Prince's and Sheila E.'s godson, a 17-year-old multi-instrumentalist and other Minnesota artists to watch
Allie McIntosh is a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
courtesy the artist
Each Sunday evening, Diane Miller hosts “The Local Show” on MPR News’ sister station, The Current. She joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about Minnesota artists she’s following.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
[ANNA GRAVES, "EASY FOR YOU"] ANNA GRAVES: (SINGING) Running. I spend all my time around you running. Wish I could have said I saw it coming.
CATHY WURZER: You already know we love music around here, especially music by Minnesota artists. And who better to talk about Minnesota musicians than Diane Miller. She's the host of The Local Show, Sunday evenings on our sister station The Current. Hey, Diane. Welcome back.
DIANE MILLER: Hey, thanks for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Didn't hear much of this song, but I really like it. The track we played at the start was called Easy For You by Anna Graves. She's got small town roots but looks like she's fast tracking it to big music hubs like Nashville and LA. What do you know about her?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, well, so The Current has a new afternoon drive host. Her name is Jessica Paxton. Happens to be from Northfield, Minnesota, just like Anna Graves. And when she started her radio program, she played her on a program when she was just 11 years old. And then she went on to, yeah, go to school in Nashville and then move to LA and now she lives back here and is just already making huge moves. And her music is so great. It's very personal, very touching, and I'm a huge fan.
CATHY WURZER: What do you think she's going to do in Nashville? I'm trying to hear her on country stations. I guess there might be something there for her.
DIANE MILLER: So when she was in Nashville, she was going to college to study music. And I mean, she definitely has that Nashville sound where it's just very songwriter-based and has a little bit of a country twinge but also pop twinge. So she has very much a Nashville sound and LA sound, and now she's-- and now it's great. We get to call her local because she's planning on still making music while she's living in Minneapolis still with that very polished Nashville and LA sound.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, glad she's going to stay here. Great. Anna Graves. Hey, let's listen to another track.
[MYCHAEL GABRIEL, "SUNDAY AFTERNOON"]
MYCHAEL GABRIEL: (SINGING) Love is a [INAUDIBLE] The sun has [INAUDIBLE]
CATHY WURZER: Mychael Gabriel, "Sunday Afternoon." Who is this?
DIANE MILLER: Mychael Gabriel happens to be the godson of Prince and Sheila E.
CATHY WURZER: No. Really?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, absolutely.
CATHY WURZER: If you're going to have godparents, those are two excellent godparents to have.
DIANE MILLER: [LAUGHS] Absolutely. Yeah, so-- and you know, is following in the footsteps of the great Prince and Sheila E and is also the touring guitarist for Sheila E, is a producer and manages her, and just dropped that single "Sunday Afternoon." Very smooth, very beautiful, very comforting song. And he'll also be headlining the main stage at the state fair this summer in August with his new band. He's based right here in Minneapolis and is just so talented.
CATHY WURZER: How long has he been in the business?
DIANE MILLER: Oh my gosh, I don't know. This is the first I had heard of him. Someone just sent us an email and be like, hey, we know that you're-- The Current really supports the music of Prince and Paisley Park, and hey, we got this new artist for you called Mychael Gabriel. And I'm like, oh my gosh, his music is fantastic.
CATHY WURZER: Great.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: I'm glad we're playing this. And he sounds terrific, Mychael Gabriel, OK. So there's also music out by a rising teen star, Ellie Macintosh. Let's hear a track.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELLIE MACKINTOSH: (SINGING) Why won't you save me if I ask you to love me, if I ask you to say it. You leave the lights out and I'm bathing in darkness in the depths of your forest.
CATHY WURZER: I cannot believe that Ellie is just 17 years old. She does not sound like she's 17. She sounds much-- she has this mature kind of sound to her voice. She sounds great.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, absolutely. Well, gosh, she started playing when she was very young, is a prodigy. She has perfect pitch. She can play violin, viola, and piano all very efficiently. And I describe it as gymnastic vocal ability. She has such range and is just destined for greatness in the music scene. And Lazerbeak, who manages bands like Polica and Sophia Eris was the one who brought my attention to her. And she's performed at Target Center, Minneapolis Convention Center, the Guthrie Theater, everywhere. And she writes and produces her own music. She's incredible.
CATHY WURZER: Wow. She is incredible. See, is she the young woman who mentored with Robin Thicke--
DIANE MILLER: That's right.
CATHY WURZER: --last summer?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, she was-- she cowrote some songs and was mentored by Robin Thicke in 2021, I believe, which is a huge deal. Of course, Robin Thicke is an international pop star and has been in the business for how many years? So to get such a prestigious opportunity such as that really has got to be so mind blowing for any 17-year-old. And yeah, TPT did a recent feature on her and kind of took-- went to her house, interviewed her parents, and she seems like such a bright and promising young musician.
CATHY WURZER: I'm sure we'll hear more from her. Hey, finally, we have news of a band that has an upcoming album release. Tell us a little bit more about Radio Church.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, Radio Church. If you're a fan of R&B, even going back to the '90s-- R&B had its heyday in the '90s-- mixed with hip hop, funk, and jazz, romantic lyrics-- I say that Radio Church is for lovers. It has a lot of sex appeal and is just smooth and fun. And they also sound fantastic live. I've seen them live a couple of times, and they sound just as good as their recordings when you catch them live. And they're performing this Saturday at the New venue called green room in uptown Minneapolis.
CATHY WURZER: Oh wow, OK. We're going to go out to a little music. Of course, we have to play some Radio Church. This one's called "Stranger Than Fiction." Diane, thanks for being with us.
DIANE MILLER: Such a pleasure. Thanks for having me.
[RADIO CHURCH, "STRANGER THAN FICTION"]
CATHY WURZER: The Local Show, Sunday evenings on our sister station The Current.
RADIO CHURCH: (SINGING) You got the walk like Michael J. I sing a little ditty, keep them coming back, yeah. Who knows where we're going? But the sun's still shining and the wind's still blowing. I think I dropped a penny. Hope somebody finds love. I think I'll be OK. I got some waiting in the tub. Rhinestones they be glowing. Keep that money in your pocket, yeah, maybe you could grow it. You could tell me lies. You can tell me truths. You could be there, [INAUDIBLE]
CATHY WURZER: You already know we love music around here, especially music by Minnesota artists. And who better to talk about Minnesota musicians than Diane Miller. She's the host of The Local Show, Sunday evenings on our sister station The Current. Hey, Diane. Welcome back.
DIANE MILLER: Hey, thanks for having me.
CATHY WURZER: Didn't hear much of this song, but I really like it. The track we played at the start was called Easy For You by Anna Graves. She's got small town roots but looks like she's fast tracking it to big music hubs like Nashville and LA. What do you know about her?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, well, so The Current has a new afternoon drive host. Her name is Jessica Paxton. Happens to be from Northfield, Minnesota, just like Anna Graves. And when she started her radio program, she played her on a program when she was just 11 years old. And then she went on to, yeah, go to school in Nashville and then move to LA and now she lives back here and is just already making huge moves. And her music is so great. It's very personal, very touching, and I'm a huge fan.
CATHY WURZER: What do you think she's going to do in Nashville? I'm trying to hear her on country stations. I guess there might be something there for her.
DIANE MILLER: So when she was in Nashville, she was going to college to study music. And I mean, she definitely has that Nashville sound where it's just very songwriter-based and has a little bit of a country twinge but also pop twinge. So she has very much a Nashville sound and LA sound, and now she's-- and now it's great. We get to call her local because she's planning on still making music while she's living in Minneapolis still with that very polished Nashville and LA sound.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, glad she's going to stay here. Great. Anna Graves. Hey, let's listen to another track.
[MYCHAEL GABRIEL, "SUNDAY AFTERNOON"]
MYCHAEL GABRIEL: (SINGING) Love is a [INAUDIBLE] The sun has [INAUDIBLE]
CATHY WURZER: Mychael Gabriel, "Sunday Afternoon." Who is this?
DIANE MILLER: Mychael Gabriel happens to be the godson of Prince and Sheila E.
CATHY WURZER: No. Really?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, absolutely.
CATHY WURZER: If you're going to have godparents, those are two excellent godparents to have.
DIANE MILLER: [LAUGHS] Absolutely. Yeah, so-- and you know, is following in the footsteps of the great Prince and Sheila E and is also the touring guitarist for Sheila E, is a producer and manages her, and just dropped that single "Sunday Afternoon." Very smooth, very beautiful, very comforting song. And he'll also be headlining the main stage at the state fair this summer in August with his new band. He's based right here in Minneapolis and is just so talented.
CATHY WURZER: How long has he been in the business?
DIANE MILLER: Oh my gosh, I don't know. This is the first I had heard of him. Someone just sent us an email and be like, hey, we know that you're-- The Current really supports the music of Prince and Paisley Park, and hey, we got this new artist for you called Mychael Gabriel. And I'm like, oh my gosh, his music is fantastic.
CATHY WURZER: Great.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: I'm glad we're playing this. And he sounds terrific, Mychael Gabriel, OK. So there's also music out by a rising teen star, Ellie Macintosh. Let's hear a track.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELLIE MACKINTOSH: (SINGING) Why won't you save me if I ask you to love me, if I ask you to say it. You leave the lights out and I'm bathing in darkness in the depths of your forest.
CATHY WURZER: I cannot believe that Ellie is just 17 years old. She does not sound like she's 17. She sounds much-- she has this mature kind of sound to her voice. She sounds great.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, absolutely. Well, gosh, she started playing when she was very young, is a prodigy. She has perfect pitch. She can play violin, viola, and piano all very efficiently. And I describe it as gymnastic vocal ability. She has such range and is just destined for greatness in the music scene. And Lazerbeak, who manages bands like Polica and Sophia Eris was the one who brought my attention to her. And she's performed at Target Center, Minneapolis Convention Center, the Guthrie Theater, everywhere. And she writes and produces her own music. She's incredible.
CATHY WURZER: Wow. She is incredible. See, is she the young woman who mentored with Robin Thicke--
DIANE MILLER: That's right.
CATHY WURZER: --last summer?
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, she was-- she cowrote some songs and was mentored by Robin Thicke in 2021, I believe, which is a huge deal. Of course, Robin Thicke is an international pop star and has been in the business for how many years? So to get such a prestigious opportunity such as that really has got to be so mind blowing for any 17-year-old. And yeah, TPT did a recent feature on her and kind of took-- went to her house, interviewed her parents, and she seems like such a bright and promising young musician.
CATHY WURZER: I'm sure we'll hear more from her. Hey, finally, we have news of a band that has an upcoming album release. Tell us a little bit more about Radio Church.
DIANE MILLER: Yeah, Radio Church. If you're a fan of R&B, even going back to the '90s-- R&B had its heyday in the '90s-- mixed with hip hop, funk, and jazz, romantic lyrics-- I say that Radio Church is for lovers. It has a lot of sex appeal and is just smooth and fun. And they also sound fantastic live. I've seen them live a couple of times, and they sound just as good as their recordings when you catch them live. And they're performing this Saturday at the New venue called green room in uptown Minneapolis.
CATHY WURZER: Oh wow, OK. We're going to go out to a little music. Of course, we have to play some Radio Church. This one's called "Stranger Than Fiction." Diane, thanks for being with us.
DIANE MILLER: Such a pleasure. Thanks for having me.
[RADIO CHURCH, "STRANGER THAN FICTION"]
CATHY WURZER: The Local Show, Sunday evenings on our sister station The Current.
RADIO CHURCH: (SINGING) You got the walk like Michael J. I sing a little ditty, keep them coming back, yeah. Who knows where we're going? But the sun's still shining and the wind's still blowing. I think I dropped a penny. Hope somebody finds love. I think I'll be OK. I got some waiting in the tub. Rhinestones they be glowing. Keep that money in your pocket, yeah, maybe you could grow it. You could tell me lies. You can tell me truths. You could be there, [INAUDIBLE]
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