In The Round

Meet Dreamthief, the five-piece heavy rock band out of Cedar Rapids blending doom, hardcore, and straight-up rock 'n' roll into jams. The band walks us through how they build songs together as a group, plus the story behind their new unreleased track, which involves a sample from Quentin Tarantino. We also get into their debut album "Disrupt the Flow of Everyday Life," the tight-knit Cedar Rapids scene that brought them all togethe...

This week we're joined by pure xtc, the Kansas City based electro alt-pop project fronted by Taylor Hughes alongside drummer Blaire Geenens. We talk about Taylor's move from the East Coast to the Midwest, how she got her start as a drummer years before she ever started songwriting, and the genuinely wild coincidence that brought her and Blaire together, right down to owning the exact same drum kit before they'd even met. They stopp...

Meet 28 Days Later, a four-piece indie rock band who throws out the genre rulebook entirely. Formed by high school friends in Norwalk, they blend folk, country, rock, jazz and whatever else feels right into one record, all held together by a sound and a friendship that's been building since they were teenagers. We talk about the band name everyone assumes is a movie reference (it's not), their evolution from home demos to a full-le...

Next up we have Sara Routh, a powerhouse singer and multi-instrumentalist. She writes poignant and emotional songs that tug at your heart strings, inspire healthy rage, and comfort you like a cup of tea. We talk about her journey into music, including a few different cities and countries, how she engages with the community, her hopes for the future, and so much more. Be sure to hang on at the end for a snippet of her heartbreaking ...

Make some room! We’ve got Jacob Lampman’s Ego Death up next. This 7-piece band includes a crew of wildly talented players fronted by Jacob Lampman, with instrumentation ranging from guitar to flute to mandolin creating a classic yet unique sound. We talk extensively about Jacob’s debut album, wild time signatures, their collaborative writing process, and their signature hot sauce line. Scooch over, it’s Jaco...

Our cheeks still hurt from laughing with our next guest, Salt Fox. This Iowa-based electronic indie pop trio had us in stitches about their longtime friendship, stories from the road, song inspiration (courtesy of a night spent in a tree), their gutter company and the music festival they started — Lost Woods — which is heading into its fourth year. Plus, hang on at the end to catch a snip of their brand new track, "Nice...

Not us totally geeking out because Jaguar Sun is our next guest! We got to talk to Chris about the genesis of this incredible project born out recordings from his bedroom, and we dig into his composition process, his album artwork (also produced by Chris), honoring family pets, life in Canada and much more. We're such fans and it was so fun to hang with our neighbors to the north! Meet Jaguar Sun.

In The Round is produced and recor...

Time to meet your new favorite band, Bad Self Portraits! Hailing from Omaha, this group has been bringing lush indie music to the Midwest and beyond. We talk about the journey from sheltered childhood to touring musician, inspirations (shout out Lake Street Dive!), Buccees infamous travel stops, their super collaborative writing process, and the emotional story behind the song “Windowsill” which they played live in stud...

We’re feeling oh-so lucky to introduce you to Clovers Daughter! Recently relocated to Minneapolis, we caught up with Noor & Navid about how they met, digging into their collaboration process from songwriting to production, how they created their latest EP remotely, lyrical themes, perfectionism, grinding through the content game, musical inspirations, their aspirations, and much, much more. Hear a snip of "The Sun" at the...

Meet Jeni Grouws! This bluesy rootsy guitar-playing singer-songwriter came by to update us on her recent transition to being a solo artist, including her move to Omaha and artist residency there, and her upcoming new album. We also talk about her start in playing music with Avey Grouws Band, her former career in radio, motherhood, dive bars, and a whole lot more. Stay tuned at the end for a taste of her song "Old Dive Bar" and head...

Straight outta the Chicago burbs we’ve got Iris Blue. We caught these indie rockers mid-tour and we talk about the lead singer’s night terrors, early musical influences, the sonic evolution of the band, how heartbreak led to the best roomie situation ever, and a lot about tour life featuring questionable green rooms and favorite road snacks (back by popular demand). Remember to hang on at the end to catch a snip of thei...

Welcoming our next guest James Tutson to the stage! James has been consistently putting out sweet & soulful tunes for over a decade, culminating in his latest album “Fool For You”. We talk about how he was raised in music & the church choir, artists that influenced him, favorite movie soundtracks, how he’s evolved from his soul folk sound, overcoming vocal setbacks, his experience on The Voice, stage prese...

We are excited to introduce you to our next guest, MJT! Hailing from Long Island, NY, we were fortunate to catch this trio of brothers David, Matt, & Jordan in the middle of tour, and they talked with us about their early start in music, how their jazz roots turned into the unique genre-defying sound they have today, overcoming challenges, and how they’ve propelled themselves into bigger opportunities. They ripped an abso...

The rumors are true…we have The Rumours in the house! AKA the Goilz, Carli & Ela, and their drummer Clint. We caught this kickass trio right as they were heading out on tour, and we dive in talking about how the goilz first met and started the band, how many of their songs were inspired by a few crazy stories (and crazy PEOPLE), how their tattoo talents cross over to their music lives, and about future plans for tour and...

Alright jaywalkers, put your hands up for TV Cop! We chatted with these power pop punks about their DIY recording process, the various iterations of the band (including a rogue trombone), their nostalgic vibes of the 90s & 2000s, a recent multi-state tour, and just generally not taking life too seriously. Catch a snippet of their song “Anyway” then visit our YouTube channel next week to jam out to full live performa...

This week meet ghostwives, AKA Maz! This vibey gothic folk artist chatted with us about their return to the Midwest and how coming home has bolstered their appetite to play live. Maz closed out 2025 with a new EP “Praying Mantis” and already has more new music in the works. We talk about duality and symbolism in their life and creative process, their side hustle in fashion, tattoos, Abe the Chihuahua, and more! Hear a b...

Introducing our next guest, the lovely & talented Patresa Hartman! Fresh off an album release in 2025, we brought her in to Trilix Studio to talk about the new record, “Wolf In A Lady Suit”, along with her previous work, her not-so-secret aversion to performing live, how Substack has become another outlet for expression, and about the wild collection of animals that have appeared in her life (including some that mak...

Next on In The Round is Edwin McCain, the talented South Carolinan singer-songwriter known for his late 90s hits “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not ask For More” – and more recently, his goofy TikTok videos. Edwin is still a touring machine, playing both his own gigs and opening for pals like Hootie & The Blowfish and Train, and he also released a new album in 2025 called “Lucky”. Edwin s...

It’s time to boogie with Katie and The Honky Tonks! This friendly crew of two-steppers are fresh off a win for Country Artist of the Year from the Iowa Music Awards and a new album released in 2025, so we had a lot to gab about. We get into how they came to be in this boot-scootin’ genre and are bringing back the punk energy, how they stay scrappy as a self-managed band, and how they’re riding the momentum from th...