Local Music

We were so happy to have Duncan perform this past Friday, July 13 at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center! If you were not able to attend, we will be posting the live concert recording as an episode of our Did You hear? podcast.

Kadesh Flow is an amazingly multifaceted artist whose creative drive seemingly has no end. Describing him as an "emcee, trombonist and producer" only scratches the surface. He not only has performed in support for artists such as Janelle Monae, Dave East, The Revivalists and Tech N9ne, he is an avid reader and member of the NPC (Nerdy People of Color) Collective, a "community for underrepresented nerd enthusiasts." Enjoy our interview with Kadesh Flow about these subjects, how gaming and anime have influenced his music, and much more.

True Lions is something of a Kansas City supergroup comprised of some of Kansas City's most talented songwriters and musicians. Spearheaded by founding members Alison Hawkins and Mikala Petillo and recently expanded to include Elizabeth Kosko on drums and Claire Adams on guitar/bass, True Lions recalls 90s classic lo-fi indie pop with songs that are full of hooks, harmonies and other sonic surprises.

Heads or Heads is the musical brainchild of 22 year-old Alex Harbolt, who describes his project as "simultaneously avant-garde and easy-listening." Harbolt is also an actor, filmmaker and writer, seeing the intersection of these practices as something "to be ingested as nothing more than a part of the story that is being told; I don't want anything to feel out of place or not within the vision." His new album, Low Angles, due in April, was inspired by his first-ever trip to Los Angeles.

Joshua Merello is a self-taught musician whose solo acoustic guitar music represents "a reflection of my own state of mind: the depression and anxiety that most of us tend to deal with, and the joy of living that comes from growing beyond a mental illness." With his first album, Equilibrium, Merello creates contemplative music for chaotic times. It is a pleasure to share an interview with Joshua Merello about his musical background, touring and creative process.

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B. Wize is Larry Guidry, Jr., Kansas City-based hip-hop artist, speaker and mental health advocate. As an artist, B. Wize's music is inspired by everyone from Eminem to Otis Redding to Luciano Pavarotti. As co-founder of The College Takeover Tour, B. Wize's mission is to "promote suicide awareness and stop the stigma of mental illness" through outreach to college campuses. Enjoy our interview with the artist about all these different aspects of his work and more.

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Oxford Remedy is a band that seems destined for greater things. Comprised of sisters Kate and Grace McKown and Sydney Aldridge, the band -- all teenagers -- makes the kind of indie-rock that wouldn't have been out place blasting out of car stereos in the mid-90s. While the band members are hard at work at school, they are finding the time to record and release an upcoming EP. We are fortunate to share an exclusive interview with the band about their creative process, book, movie and music recommendations and other things.

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Belle and the Vertigo Waves is an indie rock band from Kansas City. Led by Belle Loux, the songs on the band's first album, Aligned and their newest song "Fear or Faith", come from some of the darkest --yet most resilient--corners of her personal life. In her words, the origins of "Fear or Faith" came "while taking inventory of my life, that question played on repeat in my mind. Do I genuinely believe in and have faith in these things in my life, or am I just holding onto them out of the place of fear.