Hailing from the Twin Cities, Jessica Paxton is a founding member of The Current and became an on-air host in 2022. Jessica never intentionally sought a career in music radio, but her passion for supporting musicians has led to some amazing opportunities in the industry. As a child, she had her own turntable and remembers spinning “Hey Jude” on repeat. Her parents didn’t mind much, as they also really loved music and played a lot of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Carole King, and Crosby Stills and Nash. She fondly recalls buying Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours with her allowance money. When she blasted it, her dad came knocking on her bedroom door — not to tell her to turn the volume down, but to find out who it was! As her interest in live performance grew, she’d stay up to watch Wolfman Jack’s The Midnight Special on Saturday nights, which introduced her to Prince. She watched MTV non-stop, which forever cemented her love for early ’80s post-punk and New Wave.
Prior to her work at The Current, Jessica was the drive-time host for almost 13 years on Northfield’s locally owned, independent AM/FM station KYMN (95.1 The One). It was there that she showcased her love of power pop and discovered her passion for supporting Minnesota musicians. While in Northfield, she also booked venues, ran a popular house concert series, and wrote a monthly magazine column for Southern Minn Scene. Listen to Jessica from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekday afternoons.
