As The Current celebrates 15 years on the air and wraps up our winter member drive (become a member today), Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Popham is asking the hosts who've been with The Current since the beginning about their history at the station and in radio. This week, he spoke with Jill Riley.

Michael Popham: Hey Jill! Where did you grow up, and what were some of the radio stations you listened to as a kid?

Jill Riley: I was born and raised in Hutchinson, Minnesota. I would listen to KDWB on my sister's boom box; I distinctly remember listening to the weekly Top 40 with Casey Kasem. If my parents were in charge of the dial, it was KOOL 108, all the time. That was back when it was "good times and great oldies," so I didn't mind it very much. KOOL 108 shaped my love of '60s pop music.

Did you have any favorite announcers growing up?

Since our family listened to KOOL 108 so much, Dan Donovan ("The Golden Geezer") was the voice of my childhood. He had such a classic, old-school radio guy sound. He got his start in the era of the "boss jock" and was well-regarded in his craft. Always sounded like a pro. When I got older, as in "teenager older," I had a lot of respect for Tawn Mastry on 93X and Mei Young on KQRS. I had finally found some female DJs that I could look up to, who worked at the kind of radio stations I had hoped to work for someday. There were plenty of women doing the sidekick role on morning radio, but that's not who I truly wanted to be.

What was the first record you bought, and the first concert you went to?

I listened to a lot of my parents' record collection and my sister's cassettes and CDs. The first CDs I bought with my own money were 4 Non Blondes' Bigger, Better, Faster, More and Spin Doctors' Pocket Full of Kryptonite. I'm guessing that was 1992 or 1993, when it was still a pretty big deal to buy CDs.

My first concert was probably with my parents; they took us to Bobby Vee. Fun fact: Bobby Vee's son Jeff was my audio instructor at St. Cloud State. It's a small world.

When did you decide you wanted a career in radio?

Starting in about junior high, I wanted to be a radio DJ. Plenty of people tried to talk me out of it. Thankfully, I have a reputation for not listening to anyone's advice.

How did you get your start at KVSC-FM at St. Cloud State?

I transferred to St. Cloud State for my junior year to start my major in mass communications. KVSC had a reputation of being one of the best college radio stations in the nation. It was a no-brainer for me to go there. When I arrived, I started by doing some behind-the-scenes work to get my foot in the door and went through the DJ training program and started getting on-air shifts. Late night, early morning, weekends, wherever I could get more on air hours and practice. I worked my way into assistant news director, hosted a noon news program twice a week and various music shifts in more "experienced" time slots. My senior year I moved into the production director job and continued doing as many on-air music shifts as I could.

When did you first hear about the new station that would become The Current? What were your impressions of it?

I had just graduated from SCSU. I heard about the MPR station from the KVSC station manager, Jo McMullen, and she encouraged me to send in my reel. I thought it was pretty cool that an alternative indie rock station was being developed just as I was looking for work. I sent in my résumé and aircheck, and crossed my fingers. I was out of money, so I was hoping to get some kind of job as soon as I could. Just as I was about to take either the written or physical test to work as a county jail corrections officer, I got a call from [founding program director] Steve Nelson and thankfully he gave me a chance at doing radio professionally.

Wait, did you really apply to be a corrections officer? Like if you hadn't gotten the gig at The Current you'd be herding prisoners around the Stearns County Jail right now?

Well, it would be the Sherburne County Jail. I had started the application process but I hadn't taken the test yet. I needed a job!

As someone who was there at the beginning, what were the Current's early days like?

There was some chaos to the whole thing. We were figuring out what the station should sound like as we went along. I remember high expectations from the MPR audience. I also remember folks within the MPR organization being a little skeptical of what The Current was and how it fit into the vibe and mission of public radio. I look back at the creation of The Current and immediately think of the Tom Waits line, "What's he building in there?" As in, what in the hell are these indie/alternative-loving, musichead, weirdos doing to our sacred MPR? And quite frankly, I don't blame them. But, I also think The Current broke down some barriers as to what public radio could be and what it means to enrich people's minds with music.

Looking back, are you surprised the station is as successful as it's been?

I'm not entirely surprised, but no one could have predicted it. The Current was something entirely new to the radio landscape and because it filled such a void for listeners, people were curious as to what it was all about. My surprise came when The Current was catching on as a national brand. People were tuning in all over the country, and all over the world. That really blew my mind. Especially when our industry peers started to take notice of what we were doing with the format.

You've worked a bunch of different shifts at The Current since you started in 2005. Which is harder, working overnights or super-early in the morning?

I was a total night owl when I started doing radio, so overnights were a piece of cake. No joke. Morning drive takes a certain amount of stamina, focus, energy and enthusiasm. No one wants to listen to a tired morning drive DJ. Plus, the pressure to compete in the morning drive slot brings in its own kind of challenges. So yeah, the overnight DJ life was a breeze.

Can an early-morning DJ have much of a nightlife? Do you ever get to go to concerts?

I go to as many concerts as my early morning lifestyle will allow. I also have a four-year-old at home, so that limits my nightlife. My most-heard question from Current fans when they recognize me at a show is "Don't you have to be to work in the morning?"

You've spent a decade of your 15 years at The Current as a co-host during morning drive. What direction do you see the show heading toward?

It's been a great run of doing morning radio, and I don't plan to stop any time soon. I've had a total blast so far and I've learned so much about my strengths as a host, and quite frankly, areas where I needed some fine-tuning and development. It's a fast pace and morning radio really energizes me. Both Steve Seel and Brian Oake were strong radio partners, and I have fond memories of working with both of them.

As far as the direction of the show, I'm ready to move on from the traditional male / female dynamic. While I enjoyed sharing the mic, I'm very excited to move forward as the solo host of The Current's Morning Show. Superproducer Anna and I are looking forward to rebuilding the show and creating space for guests, occasional cohosts, fun features and lots of room for music discussion and discovery. This show has been an evolution since Dale and Jim Ed passed the baton to The Current's staff, and I can't wait to take it into the next chapter.

Every DJ at The Current has their own favorite musical sub-genres that kind of define them. What are yours?

Outlaw country, 60's sunshine pop, hair metal, 60's soul, and girl groups.

Are fans of The Current different from fans of other stations? If so, how?

Current fans are loyal, plugged-in, intelligent about music, and have no problems expressing their expectations and/or opinions. Current listeners are not passive, and that's a good thing.

Are you an animal lover? Do you have pets at home?

I absolutely love cows, pigs, and chickens. My husband is a championship BBQer and he makes them all taste quite delicious.

As far as pets go, I'm a total cat lady. I have two tabbies: Lady and Chewy.