Minnesota Music

AI, karma and nighthawks: Rich Mattson, Germaine Gemberling on 'Wake Up Songs'

KAXE | By Malachy Koons

Published May 14, 2026 at 4:39 PM CDT

A man and woman holding guitars in front of a painting. The woman has an acoustic and the man has a electric guitar. — Germaine Gemberling and Rich Mattson at KAXE in Grand Rapids on March 20, 2026.

The Minnesota music mainstays stopped by KAXE in March 2026 to play and talk about songs from their latest album.

On the back cover of Rich Mattson and The Northstars' seventh album, Wake Up Songs, there is a disclaimer: This album is 100% AI free.

"I would tell anybody, if you didn't use any AI, maybe put that on your record," Mattson said. "It's a badge of honor."

Mattson and Northstars' guitarist and songwriter Germaine Gemberling stopped by KAXE on March 20, 2026, for a live session and to talk about the new album.

There are many reasons they chose to include that message. If a song calls for an instrument outside the traditional rock lineup, the pair would prefer to find someone they know to guest. And to Mattson, mistakes are part of what makes the music human and is a draw of recording live.

After kicking off the session with the album's lead single, "Rendezvous With a Star," the pair moved to a song Gemberling wrote called "Karmic Debt." Inspired by the world around her, the song is a plea for kindness and a warning that the universe is keeping tabs on those who are not.

"Boy, there's so much to draw from these days, of course, out there with worldly events, etc.," Gemberling said. "And I've always just, naturally, like many people, write what you see."

Three people pose looking at the camera. On the left is a woman with long hair holding an acoustic guitar. In the middle is a man in a hockey jersey holding a vinyl record. On the right is a man in a black shirt. — Germaine Gemberling, Malachy Koons and Rich Mattson at KAXE in Gradn Rapids on March 20, 2026.

To finish the session, the duo played "Nighthawks," one of Wake Up Songs mellower moments.

Mattson said it's a song about people who stay up late, and the habits of the nighthawk were a perfect fit.

"I just wonder about the late-night scene and if there's those people out," Mattson said. "I started looking into the nighthawk ... the actual bird and everything, and it matches kind of what I'm singing about a lot in some ways."

Confirming their approach of bringing in real-life musicians in place of AI, the album version features John McMahon of Built to Spill on cello.

Seven albums into The Northstars and countless more with other projects, Mattson and Gemberling remain innovative and true to their vision of the rock 'n' roll life.

Catch them performing with Keith Secola and The Rangers on May 28, 2026, at our Kick It With KAXE concert and annual meeting.

To hear all three in-studio performances of "Rendezvous With a Star," "Karmic Debt" and "Nighthawks," plus an update on Mattson's Sparta Sound recording studio and Iron Range music venues, listen to the full interview above.