Ashland, and surrounding communities of the Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon, is home to a wildly diverse collection of musicians, bands, and artists, and they’re all on the radio with the Locals Only Show, every Sunday from 2-4 pm with host (and local musician), Martin Ball.  The Locals Only Show is the epitome of local, community-based radio.  Martin started the show in the late summer of 2011 and has been going strong every Sunday since.  Starting with only a handful of recordings of local bands and musicians, the show’s playlist has since grown to an impressive roster of regional talent, and there’s still room to grow.  When the show first started, it was necessary to play each artist two or three times over the course of the two hours of broadcasting.  Now, it would take at least a few weeks worth of shows in order to give each band a slot of just one song.

One of Martin’s joys in producing the show is not only the opportunity to connect with many great musicians, but also explore the tremendous diversity of local music, allowing for a unique radio program.  Including everything from studio-produced music to recordings made in bedrooms and garages, as well as live recordings, the music on the Locals Only Show spans virtually all musical genres with acoustic, bluegrass, folk, traditional, jazz, rock, blues, electronica, world fusion, dubstep, reggae, funk, punk, hip-hop, a cappella, cowboy music, ambient, experimental, and more.  For many of the artists featured on the show, this is their sole opportunity to be heard on the radio and therefore provides an important community service for local acts.  In a world of homogenized radio broadcasts around the country and world, the Locals Only Show is one of few places that residents of the Rogue Valley can hear their favorite local bands on the radio, brining community pride and awareness of the amazing talent that grows right here in our own back yard.

In addition to playing virtually any and all music from the Rogue Valley, the Locals Only Show also features regular interviews and live, in studio performances of local musicians.  Already featured on the show have been Michelle McAfee, Brett Levick, Frankie Hernandez, Heather Hutton, Aletha Nowitzky, and Gene Burnett.  More great interviews and performances are on the way, so don’t miss an episode of the Locals Only Show, every Sunday from 2-4.  You can also join the group page for the show on Facebook – just log into Facebook and search for the “Locals Only Show” on KSKQ and join our group, visit artist’s pages, and keep track of upcoming guests and performances.

Any local musicians who are not yet featured on the Locals Only Show are welcome to drop a CD off at the KSKQ station, and get your music on the radio!