Saying goodbye is hard. But sometimes, it’s an opportunity to celebrate. Today, we celebrate nearly six years and 214 episodes of Sound Effect with one final episode.
For our finale, we’ll spend two hours looking back at some of the most memorable stories from the show, which has showcased hundreds of stories that the people from our region have shared with us — and with you.
We’ll meet a gay man defiantly carving out space for himself in the country music world, when — to his shock — a record label called.
We’ll hear how an unlikely friendship drew a Seattle man to leap out of his comfort zone.
And we’ll hear the tale of a family cat who wanted nothing to do with her family, and many other stories today.
There will be some laughs and some tears. But most importantly, this episode will be a celebration of this place we live — and all the hard work that went into sharing what makes the Pacific Northwest unique.
Saying farewell to the show is bittersweet for all the people who worked on it since January 2015: producers, interns, freelancers, KNKX news staff, and many more.
But producer Kevin Kniestedt says it’s particularly bittersweet for him, having worked on every single episode since Day One.
“We were so nervous the morning that first episode aired,” Kniestedt says of Episode 1, Newness. “But we were also so proud of what we had created.”
Sound Effect is the product of a station that dreams big. It began under different call letters, and has remained a constant voice under new ones. It’s been a Saturday morning companion for thousands of loyal listeners over the years, and a trusted outlet for hundreds of people who were kind enough to share their happiest, saddest, most vulnerable memories and moments with us.
“I think the storytelling we do on Sound Effect is the best kind of storytelling,” producer Posey Gruener says. “The best compliment that I ever get after a story airs is when somebody says ‘I feel like you really got me.’ I’m just really grateful we got to do it for so long.”
The best compliment that I ever get after a story airs is when somebody says 'I feel like you really got me.'
The show may be over, but you can listen to any of our episodes anytime, anywhere you get your podcasts, and online.
And the talent and spirit at the heart of Sound Effect — which laid the groundwork for newer projects, including our podcasts Transmission and Outsiders — isn’t going anywhere.
“We are immensely proud of the work we’ve done with Sound Effect over the years,” says Matt Martinez, director of content. “We are grateful for the storytelling team whose dedication made it such a special program.”
So, we ask you to settle in and soak up this incredible storytelling — one last time. Thank you for coming on this journey with us.
