Will Toledo -- aka Car Seat Headrest -- was a Bandcamp legend by the time Matador Records signed him last year. He released 10 albums via the DIY platform and now, he's releasing his first LP of new material through the esteemed indie label. Will took us into the mindset of a musician making the big jump, and what it was like trying to secure the rights to use bits of Cars, Dido, and Neil Diamond songs on "Teens of Denial." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 13, 2016•55 min
"Spirits" is an alternative radio hit, and it just might become an even bigger one. All this is relatively new for the Strumbellas, a Toronto-based folk-rock band that's come a long way since playing its first show in a farmer's market. Host Chris Payne chats with Simon Ward and Izzy Ritchie about how they've gotten this far and how they're handling their recent success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 06, 2016•40 min
New music, her Grammy nomination, Australian suburbs -- there was plenty to talk about when we caught up with Courtney Barnett before her performance at Coachella 2016's first week. She discussed how life's been since her breakthrough debut LP dropped last year and took us through her creative process in crafting new tunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 02, 2016•37 min
For X Ambassadors, success didn’t come overnight. The Ithaca, N.Y.-based band hit it big with the first single off their first full length, but an awful lot of pavement pounding preceded “Renegades” and the attention that came with it. On board Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise last month, we chatted with Sam and Casey Harris about the X Ambassadors story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 29, 2016•33 min
Shamir's fans go by many names -- Shaqueers, Ratcheteers, Baby Ratchets. Whatever they're called, they're being inspired to challenge binary norms and follow their hearts by Shamir's funky, swaggering synthpop. It's brought Shamir from Vegas to an arena tour with Duran Duran, which he chatted about on this week's episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 28, 2016•49 min
Wolf Parade is reuniting and Operators just rolled out an excellent debut album. Dan Boeckner, the witty vocalist from both bands (and previously, many others)talked about the new tunes Wolf Parade recorded (and when to expect them) along with what Operators has kicking. And get ready to be inspired; Boeckner reflected on toiling through numerous dead-end jobs to forge a full-time life in music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 01, 2016•40 min
Out at sea, Chvrches joked and talked serious (but mostly joked) about sailing on Paramore’s cruise, fighting sexism in the industry, their diverse fanbase, new merch ideas (scratch ’n sniff and health goth, naturally), and wanting to see sharks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 25, 2016•37 min
Onboard Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise, Lights chatted about all sorts of things: her forthcoming “Midnight Machines” mini-album, traveling with her two-year old daughter, getting a "World of Warcraft" in-game item named after her, and getting noticed on MySpace a decade ago. For longtime fans and those who missed Lights' performances on the cruise, this is a must-listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 18, 2016•39 min
Pvris is destined for big things. The Massachusetts-based rock band built a formidable grassroots following behind its 2014 debut album "White Noise," which put them on the 2015 Warped Tour and nabbed them an opening slot on Fall Out Boy’s current arena tour. Members Lynn Gunn, Alex Babinski, and Brian MacDonald chatted with Chris Payne about how they got so far and what's next (hint: a second album). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 11, 2016•41 min
New York City punks Big Ups came together several years back while studying music at NYU, so they’ve got plenty of good advice for students looking to get a new band off the ground. They explained the lyrical growth on their killer new record "Before a Million Universes" and why they're down for a nu-metal revival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 04, 2016•51 min
Yeasayer gave a hilarious interview at with host Chris Payne. They've got a new album on the way ("Amen & Goodbye,” out May 1) and they reflected on being a band for a whole decade. Topics include how they've seen Brooklyn and Manhattan change before their eyes, Billy Joel, and why they might not want to still be alive in 2080. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 26, 2016•44 min
Chairlift's Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly stopped by the Billboard office and had plenty to talk about: how R&B and new age music have shaped them, how Caroline has names for her different singing voices, how Patrick's studio approach is different from many producers. Both agree that driven artists with a clear vision enjoy the most success in the music world. Prepare to be inspired. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 19, 2016•50 min
Ra Ra Riot frontman Wes Miles chats with Alt In Our Stars host Chris Payne about the band's new album "Need Your Light": collaborating with Rostam Batmanglij, pushing his voice to the limit, and how childhood friendships still affect his art today. Also, he explains what it's like to sing the National Anthem at an NFL game. It's kind of surreal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 12, 2016•45 min
Børns chats with Alt In Our Stars host Chris Payne about his 2015 debut album "Dopamine," how to convince him to take a selfie, how Coachella is different from Bonnaroo, and how vocalists can protect their voices on tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 05, 2016•46 min
Host Chris Payne sat down for a fact (and sometimes opinion) -filled chat with Billboard chart staffers Emily White and Kevin Rutherford about some of this year’s most anticipated releases: Paramore, M83, LCD Soundsystem, The 1975, Weezer, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 29, 2016•52 min
The political, saxophone-charged punk band Downtown Boys stops by Billboard for an interview with host Chris Payne. Topics include the new music they’re writing, wanting to perform with Bruce Springsteen, singing in both English and Spanish, how to get people to dance at shows, and how to keep that dancing non-violent and friendly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 22, 2016•52 min
Panic! frontman Brendon Urie swung by Billboard’s New York office to chat with host Chris Payne about new album "Death of a Bachelor." He also spoke on getting permission from the B-52s to sample “Rock Lobster,” performing in the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and being the kind of guy who rocks fedoras. The new album is heavily influenced by Frank Sinatra, after all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 15, 2016•31 min
Out promoting his Springsteen-esque country-rock album "Wild Ones," Kip Moore hops on the podcast for a revealing talk with host Chris Payne. He invites us into the psyche of a songwriter who fought for years to break into Nashville, and explains how to defeat the doubt -- and occasional depression -- that can plague musicians. He also reveals that he already has "three other projects" he's been working on since "Wild Ones." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 11, 2015•51 min
HEALTH's "Death Magic" was one of our favorite rock albums of 2015. The band revisits the record in an interview with Billboard's Chris Payne -- pushing guitar music to the future, working with Haxan Cloak, projectile vomiting for a music video, and coming up in the L.A. noise scene centered around a venue called the Smell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 07, 2015•52 min
Arthur Ashin — the man behind the experimental R&B project Autre Ne Veut — will inspire you to do amazing things with your voice. And if you’re not much of a singer, he’ll give you plenty to think about regarding all things R&B and soul. He stopped by Billboard’s New York office for a chat with host Chris Payne about his dazzling new album Age of Transparency, why he prefers to be called “failure pop” instead of “PBR&B,” and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Nov 20, 2015•47 min
Ashley Monroe visits the Billboard office just before kicking off her 2015 tour in New York. Host Chris Payne interviews her about her new album "The Blade," working with Jack White, whether or not we'll get more Pistol Annies music, what the Nashville songwriting circuit is like, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 13, 2015•42 min
How come musicians in emo bands never want to be called "emo"? Could an artist in today's so-called "Emo Revival" break through to the mainstream? And are we ever getting another Brand New album? Alt In Our Stars host Chris Payne discusses all of this and more with Tom Mullen, the genre expert behind the website/DJ night/podcast, Washed Up Emo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 06, 2015•1 hr 3 min
Butch Vig chats with Billboard's Chris Payne about drumming in Garbage and producing bands like the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins. He gives a behind-the-scenes look at making the Foos' 2014 album/HBO series "Sonic Highways" and previews what lies ahead for them and Garbage in 2016. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2015•55 min
Beach Slang's debut album "The Things We Do to Find People Like Us" is one of the year's best punk records. Frontman James Alex chats with Billboard's Chris Payne about influences (Jawbreaker, Repalcements, Goo Goo Dolls), his lyrics, and why he's kind of trying to be like John Hughes. He also reveals that he's already working on the next album. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 23, 2015•50 min
Billboard's Chris Payne interviews Greek singer Monika about her American debut "Secret in the Dark," and what it's like to promote the album worldwide after earning a strong following in her homeland. She also chats about signing with Other Music, making her album with the Dap-Kings' Homer Steinweiss, and the Greek language album she's working on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 16, 2015•53 min
Host Chris Payne interviews Bully frontwoman Alicia Bognanno and drummer Stewart Copeland about their debut album "Feels Like," being a punk band on a major label (it's pretty cool!), living in Nashville, tips for touring in a van, and favorite Thanksgiving foods. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 16, 2015•41 min
Majical Cloudz frontman Devon Welsh is interviewed by Billboard’s Chris Payne about new album “Are You Alone?,” opening for Lorde, guesting in a Grimes video, having his audience do a push-up competition, and his thoughts on Pope Francis’ new song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 02, 2015•44 min
Host Chris Payne and Billboard rock charts specialist Emily White discuss their most anticipated Fall 2015 indie and alternative releases, including Grimes, CHVRCHES, Deerhunter, Deafheaven, Beach Slang, Ought, Majical Cloudz, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 21, 2015•41 min
Why aren’t there more female stars in country? Could alt-country favorites like Jason Isbell and Caitlin Rose ever cross over? How is Sam Hunt kind of like country’s Drake? Why are fans new to country so into Kacey Musgraves? Chris Payne and two special guests — writers Caitlin White and Nick Murray — discuss where the genre’s at in 2015. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 04, 2015•1 hr
Silversun Pickups keyboardist Joe Lester and drummer Chris Guanlao stopped by Billboard for an interview with Chris Payne about their new album "Better Nature," starting their own label (New Machine Recordings), being interviewed by Nardwuar, recording with Jacknife Lee, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 02, 2015•44 min
