Record Scratch: The Podcast

Author

Kate Widmer, University of Montana, MissoulaFollow

Graduation Year

2025

Graduation Month

December

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

College of Humanities and Sciences

Major

Communication Studies

Faculty Mentor Department

Davidson Honors College

Faculty Mentor

Sam Kellogg

Keywords

music, Missoula, Montana, art history, record scratch, punk, art

Subject Categories

American Popular Culture | Oral History | Other American Studies | Other Music

Abstract

“Record Scratch: The Podcast” is an attempt to gather some of the history of Missoula’s alternative music scene from the 1990s until now, to contribute to documentation of Montana’s art scenes as well as to summarize and finalize my two and a half years of doing music reporting in Missoula. For the podcast, I interviewed four people who are active in Missoula’s music scene. Our discussions range from their youth through to the present day, giving several perspectives on Missoula’s changing music culture, as well as what it means to be a punk in Montana. My guiding reason for this project is my personal interest in a subject that has been difficult to develop due to lack of available material, as well as to honor the innovative spirit of generations of punk rockers who remained committed to their inspirations despite living in a regional culture that doesn’t necessarily prioritize art. This project is significant in that it addresses a gap both in Missoula’s history, and in the history of American art at large. Particularly as Missoula and its cultures continue to change, this new archive provides important knowledge about one of its most vital local artistic movements, creating a resource for punks, music lovers and cultural historians alike.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

no

Recommended Citation

Widmer, Kate, "Record Scratch: The Podcast" (2025). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 574.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/574