DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF thinking, ‘I could sure use more Mykey Haslip songs in my life?’ Or maybe a little more Jack Parker? Maybe Tony Reed? Or some more Kristen Ferguson? Maybe you don’t know those names. What about a little more laid back local bluegrass? Or, say, a playlist of all local acoustic folk tunes, blues, Americana, alternative rock? Maybe find a local band you’ve never heard before? How do you feel about the soothing sound of the Kingston ferry foghorn?
How about a recipe in under ten seconds?
Really though… Have you ever thought you could you use a little more local music in your life? You might be missing out on some incredible stuff that you’ve never heard of. And it might lead to a vibey oasis amidst the current chaos of the world.
I can attest to the hungover beauty of Al Alto singing about winding up drunk in Spokane in a caribbean-sounding refrain on a weekend morning. Or the serenity of the soulful sounds of Tammy Frost during an evening commute after a long day at work. And I can also speak to the power of the first listen to local folksinger Meara Cat singing about a ‘Sign Of The Times’ while cooking dinner.
See, here’s the thing: There’s all this incredible music that’s currently being made (and has been for decades) almost silently in this town. A lot of people have no idea. While local radio stations KBRO and KITZ broadcast from the peninsula in the past, Kitsap has never had a radio station dedicated exclusively to local music.
A lot of which (especially the older stuff) you’d be hard pressed to hear recorded. Some of which you’d be lucky to even catch live. And some you might never have the chance at all. But now, there’s a new local internet radio station where you can click in and listen to anytime you want. Streaming free, 24/7.
It’s like a hybrid public radio/music station with exclusively local content. I got to sit down with station founders Landon Acohido and Kristen Ferguson at Hood Canal Brewery the other day. Landon said he’d been amassing and listening to a personal collection of so much great local music, he started to get the feeling, ‘why would I ever listen to anything else?’
So they built this thing. For the love of it. Featuring all local music and content, created in Kitsap. They’re currently streaming the station over wi-fi out of their garage in Kingston. Anyone can tap in at any time. Free. No major streaming platforms necessary. No ad breaks in the middle of songs. No algorithm interruptions. No social media feed. All you’ve got to do is type in the URL and click the play button.
‘Step out of the echo chamber (echo chamber) ((echo chamber)) (((echo chamber)))’ a promo for the station rings between songs. ‘Ditch the social media… Be part of the community… Step out of the fastlane…’ They call it The KLAM. Kitsap Local Arts & Music. Their tagline: ‘The Genre Is Local.’ Dig it?
The station debuted in April. Landon said they intentionally built the site from scratch themselves rather than join, or pay for, any other existing streaming platform. It’s a simple but effective one page website with the streaming media player at the top, showing what’s currently playing in the ever-expanding playlist, and a running open source list of listener comments below.
Landon is the son of a career journalist who wrote for many years for local and national publications. Kristen, an incredibly talented musician in her own right, is the daughter of local music legends. And while they are the curators, the station is open to anyone in Kitsap. And it runs on your creativity. There’s a link on the website where you can drop an audio file, as simple as a voice memo recorded from your phone, to be played on air. And it’s not just local music. There’s also local essays and poetry and interviews. Weather reports from ‘Your Neighbor Dave.’ Even ‘Mindfulness Tips’ with seven-year-old Ellis, which I enthusiastically recommend to anyone who will listen.
Pro-tip: Tune in during the late-night hours for the weird stuff. // BILL MAN
CHECK OUT THE KLAM at kingstonlocal.org and send your music, essays, poetry & news to: local@kingstonlocal.org
