This week on the channel +496K views this week

L7's Donita Sparks revisits the apathy behind "Pretend We're Dead"

The Current's studio week also brings Amelia Meath on full-band touring and new performances from Charlie Parr and Kiwi Jr.

Channel:

The Current Story of November 7, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.

L7's Donita Sparks on "Pretend We're Dead" #L7 #DonitaSparks

Donita Sparks has a plain explanation for an L7 staple: "I wrote it because my friends weren't voting." In The Current's most-watched new upload of the week, she recalls making "Pretend We're Dead" during the Bricks Are Heavy sessions, then explains why she introduces it on tour as a song about apathy. Archival band images give way to L7 performing in the station's studio in 2018.

It was a modest viewing week for the new arrivals, with Sparks' clip reaching roughly 2,300 views. But the ten uploads offered plenty beyond a single song's backstory. Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath discussed the practicality of touring with a full band with host Bill DeVille, answering in terms of joy and feeling alive rather than logistics. Ryan Bingham joined Zach McCormick to trace his discovery of Bob Dylan, while Palace explained their album-cover collaboration with artist Wilm Danby.

The freshest performance is carrying the strongest daily momentum among those uploads. Charlie Parr's "(what's so funny about) Universal Healthcare?" comes from Rooming House, an album built from fictional stories inspired by his experience of communal living. Parr told Radio Heartland host Mike Pengra how those narratives became songs intended to be heard together, from beginning to end.

Channel-wide viewing is close to its usual daily pace, and subscribers grew over the week. Among nearby music-media channels, P110: Music is having a busier-than-usual spell, while CMT's daily viewing is quieter than normal.

Kiwi Jr. supplied another useful studio discovery: "Photos of the Reenactment." The Toronto band's accompanying conversation names Detroit touchstones including Iggy Pop, MC5 and the White Stripes, influences they carried into recording Blowin' Up in that city without expecting to manufacture a classic Detroit record.

Published on Trari