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On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got a legendary musician in conversation with a guy best known as a cartoon voice—what they have in common is friendship and a love of the absurd. It’s Robyn Hitchcock and Eugene Mirman. Hitchcock came to prominence nearly 50 years ago as co-founder of British band The Soft Boys, whose 1980 album Underwater Moonlight is rightfully considered an all-time classic by music fans everywhere—it was a stated influence by bigger bands that came right after, including REM and the Replacements. But Hitchcock didn’t stop there: The Soft Boys’ split led straight into an incredibly prolific solo career that found him everywhere in the ‘80s and ‘90s with more classics, including Globe of Frogs. The throughline in Hitchcock’s music has been a dedication to classic pop sounds and a streak of weirdness: He’s always been called psychedelic, but it’s a word that only tells part of the story. Speaking of stories, Hitchcock just released his second memoir, Stranded in the Future, which covers some incredibly fertile ground in the history of punk. The book came hot on the heels of his 25th solo album, The Confuser, which has met with critical acclaim. Check out the song “My Dead Astronaut” from The Confuser right here. The other half of today’s chat is comedian Eugene Mirman, who’s been telling weird and wonderful jokes since the early 1990s, but who broke out along with a bunch of his friends and colleagues in the early 2000s—guys like Aziz Ansari, Patton Oswalt, and David Cross. He ran a comedy festival for a decade, toured with your favorite indie-rock band, starred on Flight of the Conchords and more—and if you don’t recognize him from anything yet, he’s been the voice of Gene Belcher on Bob’s Burgers for 15 years and 300-ish episodes. He continues to perform weirdly wonderful stand-up as well: You can watch his latest special, Here Comes the Whimsy, for free on YouTube, but it’s also worth checking out prettygoodfriends.com, where you can purchase the special and some truly unique merchandise to go along with it. It’s no surprise that this conversation between Mirman and Hitchcock got a little weird and rangy: Prepare yourself for a fun and lengthy diversion about which animals are most likely to kidnap you, among other things. Enjoy. 0:00 Intro 02:44 Start of convo, Comic Con, and bootleg Legos 04:45 On generations loving their work 07:24 On Robyn’s European tour, and Eugene’s trip to Helsinki 11:23 Visiting the Smithsonian, The Space Race, short astronauts, and Laika 15:19 Robyn’s story about a drunk Finnish man, and Finnish trams, bars, markets, and restaurants 20:14 On the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Robyn’s Scottish and Irish tour dates 22:26 On Florida, new comedy festivals, and Eugene’s new special and working on new material, and “LA/New York Years” 25:11 On New York and how distance changes perspective 26:36 On It’s A Wonderful Life, Scrooged, and “Frisbee the Dog” 30:15 On Eugene’s shows, calling with bad news, and animals that would be good at kidnapping 37:21 On David Cross telling them about the “fungal network,” if mushrooms have souls, Murfreesboro, and not being approached by oligarchs 39:43 On winter plans, sharks, and plugs Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Eugene Mirman and Robyn Hitchcock for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with the legendary French actress Juliette Binoche, who is currently starring in the moving family drama Queen at Sea, which is now in theaters. In a profound and connected conversation, she opens up about how she is “getting acquainted” with the Holy Spirit, the time she nearly drowned on a film shoot, her recent trip to Lesbos to visit refugees, communing with a friend who recently died, the reason she wishes she could fly, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a songwriting and production wizard who’s having a big moment in conversation with a legend that he considers a huge influence: It’s Nate Amos and Bruce Hornsby. Nate Amos may have caught your attention in the past few years with Water From Your Eyes, a duo he started about 10 years ago with vocalist Rachel Brown. Together they’ve released a bunch of tough-to-categorize records: One minute you’re singing along with an arty pop song, the next you’re on an unexpected, noisy tangent. Throughout the Water years, Amos also quietly amassed a solo catalog under the name This is Lorelei—putting out dozens of experimental albums and EPs that you had to dig on Bandcamp to find. But This is Lorelei poked its head into the real world a little more with 2024’s ⁠Box For Buddy, Box For Star⁠, a record so beloved that its recent re-release includes covers of its songs by Jeff Tweedy, Waxahatchee, and MJ Lenderman, among others. Those names are good reference points for the latest This Is Lorelei record, too: ⁠The Singer in My Band⁠ came out in September, and it’s a much more straightforward version of Amos’ fantastic songwriting. Check out “Billy Came Back” ⁠right here⁠. An artist that Amos wanted to cover one of his songs for that reissue was the other half of today’s conversation, Bruce Hornsby. Hornsby liked what he heard, but unfortunately couldn’t make the timing work, as you’ll hear in this conversation. Hopefully you recognize his name: Bruce Hornsby has built an incredible career over the past 50 years. He smashed into the mainstream in the late ‘80s with huge pop hits including “The Way It Is,” but before that and definitely since then he’s been a musical wanderer who loves to mix it up. You’ll also get some insight into the music Hornsby has been making in the last decade, including the fantastic ⁠Indigo Park⁠, which features guest appearances from all sides of Hornsby’s world, from Ezra Koenig to Bob Weir. Check out the title track from Indigo Park ⁠right here⁠. In this lively conversation, you’ll hear a lot of mutual admiration: Hornsby even asks Amos if it’s okay if he kisses his ass a little bit. They chat about Kmart mix tapes, weird time signatures, and their shared love of the band ⁠Palm⁠, among other things. Enjoy. 00:00 Intro 03:26 Start of convo, Zoom etiquette, and Nate’s guitars 05:10 The New Yorker, batting cages, and Nate’s mercury poisoning apartment 08:25 On Vermont and Virginia, Bruce’s nephew, playing cards onstage, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart 13:03 On Nate’s introduction to Bruce’s music, improvising musically, and songwriting 16:03 On Bruce’s early influences, and John Mulaney supporting Bruce’s new album 19:40 On defying expectations, experimenting musically, making “weird” music, and Hunter S. Thompson 23:05 On what Bruce admires about Nate’s songwriting, how Nate tries out new ideas, microtonal music, and Ben Johnston 28:31 Breaking down the sounds in Water From Your Eyes’ “Playing Classics,” and the working principle of the project 30:53 On the producer Tony Berg, how different projects call for different sounds, and loving the group Palm 34:18 Bruce’s commentary on more Water From Your Eyes songs, how Nate got in touch about collabing, and his “swing for the fences” list 37:15 On Gerry Rafferty, The Cure, and commentary on “Hey Sara Is It Gonna Rain Forever” 40:13 On how Bruce influenced Nate’s early music, his covers of two of Bruce’s songs, and “Barren Ground” 42:55 On Bruce’s work with Bon Iver, playing at his festival, and how “Barren Ground” influenced “Beth/Rest” 45:03 On “Scenes from the South Side,” and enjoying your big moment Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Nate Amos and Bruce Hornsby for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at ⁠Talkhouse.com⁠. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan. See you next time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with the hugely talented English singer-songwriter Clara Mann, whose sophomore album, Wishbone, is out now. In a wonderfully open conversation, Mann talks about such topics as climbing the legendary French peak Mont Ventoux with her 80-year-old father, the spoon that taught her about selflessness in art, the fake skater personas “Darvid and Mikael” she invented wth her teenage best friend, how she recently ended up spending a short vacation in a garden shed, the time she stayed up all night on MDMA at End of the Road festival, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a ⁠Substack⁠, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus ⁠subscribe to get access⁠ to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Talkhouse episode, we’ve got some notable Canadians with tons of great music under their belts, including a recent collaboration—their first. It’s Ryan Hemsworth and Sara Quin. Hemsworth—no relation to those Australian actor guys—is a musician and producer who’s made records with a really interesting array of folks over the past 15 years, creating beats and beds for everybody from E-40 to Mitski. Hemsworth just released his first solo album in nearly a decade, and ⁠Numbskull⁠ sounds like a guy who’s been bursting with pent-up creativity. It’s all over the map in the best way, with rock and even emo influences pushing up against his electronic tendencies. Unsurprisingly for a guy who gets around—musicially, I mean—it features lots of guest artists on various tracks, including the unmistakable voices of his fellow Canadians Tegan and Sara on one song. Check out that song, “Never Learned,” ⁠right here⁠. One of those voices of course was Sara Quin, half of the twin-sister duo that’s been surprising and delighting its fans for the past 30 or so years. Beyond their extensive musical catalog, Tegan and Sara have done graphic novels, a documentary, and a TV show. As you’ll hear in this chat, Sara recently became a mom for the second time, and she learned some lessons about diving back into work too quickly. That’s just one of the many topics these two chat about: In addition to the joys and difficulties of parenting as a touring musician, they talk about the horrors of social media—Sara is not a fan—plus Ryan’s early Tegan and Sara fandom. Enjoy. 00:00 Intro 02:06 Start of conversation, setting up Sara’s studio, and Ryan’s room 04:03 On the most expensive thing they’ve bough for music, and recording in strange spaces 07:24 On getting to know each other, Ryan’s Tegan & Sara t-shirt, discovering music in high school, and starting to collab 10:36 On listening to and collaborating with very different artists 12:48 On Sara writing a book, and trying different things artistically 16:29 On promoting creative projects, hustling, and passion 19:00 On how having kids changes creative work and touring 24:14 On touring with Neil Young, Sara’s first tour, and how it compares to touring with her kids 27:40 On how artistic identity, promoting work, and using social media have changed, and on hating algorithms 33:49 On “going viral” horror stories, and how book promo compares to music promo 36:07 On pressure to stay present in the media and “prove you’re still alive” 38:17 On how their partners react to their downtime, when they find time to work, and pressure to work again immediately after having babies 42:18 On what they’re doing next 45:32 On big production tours and branding vs. more stripped back performances and artistic identities 48:09 On Sara’s ideas for her next tour, and creating good experiences for audiences 51:28 On eating in movie theaters, working together, and quiet gigs Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Ryan Hemsworth and Sara Quin for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at ⁠Talkhouse.com⁠. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with husband-and-wife writing and directing team Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, whose brilliantly inventive new movie, Wicker, starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård and Peter Dinklage, is out Friday. In a lively and unpredictable conversation, they talk about Alex’s history with night terrors (and the injury they caused him just before Sundance), medieval polyphasic sleep rhythms (obviously!), Eleanor’s love of the Australian magpie, the unfortunate mullet Alex got last time he was Down Under, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a ⁠Substack⁠, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus ⁠subscribe to get access ⁠to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Talkhouse episode we’ve got four guys who have tons in common—including lots of soundtrack work— but who, surprisingly, hadn’t met before. It’s Son Lux and Dan Deacon. Son Lux started out as the solo electronic project of Ryan Lott back in 2008, but by 2015 he’d been joined by fellow travelers Ian Chang and Rafiq Bhatia, expanding the group’s sound into something reviewers loved to call both “dense” and “orchestral.” So it makes sense that the trio would find its way into writing and performing scores for film, and they got a huge, high-exposure job with the massive Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film’s score involved a hundred cues and some killer collaborators, including David Byrne, Mitski, and Andre 3000. Nominated for an Oscar, it naturally led to other film-world work, including the score to the superhero movie Thunderbolts. But that hasn’t stopped Lott, Chang, and Bhatia from itching to write original Son Lux music, and last month saw two big releases—one the score to a new movie called Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and then a brand new Son Lux record called ⁠Out Into⁠. Check out “Want You To Love” from that record ⁠right here⁠. The other half of today’s chat, Dan Deacon, has gotten so busy with scoring films and TV that he hasn’t released an artist album since 2020—as you’ll hear in this chat, he’s reasonably content with those circumstances, though he does plan on getting around to it. Deacon found audiences in the early 2000s with frantic live shows of his experimental electronic pop, and his entrance into the scoring world was incredibly strange, another story he recounts in this conversation. A blind email from Francis Ford Coppola led to his first job, but that movie—called Twixt—put him off soundtrack work for a while. He’s since become a staple in the scoring world, though, with a bunch of projects coming out right around now, including a new soundtrack for a documentary called Great Photo, Lovely Life. In this lively conversation, the three members of Son Lux and Deacon talk a lot about creating music for other projects versus making their own records, including some interesting behind-the-scenes thoughts on how music gets used in movies versus, say, bus noises. Also, is every director the equivalent of Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings? Probably not. Enjoy. 0:00 Intro 02:52 Start of conversation & how often they put out albums 03:38 On work schedules, confidence, and momentum 05:46 On Dan’s solo and collaborative scores, music editors, and documentary scores 08:28 On how they got into scoring movies, how scores differ from other music, and working with Francis Ford Coppola 12:40 On improvisational and collaborative scores, and how scores influence their own projects 15:20 On the Venn diagram of creativity in film scoring, their record processes, and bad mixes in scores 19:37 On the dub stage of scoring and Everything Everywhere All At Once 23:08 On Dan’s future music plans, creative pressure, and exploring the ideas and skills Dan discovered through scoring 28:40 On writing songs, and why directors/composers are like Lord of the Rings characters 31:49 On Justin Vernon’s writing process and if records need stories about their process 33:03 On the pros and cons of touring 35:41 On Son Lux’s new album and upcoming score, and Dan’s crazy schedule for scoring Venom 38:20 On good manager relationships, and wanting people to find their new music 41:12 On future regrets, letting go of stress, types of fun, and making plans to check in again Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to the guys from Son Lux and Dan Deacon for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at ⁠Talkhouse.com⁠. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with actress and writer Kathryn Grody, who previously appeared on the podcast with her husband, Mandy Patinkin. In a wide-ranging, funny and sometimes emotional conversation timed to a new run of Grody’s new one-woman show The Unexpected 3rd, Grody talks about: the joys of wandering, a very memorable biking vacation through Ireland (that Mandy all but forced to her go on!), how humor miraculously helped her father survive the Normandy D-Day landings, why she prefers Sherman Oaks to Paris, the huge impact losing her parents in her mid 20s had on her, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a ⁠Substack⁠, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus ⁠subscribe to get access⁠ to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bloomberg journalist Ashley Carman sits down with Jad Abumrad (Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Dolly Parton's America, Radiolab) for a career-spanning conversation. Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Sign up for our newsletter. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook, and Letterboxd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with popular comedian and actor Jaboukie Young-White, who is currently starring in the romantic comedy The Love Hypothesis. In a very funny and wide-ranging conversation, Young-White opens up about a diverse array of topics, including the French cultural quirk that he recently became addicted to, his wild dream about dung beetles (that may become the basis for a new kids movie), how he was “disrespectful” as an Inception-inspired lucid dreamer, his Jamaican grandmother’s amazing duppie story, the childhood sleepover prank that made people think he was a demon child, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s Talkhouse episode is a special deep dive for me, as it features two bands whose records from the ‘90s I was super into, talking about a really important record label, their various successes and failures, the steamroller of a bigger band called Oasis, and much more. It’s Mark Gardener and Pete Fij. Mark Gardener was—and is, in fact—one of the two singer-guitarists for the band Ride, whose legendary status was cemented in the early 1990s with the advent of shoegaze. Their first two albums, Nowhere and Going Blank Again, are rightfully considered masterpieces of the genre. Things got a bit messy for Ride for a while after those records, though, as Gardener and his musical partner Andy Bell drifted apart, making a pair of wildly different records before eventually splitting up in the mid-'90s. But the Ride story has a happy ending: The increased interest in shoegaze led to a reunion tour in 2014, which led to some great new Ride records. Oh and not for nothing, but Bell actually joined Oasis on bass in 1999, and he’s been on tour with them playing massive shows recently. Here's a Ride classic, in case you're not familiar. The other half of today’s conversation, Pete Fij, was also the singer of a highly touted band that signed to the legendary Creation Records label in the ‘90s and looked ready to conquer the world… but then didn’t. But despite the fact that things didn’t work out commercially for Adorable, their records are absolutely amazing—some of my favorite of that entire era, like a poppier Jesus and Mary Chain. It just goes to show that sometimes the best songs can get left behind when circumstances aren’t right. After Adorable’s breakup, Fij went on to release more great music with the band Polak, then entered a musical partnership with another Creation Records alumnus, Terry Bickers of House of Love. Now, 30-ish years later, Fij has just released his first proper solo album, called Up’s The New Down. It comes after a lot of downcast music in various guises, and feels like a reaction to it: It’s much more guitar-centered, upbeat, and positive. Those sentiments are reflected in this song: Check out “Love’s Coming Back” right here, and the album is out now. This conversation starts with some catnip for Creation Records fans: Gardener and Fij talk about their experiences signing with the legendary label, specifically about their interactions with the notoriously enigmatic label head Alan McGee. And of course both bands were making records right when Creation Records signed Oasis, so that juggernaut changed things for everybody. Beyond that, these two chat about what they’ve been up to since—and how they feel differently about those times, even if they wouldn’t necessarily change a thing. Enjoy. 0:00 Intro 3:00 Start of conversation 3:19 On meeting Alan McGee and Creation Records 07:55 On developing trust with Alan 10:37 On Creation’s unique office 12:57 On Oasis’s impact 15:18 On feeling competitive with Oasis, and seeking guidance 19:13 On success and falling out with bandmates 23:05 On solo work vs. collaborative work 26:04 On 80s and 90s bands, making new music, and the creative process 30:41 On Shazaam, listening to each other’s new music, and younger generations finding their music 33:22 On the first songs they learned, music that influenced them, and band roles 36:48 On seeing gigs and playing with their heroes 39:20 On songwriting and emotion 41:53 On Adorable reuniting 48:33 On Ride’s comeback and what comes next 51:35 On rediscovering chemistry, and reflecting on why they love music 54:11 On defining success 56:53 On bands being nice to audiences 58:00 On Pete’s first solo album, and the experience of solo tours 1:01:23 On vocals, feeling nostalgic in Oxford, and Pete’s Coventry days 1:04:23 On historic sites and DJing together Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Pete Fij and Mark Gardener for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and be sure to check out all the other great shows in our network. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. ⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Letterboxd⁠. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the first episode of the new season of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with the hugely gifted actress Vicky Krieps, who is currently starring in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix true crime series Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. In a fascinating conversation largely focused on Krieps’ unique perspective on life and the world, she talks about the restorative value of time in the wilds with her guitar, what her shoes say about her, how she created her own version of Jesus as a child, her dream in which she and Johnny Flynn removed their heads, how a banana split changed the course of her life, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’re doubling the usual number of speakers for a two-on-two battle of wits between Joe and Greg of the band Protomartyr and Jeremy and Brohan of Kiwi Jr. They are all pals, and there was sass exchanged. Protomartyr is a Detroit band that’s been around for about 15 years, sharpening their literate post-punk attacks over the course of seven great albums—a number that includes the brand new Hotel Usona, which offers a layered look at the depressing times we’re living through. The focus as always is on Joe Casey’s words and speak-sing: His voice has been a source of inspiration to other bands, to put it nicely, over the past decade. For Hotel Usona, Protomartyr linked up with producer Dave Fridmann, who’s made classic records with the Flaming Lips and MGMT, among many others, and he helped them create something almost overwhelmingly big and pointed. It can be a lot to take in, but it’s rewarding. Check out “Sounds We Cannot Hear” from Hotel Usona right here. The other half of today’s conversation, Jeremy Gaudet and Brohan Moore from the band Kiwi Jr., play decidedly catchy indie-pop that’s tickled fans of Pavement for years, though Kiwi leans toward the poppier side of things than that comparison might imply. The Canadian band just released their fourth album, though it’s their first for the legendary K Records label. For my money, Blowin’ Up is their best yet: It’s smart and arch and easy to sing along with, but it’s also fun to dive in and parse what Jeremy Gaudet is singing about. Check out “Photos of The Reenactment” from Blowin’ Up right here. In this funny chat, these four dudes—Jeremy and Brohan representing Kiwi Jr, Joe and guitarist Greg Ahee on the Protomartyr side—talk about old band photos, the ways their songs come together, and they reveal a secret about Joe Perry’s guitar. That’s Joe Perry from Aerosmith, not Steve Perry from Journey, as you’ll learn. It’s a fun one, enjoy. 0:00 Intro 02:54 Start of conversation 03:21 On Protomartyr’s new album, if they like Dune, The Odyssey, and bad tv 07:27 On album covers and The Eagles  10:34 On band photos and wigs 12:44 On the gap between Kiwi Jr’s records, delivery dates, and the recording process 15:46 On Joe Perry’s guitar, and playing other people’s guitars 19:09 On lyrics and poetry 21:11 On “sing talking,” rapping, Insane Clown Posse, and Danny Brown’s green room 24:16 On Dude Wipes and full-body deodorant for butts 26:53 On recording studios, the perfect milkshake, and Canadian billboards 29:51 On Bulk Barn, off-brand candies, buffets, and Big Boys 33:16 On collaborating together, song mixes, J Mascis, and more on Big Boy 35:30 Playing instruments vs. lyrics and vocals, and coming up with song titles 40:35 On working with producer David Fridmann, writing the music for Protomartyr’s album, and demoing with MIDI Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Joe, Greg, Jeremy, and Brohan for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Sign up for our newsletter. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook, and Letterboxd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got two guys who stepped away from their bigger bands and made an incredible record together 10 years ago. The occasion for this conversation isn’t just that album’s anniversary, but also the announcement of the duo’s first real tour behind it later this year. It’s Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam. In 2016, when I Had A Dream That You Were Mine was released, Leithauser had already released one post-Walkmen solo album, and Rostam had just left Vampire Weekend. But the pair had known each other for quite a while before that: The Walkmen brought Vampire Weekend out as openers on one of their first tours, which you’ll hear about in this chat, back in 2008. Rostam, a guy well into production and songwriting in his own band, had even contributed to Leithauser’s first solo album, Black Hours. So it seemed natural for the two to link up for a whole album, and between 2014 and 2016 they wrote and recorded I Had A Dream That You Were Mine, sometimes linking up in their shared hometown of Washington DC—parts of the record, as you’ll hear, we recorded in Rostam’s childhood home. Freed at least partially from the expectations associated with their other bands, the duo crafted a gorgeous pastiche that ended up sounding timeless: Sometimes it’s got early rock and roll vibes, sometimes it’s the Bob Dylan/Leonard Cohen energy Leithauser often hinted at, writ larger. It’s fantastic. But because these guys had busy separate lives, they never really toured these songs together. That will change this November, with a band featuring, as you’ll hear in this chat, Rostam’s young guys. It’s a brief tour hitting mostly bigger U.S. cities, and I imagine it’ll be one of your only chances to see these songs performed live. You can find dates below, but in the meantime, check out the big single from I Had a Dream That You Were Mine. This is “A 1000 Times.” In this delightful chat, Hamilton and Rostam talk about the few shows they played together—including an embarrassing flub that Rostam had forgotten. They also go through the writing process for most of the songs, which is fascinating, but not before a brief conversation about playing tennis. Enjoy. Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam for chatting. Tour Dates: 5 Washington DC - 9:30 Club 6 Philadelphia PA - World Cafe Live - Music Hall 7 Woodstock NY - Bearsville Theater 9 Brooklyn NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg 10 Brooklyn NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg 11 Somerville MA - Somerville Theatre 13 Toronto ON - The Concert Hall 14 Detroit MI - Saint Andrew’s Hall 15 Chicago IL - Thalia Hall 18 San Francisco CA - Castro Theatre 19 Los Angeles CA - Pacific Electric If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Chapters: 0:00 Intro 02:44 Start of conversation 3:03 On hotels, visiting each other, and memories of recording  04:13 On writing “The Morning Stars”, and songs that didn’t make the record 6:00 On when they became friends, “the worst studio mates of all time,” and smoking 8:37 On the first Vampire Weekend tours, opening for The Walkmen, and Pepperjack 11:19 On The Walkmen running out of gas on tour, dependable tour vans, and driving in Europe 13:33 Their tour announcement, recent shows, and Rostam’s embarrassing moment 15:48 On their Williamsburg Music Hall shows being released on streaming, and “In a Black Out” 17:19 On the BBC and Brits, upcoming European dates, and Hamilton’s plans for September and October 19:37 On playing tennis and restringing rackets 21:04 Reflecting on all of their collaborative songs in order, their processes and recording sessions, and their favorite instruments  28:47 On the journey of “The Morning Stars, the Bruce Springsteen song they wanted it to sound like, “Peaceful Morning,” and looking forward to the tour Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Sign up for our newsletter. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook, and Letterboxd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s short but sweet Talkhouse episode—I might even call it a mini-sode—we’ve got a couple of guys at interesting points in their interesting careers. Both have been flirtatious with the mainstream, but not exactly in it. It’s Jakob Nowell and Yelawolf.  Jakob Nowell was still an infant when his dad, Bradley Nowell, died at just 28. Bradley was the frontman for the Southern California band Sublime, whose music would go on to reach a much wider audience not long after his death. The other two members of Sublime continued with a different singer, with varying degrees of success, while Jakob Nowell grew up and starting making music on his own. A couple of years back, Jakob got together with his dad’s old bandmates and reignited Sublime again—and the fact that his voice sounds remarkably like his dad’s made it a welcome transition for the band’s fans. This new Sublime recorded an album, which they say will be the band’s last, and they tour and play like crazy, including owning their own festival packed with reggae and punk-tinged fellow travelers. Those fellow travelers include the other half of today’s conversation, Yelawolf, who will play a bunch of shows with Sublime this year, including the band’s cruise in November and a big amphitheater in Alabama next week. There aren’t many musicians who can claim collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Eminem, Travis Barker, A$AP Rocky and Tech 9, but the Nashville-based rapper can. He’s been around for a long time, and has always seemed like a musical seeker. His next album, 45, is coming out later this year, and it reportedly features no rapping at all. Check out the single “My Country” right here and see for yourself. I caught these guys on a busy day and they didn’t chat very long, but I still felt like there was enough there to share: They chat about hanging out backstage with superstars at the Aftershock Festival, about potentially collaborating in the future—they even have a dream third member of their trio in mind—and about Jakob’s emotional trips to the last venue his father ever played. Check it out. Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Jakob Nowell and Yelawolf for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff we’ve got going at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! 0:00 Intro 02:40 Start of conversation 02:48 On Sublime’s cross-genre appeal, and on Jakob joining Sublime 05:21 On Jakob visiting the last theater his dad ever played at 06:49 On Yelawolf’s current tour and experiencing different music scenes and crowds on tours 08:34 On wanting to collaborate together and mixing genres 09:35 On touring together, how they met at Aftershock, and meeting music legends at the festival 11:37 On wanting to play with Les Claypool 12:05 On their plans for the rest of 2026 and 2027, and wanting to visit each other Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Sign up for our newsletter. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook, and Letterboxd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.