America is a melting pot—and so is our music. From folk to jazz, pop, classical, and the avant-garde, American music has always been a merging of different cultures, influences, and ideas. And as you travel to different parts of the country, you find each region has its own unique music to share and story to tell.

On this week’s episode of Second Inversion, we’re taking a road trip around the U.S. We’re exploring music from the people and places that make up our country. We’ll hear music inspired by coal miners in Pennsylvania, stories of slavery in the American South, sounds from the Pacific Crest Trail, and songs of the Alaska Natives.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 9pm PT.

The meteorologist Edward Lorenz once said that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could ultimately cause a tornado in Texas. The smallest change can lead to chaos. A simple, whimsical little insect can transform our lives in ways we never expected.

This Saturday on Second Inversion: The Butterfly Effect. We’ll take wing with some big music inspired by these delicate little creatures. From evenings at a butterfly greenhouse to afternoons spent studying the different species, we’ll get lost in the bold colors and dazzling transformations of butterflies.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 9pm PT.

Love is in the air and on the airwaves this weekend! In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we’re exploring the music of 21st century troubadours.

In medieval times, troubadours were poets and musicians who wrote songs about chivalry and courtly love. But of course, love and heartbreak are pretty timeless themes—and composers today are still writing love ballads for the hopeless romantic. On this Saturday’s episode, we’ll hear modern spins on the age-old love ballad. Songs about love, songs about heartbreak—and songs about online dating nightmares.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 9pm PT.

Music is rooted in change: chord change, tempo change, dynamic change. But music can also ignite change.

This Black History Month, we are celebrating the ways in which Black artists continue to shape and enrich American music. On this Saturday’s episode: songs of liberation. From intimate folk songs to sprawling musical manifestos, we’ll explore cutting-edge new music by Black composers—all culminating in a live recording of Julius Eastman’s radical 1973 composition Stay On It.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 9pm PT.

Blinding sun, shimmering sands, prickly plants and an endless, open sky—there is something magical about the desert.

It’s difficult to put it into words, to capture it on paper, or to sum it up in a song. The music of the desert slips through your hand like sand, evaporates like a mirage—but composers have never stopped trying to capture it. This Saturday on Second Inversion: Desert Mirage. From singing sands to desert duets, cactus needles to cricket songs, we’ll hear music and stories from deep within the desert.

To listen, tune in to KING FM on Saturday, January 29 at 9pm PT.