

What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys
Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artists (and the hosts) than you ever asked for. Currently exploring the discography of Arctic Monkeys. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, and R.E.M.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 48min
Suck It and See (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Back to the Future, safety advice, Nuggets, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their fourth album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!How will we feel after we sucked and saw? How much quiff is there? Is swearing cool? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday October 13th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 49min
Suck It and See (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Lucky Number Slevin, lyrical simplicity, Record Store Day, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by diving into the band's fourth studio album.They discuss the writing and recording of the record, explore the overall themes and sound, and begin their track-by-track analysis, exploring the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also find time to remember their own reactions to the album when it was released, discuss the artwork (or lack thereof), and look at Alex Turner's new approach to lyrics.Do you wanna rock and roll? Do you wanna rock and roll? Do you wanna rock and roll? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday October 6th, and will continue the deep-dive into Suck It and See!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 22, 2025 • 1h 39min
Submarine
The Big Mates discuss utilisation, Facebook, soundchecks, and Submarine by Alex Turner. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by briefly stepping outside of it in order to examine the only solo release from Alex Turner - the soundtrack to Submarine.They discuss how the project came together, the writing and recording of the EP, and they explore the overall themes and sound, taking in the compositions, tones, lyrics, meaning, and context - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also look at how the film project came together, how the music was influenced by the story and images, and how it goes on to influence the music made by Arctic Monkeys.Is this another departure? What influenced the sound of the music? Is there a submarine in the film? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday September 29th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 15, 2025 • 60min
Recording Humbug with Alain Johannes
Adam sits down with Alain Johannes to discuss the recording of Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Alain was the engineer working with the band, Josh Homme, and James Ford during the sessions for Humbug and in this episode he reveals the work that went into those sessions. Adam and Alain talk about the creative process, catching ideas, the role of engineering in music, the production of Humbug, and how the album took shape. They touch on the sessions at Rancho De La Luna and in New York, with Josh Homme and James Ford, and talk about how the album was received at the time. They also find time to talk about Drink the Sea, his new project that also features Peter Buck!Our next episode is out next week, Monday September 22nd!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 28min
Arctic Monkeys Live at Liquid Room, Tokyo 2009 Commentary
The Big Mates provide wayward and explosionary audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Liquid Room, Tokyo 2009.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2009 concert and talk about the Humbug tour in general!Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQqNc8u1vuE&tOr don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday September 15th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 1, 2025 • 1h 20min
Humbug (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss third albums, dinosaurs, jingles, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their third album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!What do we think of the album? What makes a song memorable? What came first, the chicken or the dickhead? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday September 8th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 48min
Humbug (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss engineering, confectionery, ego mechanics, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and their track-by-track analysis of their third album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!What is "crying lightning"? Who is the icky man? What’s wrong with ice cream men? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday August 25th, and will continue the deep-dive into Humbug!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 35min
Humbug (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss adventures, break ups, expectations, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by diving into the band's divisive, murky, and spooky third album.They discuss the writing and recording of the album, explore the overall themes and sound, and (barely) begin their track-by-track analysis, exploring the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also find time to remember their own reactions to the album when it was released, the public perception of the change in sound, and try to figure out which genre of rock is most appropriate to describe the vibe. What kind of questions should art pose? Does Jamie have a beard? Are the Tings Tings Lucas’ quicksand? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday August 25th, and will continue the deep-dive into Humbug!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 46min
The Age of the Understatement
The Big Mates discuss Burt Bacharach, The Zombies, David Bowie, Scott Walker, Belle & Sebastian, Serge Gainsbourg, The Electric Prunes, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Astrud Gilberto, Mel Torme, The Sonics, and The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by briefly stepping outside of it in order to examine the debut album of a side project Alex Turner formed with Miles Kane.They discuss how the project came together, the writing and recording of the album, and they explore the overall themes and sound, taking in the compositions, tones, lyrics, meaning, and context - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!They also look at how the side project was informed by, and goes on to influence the music made by Arctic Monkeys.How different is this album to Turner's previous work? How tongue in cheek is it? How many strings does a bass guitar have? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out next week, Monday August 18th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 29min
Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo Commentary
The Big Mates provide exciting and vital audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2007 concert as released on DVD in 2008 and talk about the Favourite Worst Nightmare tour in general!Grab those official DVDs to watch along!Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday August 11th and will see us explore The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!Support our show when starting your own podcast!By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379Check out our merch!https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comDonate to our podcast!https://ko-fi.com/whatismusichttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show