FUV Live Sessions

Harlee Case and Josh Smith who make music as New Constellations sat down with WFUV host Sam Sumpter to talk about their 2026 album, It Comes in Waves, how far they’ve come as a duo since they started making music together as teenagers, their continued exploration of their sonic identity and how important it is to soak up this early part of their success as they come to the realization that their dreams are coming true.

Songs: Hot Blooded, I Disappear and Dandelion

Singer, songwriter and musician Annabelle Dinda sat down with WFUV’s Director of Audio, Meghan Suma, at The Bitter End in New York City to talk about her 2026 album, Some Things Never Leave, how her passion for poetry influences her songwriting, her surprising and unexpected love of touring, and the importance of making every word in every song matter.

Songs: Satellites, Learn Something, Baby! and The Hand

Get tickets to WFUV’s upcoming event: An Evening With Devon Gilfillian and SNACKTIME with special guest Danielle Ponder. Tickets for the concert on 11/11 at Sony Hall in NYC are on sale now at wfuv.org and eventbrite.com. Proceeds benefit WFUV!

Liam Duncan – who makes music as Boy Golden – joined WFUV host Benham Jones in The Bronx to talk about his latest album, Best of Our Possible Lives, how stepping away from producing this project freed him up to focus on the musicianship, what it was like to work with high caliber session musicians on this record, and why the Winnipeg music scene is so special.

Songs: New Orleans, Like a Child and Best of Our Possible Lives

Singer, songwriter and musician Jilian Medford who makes music as IAN SWEET joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about her latest album, Shiverstruck, how her time living in New York City influenced this project, how this record became a “love letter to bad decisions” and how putting yourself out there authentically can help improve an artist’s confidence.

Songs: Criminal Kissing, Jilian and Silver Screen

*VOTE FOR OUR SHOW* FUV Live Sessions is a 2026 Signal Awards Finalist! That means we’re also eligible for a Listener’s Choice Award. If you like what we do, head to vote.signalaward.com, search for FUV Live Sessions, and vote for our show!

WFUV host Sam Sumpter met up with Nick Carpenter – who makes music as Medium Build – at Chelsea Studios to talk about his latest album, King of Having Fun, the parallels between organized religion and the music industry, how difficult it can be to get what you want, and why it’s so important for us all to try and tap into childlike play without fear of judgment.

Songs: Last Time, In My Gut and King of Having Fun

Atlanta-based singer and songwriter, KELS, joined WFUV host Kara Manning in Studio-A to talk about her latest EP, Dirty Blues Princess, the perseverance it requires to play the long game in the music industry, how virality can jumpstart a career in-process, and how important it is for specific songs to find their niche audiences to build up a grassroots fan base.

Songs: Gone, Call Me and 6ft Under

Helado Negro and Reyna Tropical joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in the Bronx to talk about their self-titled collaboration album, Helado Tropical, how a blind artist date turned into a beautiful friendship, how their different artistic styles complement each other, and their hope that this album inspires listeners to live in the present moment with one another.

Songs: Tocando, Sensación and Soledad

Chilean singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rubio joined Executive Producer Meghan Suma in Studio-A to talk about Rubio’s latest album, Espero podamos ver un ovni juntxs, how she developed this solo project after playing the drums as a session musician and in other bands, her love of all things otherworldly and non-human like extraterrestrials, plants, animals and nature, and how this project has created its own world in lieu of fitting into a specific genre.

Songs: Techno y La Especie, Cosmo and Voy Creciendo

Country-inspired indie-folk singer-songwriter, Andrew Sa, joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about his debut album, American Rough, how his musical influences helped weave his multi-genre tapestry, the value in vulnerability and how infectious being vulnerable can be, and his late mentor Patrick Haggerty, the first openly gay country singer, who inspired so much of his journey.

Songs: Under You, Your Whisper and Lavender Cowboy

Brian Fallon – frontman of The Gaslight Anthem – joined WFUV’s Director of Music Programming Russ Borris in Studio-A to talk about his latest solo record, Not Bad for New Jersey, how the songs he writes wind up either on solo projects or full band projects, how essential it is for people to embrace their individuality and write songs from that place, and why it’s such a great time to be listening to music right now.

Songs: Not Bad for New Jersey, Better Before and Here’s Looking at You, Kid

Irish singer, songwriter and musician Dove Ellis joined WFUV host Alisa Ali in Studio-A to talk about his debut album, Blizzard, how independently releasing music on Bandcamp turned into opening for Geese on their U.S. tour, his musical influences like Prince and Gillian Welch, and why his love for the saxophone runs deep even though his instruments of choice are piano and guitar.

Songs: “Feathers, Cash” “To The Sandals” and “Nest Among Stars”

Brandon Flowers – the frontman of The Killers – sat down with WFUV’s Director of Music Programming, Russ Borris, to talk about his new solo album, Thrasher, how country music is woven into the fabric of his life, his love of Las Vegas and how deeply it influenced this project, and how special it was to record live in the studio with some of the most esteemed musicians to make music.

The live performances you heard in this episode were recorded at RCA Studio A in Nashville.

Full Songs: Paradise and Plans

Seattle-based band, Telehealth, joined FUV host Sam Sumpter at WFUV to talk about their album, Green World Image, why it was important to curate an entire world that revolves around this project, the struggles of being a modern musician navigating today’s “chronically online” cultural landscape, and how art always finds a way.

Songs: Age of Muralcide, Cool Job and Kokomo 2

Niko Kapetan of the Chicago-born band, Friko, joined WFUV host Sam Sumpter in Studio-A to talk about the group’s latest album, Something Worth Waiting For, how this transit-themed project came to fruition while on tour, what it was like to work with the Steve Albini trained producer, John Congleton, and the magical moments that came out of this recording process.

Songs: Seven Degrees, Choo Choo and Certainty

Paul from St. Paul & The Broken Bones sat down with FUV host Sam Sumpter in the greenroom ahead of the band’s sold-out Brooklyn Paramount show in April to talk about their recent self-titled album, the importance of life’s simple pleasures, how the band has evolved since achieving their original goals, and live music as a spiritual journey. The live music in this episode is courtesy of Brooklyn Paramount in New York City. Photo courtesy of Q Prime.

Songs: Sushi & Coca-Cola, Fall Moon and Ooo-Wee

Singer, songwriter and musician José González made his way back to WFUV to play a live set and talked to FUV host Alisa Ali about his latest album, Against The Dying Of The Light, how his background in scientific research influences his musical exploration, the nuances of AI and where it can be most useful, and how he navigates songwriting in Swedish, Spanish and English.

Songs: Against The Dying Of The Light, Joy (Can’t Help But Sing) and Etyd

Young The Giant sat down with WFUV host Sam Sumpter after playing a live set in Studio-A to talk about their latest album, Victory Garden, how the band has evolved and taken on more production responsibilities over the past 15 years, the value of writing retreats to flesh out ideas as a group, and how the title for this album originated during an intimate conversation under the stars right before the band finished the record.

Song: Ships Passing, Different Kind Of Love and Mind Over Matter

Ben Gibbard of both Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service talked to WFUV host Alisa Ali about Death Cab’s latest album, I Built You A Tower, what it was like to pull off a combined Death Cab-Postal Service tour post-pandemic, how his songwriting process has evolved as recording technology has changed, and how the band whittled down 90 potential songs into what you hear on this new album.

The live songs you heard in this episode were performed by Death Cab for Cutie at Studio Litho in Seattle, mixed by Jason McGerr, and engineered by Jon Roberts. Photo by Ryan Thrower.

Songs: Full of Stars, Pep Talk and Stone Over Water

Chicago-based band, Ratboys, joined midday host Alisa Ali at WFUV to talk about their latest album, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, how they fashioned both a genre-fluid and cohesive record from this collection of songs, their mission to dispel any negative myths about Ringo Starr, and how a therapy session inspired the title for this album.

Songs: Anywhere, Penny in the Lake and What’s Right?

Australian singer, songwriter and musician Courtney Barnett played an exclusive show for WFUV at The Bitter End in New York City and sat down with FUV host Alisa Ali after the show to talk about her latest album, Creature of Habit, her songwriting process, what it was like to be the subject of a documentary, and how a picture of a praying mantis helped her finish the song that pulled the entire project together.

Songs: Site Unseen, Mantis and One Thing At A Time