We recently had an in-depth conversation with Poe about her music, her career, and her involvement in the Alan Wake II video game project.
During the course of our conversation, Poe revealed herself to be a sensitive and profound artist who has reveled in her recent collaboration with Sam Lake and the rest of the Alan Wake team. Poe created the song “This Road” and other parts of the game’s award-winning soundtrack, and she connects in the real world with both gamers and her fans through The Lake House, a DLC (downloadable content) expansion of the Alan Wake II Universe. Gamers and Poe fans can visit The Siren Society ARG website to participate.
Along the way, we learned a lot about the creation of her 2000 album Haunted, the difficulties Poe had in her career in the early 2000s, and about the music industry itself. Fascinating how she has found more creative freedom in the Alan Wake virtual world than she ever has in the commercial streaming world!
Note: The full nine minute version of “This Road” is not currently available to stream. It is available on limited edition vinyl at www.poestuff.com and within the Alan Wake II game. It can be heard on select radio stations like WRCT. The archived copy of the interview contains a more in-depth version of our conversation with Poe but does not include “This Road.” “This Road” is included when this interview is rebroadcast on WRCT.
Steven Post, researcher and interviewer Richard Gordon, recording engineer, audio editor Recorded: November 6, 2025 WRCT debut: November 25, 2025
WRCT proudly presents Anatomy of the Ear, Friday through Sunday, November 14 – 16! This year’s schedule is packed with a variety of music you don’t want to miss!
During our Anatomy of the Ear celebration, 51 WRCT hosts will take turns spinning tracks from some of their favorite music genres; each hour will feature a different musical genre!
So, tune in to 88.3 FM from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. Friday through Sunday (and early Monday) for hour-long musical blocks of the genres you love mixed with ones you never knew you were missing: From Australian Psych Rock and Bolero to Old School Gabber and Crypto Folk! Tune in as our DJs come together to showcase the unique variety that WRCT has to offer. What new genres will you discover?
Don’t miss it! All happening November 14 – 16 (well, into the wee hours of the 17th, too!) on 88.3 FM, Pittsburgh, or streaming from this very website!
This week on WRCT’s Forbes Avenue, we visit the current exhibition at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, located on the fifth floor of the CMU Hunt Library — a hidden gem on the CMU campus, open to both the CMU community and the general public.
The fall 2025 exhibition features the work of Costa Rican botanist and artist Rafael Lucas Rodríguez Caballero. Senior Curator Carrie Roy and Archivist Nancy Janda spoke with us about “Rafa’s” art; the role of botanical illustration in science; and other fascinating topics and issues in botany, art, and science — did you know there’s an extinct sea snail named after Mick Jagger?
Listening to this episode may inspire you to visit the Hunt Institute’s current exhibition: The Art and Science of Rafael Lucas Rodríguez Caballero. The illustrations of some of the orchids are spectacular. The exhibition is available 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays (except for November 27 and 28) through December 17.
