Laurel graced by the studio this week to talk about life, music, and her Airstream trailer.  Seriously – ask her about it.  It’s a pretty cool story.

Laurel splits her time between Portland and Bend, has a great album House of Snow (produced by Portland Cello Project’s Douglas Jenkins) out last year, and is playing a around Portland right now; check her out this Wednesday at the Laurelthirst Public House.

We talked about her songwriting, her advocacy surrounding the North Pacific Gyre, and her life’s adventures.  You’ll also be able to hear songs off of her House of Snow album: clips of Doldrums and Puppy Love, and a full track – Anywhere – in the middle of the interview.

Check out Laurel at www.laurelbrauns.com

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We talked with soul/pop singer and pianist Nicole Berke about her upcoming album, her musical upbringing, and moving to Portland from the East Coast.  Josh Lava, the drummer in Nicole’s band, also joins us for the interview.

Listen to Nicole’s song “Subconscious Heart” from her unreleased and yet-to-be-named album on this episode.

Some highlights:

– Nicole reveals the words to one of the first songs she wrote (its about a fish!)

– Nicole and Josh discuss the process of making the new album

– We talk about the differences between East Coast and West Coast music cultures

– Nicole explains the meaning behind the word “Frondescence,” the title of her EP

– We discuss the songwriting process

Also on this episode you’ll hear clips from two songs on the Frondescence EP, “Come On” and the title track “Frondescence.”

For more on Nicole Berke, visit her website: http://nicoleberkemusic.com/.

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