DJ Mick writesShelter in Sound With CHIRP Radio!

Miss live music? Miss going to shows? Miss regular updates and interviews from your favorite artist? Us too.

The Shelter in Place order issued by Governor Pritzker in March hit the Chicago music scene hard. Like elsewhere in the world, artists and entertainment workers have been forced to cancel tours, live performances, and suspend operations. Whie we've all had to hunker down until further notice, the media cycle spins in a cyclone around us.

Lucky for us, local musicians have continued to make art, while local venues have taken steps to support their employees and the scene while shuttered. To help showcase the efforts of some of our favorite artists and venues, the CHIRP Features team has created a new series as part of our Artist Interview Program called Shelter in Sound.

In this limited series, we remotely connect with local (and some national), artists, tastemakers, and industry supporters, as they find creative ways to cope with the new realities of living through an era-defining event.

We’re talking to folx who have taken a particularly creative approach to connection and creating while sheltering in place. Sure, there is the exciting opportunity to see a musician perform in their home via facebook live, but there is more happening. There are artists taking it a step further orchestrating digital tours using drones to film themselves performing.

There are artists using the “live” option to give back to their communities in interesting ways. There are artists releasing new music and changing the way the industry functions as a result. There are venues that are facing this head on finding ways to support themselves, their staff, and the artists and tastemakers they host. You’ll hear proof that the new challenges of a pandemic offers opportunities for novel solutions.

Shelter in Sound will run on-air at 107.1FM Tuesdays at 7:12am, Wednesdays at 9:12pm, and Fridays at 1:12pm. You can also listen on-demand at chirpradio.org/podcasts. There will be a new episode premiering each week through June, featuring CHIRP Features Directors in conversation with Julia of Ratboys, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Andy Weber of Smashed Plastic, and many more.

Check out our first episode, with Features Co-Director Jessi D speaking with local RnB artist Jordanna.

Stay safe, stay indoors, and join CHIRP as we Shelter in Sound!