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Andrew Stephen, a native of Ballwin, was staying at a friend’s house after graduating from high school when he figured he’d assemble his bits and pieces of audio gear into a makeshift recording space.

About a day later, he learned that a family friend had died and bequeathed Stephen his sizable collection of recording equipment. The mixing console moved into the bedroom and Stephens’ mattress moved out, to an attic crawlspace — at least when other musicians swung by to check out his bedroom-cum-recording-studio.

Chrissy Renick, a vocalist and keyboardist from Cape Girardeau, was among them. He produced her debut EP, “A Thousand Shades,” in 2012. It’s a sometimes-sultry, sometimes-funky affair, informed by the sounds of contemporary R&B and neo soul.

“It was a very life-changing conversation and a turning point for me,” Renick said of her first meeting with Stephen. Their conversation encouraged her to move to St. Louis a few months later and pursue life as a professional musician.

They became a couple. Renick performed around town as a solo artist and with other bands, and Stephen built a business as a recording engineer and producer. But after years of pursuing separate musical ventures, in August they released their first album as a duo: Sample Kulture.

“Upstairs Headroom” explores similar territory as “A Thousand Shades,” with deeper drinks of jazz fusion, electronic elements and ear-friendly pop poured into the style. The pair describe it as “future soul.”

“Let’s dig more into the pop. Let’s give into the gods of pop music here,” Stephen said of Sample Kulture’s approach. “And still be able to get that jazz, harmonic language in there — some improvisation, some sophistication that listeners will appreciate.”

In this episode of Cut & Paste, Stephen and Renick talk about how they found their way to each other, and to the birth of Sample Kulture.

St. Louis County Councilman Ernie Trakas is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he spoke to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann about his reelection bid.

The Republican represents the 6th District on the council, which takes in much of unincorporated south St. Louis County. He’s running against state Rep. Bob Burns, who recorded an episode of Politically Speaking last week.

Here’s what Trakas had to say during the show:

• He talked about some of the upcoming budgetary issues for the county. Like many other areas of the state and nation, St. Louis County is looking at a large budgetary shortfall because of the economic impact of COVID-19.
• Trakas broke down his mentality when it comes to development in south St. Louis County. Since most of that area is unincorporated, the 6th District county councilman has a big say over residential and commercial development.
• He discussed whether County Executive Sam Page could have to deal with a more adversarial council after 2021, especially since one of Page’s allies, Rochelle Walton Gray, lost her reelection bid.

An attorney, Trakas had never run for public office before 2016. He ran in an open race for the 6th District against former state Rep. Patricia Yaeger, a Democrat who had support from elected officials and labor unions. Trakas ended up winning by a small margin, and he became the first Republican to represent the district since 2008.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Rachel Lippmann on Twitter: @rlippmann

Follow Ernie Trakas on Twitter: @ErnieTrakas

Music: “I Won’t Back Down” by Johnny Cash

David Lenihan is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where the GOP candidate talked with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his candidacy for the 1st District Missouri Senate seat.

Lenihan is running against Democratic state Rep. Doug Beck in the district that takes in parts of unincorporated south St. Louis County, Crestwood, Maplewood and Webster Groves. That part of St. Louis County has typically been competitive.

You can listen to Beck’s episode of Politically Speaking here.

Here’s what Lenihan talked about on the program:

• His support for a constitutional amendment that would expand Medicaid under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act. He also talked about how he would pay for the 10% match Missouri needs to provide under the plan.
• His backing for charter schools, which may become a bigger issue after 2020 if the GOP-controlled Legislature seeks to make it easier for them to set up.
• How Gov. Mike Parson was handling the COVID-19 pandemic and whether the state should adopt a mask mandate.
• His approach to reduce violent crime, which involves increasing access to mental health services.

Lenihan has a doctorate in peripheral neurology from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from the University of Cambridge. He was dean of Touro’s Medical School, which is located in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.

After leaving Touro’s, Lenihan purchased Ponce Health Sciences University, which is based in Puerto Rico. He recently announced the university was building a campus in north St. Louis.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow David Lenihan on Twitter: @drdavidlenihan

Music: “Genesis” by Deftones

State Rep. Doug Beck is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his bid for Missouri’s 1st Senate District.

The Affton Democrat is running against Republican David Lenihan for the seat, which takes in parts of unincorporated south St. Louis County, Crestwood, Maplewood and Webster Groves. The district is widely seen as one of the more competitive in Missouri.

Lenihan also recorded an episode of Politically Speaking that will be posted in the coming days.

Here’s what Beck talked about on the show:

• The challenges of campaigning for a legislative seat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, candidates for the 1st District spend a lot of time going door-to-door to meet voters. Instead, Beck said his campaign is talking to potential supporters over the phone.
• Why he is opposed to Amendment 3, which would repeal the so-called “Clean Missouri” state legislative redistricting system that voters backed in 2018.
• Why he opposed “right to work,” which barred unions and employers from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. Even though voters soundly rejected the measure in 2018, Beck, a member of the Pipefitters Union, said the GOP-controlled Legislature may try to revive some form of it next year.
• His opposition to charter schools, which could become a more prominent issue. Efforts to expand charter schools have faltered in the Missouri General Assembly in recent years.

Beck has worked as a pipefitter for more than 30 years. He was first elected in 2016 to represent a south St. Louis County-based district where voters favored the GOP nominee for president, Donald Trump. Beck was also a member of the Affton School Board.

Beck was able to run unopposed in the Democratic primary in his bid for the Senate. The current occupant of that seat, Scott Sifton, D-Affton, is barred from running again due to term limits.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Doug Beck on Twitter: @dougbeck562

Music: “Ohms” by Deftones

State Sen. Jill Schupp is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, for the record-tying sixth time, to talk about her bid against Rep. Ann Wagner in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.

Schupp has served as a state senator in the St. Louis County-based 24th District since 2015. She is seeking to represent portions of St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson Counties in Congress.

Wagner has been invited to record an episode of Politically Speaking in the coming days.

Here’s what Schupp talked about during the program:

• Her view on whether to retain the Affordable Care Act. She also responded to Wagner’s contention that Schupp supports “Medicare for All” based on her co-sponsorship of a nonbinding resolution while she was a member of the Missouri House.
• Whether she could work with President Donald Trump if he’s reelected in November, and whether she approved of Wagner’s vote against impeaching him last December.
• Foreign policy, including whether the United States should remain in Afghanistan and her mentality on voting to commit U.S. troops to a foreign conflict.
• How she plans to appeal to Republicans in the 2nd Congressional District.

Schupp is a Creve Coeur resident who was first elected to the Missouri Senate in 2014 in a highly competitive race against Republican Jay Ashcroft, who eventually became secretary of state. Before winning that election, Schupp served in the Missouri House from 2009 to the beginning of 2015.

Schupp also served on the Creve Coeur City Council and the Ladue School Board before being elected to the Missouri General Assembly.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Jill Schupp on Twitter: @jillschupp

Music: “Change Your Mind” by The Killers