Sneak Preview: Merrill Garbus’ Ukulele
An old ukulele — bought at an Army-Navy store — started Merrill Garbus on the path to drum-looping, face-painting renown with her band tUnE-yArDs. She told Kurt Andersen that her mother’s uke helped her make the career switch from aspiring puppeteer to inventive musician and critical darling.
Garbus brought her ukulele to WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space for a special live taping of Studio 360. She brought the audience to its feet with songs off her new album w h o k i l l, including “Bizness” and “Gangsta.” It was a special thrill to watch her use a loop pedal to layer her voice and beats live.
Garbus’ full interview will air this weekend — but for now, you can watch both songs, recorded live.
Video: Merill Garbus’ tUnE-yArDs performs “Bizness”
Video: Merrill Garbus’ tUnE-yArDs performs “Gangsta”
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.