By Wesley Hetcher
It can take a lot of musical ability to participate in ensembles on campus. However, you don’t need to understand a whole lot about music theory to share the music you love with everyone else. That’s how three freshmen—Margaret Koss, Kristina Verhasselt, and Regan Martin—run “The Cult” from 9-10 p.m. on Monday evenings at WLFM Radio. This isn’t your typical music-fest or talk show, though. Koss described it as “a lot more organic.”
Although the show shares a name with a British ‘80s band, the music they play has much less to do with heavy metals and a lot more with whatever they find interesting. Talking on the problem with typical radio, Koss said, “They just play music that’s popular. I always try to play what’s new, and interesting.”
Although they started all the way back in the fall, there was never really been a set program for their show. Martin elaborates, saying, “It’s nice to just take an hour, and be silly, and to play music that we like… We talk about random stuff, and it’s always really fun.” Verhasselt continued, “We each feed off what the others say.”
Not only do the girls take this time to enjoy each other’s company, they also have had numerous guests throughout the year, who are encouraged to suggest their own songs. They always have a back-up plan, though, having each selected a few tracks they’d been listening to—or even obsessed with—in the past week. They enjoy being able to put on whatever they want. “A lot of people think my music is pretty weird,” says Verhasselt.
Because WLFM is based online, there’s a lot more freedom, Martin says. “We’re on the Internet, so we don’t need to worry about FCC regulations, so we can say whatever we want.” And boy, are they aware of that right. Previous topics have included batteries made with urine, environmentally safe condoms, and their very own deepest darkest secrets.
Even though they’ve got a varied conversational history, they might not always come prepared to talk. Martin explains, “When we don’t have things to talk about, the hour can really drag.” But that’s not as bad as just getting started. Concerning the equipment in the studio, Koss said “It sucks to figure out how things work. It’s always confusing with the computer.”
Overall, the girls just have a good time. “It’s a good outlet,” says Verhasselt. And Koss continued, “We have a lot of power here… Radio’s really fun.” Listen in at 9 on Mondays to hear these girls tell people who they are. “We don’t really adopt any persona when we’re on air, I feel like we’re the same people,” according to Martin. Koss partially agreed. “We’re ourselves. Just a little bit weirder.”