Talkhouse Podcast

Blake Mills has the kind of resume that might make the average person feel really lazy. Not only is he an active musician, but also a Grammy-winning producer (for Alabama Shakes’ 2015 album Sound and Color), a collaborator to the stars—including the likes of Fiona Apple and Bob Dylan—and most recently, one of the guys in charge of the legendary Sound City studio in L.A. Mills’ newest musical project is a collaboration with legendary bassist Pino Palladino called Notes With Attachments. Just prior to that, it was the Pitchfork Best New Music designee Mutable Set, from 2020. Nick Sanborn is half of Sylvan Esso, along with Amelia Meath. The duo recorded their third and latest album, the excellent Free Love, while they were constructing a brand new studio, called Betty’s, on their farm in North Carolina. The album came out in September of last year, which obviously meant touring was off the table, but Sanborn got plenty busy with production work, including helping to create the most recent Flock of Dimes record

This week, we revisit a chat from last year, featuring Mac DeMarco and Dayglow's Sloan Struble. The second Dayglow album, Harmony House, comes out May 21. Check it out! ------------------- On this week’s show, a young gun picks a veteran’s brain. A youngish veteran, admittedly — Mac DeMarco’s only 30, but compared to 21 year old Spotify-wunderkind Sloan Struble, aka Dayglow, he’s already spent a lifetime in the music industry trenches. The two take in a lot in this conversation. We hear Mac’s origin story, and get a nice overview of his career. We get insight into what it’s like finding fast fame online in 2020, and the two dissect the term “DIY” and the changing definition of “indie.” Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.  —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer This week’s talk was originally produced by Mark Yoshizumi and Elia Einhorn. This episode was produced by Melissa Kaplan. The Talkhouse Podcast theme song was composed and p

The way that Mary Lattimore and Sarah Neufeld met is kind of a rock and roll dream. Lattimore went to see Neufeld’s band, Arcade Fire, before they were huge stars, and they got to talking. When Lattimore mentioned that she’d be moving to Philadelphia soon, Neufeld and her bandmates asked her to perform with them—so her first time playing on stage outside a more classical setting was in front of a huge Arcade Fire crowd, and it gave her the performing bug. Both Neufeld and Lattimore have released fantastic records recently: Lattimore’s Silver Ladders came out last year on the Ghostly International label, and it met with widespread acclaim. Sarah Neufeld’s brand new record, Detritus, was born via a collaboration with Canadian dancer Peggy Baker. Neufeld wrote the songs that would become this album to accompany Baker’s choreography, and she even went on the road to accompany the dance performances. She later went into the studio and, with help from her Arcade Fire bandmate Jeremy Gara, set to recording them. I

It’s no secret that Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard deeply admires Norman Blake’s band, Teenage Fanclub. In fact, he’s called 1991’s masterpiece Bandwagonesque his favorite album of all time; he loves it so much that just a few years ago, he recorded and released a cover of the entire thing. With that album turning 30 this year, and with a fantastic new Teenage Fanclub album, Endless Arcade, out this week it seemed the perfect time to get the two together. For this conversation, the two old friends dive into what their pandemic lives have been like, which includes lots of songwriting and record collecting. They also talk about the joy that comes from being a lifer in the rock and roll business, how streaming has affected all of the above, and how deeply emotional a return to rocking is likely to be for both of them. Enjoy.

Merrill Garbus and Jenn Wasner released monumental records just a week apart this year: Tune-Yards fifth album—sixth if you count their score to Boots Riley’s film Sorry to Bother You—is called Sketchy, and it’s as puzzling and progressive as you’ve hopefully come to expect. Garbus and bassist Nate Brenner are never content to rest on their past glories: They’re always searching for new modes of thought and expression, and Garbus’ lyrics meld the personal and political into one fiery concoction. Jenn Wasner is best known for singing and playing guitar in Wye Oak, and she’s also released albums with Dungeonesse and solo style under the name Flock of Dimes, in addition to being a recent touring member of Bon Iver. It’s her Flock of Dimes project that’s garnering some incredible, well deserved attention this year, including a huge feature in the New York Times. It makes sense, considering that the album she’s promoting is so extraordinary: Head of Roses will be both familiar to her fans and unexpected, with ne

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, we have two artists who recently became writer-directors after finding success in other creative fields: singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee and actor Carlson Young. McKee, a Grammy-nominated hit songwriter best known for her collaborations with Katy Perry, is now on the festival circuit with her powerful and very personal short April Kills the Vibe, while her friend Young, who broke through on the small-screen version of Scream in 2015, just made her feature debut with The Blazing World, which world premiered at Sundance this past January. In their compelling conversation, the two talk about their journeys behind the camera, their COVID experiences, making movies as a form of psychodrama, Bonnie’s upcoming music-inspired film project, Carlson’s recent nightmare experience with a moving scam, and much, much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcas

It might feel like a lifetime ago, but it was just over a year ago in February of 2020 when we got new albums from both Tame Impala and Caribou. For Kevin Parker, The Slow Rush was his fourth full-length record following an extended break after Currents. Caribou fans had a slightly longer wait for Dan Snaith's tenth record, Suddenly. Now both artists have rereleases in 2021. Kevin Parker and company recently celebrated ten years since their debut record, Innerspeaker. There's a new behind-the-scenes short film chronicling the 2010 recording process, a box set, and an upcoming livestream performance later this month, April 21 (more info on tickets here), of the full album from the Wave House. Dan Snaith has also been in the news recently, releasing Suddenly Remixes, featuring reworked tracks by Toro y Moi, Four Tet, Floating Points, and others. This conversation, which originally aired in October of 2020, never has a dull moment and features the pair chatting about how and when they first met, having confi

Sharon van Etten and Jamie Stewart met a few years ago, when producer John Congleton recommended the Xiu Xiu frontman as a contributor to the singer-songwriter's 2019 album, Remind Me Tomorrow. Though their music isn't super similar sounding, each traffics in a kind of emotional honesty that's difficult to pull off but incredibly rewarding. Van Etten contributed vocals to the song "Sad Mezcalita" on Xiu Xiu's new all-duets album, OH NO, and the two chat about that collaboration here, along with the creative process, being open in their songwriting, and much more. This episode was produced by Melissa Kaplan. The Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range.

In this week's Talkhouse Podcast, we hear from old friends Dan Deacon and the members of Future Islands. Both came up in the super fertile Baltimore scene, and both released new albums in 2020. Future Islands asked Deacon to remix their recent track "For Sure," and he took it to epic new heights, which they discuss on this chat—along with the reality of staying home during the pandemic, what their writing/road-testing/recording processes are like, and a brand new genre that they hope to create when this is all over. Sports Jazz! Enjoy. This episode was produced by Kevin O’Connell. The Talkhouse Podcast theme was composed and performed by The Range.

Two very funny people have a very funny conversation on this week's Talkhouse Podcast: Michael Ian Black and Jen Spyra. Black you probably know as part of the sketch-comedy troupe The State, or from his many podcasts—the latest is Obscure—or maybe one of his books, including last year's more serious A Better Man. Jen Spyra just released her first book, a collection of darkly hilarious short stories called Big Time. The two were fans of each other's work before their chat, but you can hear them get to know each other better. They talk about their writing processes, self-doubt, Michael's poker playing and Cameo birthday-ing, and lots more. Enjoy.

Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus have known each other for decades, going back to the beginning of Bird's solo career and Mathus' earliest days with Squirrel Nut Zippers. Most of their work together has been assistive—Bird would add his fiddle to the Zippers' records, and Mathus would return the favor with some horns. But a couple of years back, the old friends decided to write some songs together, and the result is These 13, a truly collaborative album featuring just their voices, guitar, and fiddle, for the most part. It's spare and surprising. In this Talkhouse conversation, they chat about the old days and the new, as well as a shared love of Charley Patton. Enjoy. —Josh Modell, Executive Editor This episode was produced by Kevin O'Connell. The Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range.

Todd Rundgren is a legendary musician and producer whose list of credits is impressive as the man himself is down to earth. He had his own string of pop hits—including the novelty song “Bang on the Drum All Day”—and experimental albums, both as a solo artist and with the Nazz. He produced Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, as well as New York Dolls’ self-titled debut, one of the most influential. This month, he’s been on the “Clearly Human” tour, which—due to obvious reasons—is all virtual. As a tech pioneer, he’s doing things a bit different, as you’ll hear in the podcast. Eric Slick is a fellow Philly boy and longtime fan of Rundgren’s who was excited to chat with him. Slick is best known as the drummer in the excellent Dr. Dog, and he’s also a frequent Talkhouse contributor. If that’s not enough, Slick recently released a magnificent solo record called Wiseacre. The two chat about making records, playing shows, and—of course—a certain former president. This epis

Mike Ness and Ben Nichols both front bands that blur the already-blurry genre lines between punk, Americana, country, and more—so it's no surprise that the two get along. Nichols' band, Lucero, opened for Ness' band, Social Distortion, on a tour about a decade ago, and the two hit it off. Since then, Lucero returned the favor by taking out Jade Jackson's band—which features Ness' son Julian on guitar. The occasion for this Talkhouse conversation is the release of Lucero's newest album, When You Found Me. The two songwriters talk about their craft, their kids, and how to write a song that makes a statement without getting political. —Josh Modell, Executive Editor This episode was produced by Kevin O’Connell. The Talkhouse Podcast theme was composed and performed by The Range.

Tamara Lindeman and Julia Jacklin are spending the pandemic thousands of miles away from each other, but you’d never know if from the closeness of this Talkhouse chat. Lindeman, who’s based in Canada, just released her fifth album as The Weather Station—and Ignorance is already making waves. It got the coveted Best New Music designation from Pitchfork, as well as a five-star review in The Guardian, both well deserved. Jacklin, who’s from Australia, finished touring her last album, Crushing, not long before the lockdown hit. Here, they discuss the ins and outs of how much they share in their songs, what they’re looking forward to when normalcy returns, and Joni Mitchell. This episode was produced by Kevin O’Connell. The Talkhouse Podcast theme was composed and performed by The Range.

In the third episode of McIntosh's "for the love of music..." podcast series presented by Talkhouse, Elia Einhorn spoke with one of the most recognizable names in popular jazz and soul: Gregory Porter. Gregory has been using his powerful baritone on both Broadway and concert stages for decades. His smooth take on classic American pop forms has earned him critical accolades, and fans the world over. The multiple Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has long had an intense touring schedule, and while the pandemic has forced him off the road, he’s been staying very busy. Gregory has a podcast of his own—called The Hang—and recently released a new album of original music, All Rise, which was nominated for Best R&B Album at this year’s Grammys. In this episode, Gregory talks about writing songs in the sky, English accents in gospel music, recording in some of the coolest studios in the world, and much more. 

Jenny Lewis—she of Rilo Kiley, The Postal Service, and numerous excellent solo albums—met Chicago rapper Serengeti when they were both performers at the PEOPLE Festival in Berlin, back in 2018. They struck up a fast friendship that led to Serengeti asking Lewis to provide some music—a very specific amount of music—for him to rhyme over. They’ve since released two excellent songs together via Lewis’ Love’s Way label, “Unblu” and “Vroom Vroom,” and there are more on the way, as you’ll hear in their conversation. There’s also a mysterious appearance by Mr. Peanut. This episode was produced by Kevin O’Connell. The Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by The Range.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, the iconic actor Viggo Mortensen sits down with his longtime friend and fellow filmmaker Alix Lambert. The occasion for their talk is the release of Falling, Mortensen’s debut as writer-director, an intense family drama starring Lance Henriksen, Laura Linney and Mortensen himself. In a fascinating, wide-ranging conversation, Mortensen and Lambert discuss not only Falling and the pandemic, but also Viggo’s musical collaborations with the guitarist Buckethead, the various cinematic exploits of Mortensen’s son Henry, Lambert’s current non-fiction project, the shared love that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Mortensen have for a very surprising TV show, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

Sometimes Talkhouse Podcast participants have never met, sometimes they’re acquainted, and on rare occasions, they know each other really well. For this week’s chat, it became clear pretty quickly that Sasha Spielberg—a.k.a. Buzzy Lee—and Alana Haim already spoke the same language. As it turns out, and you’ll hear this in the conversation, they’re close enough to share a Hulu account. The occasion for this conversation is the debut full-length from Buzzy Lee, the excellent Spoiled Love, which is out this week. And of course, it’s not too late to enjoy the latest album from HAIM, Women In Music Pt. III, which came out last year. The two old friends talk about young love, bat mitzvahs, “cozy boys,” and songwriting. It’s charming as hell.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we bring together a pair of singer-songwriters who share a love of intimate, thoughtful compositions and recordings. Robin Pecknold has been the chief creative mind behind Fleet Foxes since the band’s beginnings back in 2005; the latest Fleet Foxes album was surprise-released in September of 2020, and Shore was met with lots of well-deserved love. Elijah Wolf is just starting out on his career. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter was raised in upstate New York, and was a fan of Fleet Foxes before a chance meeting with Pecknold in a New York guitar shop. Wolf, who was working at Crandall Guitars, was playing music by a band called Holy Hive in the store, and it turned out that both Pecknold and Wolf were friends with that band. They got to know each other and started sharing works-in-progress with each other during the pandemic. Pecknold’s songs would end up on Shore, and Wolf’s would become his first album, Brighter Lighting, which is due out February 26 on Trash Casual Reco

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, actress Robin Tunney chats with multihyphenate extraordinaire Alexi Pappas, the filmmaker and Olympic athlete whose excellent new memoir, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain and Other Big Ideas, is out now through Random House. Tunney, most recently seen in ABC’s The Fix and best known for her roles in Empire Records, The Craft and TV’s The Mentalist, is not only one of Pappas’ mentors, but she’s also her cousin by marriage, and their familial ease with each other is evident in a very open, insightful and sometimes funny conversation that takes in such topics as the shadow of mental illness, the challenges of finding the balance between career and family, bonding with others over trauma, how the thing we’re best at may still give us discomfort or pain, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.