Roots and Shoots

Show name: Roots and Shoots

Presenters names: Martin Henning, Rich Cooke and Martin Hodge

Show time and day: Mondays 6pm to 8pm.

What type of music can we expect to hear on the show?
Martin Henning: You can expect to hear folk, roots and world music that includes jazz, rhythm & blues and blues.

Roots and Shoots has a philosophy of focussing on roots/world music and local and unsigned bands. We are encouraging, and getting, more and more music from local artists on the show, we like them to send in their demos and finished recorded work to be included on the play list.

We also try and do interviews with people involved in music locally and get guest presenters to present part of a show on particular music they like.

Why do you like this music?
Martin Henning: We like exploring different rhythms, melodies and cultures and the music we play is very different from commercial music.
Rich: I like this music because it moves you. I especially like the Latin stuff. I like the music the others play as well but for some reason I’m fixated on Latin!

What is the format of your show?
Rich: We are trying to introduce people to different ‘good’ music.
Martin Henning: When I’m DJing I try and start with world music then move over into more folky stuff.

Why should we listen to your show?
Martin Henning: You should listen to our show to widen your interests and experience music from the other side of the world, music that isn’t the norm over here.
Rich: Hopefully the music we play is good and it can broaden you interests.

How did your show come about?
Martin Henning: I started the show after my daughter suggested I should be on the radio because I have a wide interest in music and being bossy she persuaded me! Then I got in touch with Martin Hodge, Martin talked to Rich and the show blossomed.

The idea initially was to have guest presenters. We still want to do that, get people to come in and present part of the show on music that interests them - providing it is in keeping with the shows philosophy.

What goes on behind the scenes in the studio?
Rich: Sometimes we end up dancing round the studio. I had an Italian lady helping me out on one show, she was a nutcase and by the end of the show we were bopping around all over the place.
Martin Henning: Well, you’ve gota make a party of it!

What has been your best on air moment?
Martian Henning: We had a band in here called Panacea and it was really good.

What has been your worst/ most embarrassing on air moment?
Rich: We came in one day and someone had turned a knob on the board so what was going out on air was silent, but there was sound in the studio. We didn’t realise for about four minutes, then it took us ages to find the knob and turn the sound back on!

Who is your favourite artist?
Martin Henning: We’ve got such different styles we couldn’t say between us. Look at our individual profiles to see who our personal favourite artists are!

What is your all time favourite album?
Martin Henning: It is very difficult to come up with one that we all really like because we have such different tastes! Sometimes it’s just the latest one we’ve got.