By Jacob Fuhrer |
There’s a storm brewing at KDUP, but only on Sunday afternoons when DJ Thunder and DJ Lightning sit down to host their show “Box o’ Rain.” Below, Molly Steiner (DJ Lightning) and Jackie Ott (DJ Thunder) answer some questions about their radio hour.
Can you describe your show in three words? Jackie and Molly: “Mellow, unpredictable and satisfying.”
What’s the best and worst thing about having a co-host? Jackie: The best thing is that you can bounce off of each other when you're having discussions on the show. The worst thing is sometimes Molly presses the wrong button and the song goes off. Molly: The worst thing is if one of us doesn’t feel like doing the show, it’s really apparent. We just are both not into it. Sometimes the energy that we get from one another can be a really good thing, and also it can be a negative thing if we’re stressed out. But my co-host has a fabulous taste in music. That’s the best thing.
Where do you get your taste in music? Jackie: Mine is definitely an influence from my older brother because he would always tell me what to listen to as I was growing up. Your friends definitely influence you a lot too. Molly: I would say my older sister. Every person in my immediate family has a very different taste in music. My dad likes classic rock, and my mom likes opera, and my brother likes folk music. . . so just being in an explorative environment has been crucial to me. You’re just more open to new things and new genres of music.
How would you describe your taste in music? Molly: Eclectic. I am the type of person with music where I know a little bit about a wide variety of topics, but my taste is generally acoustic. Sometimes I like really sad music. Jackie: I like everything. I like really good music and I like really bad music, if that makes sense.
What’s one new artist (or new to you) that you’re really into right now? Molly: In terms of new music, Sufjan Stevens is releasing a new album. I’m really, really excited to see what’s going to be on that. He’s one my favorites. I’ve recently been into Deerhoof and I like them a lot. Their story is super goofy. You can see elements of jazz and rock and It’s very eclectic and very artistic. I’ve enjoyed discovering it. Jackie: I’m really into Radical Face. They have this really cool couple of albums called “The Roots and The Branches.” It kinda follows the lead singer’s life and tells a story. They have a way of being sad and upbeat at the same time.
How do you choose the themes for each of your shows? Molly: We bounce them of each other as we go along. We have a file on her laptop called “Box o’ Rain” to be considered, so if it’s a rainy day and we can’t figure out what we want to do, we glance at that. Jackie: It’s a pretty last minute thing.
Has anything embarrassing ever happened on air? Molly: Our friends - when we first started the show - called us DJ Giggles because we couldn’t figure out how to work anything, so we were just laughing. Literally, the first 10 minutes of our first show was just laughter, because we didn’t know what we were doing. We couldn’t figure out why the sound board wasn’t working, so I sang “The Climb” to our audience of probably six listeners.”
Where does the name “Box o’ Rain” come from? Jackie: It’s from a Grateful Dead song, but it’s not spelled like how we spell the show. I think I was just on a Grateful Dead kick that day.
Last week your show was based on the idea of color and sound. What color would your show be and why? Jackie: I’m thinking of my favorite firework. The ones that burst in the air and are really sparkly. They’re white usually. Molly: I just think it’s like a warm neutral color, because our music is mellow. I hope our listeners feel comfortable and engaged the way Christmas lights in a dorm room make you feel a warm glow.
What upcoming plans do you have for the show? Jackie: I want to do a show kinda like a literature theme show. Songs inspired by works of literature. I also want to read the top 40 songs -- but just the lyrics -- as really emotive poems. Molly: It’d be cool if at some point we could have somebody sing live on air. I’d love to do a show that features really really strong dissonant minor chords.
Do you have any predictions for the music scene at UP? Molly: I think UP is going to become really welcoming to the local Portland artists as we expand. I think we’re attracting a lot more up-and-coming artists and people that are musically inclined on campus. It’s cool that you don't have to be super-duper into music to be involved in music on campus, and I could see that scene really growing”
Why should people tune in and listen? Jackie: Because someone else needs to listen besides my mom. Molly: I think we have some good mixes. We put together some cool music and also if you want to call in and give us a suggestion. It’s not hard to be involved.
