Josh Fudge was only 18 years old when he released his first album, Fun Times, at the beginning of this year. Juxtaposing sweet melodies with melancholic lyrics, the album captures his experience transitioning into adulthood. In this episode, hear more about what it was like graduating in a pandemic, how Josh's plans for the future have changed because of it, and what it was like putting out his first studio album.

The annual festival honoring the legacy and music of legendary Oklahoma singer Woody Guthrie is returning to his hometown. Last year's Woody Guthrie Folk Festival — affectionately known as WoodyFest — went completely virtual. But this year, musicians like Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Patty Griffin and Grammy-nominated Mary Gauthier will take the stage in addition to Oklahoma artists like Samantha Crain, John Fullbright and Mike McClure. WoodyFest will also feature a children's festival featuring a ukulele and harmonica class, as well as a family-friendly concert. There will be panel discussions on songwriting and the history of prejudice around Okemah and the lynching of Laura Nelson and her son on May 24, 1911, outside the town. In this episode, hear WoodyFest's media chair Maddie Gregory talk about the artists performing, how the festival is taking precautions and the new events and panels.

A born and raised Oklahoman, Kitt Wakeley recorded his album remotely at the historic Abbey Road Studios in London, England. On it, he combines his love for rock drums and riffs, sweeping orchestral melodies and pulsing electronic beats. The album's title — Symphony of Sinners and Saints — is a reference to the combination of 'Sinners' in his rock band and the 'Saints' of the orchestra. In this episode, Kitt talks about how he has navigated his career since his start in grunge cover bands and recording radio commercial music, earning his 'street cred' in the music industry and how he recently rediscovered his sister after forty years apart.

During segregation, North Tulsa and Greenwood was primarily Black and was called Little Africa. But it was home to one of the most prosperous Black communities in history, Black Wall Street. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a white mob with the support of local law enforcement attacked, burning dozens of homes and buildings and killing an estimated 300 people. Now 100 years later, a collective of Oklahoma hip-hop artists have released a commemorative project via Motown Records and Black Forum titled Fire in Little Africa. Combining the talents of more than 40 different artists, rappers, poets, and singers, Fire in Little Africa hopes to shine on not just the Tulsa hip-hop scene, but also a part of history that for many of the artists was never really taught to them in school. In this episode, hear more about how the album was recorded, the growing Tulsa and Oklahoma hip-hop community that it represents, and what it means to them.

This bonus episode of No Cover features more conversation and music with North Carolina musician Matt Heckler. In this episode, he talks more about recently getting into biking, touring with Flogging Molly and Dock Boggs.

The pandemic was an unexpected blessing for North Carolina musician Matt Heckler. With the unexpected time and rest, he was able to record his latest album, Blood, Water, Coal, which debuted at number three on the Bluegrass Billboard chart. But what he plays isn't exactly what you would call bluegrass. In this episode, Matt talks about his style of folk music which takes influence from places like Ireland, Appalachia, and Romania, and also about slowing down in the last year to self-record his latest album.

LCG and the X spent 18 months performing and working on their first album. But when they released their self-titled debut, it came out at the worst possible time — March 2020, right as the pandemic became a reality for many of us. In this episode, Morgan Hartman, lead singer of the Oklahoma City rock band, talks about the album's release, writing a song based on A Tale of Two Cities and what it's like to listen to those songs now.

The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts at Oklahoma State University begins its second season on Sunday, March 28th with brass quintet Canadian Brass. The multi-million dollar performing arts center opened in Stillwater, Oklahoma in October 2019. For its inaugural season the center hosted performances from artists and acts like The New York Philharmonic, Edgar Meyer and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. But in the middle of their first season, the pandemic cut it short. Now, the McKnight Center is returning with their second season. The center's marketing director, Jessica Novak, talks about what performances at the center will look like now, what precautions and changes have been made and what role a performing arts center plays in the community, especially in times like these.

Quese IMC is a Native American hip hop artist and citizen of the Pawnee and Seminole Nations. He has been part of the hip hop scene in Oklahoma for many years and helped organize Culture Shock Camp, one of the early hip hop summits to help establish what Oklahoma and Native American hip hop looks like today. In this episode, hear Quese IMC talk about his story in hip hop, the growth of Native hip hop as a genre, and his five year hiatus from making music.

For Black History Month, No Cover is taking a look back at some Black musicians that have been on the show in the past year. You’ll be hearing again from Dr. View, Bartees Strange, Original Flow, and Jabee. They all released really wonderful projects in the last year and they shared some of their stories and experiences that went into their music.