Southern Utah University’s campus radio station has introduced a new way to help local artists gain exposure. This program, called the Thunderground, involves an assortment of performance opportunities and radio spotlights. Over the past few years, the Thunderground has grown to include some of SUU’s most popular events, yet the program is less widely-known than you might expect.
Ethan Baum, former program director for Thunder 91, started the Thunderground in 2020. The program began as a single event called Battle of the Bands: Thunderground. From there, the radio feature known as the Thunderground Showcase was added. As a musician himself, Baum wanted to find a way to help students share their passion.
“When I first came up with the idea of doing local artists, I sent it to our old program director,” said Baum. “His idea was that we keep it branded the same as Battle of the Bands. So, he came up with Battle of the Bands: Thunderground, and we came up with Thunderground Showcase.”
Baum was inspired to create a network of musicians on campus after hearing another noncommercial station playing relatively unknown musical acts.
“I listened to that station every day,” said Baum. “They play the weirdest stuff, but I loved it.”
Feeling energized to take advantage of the benefits of a not-for-profit radio station, Baum started collecting submissions from local artists, including his own band called Harding Avenue. Soon after, the Thunderground Showcase was born.
“We’re a noncommercial station,” said Baum. “We should be doing community outreach, and what better way than featuring local artists?”
Thunderground Showcase
Musicians can submit their own music to the university’s radio station for inclusion in an hourly Thunderground Showcase feature. This aspect of the program allows students to get their music on the radio and reach a wider audience. Students who submit their music to the program also get their music featured on Thunder 91’s social media accounts.
“Whenever a local artist comes out with a new song, as long as we’re aware of it, we post it on our Instagram,” said program director Sarah Hutchings. “So, if you want to stay updated on what local artists are releasing, follow us.”
Grace Parke, a local musician and frequent participant in Thunderground events, says Hutchings approached her in 2021 and offered to put her music on the radio.
“I had just moved to Cedar,” said Parke. “So all the people I had listening to my music were people I knew from Vegas. With the university radio, it’s super awesome because we have such a big student body. Getting onto the radio helps with exposure to that group of people, as well as alumni and community members.”
According to Hutchings, playing local musicians on the radio is the cornerstone of the Thunderground, as well as the fastest-growing aspect of the program.
“We have local artists play 30 minutes into every hour, with the exception of some specialty shows,” said Hutchings. “As of this moment, we have 99 artists in our Thunderground library.”
Baum replied to Hutchings in his best radio personality voice, “But there’s room for a hundred!”
Battle of the Bands: Thunderground
The most widely-known Thunder 91 event is Battle of the Bands: Thunderground. Participating bands compete for prizes such as cash, musical accessories and Thunder 91 swag. The specific prizes for this year’s event are still to be determined. The competition is streamed on SUTVLive.
Competition to get into this year’s Battle of the Bands is fierce due to the limited space for performers. According to Baum, only seven applicants will be accepted out of the numerous bands with pending applications.
Parke named Battle of the Bands as her favorite Thunderground event.
“Battle of the Bands is super fun, just because it’s such a big production,” said Parke. “You get to see live music and all of the bands coming together. It’s super cool.”
More information on Battle of the Bands: Thunderground can be found on Thunder 91’s Instagram @thunder91ksuu.
Guitars Unplugged
Another performance-based event included in the Thunderground is Guitars Unplugged. This event is a chance for local artists to bring out their acoustic guitars and share their talent with other students. Guitars Unplugged is a monthly affair, providing opportunities for students to get on stage throughout the entire school year. Past performers include musicians such as Grace Parke and Corbin “Corbino” Robinson.
Robinson is a Cedar City-based songwriter who often incorporates acoustic guitar into his work. Robinson graduated from SUU in 2021 with a degree in computer science. He is now pursuing a second degree, this time in art. Having performed his original songs at Guitars Unplugged in the past, Robinson appreciates the work Thunder 91 does to showcase local musicians.
“It’s really cool that SUU has these events to show off local music,” said Robinson. “I love having the opportunity to perform in the middle of campus with other students walking by. It’s also really cool of Sarah Hutchings and Thunder 91 to put in the work to support student artists.”
According to Hutchings, encouraging local musicians to embrace their love of music is the main objective of the Thunderground program.
“The focus is local artists,” said Hutchings. “If you feed the passion that someone has for music, that passion is just going to grow.”
The Thunderground offers the community a way to support budding new musicians and highlight a new kind of talent on SUU campus. Don’t miss out on the chance to participate in this program, because it is quickly developing into one of the most remarkable aspects of SUU. Students that are interested in contributing their own music can submit their own work here.
Author: Nick Stein
Photos: Zoë Petersen
life@suunews.net
This article was originally published in the October 2023 edition of the University Journal.
