Jeff Holmes

KLKT (Radio Lockhart) recently came on the air. Tell us about how things got started there and how you became involved.

We have a record store here in town called Plum Creek that kind of became ground zero for our station’s birth. Our founders/board (Paul, Max and Grace) all met there and started plotting to get a low power community radio station together for our town of roughly 15,000 people 40 minutes south of Austin, Texas. I was hanging around so much I caught wind of the opportunity to have a show and basically inserted myself into any conversation they were having. I think they offered me the Music Director position to scare me away.

How are things going so far? What part of your job do you love the most and what do you find the most challenging so far?

To say the learning curve has been steep would be an understatement. I had nearly zero experience (I vaguely knew the term ‘Add’, that’s about it…) but just dove in headfirst with a short crash course that basically consisted of ‘here, read the NACC best practices PDF’. Honestly, I also read these MD features to see what others are doing! That’s kinda how you have to do it with anything run completely by volunteers.

The most enjoyable part is interacting with promo people that really love what they do. You can feel the energy and they’re more than happy to get you what you need. For years I’d basically stopped actively following new music. Now it’s quite literally a job to stay up to speed. I’m enjoying that challenge and being rewarded greatly for it.

Another great aspect is occasionally hearing from the artists themselves. Their gratitude for our work has included on-air recorded promos, offers for interviews, even plans for swinging through town. All this helps our station and community.

The challenge that is a little more daunting is the sheer magnitude of new music released every week! I am NOT an email person! Waking up every day to 25-50 emails with links to music to sift through is at times overwhelming but I’m committed to it. My partner is an active part of the Austin music scene and I’ve worked at labels, been signed and toured in bands when I was younger so I know how tough it is to keep going. Any small part I can play in seeing artists’ hard work recognized truly feels right.

What do you do to ensure the new music that is sent you by labels and promoters gets played by your DJs?

Our station is mostly shows by DJs who already have a clear idea of what they want to play. As we continue (we’re still only 3 months old) I’ll keep making relationships and getting a better sense of what they need and what to send them. In the meantime, most of our daytime and overnight programming is automated so the adds get a lot of airtime that way.

The biggest way I’ve been promoting adds is by doing a weekly pre-recorded show that airs several times a week showcasing 8 to 10 of the songs I’ve added that week. It’s a show called Test Echo that allows me to play new stuff and talk a little about each band. That’s been a lot of fun and very beneficial to the station.

Who is an artist or band that you’ve discovered as MD so far that you didn’t know about previously that you really like?

Font, Sprints, The Secret Beach

Do you have an all-time favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?

The Clash, Steve Earle, Mavis Staples, John Coltrane

Is there a 2024 release still on the horizon that you are particularly excited about?

Nick Cave’s new album sounds promising!

Who is an artist or band totally outside the realm of the music you play on Radio Lockhart that people might be surprised to know you love?

Sarah Davachi

If you had the power to instantly change one thing going on in the world at the moment, what would it be?

Young people not being able to afford homes.

What event in your life would you say has shaped you the most as a person?

Moving up to Los Angeles from Orange County, California to join a band in 2002.

If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to visit and why?

Europe in the 1930s. The weird stuff happening in art, music and culture between the wars is fascinating to me.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in town that you recommend people try?

Old Pal Texas Tavern!

What in your life brings you the most joy?

Enjoying our little town of Lockhart, travel and music with my Partner Emmy and our dog, Tom. (He’s named after Tom Waits. They’re both grumpy.)

Lightning Round:

Dog or Cat? Dog
Morning Person or Night Owl? Morning
City or Country? Country
Beach or Mountains? Beach
Watch TV or Read A Book? Books
Sunny or Rainy? Rainy
Restaurant or Home Cooking? Restaurant 🙂
Pants or Shorts? Pants
Warm or Cold drinks? Unless it’s coffee, COLD.

Do you have any current favorite shows you’re enjoying/binging? How about a movie (new or old) that you’ve watched recently that you loved?

I rewatched ‘Mulholland Drive’ recently and it’s only gained in power. My partner Emmy recently showed me Buñuel’s ‘Exterminating Angel’ which bent my mind and had us chatting about its meanings and themes for days. The first season of ‘For The Love of Kitchens’ is an odd obsession as well.

Finally, If you could have a lifetime supply of anything, what would it be?

Resources to travel.