Essential Tremors
WUOT-FM 91.9 Knoxville
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About This Podcast
A show in which musicians and other creators talk about the songs that shaped who they are. Produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner.
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Recent Episodes
Shahzad Ismaily (w/guest host Fred Frith) (Live at Big Ears 2026)
To try to list all the projects, both solo and group, that Shahzad Ismaily has been a part of would take much more time than we have available, even in this notoriously long-winded medium. Instead,…
Kramer (Big Ears Festival performer)
For most of his career, Bonner Kramer has been known in underground music circles by only his surname, as his imprint has been deep and wide enough that only that sobriquet has been necessary.…
Mary Lattimore (Big Ears Festival performer)
A harpist since childhood–as well as the daughter of one–Mary Lattimore’s choice of instrument reveals the simple beauty it contains, transcending the stereotype of it being strictly for use in…
Joe Boyd (Big Ears Festival participant)
Listing Joe Boyd’s most significant accomplishments as a producer, label owner, and music historian is a tall order. A short list of artists he’s worked with includes Nick Drake (heard here), Pink…
Tara Clerkin Trio (Big Ears Festival performer)
Bristol, UK’s Tara Clerkin Trio first came to our attention last year when they received an invitation from the Big Ears Festival to play its 2025 edition, and, upon listening to their 2023 EP On the…
The Beths
While to the casual observer it might seem as if New Zealand’s The Beths appeared seemingly out of nowhere in or around the summer of 2023, they’ve in fact been making their extremely catchy brand of…
Lucrecia Dalt (Big Ears Festival Performer)
Colombia-born singer and musician Lucrecia Dalt began her musical career seemingly suddenly, at least when observed from a distance as a simple biographical factoid: as a civil engineer, she worked…
Melvin Gibbs (Big Ears Festival Performer)
Bassist Melvin Gibbs has played on many seminal records you’re very familiar with, and likely many you aren’t, almost 200 in total. Some of his better-known work includes playing with drummer Ronald…
Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo)
Through his work in Uncle Tupelo and Wilco, Jeff Tweedy has played a significant role in the shaping of Americana and alternative rock since the early 90’s. The title of Uncle Tupelo’s highly…
Adrian Sherwood (Big Ears Festival performer)
Adrian Sherwood is known for his work as a producer, and while that term brings to mind those who simply put their often-subtle imprint on the recordings in which they’re involved, Sherwood’s…
Brian Weitz (Geologist of Animal Collective)
Brian Weitz, better known as Geologist from Animal Collective, is, like the other members of that band, a voracious listener of music from a huge span of eras, cultures, and geographical locations.…
Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean & Britta)
As a founding member and lead singer of Galaxie 500, it could be said Dean Wareham was present at the Big Bang of American indie/alternative/college rock in the 80’s. The band spawned both a large…
Ian Lynch (Lankum) (Live at Big Ears Festival)
Born and bred in Dublin, Ireland, Ian Lynch is a founding member of traditional Irish cum modernist folk band Lankum. A passionate player and supporter–as well as a keen historian–of traditional…
Victoria Shen (Live at Big Ears Festival)
Victoria Shen (also known by her performance alias Evicshen) is a San Francisco–based sound artist, experimental music performer, and instrument-maker whose work blends tactile audioworks with…
Jenny Hval
A Norwegian musician, novelist, and interdisciplinary artist whose work defies easy categorization, Jenny Hval has built a reputation for music that blends experimental pop, spoken word, noise, and…
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has built a rich solo sideline as a soundtrack composer and collaborator with other artists. In this episode, he discusses how pieces by Abdel Halim Hafez,…
William Tyler (Live at Big Ears Festival 2025)
William Tyler is an American guitarist and composer known for his unique blend of fingerstyle guitar, ambient, and post-rock influences. Hailing from Nashville, Tyler's music weaves intricate,…
Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
Keyboardist, songwriter, and founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Benmont Tench has been a cornerstone of one of the most beloved and commercially successful rock bands of the last four…
Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux)
Haley Fohr, who performs as Circuit des Yeux, is known for her hauntingly powerful voice and immersive, genre-defying sound. As Pitchfork put it, her voice is “a force of nature” that “pulses with…
Colin Greenwood (Radiohead, Nick Cave)
As a member of Radiohead since its inception over 30 years ago, Colin Greenwood’s contributions to the group, both through his bass playing and songwriting, have helped them reach ever-higher levels…
Frequently Asked Questions
Essential Tremors has published 100 episodes since January 2020, covering topics in Arts, Music.
Essential Tremors is currently active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 35m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Essential Tremors, including email and social media links.
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