A Minnesota native, Jade, dove into the local music scene early on. Her first love was dance, which she brought to her middle school and Central High Schools Blackbox concerts. While studying journalism at the University of Kansas, she kept her Minnesota ties close as an intern for 2024 Records, while booking bands like Spoon and Sharon Jones to play at her university. Minnesota pulled her back after graduation and she worked promoting independent musicians to radio stations across the nation with Tinderbox Music. Starting at The Current as an overnight host in 2008, Jade continued her work to promote Minnesota artists by curating musical events around the cities, most notably the Summit Backyard Bash and Wing Young Huies University Avenue Project (where she dug into the Frogtown music scene and created a soundtrack to the art show and live event series). She organized and booked The Currents Road Trip, a Legacy-funded project that showcased Minnesota artists around the state. That led her to work as the principal at Minnesota Music Coalition, taking it from an idea to a stable and functioning non-profit. She recently won a Knight Foundation grant to put together art-filled pop-up events in St. Paul.
Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Faye Webster creates songs with a warm, dreamy, nostalgic quality. Webster and her band stopped at The Current for a studio session hosted by Jade.
During The Current's live broadcasts from Bonnaroo, Shovels and Rope, the Charleston, S.C., husband-and-wife duo comprising Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, stopped by to talk about their new album and about what it's like raising kids as touring musicians.
During Bonnaroo 2019, Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus stopped at The Current's broadcast booth, where he talked to host Jade about Hippo Campus's recent release of 'Bambi' demos and about how he ended up playing guitar on a new track from Bon Iver.
Backstage at the Armory in Minneapolis, Jade had the chance to catch up with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig. In the news today: White Sox take heat for celebrating 'disco demolition,' Spice Girls animated movie planned, rapper Bushwick Bill has died at 52, Radiohead dropped 18 hours of rare audio, and a 2008 fire is revealed to have destroyed priceless master recordings. Plus, this week in music history and a dive into new tunes from Iron & Wine and Calexico; Bruce Springsteen; Mattiel; and Madonna. Plus, Adele raps!
Can all the 'Jack Grey' jokes stop now? In other news: iTunes is ending; Roky Erickson has died at 71; Billboard is launching songwriter and producer charts; and Blink-182 are playing 'Enema of the State' front-to-back on tour. Plus, a look back at this week in music history and new releases from Aurora, Emeli Sande, Dylan LeBlanc, and Silversun Pickups...and Keanu Reeves goes viral just for walking to music.
The morning after opening for Hozier at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, New York-based sibling band Bailed stopped at The Current studio for a session hosted by Jade. The session, broadcast live, included songs from Bailen's album 'Thrilled To Be Here' as well as a brand-new song.
How's the new Elton John movie? Pretty great, say Jade and Jay. Also in the news today: labels are paying more to sign artists, 'Old Town Road' continues to ride tall, and two music stars are releasing books on Oct. 1. Plus, highlights of this week in music history and new releases from Bedouine, Patti Smith, Sinkane, and Ian Noe - plus, how Billie Eilish's 'Bad Guy' is going viral every which way.
The latest episode of our new podcast Decomposed, about George Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess,' hit close to home for host Jade Simmons. She grew up in Charleston, S.C., the site of the opera's Catfish Row. She reflects on the city and its conflicted past.
Two decades after suing the Verve for songwriting credit on 'Bitter Sweet Symphony,' the Rolling Stones have given it back. Also in the news today: the Netherlands win Eurovision, a synth repairman accidentally trips on vintage LSD, 'Bongo Rock' drummer Preston Epps dies, Natalie Portman criticizes Moby's portrayal of their relationship, and Aretha Franklin's three maybe-wills. Plus, music history highlights and new LPs from Cate Le Bon, Justin Townes Earle, Sebadoh, and Sting, as well as a 'Runaway Train' remake.
'I Am Easy to Find' is a meditative album, full of negative space and several songs that have no words, just swelling female harmonies.
As the Japanese House, Amber Bain has been crafting ethereal-sounding songs that unabashedly plumb the depths of human emotion. Her new album, 'Good At Falling,' released on March 1 of this year, was recorded at Justin Vernon's April Base studios in Wisconsin. Bain recently stopped at The Current for a session hosted by Jade.
I spent my entire early career making classical music more accessible, making the presentation more engaging and exploratory for my audiences. And yet, here I was chastising my family over their lack of musical knowledge.
A new study finds four-fifths of young musicians report mental health challenges, and the vast majority say the industry isn't doing enough to support artists in that respect. Also in the news today: Common describes childhood abuse, Rolling Stone rolls out charts to challenge Billboard, and Tinder is targeting festival-goers seeking connections. Plus, music history highlights involving Prince, Buffalo Springfield, and Tom Waits; new music from Jamila Woods, Charly Bliss, Mac DeMarco, and Mavis Staples; and Lizzo goes viral by wearing her Met Gala look to the airport. Bonus: In honor of Mother's Day, Virginia Grohl talks about being a rock star mom!
While Foals were in town for a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, drummer Jack Bevan and guitarist Jimmy Smith stopped at The Current for a Theft of the Dial hosted by Jade. Bevan and Smith play some of their favorite songs and talk about some of their adventures on the road -- including a fortuitous musical discovery in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Kata Mogensen, Asa Dyradottir, Alexandra Baldursdottir, and Arnar Petursson began playing music together as teenagers in Reykjavik. The band have already released four albums together as Mammut, reaching audiences from their home country of Iceland and abroad. The band visited The Current studio to perform songs from their latest album, 'Kinder Versions,' and to talk with Jade about connecting to U.S. audiences and finding inspiration for their songs.
Clara Schumann was considered to be the "one and only" of her kind back in her day. Jade Simmons, host of our new podcast Decomposed, writes of how this mentality still permeates classical music today and how that can change.
Huge new Bruce Springsteen and Prince album announcements lead today's Music News. Plus, Jade and Jay spotlight new LPs from the Cranberries, Marina, Craig Finn, and Guided By Voices, as well as the new FKA twigs single 'Cellophane.'
Richard and Pauline Strauss would have made good TV, even today. Jade Simmons, host of our new podcast Decomposed, writes of the complicated relationship between the couple and how we tell the stories of women in classical music history.
A memoir that Prince started writing prior to his 2016 death will be published Oct. 29, with supplemental commentary by his editor. Also in the news today: M.I.A. responds to Sri Lanka bombings, Woodstock 50 delays ticket sale, one musician marriage ends and another begins. Plus, a roundup of Coachella weekend two news, and Florence Welch's 'Game of Thrones' song.
Like a diamond, Lizzo is multi-faceted. Throughout 'Cuz I Love You,' she reflects all her sides.