Evie Stokes took over KEXP’s Drive Time show this summer.
Early in the 1990s, a young Evie Stokes clutched a little purple boom box under her pillow, turning it up just enough to hear the music her parents forbade. Stokes snuck listens to 107.7 The End, hearing DJ Marco Collins introduce acts like Beck and wondering to herself, “What is this?” A few decades later, DJ Evie Stokes assumes the reins of KEXP’s Drive Time show, a slot she inherits from the station’s legendary Kevin Cole. Her plan? Mix classics—she got a David Bowie–inspired tattoo when he died—and new discoveries curated from the hours she spends listening to submitted songs before each show. A self-described shy person, Stokes will nevertheless serve as the voice of Seattle’s fiercely independent music station from 4 to 7pm four days a week. “It’s cheesy,” she says, “but you have to do things that scare you.”
I found myself, from a really young age, wanting to be the person in the family who got to choose what the music was gonna be on road trips.
I got into my teenage years and loved things like Ja Rule and Lil’ Kim and DMX. Things which, truthfully, I still enjoy today.
When I moved to LA the first time, in 2007, I started streaming KEXP on the web, as like sort of an anchor back to Seattle.
I reached out to [KEXP DJ] Michele Myers on MySpace and was like, I love your show. I know I want to be involved in music some way.
She hired me on as her DJ assistant on Friday nights. [Eventually] I did the overnight fill-in spots for a while.
It was my first radio job. I had no idea what I was doing. I really had to teach myself what everything on the board did.
We were mostly playing off of CDs. A lot of the time the CD players would skip.
There were a few flubs. Somehow I made it through those overnights for two years without ever swearing.
It’s probably just the current of pure terror that runs through me, knowing how big of a deal that would be, that keeps me from ruining my life.
I love electronic music. I love the music of my childhood, so I love all the ’80s New Wave. I like the trip-hop genre a lot. And things like post-punk and hip-hop.
We have, coming into KEXP every week, like hundreds and hundreds of songs.
I have to review things really quickly. It has to stand out to me immediately; I usually give things about five to 10 seconds.
The Seattle music scene is alive and well. There’s so much new art coming out of Seattle.
I think we’re doing great shoegaze right now. My daughter really loves Taylor Swift. But she also loves Caroline Polachek, she also likes De La Soul.
I like pop music. I have nothing against it. Taylor Swift isn’t my favorite artist, but I
can appreciate some of the music that she makes.
But I absolutely love Beyoncé.
KEXP is an anomaly, which has been proven many times. Radio stations continue to go away, and KEXP continues to evolve and grow.
We are first and foremost a place that champions music and discovery.
KEXP, the community, has been really important for me in my recovery. I’m five years sober this year.
One thing we say at KEXP is you are not alone.
I plan to have a lot of fun [on Drive Time]. I really thrive on the fun, goofy stuff.
Music, obviously, is massively important in so many people’s lives. It’s people’s life force.
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