Wherein we pull back the curtain for a personal visit with one of the wonderful wizards of the X. In this case, the DJ keeping us on Needles + Pins weekly — Laura Powers.
Born: Knoxville, Tennessee
Home: Nashville, Tennessee
Drafted into WXNA: 2014
Spins: Right
Fades: Right
I fell in love with independent radio back in high school when I discovered WUTK, the University of Tennessee’s student-run radio station. Doing Needles+Pins each week makes me feel like that 13-year-old kid hearing the B-52’s for the first time. In an increasingly algorithmic world, I love that WXNA is a place where you can still be surprised and excited by music, whether it’s brand new or just new to you.
Most played song: “Sonic Reducer” by Dead Boys
Vinyl, CD or mp3? All of the above. Love LPs but definitely not a format snob.
Fave WXNA shows: Runout Numbers, Bedazzled Paradigm Jukebox, Punk Not Punks
Pinch-me moment: Throwing an on-air dance party with Vanessa from Pylon
When I die: Sprinkle my ashes in the New Arrivals section at Wax’n’Facts in Atlanta
