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Jon Kanis debuts Frequency 432 kHz: Backstory podcast
Local musician interviews Robin Henkel, Rick Sparhawk, the Farmers, and more
"I recently sat down with musicologist Jon Kanis for the launch of Frequency 432 kHz: The Backstory with Rock's Royalty, and we went deep," says singer-guitarist Rick Sparhawk. "Stories from the road with Johnny Cash, how Montezuma's Revenge is credited for inventing Bionic Bluegrass, and a whole lot more."
Hosted by musicologist and multi-media artist Jon Kanis, Frequency 432 kHz: The Backstory with Rock's Royalty promotes itself as "Tuned to the stories that matter. Real talks with artists, makers & music insiders - the show takes a deep dive into the lives and careers of San Diego’s most compelling musicians." The hour-long podcast debuts this month on Youtube and Spotify, with episodes planned for release every Tuesday at 8:00am. In addition, short-form clips from each episode are published Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky.
Rick Sparhawk is featured in episode 101 alongside his Picus Maximus bandmate Jim Soldi discussing their collaborations with Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, and Albert Lee, as well as having Glen Campbell as an opening act.
Episode 102 includes a chat with Jerry Raney and Chris Sullivan of the Penetrators and the Farmers, sharing stories of what it’s like to be on the front lines of the music industry. "Jerry and Chris have been part of the connective tissue of the San Diego rock scene for five decades," says Kanis. "They've seen everything, survived everything, and they still love the music more than anyone I know. The Country Dick Montana stories alone are worth the price of admission, and there is no price of admission. It's free. Go listen."
103 focuses on acoustic blues master Robin Henkel, with a bonus segment recently posted with Kanis and Henkel playing a short jam session. "Robin Henkel is one of the finest blues guitarists working anywhere," says Kanis, "not only in San Diego. He has a global following that most San Diegans aren’t aware of, and a depth of knowledge about the blues as a living art form that is genuinely inspirational and educational. We talk about the music and we talk about the craft, and then we spontaneously jammed together."
All three episodes, as well as the bonus Henkel/Kanis jam, are either currently posted on Youtube and Spotify or will be by May 12. "These are artists who built careers on this city's stages for over five decades, and who have never had the kind of conversation on camera that Frequency 432 kHz makes possible," says Ed Knowlton, Executive Producer at Skyhawk Studio, which produces the podcast.
"That conversation is what the show is about," says Knowlton. "Host Jon Kanis speaks with every guest as a peer. He has spent his entire career at the intersection of music, journalism, archiving, and performance. That access and trust unlocks stories you will not hear anywhere else."
Kanis's musical background includes serving as Peter Case's newsletter publisher and road manager in the early '90s. "I didn't learn how to play the guitar," he says, "until I moved to the West Coast and, six months later, having just turned 19, I bought a fairly cheap Martin copy, a Montaya, for around $150 at the now-defunct Dave's House of Guitars on El Cajon Boulevard."
Before becoming a full-time musician, Kanis spent six working with David Peck at local company Reelin' in the Years Productions, an historical music film and video archive, and he's also a noted consultant for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to his own solo and band projects and recordings, Kanis' 1997 folksy/psychedelic EP A Pair of Opposites was the first of his many collaborations with überguitarist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa's one-time touring axeman). The soundtrack for the documentary A Box Full Of Rocks: The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs includes several tracks and narration by Kanis, and he's also a producer and archivist who produced over 200 episodes of his State Controlled Radio programs.
Kanis’s Encyclopedia Walking: Pop Culture and the Alchemy of Rock ’n’ Roll is “a selective anthology of my published writing, mostly feature articles spanning the time frame of 1994 to 2014.” The collection includes work from the Reader, Schlock, Ugly Things, and San Diego Troubadour. “The general slant of the work is regarding the history and biography of music and film, but there are also examinations about pop culture. The last chapter of the book focuses on how the mass-media informs and shapes general consciousness across the globe, whilst looking back at being 12 in the summer of 1976 in D.C. during the bicentennial.” A second volume of Encyclopedia Walking was published in 2023, bringing Kanis' anthology series up to date. A third volume, focusing exclusively on San Diego music and culture, is planned for the future.
For the Frequency 432 kHz podcasts, season one will focus entirely on local musicians and artists. "San Diego has always punched above its weight musically, and the artists in season one are proof of that," says Kanis. "Rick and Jim, Jerry and Chris, Robin, these musicians toured with Johnny Cash, built scenes that influenced a generation, and shaped the sound of this city for fifty years. Frequency 432 kHz is here to get their stories directly from the artists themselves."
Future seasons will be expanded to spotlight national artists and worldwide events and scenes. "We could have opened with bigger names," says Knowlton at Skyhawk Studio. "We chose not to. We chose San Diego on purpose, because these artists deserve the platform, and because Jon knows them deeply and personally. Because, if you're going to build something real, you start with what's real to you. San Diego is real to us. These artists are real to us. Season one is a love letter to this city's music, and there's more coming."
Podcast episodes are full four-camera productions with Skyhawk Studio's team of photographers, musicians, engineers, and marketers providing everything from pre-production through copywriting, filming, post-production, editing, and distribution. The interviews themselves are informed by Kanis' own history as both a musician and music historian. "I'm not a fan asking my heroes questions," he notes. "I'm a musician, producer, and writer who has traveled through the same world that these artists live in. When you come to a conversation as a peer, people tell you the truth. They stop performing for the cameras and just share from the heart."
"That's when the real stories come out, and those are the stories worth telling, and preserving for future generations to come."
Here's something you might be interested in.
Jon Kanis debuts Frequency 432 kHz: Backstory podcast
Local musician interviews Robin Henkel, Rick Sparhawk, the Farmers, and more
Jon Kanis debuts Frequency 432 kHz: Backstory podcast
Local musician interviews Robin Henkel, Rick Sparhawk, the Farmers, and more
"I recently sat down with musicologist Jon Kanis for the launch of Frequency 432 kHz: The Backstory with Rock's Royalty, and we went deep," says singer-guitarist Rick Sparhawk. "Stories from the road with Johnny Cash, how Montezuma's Revenge is credited for inventing Bionic Bluegrass, and a whole lot more."
Hosted by musicologist and multi-media artist Jon Kanis, Frequency 432 kHz: The Backstory with Rock's Royalty promotes itself as "Tuned to the stories that matter. Real talks with artists, makers & music insiders - the show takes a deep dive into the lives and careers of San Diego’s most compelling musicians." The hour-long podcast debuts this month on Youtube and Spotify, with episodes planned for release every Tuesday at 8:00am. In addition, short-form clips from each episode are published Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bluesky.
Rick Sparhawk is featured in episode 101 alongside his Picus Maximus bandmate Jim Soldi discussing their collaborations with Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, and Albert Lee, as well as having Glen Campbell as an opening act.
Episode 102 includes a chat with Jerry Raney and Chris Sullivan of the Penetrators and the Farmers, sharing stories of what it’s like to be on the front lines of the music industry. "Jerry and Chris have been part of the connective tissue of the San Diego rock scene for five decades," says Kanis. "They've seen everything, survived everything, and they still love the music more than anyone I know. The Country Dick Montana stories alone are worth the price of admission, and there is no price of admission. It's free. Go listen."
103 focuses on acoustic blues master Robin Henkel, with a bonus segment recently posted with Kanis and Henkel playing a short jam session. "Robin Henkel is one of the finest blues guitarists working anywhere," says Kanis, "not only in San Diego. He has a global following that most San Diegans aren’t aware of, and a depth of knowledge about the blues as a living art form that is genuinely inspirational and educational. We talk about the music and we talk about the craft, and then we spontaneously jammed together."
All three episodes, as well as the bonus Henkel/Kanis jam, are either currently posted on Youtube and Spotify or will be by May 12. "These are artists who built careers on this city's stages for over five decades, and who have never had the kind of conversation on camera that Frequency 432 kHz makes possible," says Ed Knowlton, Executive Producer at Skyhawk Studio, which produces the podcast.
"That conversation is what the show is about," says Knowlton. "Host Jon Kanis speaks with every guest as a peer. He has spent his entire career at the intersection of music, journalism, archiving, and performance. That access and trust unlocks stories you will not hear anywhere else."
Kanis's musical background includes serving as Peter Case's newsletter publisher and road manager in the early '90s. "I didn't learn how to play the guitar," he says, "until I moved to the West Coast and, six months later, having just turned 19, I bought a fairly cheap Martin copy, a Montaya, for around $150 at the now-defunct Dave's House of Guitars on El Cajon Boulevard."
Before becoming a full-time musician, Kanis spent six working with David Peck at local company Reelin' in the Years Productions, an historical music film and video archive, and he's also a noted consultant for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to his own solo and band projects and recordings, Kanis' 1997 folksy/psychedelic EP A Pair of Opposites was the first of his many collaborations with überguitarist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa's one-time touring axeman). The soundtrack for the documentary A Box Full Of Rocks: The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs includes several tracks and narration by Kanis, and he's also a producer and archivist who produced over 200 episodes of his State Controlled Radio programs.
Kanis’s Encyclopedia Walking: Pop Culture and the Alchemy of Rock ’n’ Roll is “a selective anthology of my published writing, mostly feature articles spanning the time frame of 1994 to 2014.” The collection includes work from the Reader, Schlock, Ugly Things, and San Diego Troubadour. “The general slant of the work is regarding the history and biography of music and film, but there are also examinations about pop culture. The last chapter of the book focuses on how the mass-media informs and shapes general consciousness across the globe, whilst looking back at being 12 in the summer of 1976 in D.C. during the bicentennial.” A second volume of Encyclopedia Walking was published in 2023, bringing Kanis' anthology series up to date. A third volume, focusing exclusively on San Diego music and culture, is planned for the future.
For the Frequency 432 kHz podcasts, season one will focus entirely on local musicians and artists. "San Diego has always punched above its weight musically, and the artists in season one are proof of that," says Kanis. "Rick and Jim, Jerry and Chris, Robin, these musicians toured with Johnny Cash, built scenes that influenced a generation, and shaped the sound of this city for fifty years. Frequency 432 kHz is here to get their stories directly from the artists themselves."
Future seasons will be expanded to spotlight national artists and worldwide events and scenes. "We could have opened with bigger names," says Knowlton at Skyhawk Studio. "We chose not to. We chose San Diego on purpose, because these artists deserve the platform, and because Jon knows them deeply and personally. Because, if you're going to build something real, you start with what's real to you. San Diego is real to us. These artists are real to us. Season one is a love letter to this city's music, and there's more coming."
Podcast episodes are full four-camera productions with Skyhawk Studio's team of photographers, musicians, engineers, and marketers providing everything from pre-production through copywriting, filming, post-production, editing, and distribution. The interviews themselves are informed by Kanis' own history as both a musician and music historian. "I'm not a fan asking my heroes questions," he notes. "I'm a musician, producer, and writer who has traveled through the same world that these artists live in. When you come to a conversation as a peer, people tell you the truth. They stop performing for the cameras and just share from the heart."
"That's when the real stories come out, and those are the stories worth telling, and preserving for future generations to come."
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