Safdie Brothers Launch Elara Radio with DJs Finn Wolfhard, Julian Rapaport & More
Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie are getting into the online radio biz. The brothers’ production banner, Elara Pictures, which they founded in 2014 with partners Sebastian Bear-McClard (aka Sebo Bear) and Oscar Boyson, has launched Elara Radio on Elara.FM. The station’s programming slate is stacked, with shows hosted by Sebo Bear and Josh Safdie, Finn Wolfhard of Stranger Things fame, Julian Rapaport, Margaret the Prog Lady (aka Margaret Barton Fumo), Charlotte Ercoli, and more. The project is already off to the races. The network’s first shows dropped Monday, March 30th, which makes tuning in a perfect coronavirus lockdown activity.
The Safdies have more time on their hands now that things are settling down on the Uncut Gems front. The Spirit Award-winning film is out now on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available to rent or purchase on various digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video and iTunes. For those in the U.S., Netflix has also finally announced a release date, May 25.
In the press materials, Elara Radio is described as: “where the hottest jams meet the coldest nuts, from talk to town you are now entering a new reality.” The station’s programming is a mix of music and talk radio. The first day kicked off with 2 Bridges, a show featuring “underground” sounds. In the afternoon, Josh Safdie and Sebo Bear’s QUAR took to the airways. A Covid-19 quarantine-inspired show, QUAR’s hosts “explore the outer limits of human endurance.” Their first guest was Wayne Diamond, the “Handsome Older Man” of Uncut Gems. Yesterday, the station honored Bill Withers with a 75-minute live stream devoted to his music.
Coming up this weekend, Finn Wolfard co-hosts 25_25 with Billy Bryk, and singer-songwriter Steve Gunn is a special guest on a Sunday afternoon show titled Queen for a Day. You can find the full lineup here. The programs are live-streamed at Elara.FM according to the schedule and are posted on Spreaker and SoundCloud for later listening.
Below, you can get a taste of the station. We’ve include Josh Safdie and Sebo Bear’s inaugural QUAR episode. To listen to Elara Radio visit elara.fm.