When rising sophomore audio and live entertainment major Drew Levy attended Klein Fest last fall, he arrived with one goal: joining WHIP Radio. After attending the station's first general body meeting of the year, he was hooked.
Levy quickly launched his own show, Crate Diggers, where he highlights legendary musicians and explores how their music continues to resonate with modern audiences. He also joined WHIP's events and web and press teams before stepping into the role of director of marketing in January.
Earlier this year, Levy noticed that legendary rock musician Billy Squier would be appearing at the Princeton Record Exchange for Record Store Day. The New Jersey record store held special significance for Levy, who spent time browsing its aisles as a child and even took drum lessons there.
Seeing an opportunity, Levy submitted a contact form in hopes of inviting Squier to appear on Crate Diggers. Knowing the artist had not given an interview in more than a decade, Levy understood the odds were slim. Instead of sending a standard request, he explained the mission of his show and shared the personal impact Squier's music had on him.
“I really wanted to make what I had to say personal,” Levy said. “Whether someone takes an interview or not, I want to say what something means to me, and I feel like that is really important. I told him I played his songs a lot on my show and that he was one of my favorite artists.”
Not even 24 hours later, Squier responded and agreed to meet on Zoom for an interview.
The pair spent nearly two hours discussing Squier's 1993 album, Tell the Truth, which was being released on vinyl for the first time in more than 30 years.
Throughout the conversation, Levy asked in-depth questions that impressed Squier, who praised the extensive research that went into the interview. Levy said he intentionally approached the conversation as more than a traditional question-and-answer session, focusing instead on creating a genuine dialogue.
Due to its length, he released the interview in two parts.
Levy and Mia Trio, rising sophomore media studies and production major, attended the Record Store Day and met Squier and his team. They waited in lines for hours, and during that time, several people came up and complimented Levy on his interview. Once the duo met Squier, they spent 20 minutes catching up, taking photos and reflecting on his interview.
“When we spoke to Billy, I stood back for a moment, so Billy and Drew could talk, and I watched how proud Billy was of Drew,” said Trio. “He complimented both my and Drew's show, saying we were keeping the music alive—which is always the goal—but it was so nice to hear from a rockstar that they appreciated our work.”
WHIP’s faculty advisor, Steve Butler, has overseen Levy since the start of his time at WHIP.
“What I appreciate most about Drew is his passion for radio,” said Butler. “It’s the characteristic sorely needed to create more enthusiasm in radio programming overall, and an openness to a wider variety of music that students don’t get enough of from stations.”
Although Levy still has several years left at Temple, he hopes to continue growing Crate Diggers while pursuing more opportunities to interview musicians whose work has inspired him.
“It was a really special experience that I know I am going to take with me forever,” said Levy.