Meet Our Makers

In this chat, we get to meet Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards. Garbus started Tune-Yards as a solo project, but quickly transformed into a duo with musical and life partner Nate Brenner, and they have now released their brand new LP, Better Dreaming, on 4AD. In this chat, Merrill and I go deep on the personal, global, emotional, and sociopolitical themes and inspirations behind the new record, as well as the production, writing, and composition process. We also touch a bit on Tune-Yards early years, and end up diving deep into the significance of art (both making it and having it in our lives), and of simply being alive, in this moment, now - and how radical that can be. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, we get to meet Uwade. Uwade a Cailfornia-by-way-of-North Carolina singer-songwriter, who has just released her new debut album, Florilegium. You may have - like I did - first encountered her, though, as the first voice on the opening track of the last Fleet Foxes record Shore, called "Wading in the Waist-High Water". In this chat, she and I discuss the writing and process of creating this first solo LP, what it means for her to be going out on her own, the musical touchstones of her childhood that found their ways into these songs, and more. We do also touch on her work with Robin Pecknold & co. and the subsequent tours she shared with Fleet Foxes, and what she learned from that. Finally, we touch on her academic life, as she is currently working toward a PhD. Thank you for listening.

In this episode we get to meet Tunde Adebimpe. Tunde is best known as one of the co-founders, singers, and songwriters of the influential indie rock band TV On the Radio. But now he has a debut solo LP called Thee Black Boltz, and this conversation, we talk a lot about how this record came to be, a process that included rescuing some archival recordings and crafting brand new work. We also touch on TV on the Radio's legacy and their "reunion" tour. Then we, of course, talk about Tunde's film work (as he is also an accomplished actor), including his recent role on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and his time making one of my all-time favorite films, Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married. I was thrilled to chat with such a titan, and I think you'll enjoy. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, we get to meet singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer Valerie June. Here, Valerie and I go deep into her brand new record, Owls, Omens, and Oracles, including the themes, production, and writing of these genre-defying songs. We touch on music history, including Appalachian and Delta folk music, as well as the concept of being positive or optimistic in times like these. Valerie spoke with a candid warmth and was a real open book, and I think you'll enjoy this talk if you like any of her work, but also if you just want to listen to a really good talk about life, art, philosophy, history, and the like. Be transported with her like I was. Thank you for listening.

In this episode, we get to meet Daughter of Swords, aka Alex Sauser-Monnig. Alex just released a brand new solo album under their Daughter of Swords moniker, appropriately titled Alex, and in this chat, we discuss the record at length, including its varied themes (of both personal and societal contexts), the creation of the record, and also the huge aesthetic shift from their first DoS record, Dawnbreaker. We also talk about their various side projects, like The A's with Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath, or the trio they and Amelia share with Molly Sarle called Mountain Man. There's also the topic of the booming North Carolina music scene - spearheaded by the Psychic Hotline indie music group led by Sylvan Esso - and what it means for them to be a part of such a special family of talented folks. Thank you for listening.