By Ryan J. Nims
Is there a better way to soothe the mid-week blues than 90 minutes of emo and punk-adjacent music? Hosted by Stefny! at the Disco, The Emo Diaries, (Wednesday 7:00 pm) is your home for emo, pop-punk, post-hardcore and other related genres that don’t get a lot of love on Austin airwaves. Each week, Stefny! at the Disco hand-picks a playlist of music; sometimes there’s a theme, other times it’s just random good music. Many weeks, she welcomes a guest band for an interview and personalized song list. Let’s find out a little about The Emo Diaries:
Can you give us a quick description of The Emo Diaries for people who may not have heard the program?
The Emo Diaries was born out of my love for music under the emo umbrella (emo/screamo/pop punk/hardcore/etc) and the lack of access to it in the Austin radio market. I used to work at a radio conglomerate here in town and we had an “alternative” station but never anything like this. With the Texas Emo Club (fka Austin Emo Club) hosting events like Jimmy Eat Wednesday and the resurgence of “emo nights” across the country, I knew there was a taste for it and I wanted to be the one to fill it. In true KOOP fashion, I don’t just play the hits. I play brand new tracks by brand new artists, older tracks by well-known bands, and yes – occasionally – true bangers everyone knows.
How long has The Emo Diaries been on the air at KOOP?
My first show was March 15, 2021 so I’ve been on the air about 3 1/2 years.
Stef with Danny from Gentlemen Rogues
What was the original show pitch? And has the scope changed since the original concept?
The original pitch was actually exactly what I say at the top of every show: “a weekly trip through the pages of your middle school and high school Livejournal account.” When I was growing up in the mid-00s, online blogs were really becoming a thing. We had the blog section of MySpace and standalone sites like Livejournal, Xanga, and Blogspot. You were able to set an “emotion” or “mood” when you made your journal entries. I commonly used emo lyrics as blog titles. There’s just an inherent feeling of spilling your guts in emo music (see SDRE’s Diary album) and I thought it was an appropriate way to convey the feeling. I don’t really feel like THAT much has changed since I started, although earlier in my shows I was really just crafting them for me. Songs I wanted to impart onto other people. Of course, I still have that today, but I’ve also worked very hard to cultivate relationships with artists and PR to make sure I’m getting the best music possible out to the masses. 🙂
What is your favorite thing about volunteering for KOOP?
I love KOOP. Music has been the only thing I’ve really cared about for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I was always the go-to for any info about music for my friends at school. I love being around like-minded people all working towards the same goal. We don’t get paid to be here, we all do it for the love of the game. Hosting a weekly show where you’re in charge isn’t easy. It’s a lot of work, especially for the NPA shows and other programs that rely heavily on outside sources and editing and all that. We get the opportunity to learn how to do anything we want, we all have input into how things should go, and everyone is incredibly valuable. We also get to be representatives for our respective communities on the air and I think that’s an incredibly unique position.
Stef with Mike from The End Until Now and Ram from Ram Vela & the Easy Targets
If you could interview any band in the studio, who would be your dream guest?
Look, I don’t think I have to tell anyone who’s ever listened to the show who my favorite band is. Of course I would also puke if I got to interview them. But I’ve gotten to interview incredible people like Ben Kweller and Britt Daniel so I think I could handle it… maybe. But I love any opportunity I get to speak with musicians about their art. It’s always such an interesting conversation and we always have such a good time.
Stef with Ben Kweller
Is there anything you’d like to add for your listeners?
I am ALWAYS open to suggestions, ideas, and requests. Please, please, please tell me your opinions of the show, what I can improve, and what you’d like to hear. I’m always available @theemodiariesradio or emodiares@koop.org.
There you have it! If this sounds intriguing to you, give The Emo Diaries a listen! Oh and remember: it’s not just a phase, Mom.