Β© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
🎧 Help keep the Spring Membership Drive short! Support the Buy-Back Campaign today before the Friday, March 29th deadline. Tap here to donate πŸ’–

From Love To Murder To UFOs, A Dark 'Serenade' To Kansas

Chuck Mead's new album, <em>Free State Serenade</em>, is all about his home state of Kansas.
Courtesy of the artist
Chuck Mead's new album, Free State Serenade, is all about his home state of Kansas.

"Nashville is where you go to make country music," Chuck Mead says. "There's a certain song vibration down here. There's a whole songwriting culture and playing culture that really doesn't exist outside of New York, or Los Angeles or Chicago."

Mead arrived in Nashville 20 years ago and fit right in: He co-founded the Grammy-nominated alt-country group BR549, and has made his name as a singer, songwriter and musician in his own right. His latest album, however, is all about his home state of Kansas. It's called Free State Serenade, and it includes true stories of love, murder, and β€” Mead swears β€” UFOs on the high plains, from a perspective the artist could never have captured had he stayed home. He calls the music "Kansas noir." Hear the full story at the audio link.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Frank Morris has supervised the reporters in KCUR's newsroom since 1999. In addition to his managerial duties, Morris files regularly with National Public Radio. He’s covered everything from tornadoes to tax law for the network, in stories spanning eight states. His work has won dozens of awards, including four national Public Radio News Directors awards (PRNDIs) and several regional Edward R. Murrow awards. In 2012 he was honored to be named "Journalist of the Year" by the Heart of America Press Club.