As a kid, Bill DeVille kept an AM radio tucked under his pillow to listen to local music stations after bedtime. He also loved hanging out in record stores, and was deeply influenced by the DJs he heard on stations like X93 in his hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  

When it came time to decide what to do after high school, going to broadcasting school felt like a natural fit. After completing his studies, Bill launched a prolific career, including both commercial and public radio. Work in Sioux Falls eventually led to opportunities in the Twin Cities, and in 2005, he started at the newly launched music discovery service from Minnesota Public Radio called The Current.    

The expansion of the United States of Americana 

Bill created the well-loved Sunday morning show United States of Americana, which delves into music with country roots and influences, covering genres like folk, bluegrass, and alt-country. It has been a weekend staple on The Current for over 15 years.  

Now, beginning on Oct. 26, the weekly Sunday show will run for three hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. — an expansion from its previous two-hour format.  

With the expanded timeslot, Bill will incorporate more themes into the show, and of course, lean into what makes the show special: playing really great Americana music. That means artists and bands that are currently on his radar, like Charley Crockett, Margo Price, JD McPherson, and the Cactus Blossoms, as well as the artists who defined the genre, like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Lucinda Williams.  

“With two hours a week, I can’t play all the new music I want to play,” he says. “With three hours, I’ll have more room to play new music more often. It’s really exciting.” 

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

5 of 5

1 of 5

2 of 5

Next Slide

A prolific radio career 

Bill has developed a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Americana and country music, but these genres weren’t always among his favorites. Back then, he was an Elvis Costello fan and leaned even more towards The Clash.  

It wasn’t until his first radio gig in Sioux Falls that Bill developed a deep interest in country. “My first radio job was in country music, so I learned a ton about the genre,” he says. “Since then, I’ve always been into Americana. Back in the ’80s, there was a genre called ‘cow punk’ — the combination of punk and country. I was way into that.” Some of his favorite cow punk acts of the era were Rank and File, Social Distortion, and Jason and the Scorchers. 

That first gig in radio led him to the Twin Cities, where he hosted around town — including at KABL, KTCJ (a jazz station), and Cities 97. After spending four years off-air as a music research specialist (a job which he describes as playing “Name That Tune” for a living), Bill was hired for an on-air position again at a fledgling station called The Current. 

Joining The Current 

Bill’s first day at The Current was Jan. 24, 2005, the first day the station was on the air.  

Since playing its first song (Atmosphere’s “Say Shh”), The Current has won over a loyal local audience, become an industry leader within the Triple A (adult album alternative) radio format nationwide, helped launch the careers of well-known artists, and grown into a far-reaching community, with members and online listeners from around the world. And Bill has seen it all.  

“From day one, this place has been exciting,” says Bill. “We really were building a radio station from scratch, and we had a ton of control over what we played, which was a huge highlight.”  

Since United States of Americana launched in 2009, Bill has interviewed legends like JD McPherson and Robert Plant, as well as local favorites including the Cactus Blossoms and the Jayhawks.

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

3 of 3

1 of 3

2 of 3

Next Slide

  Over the past 20 years, his personal highlights include attending and DJing at community-focused events like The Current’s Happy Hours Series and MicroShows, as well as all the behind-the-scenes work on United States of Americana and his other weekly show, Teenage Kicks. Even after two decades, Bill’s deep love of radio keeps him just as excited about the work that he gets to do as he was on that first day. 

“United States of Americana is especially fun for me because people wake up to it. It’s destination radio – I’ve had some people call it their date to church since it’s on Sunday mornings,” says Bill. “In general, since we launched, The Current has only gotten better. We’ve gotten more focused, and yet more eclectic and diverse in what we play, which is great, and our listeners love it. 

We’re people-powered. I’m so excited to keep going.”