On February 27th 2023 Ben Kweller received the worst phone call imaginable. His 16 year old son Dorian had died in a car accident. An oncoming truck had veered into Dorian’s lane and a downed tree had gone through his windscreen as he swerved over. Dorian himself was a budding musician, releasing music under the name Zev, and had been due to tour w…

Tom Sheehan was born in Camberwell, South London. He was an in-house photographer for CBS Records in the 70s, and went on to be the chief photographer for Melody Maker. He enjoyed long-term working relationships with the likes of REM, The Cure, Manic Street Preachers, and Oasis, the subject of a new book of Tom’s work entitled “Roll With It: Oasis …

In this episode, we catch up with 1984 grad Lea Blackwell Favor. Lea won eight letters in soccer, tennis and basketball while at Edina High School and led the Hornets to a state Class AA runner-up finish in basketball her junior year. After Katie shares her fangirl moment, we talk to Lea about her experiences growing up in Edina, her college years …

Troy Stein is the Assistant Principal in charge of Activities and Athletics at Edina High School. Troy has led the EHS athletic department for 12 years overseeing 34 varsity sports and numerous other independent and intramural opportunities for students. He started his career in education as a math teacher and coach in Edina and, after a brief deto…

Nels Cline was born in California in January 1956. He started played guitar at the age of 12 and his early career is fairly jazz-based, before stretching into other directions. He has played guitar for Wilco, one of my favourite bands in the world, since 2004. He has a new solo album out on Blue Note Records entitled “Consentrik Quartet”, featuring…

A 1996 graduate of Edina High School, Katie (Ryerse) Aafedt excelled in soccer in both high school and college at Gustavus Adolphus. As Edina High School Girls' Soccer Coach for 11 years, Katie led the Hornets to a state championship in 2023. In this episode, recorded as part of the Hornet Buzz podcast in June of 2024, Katie shares her experience g…

A 2022 Edina High School graduate, where she was a team captain in basketball and soccer, Dorothy (Dottie) went on to play basketball at the Coast Guard Academy. Dorothy is experiencing quite a bit of success in basketball at the academy. In January, she became only the 12th player in Bears women’s basketball history to break the 1,000 point scorin…

Wolfgang Flür was born in Frankfurt in 1947 but moved to Düsseldorf in the early ‘50s, which has been home ever since. As a young man he played in the band The Sprits Of Sound, and studied to be an architect, hoping to get into interior design. Wolfgang joined Kraftwerk in 1973 and plays on one of the most remarkable album runs in pop music history…

A 2018 Edina High School graduate who played both football and basketball for the Hornets, Luke Glenna went on to the University of St. Thomas where he became the first ever Tommie Division I All-American football player in 2022. Luke is entering his 3rd season in the European League of Football and has signed a contract with the Nordic Storm based…

Wendy James is tied up with some of my earlier memories of music. She fronted the band Transvision Vamp, who were hard to ignore in the late 80s. Songs like “I Want Your Love” and “Baby I Don’t Care” were pretty big hits over here. Transvision Vamp split in the early 90s and since then Wendy has persuaded various solo projects. Interestingly her fi…

This week we talk to Hilary Lunke about her youth sports experience and how she got into golf and made a career out of it. The Star Tribune 1997 Metro Scholar Athlete of the Year, Hilary shares her experiences at both EHS and being recruited to Stanford University. She also talks us through, in great detail, her experience winning the LPGA Women's …

Pat Arnold has had quite a life. Born in 1946 she grew up in LA, and was in an abusive marriage with two kids while still a teenager. In 1965 she got a chance to audition for Ike and Tina Turner’s band as an “Ikette”. She got the gig and left her children in the care of her parents. This eventually took her to London where she fell into the orbit o…

Paul Nitz is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Edina High School. A five time Paralympian, Paul won 5 medals (4-gold, 1-bronze) in track. Paul shares with us his experience as a student and athlete in Edina and how his athletic experience evolved from basketball to track and ultimately to his competing in the Paralympics. Paul al…

Nadia Reid is a singer-songwriter born and raised in New Zealand, before recently relocating to Manchester. She’s just released her fourth album “Enter Now Brightness”. We take a deep dive into the album, and our conversation ends up encompassing motherhood, relocation, generational trauma, faith; it goes to some deep places. I really hope you enjo…

This week we were fortunate to talk with Jeannette Cluskey Vickman, EHS Class of '00 and back to back State Class AA Singles Tennis Champion in 1998 and 1999. Jeannette went on to play college tennis at the University of Richmond and the University of Minnesota. She shares with us her experiences developing her tennis game and how they continue to …

As we expand our reach to persons who have become fixtures in the community but are not EHS alums, a great person to start with is Dave Dickey, the "Voice of Edina." Dave has been a public address announcer for EHS sports teams for 25 years. While his main focus lately has been football and basketball, Dave has called numerous other EHS sporting ev…

You know how every now and then, an album comes along that just gets into your bones, and it’s hard to describe just how grateful you are it exists? (If you don’t know that feeling, I’m sorry, but keep searching for it). Tamara Lindeman working as The Weather Station has make two such records I feel that way about; 2019’s “Ignorance” and 2025’s “Hu…

From Athens, Greece, where he is playing basketball professionally, Anders Nelson EHS '18 shares his favorite memories of youth sports, especially basketball in Edina. One of the top scorers in the history of Edina HS basketball, Anders went on to Unversity of St. Thomas where he participated in the transition from a Division III basketball program…

Coming off a remarkable first year of soccer at the University of Notre Dame, where she was named ACC Freshman of the Year, Izzy Engle, EHS '24, talks to us about her experience as a young athlete growing up in Edina and the challenges of playing soccer at the collegiate level. Izzy also shares with us the pressures of growing up around the corner …

I first heard The National 17 years ago this month I think, and I fell in love instantly. They’ve continued to be one of my favourite bands, and it’s been great to see them ascend to new heights of popularity and pursue interesting creative directions in the band and outside. Guitarist Aaron Dessner is now a key producer and co-writer for the likes…

Join us for our conversation with Drew Johnson EHS '10 as we talk to him about his incredible swimming career both at Edina High School and The University of Minnesota. Drew shares his perspective on the EHS swim program under the leadership of the legendary Art Downey and and an appreciation for some of the people who made his experience in Edina …

It’s a busy one. My guests this episode are Sunderland’s David and Peter Brewis, known collectively as Field Music, and Walter Schreifels of New York post-hardcore rockers Rival Schools. You may remember David Brewis from Field Music has been on the podcast before. I’ve been a fan of the band since 2007’s magnificent “Tones Of Town” album. Dependin…

So, actually quite a personal episode for me this week. When I was 16 years old I started a media GNVQ at a local college, and during the first year there was a week allocated for work experience, so around June 2000 I spent a week working at Uncut magazine. My babysitter for that week was Michael Bonner, who in 2018 officially became the magazine’…

Phil Manzanera has had a remarkable life. Best known as the lead guitarist in Roxy Music, he’s also worked as a writer, producer and/or performer with the likes of David Gilmour, Steve Winwood, Nico, Brian Eno and many more. He’s just released a mammoth box set of his solo work which dates back to 1975’s “Diamond Head” album. The box, entitled “50 …

Released on the 9th June 1978, “Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds” went on to sell an estimated 15 million copies. As you likely know, the album features an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi story, narrated by actor Richard Burton set to music, with vocal performances from the likes of David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Ly…

The last time Genesis keyboard player extraordinaire Tony Banks came on the show was a few years ago, and we discussed a box set of his solo albums. Since then there has been a final Genesis tour, “The Last Domino?”, which I got to see the opening and closing nights of, and Tony now has a new boxset compiling his three classical albums “7”, “6”, an…

Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter from Ireland, and after a 10 year gap she is about to release her 7th album “Blind Faith” and, spoiler alert, it’s really, really good. We discuss the album’s long gestation, balancing motherhood and creativity, and I was also keen to dig into her debut album, the Dave Friedman produced “Night On My Side” from 200…

Steve Howe is a guitarist best known for his work with Yes, who of course are a cornerstone of progressive rock. The albums “Close To The Edge”, “Fragile”, and “The Yes Album” are essential listening, as far as I’m concerned. Steve had a period of time out of Yes in the 80s and early 90s but had success with another band, Asia, before rejoining Yes…

What to say about REM? It might actually be hard for teenagers today, or even 20-somethings, to appreciate how big R.E.M. were in the 90s. For a while, even when they were reinventing themselves, or tackling themes not especially conducive to pop hits, they just seemed to keep getting bigger. They signed the most expensive record deal in history in…

Steve Wynn is a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, a key band in the so-called Paisley Underground scene of the early 1980’s. Their debut album “The Days Of Wine And Roses” was recorded in three overnight sessions and released in 1982. It’s one of the great indie-rock touchstones and a phenomenal debut. The band had high-profile support slots …

Paul Carrack is a singer, songwriter, and musician, and he’s heading out on tour in celebration of the 50th anniversary of classic song “How Long”, a hit he had with his band Ace. Paul has had an incredibly varied career since then. He was a member of Squeeze replacing Jools Holland on keyboards, and playing on their much-loved album “East Side Sto…

Bill Oakley, along with his best friend and writing partner Josh Weinstein, wrote various episodes of The Simpsons during it’s glory days including “Marge Gets A Job”, “Bart vs Australia”, and the legendary 2-part season-straddling “Who Shot Mr Burns”, and they were appointed executive producers and showrunners for the 7th and 8th seasons of the sh…

It’s been five years! Yes, it’s 5th anniversary extravaganza episode of Sending Signals! I’m delighted that Dan Wilson agreed to come back on for a catch-up. He’s one of my favourite ever guests on the show and he didn’t disappoint. We talk about his recent Grammy win, the role of embarrassment in songwriter, as well as the story behind the Semison…

Would you like some toast? Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast X: @signalspodcastBy Matt Royal

Putting last week behind us, this was genuinely one of my favourite conversations I’ve had for the show. Like many, I was first aware of Isobel as member of Scottish indie band Belle and Sebastian. I found her such a compelling figure. She looked like she had stepped out of a French new wave movie. She was a cello player in an indie rock band. And …

Chris Difford is having a very busy year. There’s a new Squeeze album in the works, they are supporting Heart on their forthcoming arena tour, and there’s also the matter of an enormous UK tour in hour of Squeeze’s 50th anniversary. Chris also hosts the podcast “I Never Thought It Would Happen” which is currently on Season 4. Seems like a good time…

Roll up! Roll up! This episode I’m joined from across the Atlantic by singer-songwriter Jade Bird, who has just released a new EP, “Burn The Hard Drive”, which chronicles the breakdown of her relationship and engagement to a former bandmate. It’s the first significant release from Jade since 2021’s very excellent “Different Kinds Of Light” album. W…

Phillip Ingram is one of the founding members of Motown band Switch who formed in late 1976, and after a chance encounter, were championed by Jermaine Jackson. Motown chief Berry Gordy heard the band’s tape and signed them to his subsidiary Gordy label. Switch were a a consistent presence on the R’n’B charts in the last 1970s. Switch sort of implod…

It seems like a good time to take a deep dive into Best Picture nominee, and more importantly, my favourite film of 2023, “Past Lives”. This episode I’m joined by the film’s Assistant Director Ben Kahn to discuss his personal impact on the film, creating the remarkable chemistry between the cast, evoking an older digital landscape, and the profound…

This Friday, March 1st Bruce Hornsby releases a new album in collaboration with chamber ensemble yMusic. The record is entitled “Deep Sea Vents”. It straddles the line between contemporary songwriting and modern classical, and the album has an aquatic theme with all the songs dealing with the ocean, or at least water in some way. The album is emble…

Welcome. My guest this episode is artist and photographer Lynn Goldsmith. Her career as a photographer has brought her into the orbit of rock n roll legends like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and notably Bruce Springsteen with whom she had a romantic relationship in the 70s as he was still working his way up, with his blistering l…

I’m listening! Hopefully you are too, as this week is incredibly fun. I’m joined by “Frasier” writer and consulting producer Bob Daily. Bob was on the writing staff for several seasons of the original run of “Frasier” and he’s back on board for the new revival series out now on Paramount+. If you’re at all interested in how TV shows like this get m…

Hey. It’s a special one this week. Juliana Hatfield is a singer-songwriter based in Massachusetts. She was a member of the Lemonheads in the early 90s, as well as bands like Blake Babies in the late 80s and Some Girls in the early 00s. She’s made albums with Matthew Caws from Nada Surf and Paul Westerberg from The Replacements. She’s also released …

This week I’m joined by drummer Chester Thompson. Chester is perhaps best known for his live work with Genesis and Phil Collins, but he has also worked with Frank Zappa, Weather Report, The Bee Gees, and The Pointer Sisters. He has a new jazz album out called “Wake-Up Call” and he joins me from Nashville to discuss it’s “genesis” (see what I did th…

Breathe deep the gathering gloom. This episode I welcome back John Lodge of The Moody Blues to the show! John has recently released his re-working of The Moody Blues 1967 opus “Days Of Future Passed”. I think it’s fair to wonder whether it’s a good idea when artist take on projects like this, and I want to ask John about the possible disconnect bet…

Waddup? I’m joined this episode by Jonathan Higgs from the excellent Everything Everything. The band are from Manchester and formed in 2007. They’ve so far released 6 albums, 2 of which were nominated for the Mercury Music Award. They’ve also had 5 Ivor Novello nominations. Their most recent album 2022s “Raw Data Feel” saw the band experiment with …

Welcome. Dave Pegg is the longest serving member of Fairport Convention. Fairport are one of those bands who are a subculture unto themselves. They were formed in 1967 with Dave joining the band in 1969. Fairport split in 1979 but reformed in 1985 and have been active since then. They’re still a very hardworking touring band here in the UK. They ca…

Good dawning to thee, friends. My guest this episode tv producer and Daria co-creator Susie Lewis. Susie Lewis was an intern at MTV when she began working on the show Beavis and Butthead. That show featured a sardonic character names Daria, and feeling that MTV needed more content for girls, Susie was drafted in alongside Glenn Eichler to create a …

Hullo! This week I’m joined by Dougie Payne of Travis. He was lovely company. Travis have recently been revisiting their 2001 album “The Invisible Band” with a series of live shows, reissues, and a live album. It’s a fascinating era to talk about, as the band had found themselves thrust into the spotlight after the unexpected runaway success of pre…

Listen up! Andy McCluskey is the frontman of Merseyside electronic legends Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark or OMD as they’re often known. OMD was formed in 1978 out of the ashes of another band The ID, to which I have a little family connection, which you’ll hear about in the episode. Their 1980 song Ebola Gay earned them widespread popularity th…