King of Leon’s Caleb Followill joins Kyle Meredith to talk about Can We Please Have Fun, the ninth studio album from the Tennessee band. The frontman tells us about embracing the idea of home, how the book The Artist’s Way led to inspiration, as did the post-punk sounds of Idles and Fontaines DC. Followill goes on to discuss why they wanted to run away from their 20th anniversary, looking towards albums like U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind as a guide and that he wants to make a rock version...
May 27, 2024•28 min•Ep. 939
Tadanobu Asano joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the massive success of the FX/Hulu series Shogun . Listen now. The Japanese actor, who portrays Kashigi Yabushige, dives into the complexities of embodying a character from the 1600s, his attraction to unlikable characters, and the blurred lines between good and bad within the world of Shogun. He then discusses the many practical difficulties the production faced, as well as the importance of having a mostly Asian crew. Also a punk rock musician, ...
May 25, 2024•14 min•Ep. 938
Listen to Carl Clemons-Hopkins chat with Kyle Meredith about the latest season of Hacks , streaming now on Max. Clemons-Hopkins, who plays Marcus on the series, discusses the frustrations and blessings of having a longer break between seasons than normal. He also touches on what it was like to return to the character for a third time, as well as his character’s improving work/life balance. The actor then takes a deeper look at Episode 8, for which Marcus takes center stage. He explains how every...
May 24, 2024•26 min•Ep. 937
Idles ’ Joe Talbot joins Kyle Meredith to talk about TANGK , the band’s latest album that finds the punk act teaming up with producers Nigel Godrich and Kenny Beats. Listen to the new episode now. The frontman discusses the importance of heading into the creation of an album with a sense of purpose, how he translates his own personal emotions into lyrics, and writing while in the studio. He also touches on the greater themes of TANGK , as the songs paint a picture of uncomplicated love and empat...
May 22, 2024•24 min•Ep. 936
Tiffany Boone, Alessandro Nivola & PJ Byrne join Kyle Meredith to talk about The Big Cigar, the Apple TV limited series starring André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton that tells the incredible true story of a wild caper of Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan – involving a fake movie production -- that goes wrong every way it possibly can. The actors discuss how the series tells a story of the...
May 20, 2024•21 min•Ep. 935
Stand-up comedian Modi Rosenfeld, known professionally as MODI, joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his special, Know Your Audience . Listen now. The comic chats about his journey of going from being an investment banker in the '90s to a standup comedian, studying performers like Alan King along the way. He then touches on approaching art from a distinctly Jewish perspective, the nightmare of doing Zoom performances, and his podcast And Here’s Modi . Listen to MODI chat about all this and more in ...
May 18, 2024•30 min•Ep. 934
Thompson Twins co-founder Tom Bailey joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the 40th anniversary of Into The Gap as well as co-headlining this summer’s Totally Tubular Festival, an 80s alternative music lovers’ dream that features co-headliner Thomas Dolby, along with Modern English, Men Without Hats, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone and The Plimsouls. The 80s icon takes us back to the frantic album release schedule that the band enjoyed in the 80s, becoming designers of pop songs, and the cr...
May 17, 2024•29 min•Ep. 933
Joe Gatto chats with Kyle Meredith about his tenure on Impractical Jokers , his current standup tour ("A Night of Comedy"), and his hilarious podcast, Two Cool Moms . Listen now. The former impractical joker runs through his comedic journey, explaining how a career of trying to embarrass himself and his friends eventually led him to standup. Gatto also touches on becoming a Kentucky Colonel, his new kids book Where's Barry , and his nonprofit organization Gatto's Pups. Of course, the comic also ...
May 15, 2024•27 min•Ep. 932
Il Divo co-founder David Miller joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the band's new album XX , an LP that comes on the heels of Il Divo's 20th anniversary and sees the group coving artist like Whitney Houston, Gnarls Barkley, and Willie Nelson. Listen to the new episode. The tenor talks about going independent after parting ways with Simon Cowell, losing founding member Carlos Marin, and how XX connects to their earliest work. Miller goes on to discuss the vocal tips and tricks he’s acquired over t...
May 13, 2024•41 min•Ep. 931
Grace Cummings joins Kyle Meredith to talk about her new album Ramona , which she made with Jonathan Wilson in the Topanga Canyon. Listen to the new episode above, or wherever you get your podcasts . The Australian songwriter talks about being inspired by Angel Olsen's shift towards country stylings on Big Time , attempting to be more vulnerable with her writing, and how words turn into vehicles for melodies. Cummings also discusses how mythological characters like cowboys, kings, and gods work ...
May 11, 2024•21 min•Ep. 930
Sebastian Bach joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his solo album, Child Within the Man , the rocker's first album in a decade. Listen now. The Skid Row co-founder discusses why it's important to keep working on new music even though he's well into his career. As for the songs on Child Within the Man , he explains how "Hold on to The Dream" pays tribute to Greta Thunberg and the important work she continues to do. Elsewhere, Bach laments the lack of pure fun and jamming in modern rock before going...
May 10, 2024•28 min•Ep. 929
Amber Chardae Robinson chats with Kyle Meredith about Apple TV+’s new series Palm Royale , which follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) as she attempts to break into a snooty Palm Beach clique. Robinson goes deep into the show's late '60s setting, and how her character of color, Virginia, contrasts the well-off, resort-going characters she's frequently at odds with. It's a heavy topic, but one that's made palatable by the comedic stylings of the show. The actress also explains how hard it is to k...
May 08, 2024•19 min•Ep. 928
Prentice Penny joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his Hulu docuseries Black Twitter: A People’s History , which charts the posts, accounts, and memes that made Black Twitter such an influential force in American political and cultural life. Listen now. Penny ( Insecure, Uncorked ) talks about why he felt like he needed to tell the story of Black Twitter and the social movements it created. He also dives into how the sale of the social media platform to Elon Musk factored into the production of th...
May 06, 2024•28 min•Ep. 927
Matt Mathews joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his comedy tour "When That Thang Get Ta' Thang'n" (get tickets here !). The comedian, who originally had no aspirations to perform stand-up, dives into his experience of growing up as a gay kid in Alabama. He talks of hitting puberty the week he was supposed to compete in a singing contest, explains his love for Britney Spears and Joanna Newsom, and explores his growing crowd work skills. Listen to Matt Mathews talk about his "When That Thang Get Ta...
May 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 926
Maya Hawke links back up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Wildcat , her new film that serves both as a biopic about novelist Flannery O’Connor and as an interpretation of the writer's Southern Gothic prose. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The Stranger Things star talks about how reading O’Connor in high school left a lasting impression on her, one that directly led to the creation of Wildcat . Hawke had passed along the writer's prayer journal to her father (Ethan Hawk...
May 03, 2024•22 min•Ep. 925
Spike Feresten joins Kyle Meredith to talk about teaming up with Jerry Seinfeld for Unfrosted , the new Netflix comedy about the earth-shattering invention of the Pop-Tart. Set in the early '60s in the town of Battle Creek, Michigan, Unfrosted is the hilarious saga of Kellogg's and Post, sworn cereal rivals, as they race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever. Listen to the new wherever you get your podcasts . Feresten -- famous for writing Seinfeld episodes like "The ...
May 01, 2024•19 min•Ep. 924
Shinedown ’s Brent Smith joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the continued success of their 2022 album Planet Zero and its single “A Symptom of Being Human,” what to expect from the band's next record, and more. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The frontman discusses why he thinks the band's music continues to resonate years after its initial release, attributing much of it to their raw authenticity. As he tells it, such authenticity is shown not only through hit singles ...
Apr 29, 2024•42 min•Ep. 923
Sarah Dowland joins Kyle Meredith to talk about her documentary, Sue Bird: In the Clutch . The documentarian, who is also behind the legendary visual effects for several Harry Potter and Matrix films, tells us why she wanted to tell the story of the basketball legend leading up to Bird’s retirement, why we look up to athletes, and the great coincidence of this doc coming out during Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking season and massive ratings for women’s basketball playoffs. Dowland also talks abou...
Apr 27, 2024•36 min•Ep. 922
Katie Crutchfield , the creative force behind Waxahatchee , chats with Kyle Meredith about Tigers Blood , her immaculate new record. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The singer-songwriter explains how much of the album was written while on the road touring (get tickets to her upcoming dates here !), as well as how such an environment seeped its way into the music. Crutchfield also dives into the outside influences that made their way into the new batch of songs, from li...
Apr 26, 2024•21 min•Ep. 921
Legendary actor Kevin Bacon and his big brother and film composer Michael Bacon join Kyle Meredith to discuss the new album from their collaborative musical project The Bacon Brothers, Ballad of the Brothers . Listen to the new episode now. The duo talk about their upbringings in Philadelphia and how the setting has shaped their sound. While on the topic of foundational influences, the brothers also mention airport bars, tattoos, and their respective careers. Kevin, in particular, explains how h...
Apr 24, 2024•25 min•Ep. 920
Scoot McNairy joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his new film, Blood for Dust , a gritty crime drama in which he plays a traveling salesman being lured down a dark and dangerous path. Listen wherever you get your podcasts . The Narcos: Mexico actor explains how he approached the everyman character he portrays in Blood for Dust , leaning into the character's inherent desperation and focusing on moments of stillness. Helping McNairy lock into such a role was his scene partner and costar Kit Haringt...
Apr 22, 2024•24 min•Ep. 919
With Pearl Jam ’s Dark Matter now out in the world, we’re pulling a pair of interviews with guitarist Mike McCready out of the vault. Listen to both wherever you get your podcasts . Rewinding to the year 2012, McCready digs into his side projects, from his UFO tribute band Flight to Mars to The Rockfords to his pre-Pearl Jam band Shadow. Then comes the big news (at that time): the announcement that he would be celebrating Mad Season, his one-off band with Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley, with a de...
Apr 20, 2024•46 min•Ep. 918
The English Beat ’s Dave Wakeling drops by Kyle Meredith With… to talk about the Record Store Day reissue of the band's sophomore album Wha'ppen? Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The '80s legend digs into how he still connects to the dire warnings baked into the songs even 40 years after originally singing them, as well as how the progressive themes have aged. While undoubtedly political, he also talks about housing such ideas within danceable, catchy songs. As the two ...
Apr 19, 2024•43 min•Ep. 917
Pearl Jam ’s Stone Gossard catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about working with Andrew Watt, finding inspiration in The Cure, and (of course) the band’s new album, Dark Matter . Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The guitarist explains the joy of reconnecting with producer Andrew Watt, as well as how recording like they did in the earliest days of the group helped Dark Matter come together much quicker than 2022's Gigaton. Gossard also reveals that The Cure and U2 ser...
Apr 17, 2024•30 min•Ep. 916
Beth Ditto joins Kyle Meredith to talk about Gossip ’s reunion album, Real Power . Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . Ditto gets into how the group decided to work with legendary producer Rick Rubin upon their reunion, as well as all of the hijinks that ensued while making the record at Rubin's Hawaiian studio. The singer also chats about how affirming it is to see the movements for queer and trans people they championed early in their career continue to grow. Ditto expla...
Apr 15, 2024•31 min•Ep. 915
Skeet Ulrich joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his role in AMC's Parish , the Giancarlo Esposito-starring series. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . Parish follows a family man in New Orleans (Esposito) in the aftermath of his son's violent killing and the collapse of his business. After reconnecting with an old friend from his days as a wheelman (Ulrich), he's finds himself on a high-stakes collision course with a crime syndicate. Ulrich explores the psyche of his charac...
Apr 13, 2024•19 min•Ep. 914
Maggie Lindemann joins Kyle Meredith to talk about her new EP, HEADSPLIT . Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . The alt-metal singer-songwriter chats about paring down the scale of HEADSPLIT in order to build up to her next big project. Doing so, however, had a sort of freeing effect, allowing her to experiment with both her sound and lyrics. As part of the new process, Lindemann looked to artists both established and up-and-coming. She mentions working with Siiickbrain, re...
Apr 12, 2024•20 min•Ep. 913
Elbow ’s Guy Garvey joins Kyle Meredith to talk about Audio Vertigo , the newest album from the English rock band. Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . Garvey gets into how the band developed a beat-driven mindset for the record, which eventually led them to reinvent how they approached recording. Once in the studio, bands like Talk Talk, R.E.M., and The Beatles served as sources of inspiration. Listen to Elbow’s Guy Garvey talk about Audio Vertigo . The band is also set to...
Apr 10, 2024•25 min•Ep. 912
Martin Amini joins Kyle Meredith to talk about his new special I’m Transcending , as well as the behind-the-scenes special Back in the Gym . Listen to the new episode wherever you get your podcasts . Amini chats about how the age of TikTok has required comedians to come up with new material at breakneck speed. The pace can be exhausting, but it's also brought him a new kind of success. He's explains how he honed his crowdwork techniques, adjusting his stylings, and ultimately adapted to the new ...
Apr 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 911
George McKay and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett join Kyle Meredith to discuss Femme , a revenge thriller about Jules, who as Aphrodite Banks has a place among London’s celebrated drag artists. One night after a show, he steps out to get some cigarettes and is brutally attacked by a man out with a gang of his friends. Although Jules can recover physically, he withdraws from the outside world, traumatized. Months later, he recognizes his attacker by chance in a gay sauna. Without make-up and wrapped only ...
Apr 06, 2024•20 min•Ep. 910
