Topeka Clementine performs live at KPBS and talks cooking, art, viral moments and music as action

San Diego's Topeka Clementine brought the KPBS patio to life with a performance as part of the Sundrenched Sounds live music series — spontaneous, communal and emotionally charged. Blending sharp storytelling with sing-along moments and unexpected humor, the set moved seamlessly between intimate confession and collective call to action. We sat down afterward with Kai Simovich, the musician behind Topeka Clementine, to talk about the project's remarkable output and what it really means to go viral. Named after a street corner in Oceanside tied to grassroots mutual aid, Topeka Clementine channels community care directly into the music.

Kai shares how recent personal loss reshaped their songwriting, including the creation of "Feed the Trees," a meditation on grief, inheritance and how life carries forward. Through relentless creativity, collective energy and performance, Topeka Clementine's music insists on hope, even in heavy times.

Guest:

• Kai Simovich, Topeka Clementine

Mentioned in this episode:

• Estonia's Singing Revolution (Rick Steves)
• Amass | Matt Orlando Brings California Sun to Copenhagen (Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 2017)