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Karen Choi performs in the Radio Heartland studio

  Play Now [24:49]

by Mike Pengra

April 07, 2015

Karen Choi
Singer-songwriter Karen Choi.
Rebecca Tredway

"It's definitely in everyday life that I write, and I want my songs to be about that as well."

That's what Karen Choi says about her writing inspiration. Karen is also moved to write from her experiences traveling, meeting people, seeing landscapes, taking care of her kids and, like many musician-drivers, makes frequent use of the voice-memo app on her smart phone.

The timeline of Karen's first recording followed an unusual path: She got married and had her first child while in her early 20s; she then went to college, had her second son during grad school, recorded her first studio album (Paper Birch in Nashville, and delivered her third child just last fall. She hails from Lincoln, Neb., and is currently working on her second album.

Karen Choi stopped by the Radio Heartland studios on a recent visit and played some songs for us in the studio.

Songs Performed


"Tommy Ray"
"Old River Roll"
"Minnesota Sky"
All songs from Karen Choi's album, Paper Birch, available on iTunes and on CD Baby.

Hosted and produced by Mike Pengra
Engineered by Cameron Wiley

Mike Pengra and Karen Choi
Radio Heartland's Mike Pengra with singer-songwriter Karen Choi.
MPR photo/Cameron Wiley