Gannon Hanevold, the new weekend host for The Current, is a self-described “late bloomer” when it comes to the world of music discovery.  

The youngest of six, Gannon frequently says that he fell in love with music twice. The first time was as a child, when he was influenced by his family’s taste – his dad’s love for alt-country and pop-rock, and his siblings’ love for pop and hip-hop. And although he loved listening to music, he admittedly didn’t explore beyond what was presented to him by his family.  

It wasn’t until COVID hit in 2020 that he got the bug for music discovery and sharing that passion with others – and that’s when he fell in love with music for the second time.  

The road to The Current 

Kicked out of the dorms due to the pandemic, Gannon headed back to his rural hometown outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. As he filled his spare time collecting vinyl and researching music history, a new world opened up.  

His pandemic soundtrack became classic artists like Bob Dylan and new favorites like Phoebe Bridgers. “I started listening to a lot of classic albums that I hadn't heard yet,” says Gannon. “It was like I discovered 50 years of the most important albums in music history at the same time. It was Tracy Chapman and Sufjan Stevens and Bright Eyes and Springsteen all at once.”  

He also expanded his music horizons through community. Like many DJs at The Current, Gannon got his start on-air at his college radio station. Originally set on becoming a sports broadcaster, he got into the music side of Blaze Radio at Arizona State University to get his foot in the door at the station.  

After attending his first music meeting, he immediately fell in love with the music side’s atmosphere. He was so hooked, in fact, that he reshaped his career goals and set his sights on being a music journalist, while also hosting shows at Blaze Radio.  

Multiple jobs in music journalism during and after college followed. When Gannon saw a job open up at The Current, he knew he had to go for it. 

“It’s a dream job,” he says. “I've changed career goals several times throughout my life. But if you were to ask me at age 8, at age 16 and at age 24 what my dream job would be, I think a constant would have always been radio host.” 

New weekend host 

Now Gannon gets to share his love of music as the weekend host for The Current. Listeners will hear him every Saturday and Sunday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. as well as filling in at various times throughout the week.  

What can listeners expect from Gannon during his shifts? “Enthusiasm,” he says. “I’m enthusiastic about finding new music and shameless about the fact that sometimes I find it the same time you do. Sometimes I find songs the day that I play them on air and I'm like, ‘I just heard this song. You've got to hear this.’” 

Finding and cultivating community through music 

A Twin Cities transplant, Gannon uses his enthusiasm and passion to discover what this area and the state have to offer. And he believes stations like The Current and music in general play a key role in getting to know a new place. “The Current was sort of the first way that I started to understand the Twin Cities,” he says. “I think you can learn a lot about where you live through the music that comes out of that place.” 

Plus, he appreciates The Current’s dedication to local artists and musicians – a passion that he shares. “I found a lot of local music through The Current – the first time I heard Zora or Keep for Cheap was definitely on the Current. It's hard to move to a new city. [The Current] made the transition a lot easier.” 

Gannon knows how important music is to cultivate authentic community and looks forward to integrating within the music scene while planting roots in the Twin Cities area. And while he continues to get situated, Gannon finds it extra special that he gets to share his passion for music with The Current’s audience. 

“Music discovery is something that I get very sentimental about,” Gannon says. “All my favorite songs ever, all my favorite albums, came to me exactly when I needed them. I'll get sappy about the fact that I get to be part of that for other people.  

“You know, if you're driving in the car and you hear a new song for the first time and then I'm the one right after that comes on the air, I think that's amazing.”