Podipto: Lost Recordings just Achin’ to be Free!

The northern Minnesota band Podipto made an indelible mark on the Minnesota music scene and beyond in the early 1970s. Originating in Bemidji, they toured the country sharing stages with the likes of The Guess Who, James Taylor, the Carpenters, and Elton John. Josh Collins’ dad John Collins wrote most of Podipto’s songs, played rhythm guitar and sang vocals with the band from 1969-1975. John passed away in 1995 and shortly thereafter boxes of reel to reel tape were discovered, including several tracks Josh had never heard before. Since then, he's been restoring the long lost recordings, making them available to the public - sharing Podipto's music while honoring his dad and even growing his relationship with him in his absence. Northern Community Radio board member and on-air programmer David John was a fan of Podipto from the beginning. In this Area Voices, he and producer Katie Carter connect with Josh Collins about the process of re-releasing his dad’s music, the fascinating history of the original Woodcut album, how the Homemade album came to be, and much more.