Over the past eleven years, how do you think Noods has helped shape Bristol’s creative identity? Has your relationship with the city changed as the station has grown?

Jack: Having a physical space has always been really important to us. We never wanted the station to exist solely as an online community, so when we had the opportunity to open a café and bar with the studio built into it, it felt like a natural extension of what we were already doing. It has helped us create a physical home for the station and Bristol’s music community: somewhere listeners, residents and artists can meet in person, and where visiting artists can connect with the city and the people who make it what it is.

From a local DIY project to a station with listeners and residents across the world, Noods has grown enormously over the last decade. How have you managed to evolve while staying true to the spirit that made people fall in love with it in the first place?

 Jack: The station has naturally become more international over time, but the ideas at its core remain the same as when we started: giving artists a platform and making interesting and exciting radio. Everyone involved in the station, and in the projects that have grown around it, really care about music and the creative scenes and spaces that surround it — both in Bristol and further afield. We hope that this comes through in the events, collaborations, broadcasts and projects we put together. The station’s located in Bristol but now connects with scenes, artists and cities across the world. I think people can feel that the growth has happened organically and that the relationships behind it are real.

We live in an era of algorithms, playlists and endless scrolling, yet independent radio continues to resonate. Chiedza, your Noods show PianoHeat journeys through the sounds of the Southern African diaspora, from Amapiano and 3-step to Gqom. What do you think independent radio can offer these sounds, scenes and listeners that other platforms can’t?

Chiedza: The digital age has changed the way we discover new music, for better and for worse. Our shorter attention spans mean we often need instant gratification, and we often opt for listening to whatever has gone viral on TikTok, or whatever the algorithm recommends us, rather than digging deep and exploring new sounds, genres and artists. Independent radio stations offer people the chance to hear music recommended by a real human – people who have unique experiences, tastes and backgrounds. It gives audiences the opportunity to connect and relate to others in ways that playlists curated by algorithms will never be able to replace. Not only that, but it has the power to help people feel less isolated, by being able to hear music being selected in real time as the presenter chats to the audience. As someone with an eclectic taste in music, I love being able to turn on the radio and discover something completely new. It also gives people who still have a passion for music digging to share their discoveries with the world!

Noods has become known for championing sounds, artists and communities that don’t always have a platform elsewhere. How do you approach curation when you’re driven by curiosity rather than commercial expectations?

Jack: We’re less interested in whether something fits an existing trend or is likely to attract the biggest audience, and more interested in whether a concept feels distinctive and the music is interesting to us. We want the station to feel varied, thoughtful and representative. Personally, I don’t want to listen to a couple of kinds of music all day, every day, so we are always listening for gaps in the programme and looking beyond our immediate circles. Ultimately, the aim is not to predict what people already like, but to introduce them (and ourselves) to something they may not have encountered before.

Launching on DAB marks an exciting new chapter for the station. Beyond making Noods easier to access, what does broadcasting across Bristol and the surrounding area mean to you?

 Jack: I think becoming part of the fabric of Bristol’s actual airwaves is really exciting, and somehow feels more meaningful for us and our residents. It doesn’t just make Noods more accessible; it makes the station more discoverable. Someone could be flicking through the stations, land on something called “Noods”, think, “What’s that?”, pause for a minute and lock in. It brings an element of serendipity back to discovering music and, I suppose, a bit of romance too.

Bristol has long been known for its independent creative spirit, from music and art to DIY culture and activism. How has the city’s creative ecosystem shaped Noods Radio, and how do you think Noods has given something back in return?

 Chiedza: Throughout my journey with Noods, I have met so many interesting and creative people who have been working on some incredible projects in the city. The fact that Bristol is so diverse and innovative has helped shape Noods Radio by creating a roster of eclectic, talented and unique residents who each bring a fresh perspective to each show. I love how Noods showcases a variety of genres of music, from ambient, to punk, hip hop and more experimental genres. The Noods community is a great space to meet other like-minded people and to foster creative connections within the city. The station has helped give back to the community by partnering with development programmes such as Saffron, who have held radio broadcasting courses at the station. They’ve also recently launched a great scheme to give young people with additional needs the opportunity to learn to DJ.

Wow! That sounds amazing. Could you tell me more about the scheme?

Jack: Sure – we run a CIC called Noods Levels or just Levels – it’s been running for five years now and was set up to give back to the city and the South West. It helps young creatives by offering alternative creative courses in design, music, radio and photography. We’ve now added TwoStep which offers funding and mentoring to creative companies and Tread which is our mobile studio, offering music workshops to places in the city that don’t generally get access to them on their doorstep.

As part of the DAB launch, JACK ARTS is helping bring Noods into the city’s streets through a billboard campaign. What does it mean to see an independent station that’s grown from Bristol’s grassroots celebrated so publicly?

Jack: It feels quite surreal, to be honest. Noods Radio started as a small group of friends broadcasting music from living rooms, bedrooms and studios across Bristol, so seeing it represented on billboards across the city feels like a real moment of recognition for everyone who has helped build the station over the last ten years. It also feels like a reminder that something can grow without losing the spirit it started with. We are still driven by the same curiosity, people (most of the original residents are still with us!) and love of music – we are just getting to share it on a much bigger canvas.

For someone discovering Noods Radio for the very first time on DAB, what do you hope they’ll hear, or perhaps more importantly, what do you hope they’ll feel?

Chiedza: I hope that anyone who discovers PianoHeat on Noods Radio for the first time will discover a newfound love and appreciation for dance music from the African Diaspora. I hope they will feel uplifted and intrigued by the infectious beat and soulful melodies, develop an appreciation for the artist’s musical craft, and an unstoppable urge to move their body to the beat!