Duluth Podcasts: A Guide to Downloadable Duluth Audio
There are more than 50 active podcasts that have some connection to Duluth and the surrounding area. Some feature Duluthians talking about Duluth, while others are produced in the region but meant for broader audiences. The topics span a wide range — history, phenology, hockey, education, aquaculture, Christianity, gardening, entrepreneurism and so on.
Perfect Duluth Day has resisted the urge to create a podcast about Duluth podcasts and instead used the written word and images to put together this guide to local digital audio. The list below includes only podcasts with recent episodes; we have a separate “List of Duluth-area Podcasts No Longer in Production.”
It’s been nearly two decades since Duluth’s first podcast premiered. We think it was either Mark Oberg’s “Perfect Sound Radio” or Danny Golden’s “The Wonderful World of Danny,” both circa 2004, but good luck verifying that. The very definition of “podcast” has always been a bit loose anyway. No one 20 years ago was subscribing to shows on a smartphone.
Any series of listenable audio on the internet could be considered a podcast according to some, while others might insist it be subscribable. The extent to which that distinction matters has diminished in recent years as nearly every local audio series is available via web syndication for subscription download via multiple platforms. When Perfect Duluth Day first put together a guide to podcasts in 2017, that was true of just 10 shows. Now the list is up to 55, and we suspect there are more we don’t know about, so give a shout in the comments if you are aware of a Duluthy podcast we missed. Or send an email to paul @ perfectduluthday.com.
Archive Dive
Superior Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood interviews local historians about historic persons, places or events in Superior history.
Debuted January 2022
Available on: superiortelegram.com | Apple Podcasts | Audible | Podbay | Rephonic | Listen Notes
Attracted to Duluth
The St. Louis County Depot’s Hailey Eidenschink and Lake Superior Zoo’s Caroline Routley chat with guests about “weird and wonderful attractions in Duluth.”
Debuted September 2022
Available on: Liberated Syndication | Spotify
Backyard Almanac
Naturalist Larry Weber talks about all things phenological every Friday morning on WDSE the North’s Northland Morning program. The “Backyard Almanac” segments are cataloged for streaming on thenorth1033.org.
Available on: thenorth1033.org | Apple Podcasts
Boundary Waters Podcast
Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley host this podcast from WTIP North Shore Community Radio in Grand Marais. It features stories from the people who visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Debuted January 2018
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud
The Breakfast Club
Ken Hayes and Lauren Wells talk about regional happenings, country music news and more weekday mornings on KKCB FM. The archive on some podcast platforms goes back to June 2023; on b105country.com it goes back to December 2022.
Available on: b105country.com | Apple Podcasts | Podbay | TuneIn
Bruce Ciskie Podcast
Longtime local sports commentator Bruce Ciskie hosts a half-hour show on weekdays, broadcast on KDAL radio. Podcast archives go back to July 2017.
Available on: kdal610.com | Omny | Audible | Listen Notes
Bulldog Insider
Duluth News Tribune reporter Matt Wellens and KBJR My9 hockey commentator Zach Schneider host this podcast covering University of Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey.
Debuted September 2018
Available on: Liberated Syndication | Apple Podcasts | Listen Notes
Business Talk Sister Gawk
Ruthie Holmes and Bekkah Anderson seek to demystifying business for young entrepreneurs with their podcast. The show originates from the Iron Range.
Debuted February 2020
Available on: businesstalksistergawk.com | Apple Podcasts | Audible | Podchaser
Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds
Educator Jebeh Edmunds offers advice on creating a more inclusive classroom community.
Debuted November 2020
Available on: jebehedmunds.com | Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Audible | Spotify | Podbay | Listen Notes
Duluth News Tribune Minute
Wyatt Buckner runs down items that appear in the Duluth News Tribune in this podcast, with frequent help from Dan Williamson, Barrett Chase, Jay Gabler and others.
Debuted February 2021
Available on: duluthnewstribune.com | Liberated Syndication | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
The Duluth Rundown
Tony Stensland of Tony Stensland Coaching and Mike Ward of Duluth Timing and Events talk about the local running scene in this podcast.
Debuted April 2019
Available on: theduluthrundown.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Duluth Vineyard Podcast
Pastor John Kliewer of the Vineyard Church presents weekly sermons/conversations related to Christianity.
Debuted January 2007
Available on: duluthvineyard.org | Apple Podcasts | PodParadise | Podbean | PureStreams
Exploring the North Shore
Jaye White and Martha Finley host this podcast about Lake Superior’s North Shore, focusing on road trips, hikes, museums and more.
Debuted July 2019
Available on: exploringnorthshore.com | Apple Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Spotify
The Fish Dish
Sharon Moen and Marie Zhuikov introduce listeners to the people behind Wisconsin’s fishing and aquaculture industries. Each episode includes a “Fish-o-licious” segment in which they cook a new fish recipe.
Debuted November 2021
Available on: seagrant.wisc.edu | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
For the Birds
For more than 30 years Duluth-based ornithologist Laura Erickson has been dropping her bird-nerd knowledge on the radio. The segments air on WDSE the North on weekdays at 7:32 a.m. Episodes have been released as a podcast since 2014.
Available on: lauraerickson.com | Apple Podcasts | Podbean | PlayerFM
For the Love of Duluth
Hosts Tom Jamison and Yvonne Myers talk with guests about Duluth art, culture, food, beer and natural amenities.
Debuted August 2021
Available on: Listen Notes | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The Friday Fishing Frenzy
Outdoor enthusiast Rik Jordan hosts The Frenzy on KDAL radio, talking about where the fish are biting. Podcast archives go back to May 2020.
Available on: kdal610.com | Omny | Ivy
Gag Me with a Spoon
Adeline Wright hosts storytellers who spill their guts. The show was on hiatus, but returned with one new episode in 2023.
Debuted 2018
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Listen Notes
The Garden Show with Bob Olen
St. Louis County Extension Educator Bob Olen takes gardening questions every Tuesday morning during the The KDAL Morning Show with Dave Strandberg. Podcast archives go back to April 2019.
Available on: kdal610.com | Audible | Apple Podcasts | Listen Notes | OwlTail | Ivy | Google Podcasts | Podbay | Castbox
Glad You’re Here
Grant Glad talks to musicians and artists about their creative processes and what makes them tick.
Debuted March 2023
Available on: iHeartRadio | Spotify | Podbean | Podchaser | Boomplay
Goal Digger Podcast
Hermantown’s Jenna Kutcher hosts this workshop-style business podcast.
Debuted November 2016
Available on: jennakutcherblog.com | Listen Notes | Apple Podcasts
Getting Bridged with Gar and Kelli
Jerry Hallsten and Kelli Hallsten Erickson are “light on history and heavy on nostalgia” in this podcast about life in Duluth.
Debuted May 2022
Available on: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Podbay | Rephonic
The Goblin Squad Podcast
Brooke Carlson and Sarah Glesner explore cryptids, sacred serpents, witchcraft, foraging and more through interviews and stories.
Debuted March 2023
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Podbean | Spotify
Green Visions
WDSE’s Northland Morning program includes this feature on local environmental issues, broadcast on Wednesdays. The feature debuted on the radio in 2007; WDSE’s online archive of the segments goes back to February 2015 and podcast archives go back to April 2019.
Available on: Apple Podcasts
Grizzly’s Growls
David “Grizzly” Smith’s long-running podcast is a personal journal with book reviews and music from his “It Doesn’t Suck” list. Some episodes fall under the title Hiber-Nation and are simply Smith reading from various works he enjoys.
Debuted February 2007
Liberated Syndication | PlayerFM | iHeartRadio | Apple Podcasts
Here’s Where it Gets Interesting
Duluth’s Sharon McMahon delves into American politics and history with guests sharing expertise and experiences. The show was previously titled Sharon Says So.
Debuted July 2021
Available on: sharonmcmahon.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podtail | Google Podcasts | iHeart | Amazon
KDAL Morning Show
Formerly Your Morning Wake Up Call, hosted by Neill Atkins, the new morning-drive show on WDSM radio is hosted by Dave Strandberg with Atkins as co-host three out of five days a week. Podcast archives go back to March 2018.
Available on: Audible | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The KQ Afternoon Trainwreck
KQDS radio’s weekday afternoon drivetime show, hosted by Kevin Key and Tom Roubik, made its way to podcast platforms in March 2021.
Available on: 95kqds.com | Audible | Omny
KQ Morning Show
Jason Manning, Scott Savage and Bruce Ciskie cover news, sports and weather in the traditional wacky morning show style on KQDS radio. In March 2021 the show made it to the podcast world.
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Audible
Lake Lore
This University of Minnesota Duluth student podcast explores harbor monsters, ghost ships and other Lake Superior lore.
Debuted December 2023
Available on: Spotify
Leader of the Pack
Duluth Pack has a company podcast featuring interviews, business discussions, entrepreneurial advice and outdoor survival stories. Company president and CEO Tom Sega hosts.
Debuted July 2021
Available on: duluthpack.com | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts
Left of Skeptic
Brittany Lind and Kala Moria host this podcast, discussing “haunted locations, paranormal encounters and creepy objects.”
Debuted January 2021
Available on: leftofskeptic.com | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Let the Sawdust Fly
Pete Wood, a logger from Canyon, discusses issues surrounding northern Minnesota’s logging industry.
Debuted November 2017
Available on: wdsm710.com | Omny | Audible | Spotify | Listen Notes | OwlTail | Podbay
Live from Studio A
WDSE the North radio produces segments with local and touring musicians, which are later posted online at thenorth1033.org. There is not a consistent schedule, but the segments occur on a roughly weekly basis. Christine Dean is generally, but not always, the host.
MuniciPals
Phil Jents and Tricia Hobbs host this monthly podcast highlighting how Duluth’s government operates and discussing issues facing the city.
Debuted January 2020
Liberated Syndication | Listen Notes | Spotify | Ivy
My Duluthian Life
Jim Hayden takes a deep dive into the foibles, fancies and little-known facts of Duluth.
Debuted April 2022
Available on: Anchor | Spotify | YouTube
Never Picked
Banished from the land of cubicles, Eddy Gilmore’s living rests upon three legs: art, urban farming and writing. His podcast is centered on the philosophy that “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, at first.”
Debuted October 2021
Available on: Spotify | Listen Notes
9 O’clock Meltdown
Crystal Lynn Abbs interviews Duluth-area artists from a broad spectrum of mediums in this podcast. The show’s archive goes back to 2016 with some older shows featured in the mix.
Debuted December 2011
Available on: SoundCloud | Apple Podcasts | Listen Notes | Himalaya
Northlandia
Hosts Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson are joined by fellow Duluth News Tribune reporters who share stories about the region’s distinctive people, places and history.
Debuted January 2023
Available on: duluthnewstribune.com | Spotify | Liberated Syndication | Rephonic
The PodCostner
Sir Jeff Niceswanger, Corey Gice and Adam Herman “review the absolute hell out of Kevin Costner movies.”
Debuted August 2020
Available on: Audible | Buzzsprout | Listen Notes
Real Talk on Women’s Health
Townsquare Media and Essentia Health present this podcast hosted by radio personality Lauren Wells. It focuses on topics related to women’s health — obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, nutrition, etc.
Debuted March 2023
Available on: b105country.com | Rephonic
Rise of the Podcast
Kara and Jeremy Manthey share the things they love: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, filmmaking, video games, virtual reality, 3D printing, cosplaying, etc.
Debuted September 2019
Available on: Simplecast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbay | YouTube
Simply Superior
Robin Washington hosts this weekly public affairs program on KUWS radio, focused on events and issues in northwestern Wisconsin. The show debuted in June 2015 under the name Hear Me Out. Podcast archives go back to July 2020.
Available on: wpr.org | Listen Notes | Apple Podcasts | Podbay
Sound Off! with Brad Bennett
Brad Bennett talks about local and national issues every weekday on WDSM radio. The show became available on podcast platforms in June 2021 with episodes uploaded as hourly segments.
Available on: wdsm710.com | Apple Podcasts | Audible | Castbox
Supernatural Park
Former park ranger Amy Sturz presents stories about strange creatures and the joy of in being in nature.
Debuted July 2022
Available on: supernaturalpark.com | Apple Podcasts | Player FM
Sweat & Solidarity: Standing Against the Harassment of Runners
In this five-episode series Morgan Radel delves into the harassment of runners with the goal to make running safe and accessible for everyone.
Debuted April 2023
Available on Spotify
Talk of the Town
Tracy Lundeen hosts a Saturday-morning talk show on KDAL 610 AM. Podcast archives of the long-running radio show go back to July 2013 on the station website and June 2022 on Apple Podcasts.
Available on: kdal610.com | Apple Podcasts
Tent Show Radio
Tent Show Radio has been produced as a weekly radio variety show since 1994, showcasing live performances from Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, hosted by humorist Michael Perry. Podcast archives date back to January 2014.
Available on: bigtop.org | Apple Podcasts | Liberated Syndication | TuneIn | PlayerFM
This Small Town
Writer and comedian Allison Page grew up in Thief River Falls and moved away 15 years ago. Her podcast takes listeners along to the county fair, her class reunion and other elements of her home town.
Debuted September 2023
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM
The Transgenda
Transgender woman Aleana “Ana” Kruger, and her father Cam Kruger, share their experiences of growing together and hating bigots.
Debuted December 2021
Available on: transgendapod.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Listen Notes | Audible
Twin Portals
Twin Portals is a fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons actual-play podcast which follows five friends from the mystical land of Minnesota — Matías Valero, Scott Hebert, Justin Peck, Elizabeth Deathkit Brophy and Kendra Carlson.
Debuted October 2018
Available on: Liberated Syndication | Apple Podcasts | PlayerFM
Twin Ports Comedy
Comedians from Duluth and Superior unite to discuss comedy, life and whatever comes to mind.
Debuted October 2023
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Amazon | Spotify
The Twin Ports Real Estate Show
Jim Ronding and Gary Kalligher of ReMax Results discuss the Twin Ports real estate market, national news and more every Saturday on KDAL radio.
Debuted January 2019
Available on: kdal610.com | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Omny | Podbay | Audible
What they Don’t Tell You About Being a Survivor
This podcast from Duluth-based Men as Peacemakers seeks to build “community amongst those affected by trauma, with the purpose to promote healing and social change.”
Debuted September 2021
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Listen Notes
The Wussow’s Podcast
Wussow’s Concert Cafe proprietor Jason Wussow and co-host Terry Johnson interview Duluth-area musicians, share live recordings and preview upcoming events.
Debuted January 2023
Available on: Apple Podcasts | Boomplay | Podcast Addict | Rephonic
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