I’ve always wanted to talk to Aaron Axelsen, a staple in the Bay Area music scene. He’s always been there, with an alt rock influence that was just as vital for hometown radio audiences as other back-in-the-day pioneering shows, such as Foxxxee’s “Yo Mama’s House” on KMEL. Back before streaming services co-opted their curational duties, pivotal radio and video programming brought fresh sounds to Bay Area folks—as anyone can tell you who remembers Chuy Gomez with his California Music Channel (CMC) video show, which featured local hip hop artists before they went national on MTV and other platforms.
There’s so much to talk about with a guy who has had a career like Axelsen’s. We’ve got his music show “Soundcheck” (Sundays, 8pm-10pm) which has been resurrected by Live 105—the alternative radio station that has itself recently come back to life—and his indie-club institution Popscene, which had some responsibility in launching the careers of The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, and many more. In fact, Axelsen just spun and promoted the new single from white-hot SF group Seablite a couple of weeks ago—because he promotes local artists, and is always forward-focused. I might have left out a couple of his other 20 jobs, but I’ll let him explain the whole, crazy schedule. We were honored to have the super busy Aaron Axelsen spend some time with us. Enjoy this Q&A!
48HILLS How does it feel to be back on the air at Live 105?
AARON AXELSEN It’s kinda surreal, to be perfectly honest with you, it hasn’t really 100 percent sunk in yet, but it’s also absolutely thrilling and exciting at the same time. Having the opportunity to resurrect my Sunday evening “Soundcheck” radio show, which originally aired from 1999-2020, and once again showcase all my favorite new artists, indie releases, and local bands on the Bay Area airwaves—on such a large platform and with such a big megaphone—is truly rewarding and fulfilling.
48HILLS What a journey it has been! What did you do during the time that Live 105 was off the air?
AARON AXELSEN I joined the incredibly talented team over at Flood Magazine in early 2021 and created and launched a 24/7, global indie radio station called FLOOD FM, which is basically the equivalent of taking my two Live 105 shows, “Soundcheck” and “Subsonic,” throwing them into a blender, and then creating a full-time radio station! Also, I was able to focus more of my energy on my SF club night Popscene, which has been thriving now since 1995 (sans the COVID-19 year.) AND, most importantly, I was able to devote more time to my family, my wife Olivia and our two young boys, Max, who is four years old, and Mylo, 21 months.
48HILLS Live 105 coming back is a national story. How does it feel to be a part of a possible terrestrial radio resurgence?
AARON AXELSEN The rebirth and relaunch of San Francisco’s iconic modern rocker Live 105 is a huge, monumental win for Bay Area radio! Kudos to the folks over at Audacy SF, including Stacey Kauffman, John Allers, Michael Martin, and Jayn, who recognized the huge gap in the market for an alternative station to once again thrive, and more importantly, listened and reacted to the feedback from an extremely passionate Bay Area alternative rock audience who continued to voice their devote support for the return of Live 105 via social media, Reddit, emails to Audacy, etc.
The ratings so far have been mind-blowing, which saw KITS/Live 105 in the most recent July Arbitron book land a record-breaking 3.6 share 6+. Comparatively, its predecessor Dave FM was averaging around a 1.8 share during its run. This is truly listener vindication, and validation of the necessity in the market for an alternative station like Live 105 to return.
48HILLS In terms of sustainability, how is radio doing currently?
AARON AXELSEN It’s still incredibly challenging times for the traditional medium of radio, especially with the arduous task of competing against DSPs [digital service providers like Spotify] and the limitless amount of entertainment and on-demand platforms that exist today. But I’m also optimistic that radio can continue to remain relevant and competitive as long as it incorporates these key ingredients: Localism, passion, on-air personalities, technology, social media, larger-than-life “lifestyle” events, and audacious and compelling programming strategies.
48HILLS Are there any upcoming in-person events planned for Live 105?
AARON AXELSEN Stay tuned, as the old radio adage goes! But an undeniable component that truly made the Live 105 brand so special and revered in the Bay Area throughout its first run from 1986 to 2018 was definitely its epic and legendary events, promotions, and concerts. I.e., Not So Silent Night, BFD, Subsonic’s Spookfest, $1.05 shows, intimate studio sessions, free concert tickets, and overall access to your favorite bands that you just can’t find anywhere else.
48HILLS In a world that is rapidly changing, where do you think the classic “alternative” spirit and sound fit in 2023?
AARON AXELSEN With the terrestrial radio and the broadcast medium, in general, leaning more toward upper demo, that classic alternative sound is more paramount than ever before, if you ask me. Where traditional rock radio has embraced classic rock acts like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and Queen over the years, I see a parallel trend with the alternative format embracing the titans of the genre, like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cure, Sublime, Green Day, Depeche Mode, Pearl Jam, The Killers, etc. Doesn’t mean you can’t support new music and champion emerging artists as well, but the meat and potatoes of the format definitely comes from 1991 to 2006.
48HILLS It’s fascinating to hear newer bands like Maneskin and Noah Kahan on the station. How do you think the alternative sound has evolved since Live 105 went off the air?
AARON AXELSEN I feel the format, and Live 105 today is much more focused and cohesive than ever before, doing a much better job of blending and merging new artists with its incredibly deep ’90s and early aughts music library. We’re creating a much more compatible marriage between new music discovery and its rich music history.
The format went through some growing pains circa 2017 to 2020, when it was trying to young down the demo by playing a ton of Gen Z music i.e. hip hop, pop, EDM, etc. Though it was an admirable effort, it also created these super awkward “trainwrecks” where you’d often hear these painful segues of Pearl Jam into Marshmello, Green Day into Juice Wrld, Billie Eilish into The Offspring … ouch!
For more on Aaron Axelsen’s past and current radio programs and projects, go here.
