Andrea Swensson leaving The Current
March 11, 2021
It's hard to believe almost a decade has passed since I first started working at Minnesota Public Radio. I came to The Current as a writer, fresh out of the alt-weekly world, and on my first day I sat down in a conference room with a team of web developers and watched as they launched the Local Current Blog and taught me how to upload posts. Within a few days, I was on air with Barb Abney sharing my favorite new local music with our listeners, and had started popping into the studio with David Campbell to record news breaks for The Local Show.
If there has been one constant in my time here, it's that I'm always eager to move on to the next thing — from appearing on air for the first time to producing my own audio segments, doing deep dives into local history, making a podcast about mental health, and recording a late-night series about jazz musicians. It was also during my tenure at The Current that I had the opportunity to closely follow Prince's work, which led to many unforgettable nights out at Paisley Park and a face-to-face meeting with the artist himself.
The time has come for me to find my next thing. I am starting a new chapter as a self-employed music writer, author, and podcaster. After nine years at The Current and five years at the helm of The Local Show, my last episode will air on Sunday, April 4.
I am grateful to all my colleagues at The Current who have encouraged me to keep searching and growing, and I will always treasure the experiences we've shared. I am especially grateful to all of the artists who have trusted me to help them tell their stories, and all the listeners who appreciate the importance of supporting hometown talent and lifting up new voices.
My departure will make room for a new voice to take over The Local Show, and that's the best news of all. I'm looking forward to listening.
Andrea
A message from David Safar, Managing Director of The Current
Andrea is a friend and mentor to so many at The Current, and she will be truly missed by all of us at the station and our listeners. She started at The Current writing for thecurrent.org to build an audience for local music. She did exactly that and went on to become a radio host, podcaster, and curator of events and multimedia experiences. I'm grateful to Andrea for her leadership and commitment to our audiences, and I wish her the best in her next venture. We will be cheering Andrea on in this new chapter, and I'm excited to see what it holds for her.
