famous listeners along the way, such as Stevie Wonder.

    Pair their music with the knowledge that this group is super humble and highly aware of the use of "intention", and you have a winning combination.

    Join Jay and Jesse as they discuss the history and creative approaches of "Moonchild". 

    "Roots to Grooves" is a production of SIGNL.