In honor of Women's History Month, WKMS' Femme Fridays return every Friday in March starting at 11 am. Alien Lanes and Datebook host Melanie A. Davis will share an eclectic mix of women-led music, from 1920s blues to driving '80s pop to local artists currently working in our region (and lots in between). Hope you can tune in!
Friday, March 3rd: 11 am - 1 pm
Celebrating Women of Color
As we transition from Black History Month to Women's History Month, we kick off the Femme Friday series with a celebration of women of color. The first show of the series will explore Black women's monumental contributions to music as we know it, starting with the folk and blues of the South to the jazz and bebop of Harlem. We'll traverse decades of music, hearing hits from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, Labelle, Lauryn Hill, Alabama Shakes, Beyoncé, and more.
Special Episode: Wednesday, March 8th: 11am - 1pm
International Women's Day
It's not a Friday, but it is a two-hour celebration of music from amazing international women! From Norway to Ghana to France to Japan, you'll hear awesome music from women around the world who are making the music space their own. Be sure to tune in!
Friday, March 10th: 11 am - 12 pm
Local Ladies
Tune into a one-hour special ahead of Soul Dog's Live Lunch performance. Davis will feature women of all genres who have recently been or are currently performing, writing, and working in the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois areas. We'll hear tracks from Little By Little, Year of October, Haleigh Martin, Leight July, Heather Hammers, and more.
Friday, March 17th: 11 am - 1 pm
Old & New
There's no denying life and history's cyclical nature, and music is certainly no exception to the rule. In this two-hour installment of Femme Fridays, we'll explore artists that share common themes, sounds, and styles, despite being separated by multiple decades. In this time-traveling, genre-bending show, we'll hear retro and contemporary sound-a-likes like Ella Fitzgerald and Samara Joy; Joan Jett and the Donnas; Karen Dalton and Waxahatchee; Fleetwood Mac and Lana Del Rey; and many, many more.
Friday, March 24th: 11 am - 1 pm
Being A Woman
The female experience is at once distinctly unique and an overarching sisterhood of resilience, innovation, and support. Being A Woman explores the many facets of what it means to be a woman: a daughter, sister, mother, partner, professional, mentor, and inspiration, to name a few. It will also dive into the undeniably negative sides of womanhood: exclusion, discrimination, and harassment. This installment covers the good, bad, and the ugly with empowering cuts from Lake Street Drive, Sleater Kinney, St. Vincent, Fiona Apple, and more.
Friday, March 31st: 11 am - 1 pm
DJ's Choice
In the final installment of Femme Fridays 2023, Davis will share some of her all-time favorite tunes from female artists of all genres, decades, and regions. This eccentric mix will feature '40s country, '60s folk, '80s powerhouses, moody cuts from the 1990s and 2000s, contemporary hits, and lots of local flair.
Tune in to Femme Fridays on-air, online at WKMS.org, or ask your smart speaker to "play WKMS."
