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Artwork for Soundcheck

Soundcheck

WNYC Studios
Jazz
New York
Music
Ambient Music
New York Guitar Festival
New York City
Horsegirl
Electronic Music
Blues
Classical Music
Phonetics On and On
New Sounds
WNYC
Songwriting
R&B
Rodney Crowell
Amelia Earhart
Gadabout Season
Folk Music
NYU

WNYC, New York Public Radio, brings you Soundcheck, the arts and culture program hosted by John Schaefer, who engages guests and listeners in lively, inquisitive conversations with established and rising figures in New York City's creative arts scene. Guests come from all disciplines, including pop, indie rock, jazz, urban, world and classical music, technology, cultural affairs, TV and film. Rece... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes330Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Performing ArtsArtsMusicMusic Interviews

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Artwork for Soundcheck

Latest Episodes

There are many folk singer-songwriters out there, but not all concern themselves with folklore. Dom Flemons does. A modern-day troubadour, Flemons breathes new life into old-time music, often accompanying himself with a banjo or guitar. Listening to ... more

Grace Cummings is a contemporary Australian musician whose songs often have the big, technicolor sound of the 1960’s. But the featured sound is always her striking voice – as we’ll hear when she plays solo in our studio. Her latest album, Bloodhorse!... more

New York-based Rasputina, the steampunk cello-rock outfit led by Melora Creager, draws lyrical inspiration from history and the headlines. What began as an ad seeking women for an electric cello choir became a touring electro-chamber outfit known for... more

Juana Molina began her professional career not as a musician, but as an actress – and a fairly successful one at that. In her home country of Argentina, she gained popularity as a sketch comedy star, even getting her own television show in the 90s. F... more

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Recent Guests

Allison Russell
Montreal-born Americana and folk singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of The Rainbow Coalition.
The Rainbow Coalition
Episode: Americana/Folk Songwriter Allison Russell Celebrates Her Unyielding Joy with The Rainbow Coalition, In-Studio
Ruthie Foster
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist, and 10-time Blues Music Awards winner.
Episode: Guitarist and Singer Ruthie Foster Shares Her Genuinely Soulful Brand of Folk Blues, In-Studio
Kristen Weber
Ghost Hounds fiddler with a background in bluegrass.
Ghost Hounds
Episode: Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Joe Monroe
Pianist and longtime Ghost Hounds member.
Ghost Hounds
Episode: Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Sydney Driver
Ghost Hounds drummer.
Ghost Hounds
Episode: Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Eli Paperboy Reed
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for soul, R&B, rock and roll, and country music.
Episode: Raw and Punchy Soul From Brooklyn-Based Eli Paperboy Reed, In-Studio
Ben Mathias
Lead guitarist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter for The Royston Club.
The Royston Club
Episode: Welsh Indie Rock Band The Royston Club Bare Their Emotions, In-Studio
Tom Faithful
Lead vocalist and guitarist for The Royston Club.
The Royston Club
Episode: Welsh Indie Rock Band The Royston Club Bare Their Emotions, In-Studio
Dave Toot
Bassist and backing vocalist for The Royston Club.
The Royston Club
Episode: Welsh Indie Rock Band The Royston Club Bare Their Emotions, In-Studio

Host

John Schaefer
Arts and culture host at WNYC, covering music and the creative arts.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 187 ratings
  • A wonderful slice of culture

    Discovered the pod through searching Pierre Bensusan and delighted to find this performance from the guitar festival. Will be working my way through many other episodes. Great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Den Of Bears
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Always inspiring!

    I find so many fabulous music here . Years of fabulous!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ririco007
    Francea year ago
  • Fantastic

    Love the music and the enlightening interviews in between!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Seton Notes
    United States2 years ago
  • Some good finds, but the fact the hosts says "brings his/her band back..." shows the major limitations and narrowness explored...just like All Songs did. Lots of "meh"

    Podcast Addict
    3
    Steve Johnson
    2 years ago
  • Find new favorites here

    I love this wide ranging show and the contribution it makes to my ongoing music explorations. John and his team obviously love what they do, and the artists sound happy to be there.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JLSpring
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the variety of musical styles and the attention to artists' influences, histories and creative ideas.
The mix of live performances and conversation helps listeners discover new artists across a wide range of genres.
Listeners value Schaefer's musical knowledge and thoughtful questions, describing the interviews as informed without feeling stiff.
Some listeners prefer deeper music-history discussions and find the focus on newer artists or live sessions less compelling.
A few listeners report that segmented episode downloads can be inconvenient.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Raw and Punchy Soul From Brooklyn-Based Eli Paperboy Reed, In-Studio
Q: So what do you do?
Reed says he learned from Roscoe Robinson to avoid pushing too hard early in a performance, conserve energy, protect his voice, and use dynamics.
Raw and Punchy Soul From Brooklyn-Based Eli Paperboy Reed, In-Studio
Q: There are lots of albums about falling in love, and almost as many breakup albums. Getting There is neither of those.
Reed says the album focuses on maintaining a relationship, a less immediate and less easily quantified subject that people experience in everyday life.
Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Q: How did you get roped into this band, which had been recording for a couple of years before you joined?
Savant recounts performing at a difficult final show before moving to Denver. A former Ghost Hounds singer was in the audience and recommended him to the band, who brought him to Pittsburgh on January 1, 2024.
Best of Soundcheck: Everlast, Ghost Hounds
Q: The way the whole album started to come together was, it was like a decade of crazy, like first of all, COVID, then I just started, I got used to being home with my daughters, who were at the time, what, five and eight? And then, but during the process, lost a house and a fire, the Woolsey fire, the big one before, the last Palisades fire, wound up divorced, lifelifed.
Everlast says the album grew out of years of major changes, including the pandemic, losing his home in the Woolsey fire, and his divorce. He later asked Yelawolf to produce the record and traveled to make it.
Guitarist and Singer Ruthie Foster Shares Her Genuinely Soulful Brand of Folk Blues, In-Studio
Q: Is that something you still have to deal with as a multiple blues award winner, as a Grammy winner?
Foster says self-doubt still arises, but therapy helped her understand that much of what she was experiencing was an identity shift as her music and voice changed over time.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Soundcheck

What is Soundcheck about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Conversations with musicians and other creative figures explore how songs and albums take shape, the experiences behind them, and the traditions and influences that inform their work. Host John Schaefer pairs thoughtful interviews with live studio performances, and occasional festival sessions and best-of editions bring together artists from across contemporary and traditional music.

The range spans folk, soul, blues, indie rock, jazz, global music, classical and experimental sounds. Guests include emerging acts as well as established performers, songwriters and instrumentalists, who discuss their creative process, musical histories and current projects. The combination of live playing and informed conversation makes this a strong fit for ... more

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How many subscribers and views does Soundcheck have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Soundcheck has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Soundcheck?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Soundcheck:

1. World Cafe Words and Music Podcast
2. Fresh Air
3. Song Exploder
4. On the Media
5. NPR Music

How many episodes of Soundcheck are there?

Soundcheck launched 21 years ago and published 330 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Soundcheck?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Soundcheck?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Soundcheck from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Soundcheck. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Soundcheck?

Recent guests on Soundcheck include:

1. Allison Russell
2. Ruthie Foster
3. Kristen Weber
4. Joe Monroe
5. Sydney Driver
6. Eli Paperboy Reed
7. Ben Mathias
8. Tom Faithful

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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