Gavin DeGraw joins Kyle Meredith to discuss Face the River , his new studio album that serves as a tribute to his late parents. The singer-songwriter tells us about his dad getting to hear the entire LP before passing, working with Dave Cobb as a producer, and wanting to write in the story-style of Bob Seger, Springsteen, and Billy Joel mixed with Sam Cooke and Jimmy Cliff. He also talks about taking chances artistically; playing the record in full during upcoming shows; and the time he found hi...
Apr 15, 2022•26 min•Ep. 594
Kae Tempest sits down with Kyle Meredith to discuss The Line Is a Curve . The UK spoken word poet/novelist/playwright tells us about using characters to work out their own issues, having guests Lianna La Havas and Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten on the record, and the self-fulfilling prophecy found inside one of the tracks. Tempest also talks about recording the album in one take, three different times, in front of three different single-person audiences of different backgrounds and ages. They also...
Apr 13, 2022•46 min•Ep. 593
Alt-J ’s Gus Unger-Hamilton catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about The Dream , the band’s fourth album. The English artist discusses how using more voices in their songs adds deeper dimensions, and why the tracks' characters seem to thrive on dramatic monologues. Unger-Hamilton also touches on the recent Beatles documentary lent some inspiration and made him a bigger fan of the band. Elsewhere, he ponders about the band making a film one day, their penchant to sing about death and fandom of...
Apr 11, 2022•31 min•Ep. 592
Frank Turner joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his ninth studio album, FTHC , which recently landed at No. 1 on the UK Album chart. The English singer-songwriter tells us about his "50 States in 50 Days tour" that he’s currently on (get tickets here !), writing about addiction, acceptance, and mortality, and about his friend Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit’s suicide. Turner goes on to talk about wanting to eventually make a classic country record and his appreciation for that genre’s craft....
Apr 08, 2022•35 min•Ep. 591
State Champs ’ Derek Discanio sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about Kings of the New Age , the band’s fourth LP, which he says finds them making their biggest statements yet. The lead singer discusses how the band is the middle child of the pop punk scene, the pros and cons of B-sides, and how the album’s narrator is on a bad path but headed in the right direction. Discanio also talks about the band’s cover of Matchbox Twenty’s "Real World," how they’re not happy with their cover of Shawn M...
Apr 06, 2022•24 min•Ep. 590
Solomon Hughes calls in to talk with Kyle Meredith about his role portraying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty . The actor tells us of the importance of showing Kareem’s backstory in the "Pieces of a Man" episode, getting inside the character, and Abdul-Jabbar being at odds with the "Showtime" atmosphere of the '80s Los Angeles Lakers. Hughes goes on to discuss basketball’s comparison to jazz and his own favorite artists of the genre, especially John Coltr...
Apr 04, 2022•17 min•Ep. 589
Paul Oakenfold sits down with Kyle Meredith for an interview about Shine On , his fourth full-length album. The legendary DJ tells us about making a cinematic record, how the opening track traces back to "Ready Steady Go," bringing dance music out of the nightclub, and resurrecting 2014’s "Touch Me." Oakenfold also previews his upcoming tour with New Order and Pet Shop Boys ( get tickets here !), the eventual 20th anniversary celebration of Bunkka , and takes us into the backstory of recording s...
Apr 01, 2022•30 min•Ep. 588
Daryl Hall joins Kyle Meredith to talk about BeforeAfter , his first best-of collection that highlights his solo albums. In diving into the new collection, the Hall & Oates singer takes us back to making Sacred Songs with Robert Fripp (who compared Hall’s work to Bowie’s at the time), being on the forefront of streaming shows on the web a full decade ahead of everyone else, and covering "Here Comes the Rain Again" on this new set. Hall also discusses the relevance of his '80s song "What’s Go...
Mar 30, 2022•23 min•Ep. 587
SASAMI sits down with Kyle Meredith to tell us her adventures in making the album Squeeze . Those adventures include becoming one with Earthly elements, shrinking herself to fit inside of an acoustic guitar to eventually cover System of a Down’s "Toxicity," and inhabiting a river and capturing guitar playing caterpillars. The indie rock artist — who was Consequence' s February Artist of the Month — also tells of dancing golden grunions, romantic relationships with seals named May Jascis, and bei...
Mar 28, 2022•15 min•Ep. 587
Christina Perri sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about her latest single, "Evergone," and the heartbreaking journey to writing after the process of grief and healing after her daughter was stillborn. The “Jar of Hearts” singer-songwriter discusses the importance of talking about her experience, normalizing mental health discussions, and how she found her path back to making music. Perri also tells us about the importance Taylor Swift’s folklore and evermore had on her during this time, cover...
Mar 25, 2022•23 min•Ep. 586
Cypress Hill ’s B-Real sits down for an interview with Kyle Meredith about Back in Black , the legendary hip-hop group’s 10th album. Dr. Greenthumb takes us through the process of working with Detroit producer Black Milk and how this new record speaks to Cypress Hill's 1991 debut. He also talks about how their music takes on the current obstacles in the complete legalization of marijuana, how government divides the people, and how his time in Prophets of Rage came to influence his songwriting. B...
Mar 23, 2022•31 min•Ep. 585
Pearl Jam ’s Stone Gossard catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about the second Painted Shield album, which finds Mason Jennings, Brittany Davis, and Matt Chamberlain further exploring their sonic palette. The guitarist discusses developing Painted Shield into a multiple vocalist group, as well as releasing the song “4th of July” while the world is on the brink of war. Stone also addresses the comparisons to his other offshoot project, Brad . On that subject, we’re told that there is another B...
Mar 21, 2022•34 min•Ep. 584
Jared Leto catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about WeCrashed , his new miniseries co-starring opposite Anne Hathaway that chronicles the rise and fall of WeWork and finds him portraying Adam Neumann. The actor/musician tells us what drew him to the story, making sure that it wasn’t a takedown piece, and what it was like to go straight from having the Italian accent Paolo Gucci to an Israeli accent with Neumann, as well as how voice gives him access within the characters. Leto also discusses ...
Mar 18, 2022•22 min•Ep. 583
Les Claypool catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Primus ’ upcoming continuation of their A Tribute to Kings tour , where they play the 1977 Rush album A Farewell to Kings in full. The legendary singer/bassist goes on to discuss his fandom for Peter Gabriel, XTC, and Jerry Reed before giving us an update on the next Primus release (a 13-min song with two addiction tracks), a project with Sean Lennon that has something to do with animation, “a twang thing” with Billy Strings, and the possi...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 582
Michael Chiklis phones in to talk with Kyle Meredith about his portrayal of legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach in the HBO series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty . The Shield actor tells us what it was like to play a hero of his as a principal antagonist as seen through the eyes of Jerry Buss and the LA Lakers, getting to spar over a great script with John C. Reilly, and how he sees Coach Auerbach as a progressive thinker in his era of basketball. Chiklis also takes us back ...
Mar 14, 2022•14 min•Ep. 581
Joan Jett catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Changeup , her very first acoustic album that finds classics and deep cuts stripped down to their roots. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend takes us into what prompted the project, turning down MTV when they asked her to do the first Unplugged , how songs like "Cherry Bomb" and "Victim of Circumstance" changed with the new set, and how the recent 40th anniversaries of "Bad Reputation" and "I Love Rock and Roll" influenced her song choices....
Mar 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 580
Mike Campbell catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about External Combustion , his latest album with The Dirty Knobs . The Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers co-founder discusses becoming more of a lyricist, having Margo Price and Ian Hunter guest on the record, and getting songwriting advice from Bob Dylan. Campbell also teamed back up with his Heartbreakers bandmate Benmont Tench and talked about what the future of their archives looks like, before going back to 1982’s Long After Dark to tell ...
Mar 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 584
DeVaughn Nixon joins Kyle Meredith to talk about HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty , in which he plays the role of his real life father, Norm Nixon. The actor tells how he still had to audition for the part, his dad feeling threatened by Magic Johnson’s arrival, and this series being released on the heels of the Michael Jordan doc The Last Dance . Nixon also discusses what it was like to work with Adam McKay on the dark comedy and where the story could go with future seasons. Ni...
Mar 07, 2022•27 min•Ep. 583
Sam Fender sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about Seventeen Going Under , his award winning and chart-topping sophomore album. The British heartland rocker tells us about the record looking at his own coming-of-age, how therapy influenced his writing, Paul Weller being a mentor, and the Oasis and Stone Roses fans that don’t like his music. Fender then discusses the moments in his life that made him a more socially conscious person, comparing his record with The Killers’ Pressure Machine , an...
Mar 04, 2022•21 min•Ep. 582
Conor Maynard sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new reimagining of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” along with his other recent releases. The English singer-songwriter tells us about lyrically drawing from a recent breakup and learning the life of an independent artist, as well as how taking a few years off of his music career to star in Kinky Boots on Broadway has influenced his vocal techniques. Maynard also takes us into his world of collaborations, how he approac...
Mar 02, 2022•24 min•Ep. 581
Avey Tare sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about Time Skiffs , the first Animal Collective album in six years. The musician aka David Portner takes us into the visual world the band have created for this set, in which linear time doesn’t exist. Tare also touches on how the visual album Tangerine Reef influenced the new LP, and why he found himself looking back at their career as he entered the sessions. Elsewhere, he discusses how fans compare their current material to their earlier sounds, ...
Feb 28, 2022•46 min•Ep. 579
Primal Scream ’s main man Bobby Gillespie sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about his autobiography, Tenement Kid . The Scottish musician discusses growing up in post-war England with the fear of death around him, being anti-facist and an artist that stands up for causes, and being a feminist from a young age. Gillespie goes on to talk about the power of discovering Thin Lizzy and Ramones at 15, being a current fan of Kurt Vile and Kelly Lee Owens, and how the sequel to this book will spotlig...
Feb 25, 2022•44 min•Ep. 578
Avril Lavigne catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about her new album, Love Sux , which features a full-on pop rock sound and finds the “Complicated” singer teaming up with Travis Barker. The Canadian artist discusses what it was like to write an album about the downside of relationships while falling in love with Mod Sun, how the original plan was to do a double album, and her intentions of releasing the other record soon after this one. Lavigne also talks about dueting with Machine Gun Kelly...
Feb 23, 2022•32 min•Ep. 577
Hilary Duff hops on a call with Kyle Meredith to talk about Hulu’s How I Met Your Father , the sequel series to late-aughts' "legen-dary" sitcom How I Met Your Mother , in which she plays the lead role of Sophie. The actress/musician takes us into what it's been like to take on a title with so much history, portraying an alternate reality 2022 that has no pandemic, and being able to drop in more adult storylines and gags than the original series was able to get away with. Duff also talks about h...
Feb 21, 2022•24 min•Ep. 576
John Lurie catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Season 2 of Painting with John , his HBO series that finds the musician, painter, actor, director, and producer creating his watercolor masterpieces while giving us all insight into his life, philosophies, and often-bizarre adventures. The Lounge Lizards co-founder takes us inside the recurring sketch called "Cowboy Beckett" that weaves throughout this new season and how it took inspiration from Ennio Morricone. He tells us why he gravitated...
Feb 18, 2022•25 min•Ep. 575
Spoon ’s Britt Daniel catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about the band’s tenth studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa . The lead singer took us into the band’s decision to make an all-out rock record, the use of Mr. Jones as a character in music history, and the importance of radio to him as a child. Daniel goes on to talk about Lucifer representing a version of himself, their plans to release more songs from this session, and his appreciation for the band’s 1997 release, Soft Effects . Listen to...
Feb 16, 2022•46 min•Ep. 574
Adam Granduciel catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about I Don’t Live Here Anymore , the fifth LP from The War On Drugs . The frontman dives into how he found the sound for the new album, taking inspiration from Radiohead and having producer Nigel Godrich show up to their studio, and how he writes lyrics. Granduciel also tells us about covering Bob Dylan live and which of his catalog they may attempt next, as well as the time Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour was once in their audience. Listen to Ad...
Feb 14, 2022•26 min•Ep. 573
The Lovin’ Spoonful ’s John Sebastian joins Kyle Meredith to talk about John Sebastian and Arlen Roth Explore the Spoonful Songbook , a collaborative LP that finds the two musicians reimagining the band’s classic catalog through instrumentals and guest vocalists. The “Welcome Back” singer-songwriter takes us his partnership with Roth, compares these new versions to their ’60s originals, and tells us about finding jug band music in his youth before marrying it to the rock and pop music that would...
Feb 11, 2022•31 min•Ep. 572
Dermot Kennedy joins Kyle Meredith to discuss his upcoming sophomore album and the success that’s led up to it. The Irish singer-songwriter tells us about recently busking in Washington Square, raising over $300,000 for charities over the holidays, and being an authentically humble artist. Kennedy also revisits his Metallica cover of "Nothing Else Matters," what it was like having “Paradise” become so big during a time when he was so disconnected from the world, and the background behind his lat...
Feb 09, 2022•26 min•Ep. 571
Bastille ’s Dan Smith sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about Give Me the Future , the band’s fourth album, which finds them using sci-fi and predictions of the future as a concept behind alt-pop anthems. The English artist discusses the virtual world in which the characters constantly escape into, using science fiction as a vehicle to write by, and creating Future Inc. as an augmented reality platform next to the music. Smith also dives into the collaborative nature of the process, a first f...
Feb 07, 2022•23 min•Ep. 570