Theme for VPR's New Daily News Magazine Debuts August 13; Preview on vpr.net

August 1, 2007

The theme for Vermont Edition, Vermont Public Radio's new daily news magazine, reflects the personality of the program: smart, curious, and a bit of the unexpected. And it has a local connection: it was recorded by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The new daily Vermont Edition premieres Monday, August 13 at noon on VPR, but GPN fans can hear the theme and see photos from the recording session now, before the premiere, on Vermont Public Radio's website, vpr.net.

"A member of the news team really liked the band's CD 'Nothing but the Water," says VPR News Director John Van Hoesen. "After hearing it, the entire team felt like the last track, in particular, was the type of sound we wanted for Vermont Edition, our new daily news magazine. And we wondered if the band would record something similar - an instrumental - for us to use as a theme song. We asked and they said yes."

Vermont Public Radio already had an established relationship with the musicians. VPR Program Director Jody Evans had worked with the band's management in 2006, coordinating a live broadcast of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' performance for NPR's Friday at Noon web concert series. And VPR had broadcast interviews and features about the group given the growing national attention the band was receiving.

The band, in the area and preparing for the release of their new album "This Is Somewhere," made time for a recording session at Chuck Eller's studio in Charlotte, Vermont. On July 13th, organist Grace Potter, guitarist Scott Tournet, bass player Bryan Dondero and drummer Matt Burr Grace laid down tracks for Vermont Edition's new theme music, using the song "Nothing but the Water (II)" as the basis for improvisation. VPR production engineer Chris Albertine did the mix.

The new daily Vermont Edition debuts Monday, August 13 at noon on VPR. Hosted by Jane Lindholm, 28, the news magazine will bring listeners more news and conversation about issues affecting their lives, plus a bit of the unexpected. Broad-reaching, it will cover issues, art, culture and music in Vermont and the surrounding region. Lindholm says "We'll go behind the news, diving into what makes this region unique."

The new album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, "This Is Somewhere," will be released August 7. Based in Waitsfield, the band blends funky blues, soul and rock with definite influences from the sixties and early seventies. They independently recorded and released two albums, "Nothing but the Water" and "Original Soul," selling out performances by word of mouth and online promotion. In 2005 the band signed a deal with Hollywood Records and re-released "Nothing but the Water" in 2006. Highly anticipated, "This is Somewhere" is expected to mark the coming of age of the young band.

VPR can be heard at 107.9 FM in Burlington, 89.5 FM in Windsor, 88.7 FM in Rutland, 88.5 FM in St. Johnsbury, 94.3 FM in Bennington, 92.5 in Manchester, 94.5 in Brattleboro, 95.3 in Middlebury, 94.1 in Montpelier and online at vpr.net. VPR is also available in HD Digital Radio in northern Vermont, the Upper Valley and in Bennington.