Andrea Swensson, host of 89.3 The Current’s beloved The Local Show for the last five years, has announced she’s leaving MPR to dive into a new career as a self-employed music writer, author, and podcaster. Her last episode will air Sunday, April 4.
Swensson started out at The Current nine years ago, after a stint as City Page’s music editor, where she created the Gimme Noise music blog. She began writing for their website when the Local Current Blog was in its nascence, building up an audience for local music. Later, as host of The Local Show, she blessed the Twin Cities airways with a weekly two-hour exploration of the metro’s music scene and its emerging stars.
During her time at The Current, Swensson also got on the Prince beat, and wrote it like few others ever have. She met Prince after watching him perform a 2013 show at the Dakota Jazz Club—from there, the pair began a professional exchange. Prince previewed new songs for Swensson, and invited her to Paisley Park for performances. Swensson wrote fastidiously about Prince both before and after his death, including liner notes for the super deluxe reissue of 1999. Her 2017 book Got To Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound traces the roots of soul, funk, blues, and R&B in the Twin Cities across three decades, starting with 1958, the year of Prince’s birth.
In her post-Current life, Swensson says she plans to work more on these kinds of projects—she already has a few freelance assignments lined up.
“If there has been one constant in my time here, it's that I'm always eager to move on to the next thing—from appearing on air for the first time to producing my own audio segments, doing deep dives into local history, making a podcast about mental health, and recording a late-night series about jazz musicians,” Swensson said in a post announcing her departure. “The time has come for me to find my next thing.”
Swensson’s departure comes after a tumultuous year of staff changes at The Current. Mark Wheat left his DJ slot last May to follow other dreams, and in September, DJ Eric Malmberg was fired after allegations of his sexual misconduct were brought to light. These exits came not long after morning host Brian Oake parted ways with the station in 2019. But as the new year began, The Current announced that two new hosts would be joining their airways: Radio K’s Maddie Schwappach, and Go 95.3/96.3’s Zeke Salo. Just a few weeks later, midday host Jade Tittle stepped into a new role as music director. A new host will take over The Local Show soon, and Swensson says she’s looking forward to listening.
“I am grateful to all my colleagues at The Current who have encouraged me to keep searching and growing, and I will always treasure the experiences we've shared,” said Swensson in the post. “I am especially grateful to all of the artists who have trusted me to help them tell their stories, and all the listeners who appreciate the importance of supporting hometown talent and lifting up new voices.”
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March 13, 2021 at 02:56AM
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Andrea Swensson Is Leaving The Current - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine
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