James Maddock headlines WNTI benefit concert
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of WNTI’s death have been greatly exaggerated.
True, WNTI – the listener-supported radio station known for playing eclectic music and supporting local performers – underwent a significant change this past fall.
In October, the station’s broadcast license, which had been held by Centenary College in Hackettstown, was sold to WXPN, a Philadelphia-based public radio station. The sudden announcement of the sale surprised staffers and listeners.
But though it no longer has a place on the FM dial, WNTI still exists as an Internet-only radio station.
“WNTI is alive and well,” says Melanie Thiel, the station’s development director. “We’re still playing the same music we’ve always played. Almost all the same DJs are on the air, although some have different slots (in the schedule).”
“We’re still NTI,” Thiel says. “It’s just a different way of listening to us.”
To reinforce that status, WNTI.org will hold a fundraiser at the Stanhope House this Sunday, Dec. 20. The headliner: James Maddock, a roots-rock musician who has regularly been part of the WNTI playlist.
Opening for Maddock will be singer-songwriter Dave Grieco, plus an affiliation of WNTI staffers and supporters performing under the name The WNTI Band.
The choice of Maddock for the fundraiser is appropriate, according to Thiel. “James is the ideal WNTI artist, because he has something for every DJ’s taste. If you like rock ’n’ roll, you like him. If you like singer-songwriters, you like him.”
For his part, Maddock – a native of Leicester, England, who moved to New York City in 2003 – says he appreciates the support of WNTI.org. He has previously played concerts for the station, such as the annual WNTI Stage summer festival.
“It means that world that we get played on places like WNTI,” he says. “There’s an ongoing relationship, and I’m happy to come out and play.”
Maddock will play songs from his various CDs, including his album “The Green,” released earlier this year. Several of the newest songs, such as “My Old Neighborhood,” reflect a warm but clear-eyed view of the past.
“With ‘My Old Neighborhood,’ I was going for a three-chord, Phil Spector-y melody,” Maddock says. “I tried different lyrics, and then I came up with the title, and that dictated a lot of what I wrote about.”
“My songs start being about me,” Maddock says. “But you always hope you have a universal reach. Look at a song like ‘Penny Lane’ or ‘Strawberry Fields Forever.’ ”
Critics have compared Maddock to American roots-rockers like Willie Nile and Bruce Springsteen. But he says he tries to avoid being placed in a particular category.
“I think of myself as more of an English songwriter,” he says. “When you play an acoustic guitar, you find you’re influenced by people like Neil Young or Bob Dylan. But I also think of Nick Drake (the late British folk musician).”
Knowledge of those other artists is another reason why Maddock could be considered an archetypal WNTI.org musician, Thiel says. She says the station’s listeners enjoy new music, but they also appreciate the spectrum of musical history. “For 58 years on terrestrial radio, WNTI has been a part of the musical community of northwest New Jersey,” Thiel says. “When I heard about the sale (of the broadcast license), my biggest fear was that we would have no legacy to leave behind.”
Thiel says she now has no such fears. If anything, WNTI.org is in a position to survive well into the future. “The future of radio is streaming online,” she says. “We’re still going to be the place where music lives.”
JAMES MADDOCK
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 5 p.m., music starts at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Stanhope House,
45 Main St., Stanhope
TICKETS: $20
INFO: 973-347-7777 or www.stanhopehousenj.com, or 908-979-4355, ext. 1, or www.wnti.org