YUCK! Who Listens to College Radio?
Piled into a cramped car, racing to Los Angeles, Sammie Cortes, Kat Nunez and Janice Diaz frantically typed questions into their notes app for a big last minute interview no one had planned for. An unsuspecting email had arrived in YUCK!’s inbox confirming an interview planned a month prior that the three assumed was a no-go. But suddenly, the interview was happening – whether they were ready or not.
“We had no questions, we had no cameras and we still made something out of it,” Cortes said, reminiscing on the hectic night.
Getting their name from a Charli XCX song, YUCK! is a radio show at CSULB’s 22 West Media. The show began in the fall 2022 semester, with Cortes and Nunez as co-hosts. The early episodes consisted of the two discussing their favorite music and trending Twitter topics. Not too long into the show’s run, Diaz joined as a host and YUCK! became whole. The trio, all sharing the same music taste, began interviewing bands they listen to as a way to share the music they love on a more personal level.
Now, YUCK! has a YouTube channel where they post episodes of their series Backstage Diaries. The videos chronicle the group attending concerts and interviewing artists before their sets.
“I didn’t grow up going to many live shows, but I was always a big fangirl,” Diaz said. “When I was old enough to pay for my own tickets, I started spending a lot of money on shows and it literally changed my life. As I became friends with Sammie and Kat, these events became one of the things we bonded over.”
Interviewing bands from across the country, YUCK! highlights indie artists Spotify won’t. Photo by Jd Preslicka
YUCK! reaches out to artists both local and statewide. As a result, the group has started building a network in one of the most daunting industries to break into – music.
However, with this risk also comes perks. Having backstage access and personal one-on-one’s with up-and-coming artists allows for mutual growth, and most of the time the artists are just as eager to do an interview as YUCK! is.
“It’s much easier to introduce yourself as the brand you’re a part of rather than a person in entertainment or journalism,” Cortes said. “Also, people really like our name.”
Pleasure Pill, a San Diego indie-esque Britpop throwback band, have worked with YUCK! on multiple occasions, including a radio interview and an episode of Backstage Diaries.
“What’s great about (YUCK!) is that they’re not outsiders to what they’re covering,” Pleasure Pill said. “They go to shows and love music, which makes their questions to the bands they interview come off as informed. It makes their coverage genuine for the listener.”
YUCK!’s social media has grown substantially over the past semester, both on YouTube and Instagram. Diaz says that there is a TikTok in the works, but the trio is unsure what to post as of now. They all agreed that they only want to make content that they themselves would enjoy. It must be funny, witty and filled with jokes they won’t look back on and go – oh god, we posted that?
Nunez creates a lot of the designs featured on YUCK!’s social media platforms.
“I always need a co-sign from Sammie and Janice on whatever I make because I want all of us to be all in for something,” Nunez said. “I don’t think we necessarily have a concrete theme, we just want to look cool.”
As for the group’s interviewing style, giggles and ad-libs are just as important as the questions themselves. Although the trio is professional in their work, they understand that this generation connects far better over laughter than corporate speak. However, there is definitely a time and a place for both.
In the eyes of some, student radio is a dying art. For others, it’s a fun way to express oneself, with or without an audience. YUCK! has taken every opportunity to grow as a group, and while their foundation lies in radio, the sky's the limit.
If college radio is dead, then YUCK! is digging its grave. Photo by Jd Preslicka
Cortes said: “We’ve felt supported and encouraged by everyone in the radio station, and the experience of being hosts has given us the confidence to pursue our dream careers. We don’t ask that people listen to us, but rather we want to encourage people to join radio themselves. It’s a free resource on campus and lets you gain hands-on experience with complete creative freedom.”
Although Diaz and Cortes both graduate this upcoming fall, YUCK! will continue past its days at 22 West. For now, their plan is to move it to their YouTube channel and other social media platforms. While they would like to keep the radio format, they all agree that it’s something they’ll worry about when the time comes.
“YUCK! isn’t just a college thing, and we can all see ourselves working together in the future,” Diaz said.
Between shotgunning Red Bulls and discovering good music, it’s safe to say that YUCK! is going to be everyone’s yum.
Listen to YUCK! on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-3 p.m. on 88.1 FM - HD 3. Find more of their content on Instagram @yuck.radio and watch their latest episode of Backstage Diaries on their YouTube page at www.youtube.com/@YUUCCK