Talkhouse Podcast

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a pair of old friends who dive right in on some light-hearted topics like death and aging: Amy Millan and Kevin Drew. Both Amy and Kevin are deeply connected to the Canadian indie scene that took shape in the late 1990s around Broken Social Scene. That band was initially Kevin’s baby, but a whole constellation seemed to spring from it, including Metric, Feist, and the band that Amy is most closely associated with, Stars. The impetus for today’s conversation, though, is Millan’s gorgeous new solo album, I Went to Find You. It’s her first in 15 years, and as you’ll hear in this conversation, was inspired by stirred-up feelings about the death of her father when she was just a little kid. Millan created the album with a musician she only met recently, Jay McCarrol, after a chance encounter with him that stirred up some dormant emotions about her childhood. It’s a really beautiful and quietly triumphant record that’s worth some time and attention in your headphones. Check out “Kiss That Summer” right here. Kevin Drew directed that great video for that song, and he’s got bona fides when it comes to writing songs about difficult subjects, too: His latest solo album, Aging, came out in 2023, and you might be able to guess what it’s about from that title. It’s a topic that Kevin and Amy get into here as they get deep and sweet together—they were even a little worried they’d forget they were being recorded since they’re such close friends. They talk about Amy’s record but also, perhaps for the first time on Talkhouse, perimenopause. There’s also memories of Hal Willner, a great name for Amy’s tour that she didn’t end up using, and living in your “who gives a fuck” years. Enjoy. 0:00 – Intro 1:59 – Start of the chat 3:20 – On grief and the death of their parents 12:00 – Amy bringing her dad back on her new record 14:42 – The process of creating 'I Went to Find You' 20:28 – "I had panic attacks on stage when I played solo" 24:02 – On aging and perimenopause 38:01 – On fulfillment and bringing people together Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Amy Millan and Kevin Drew for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform and check out all the great stuff in the Talkhouse Podcast Network. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast’s spin-off series, host Nick Dawson sits down with actors Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, who have been married for 45 years and in the past few years have become one of the internet’s favorite couples thanks to their delightful TikTok channel. To coincide with the premiere this week of the pilot of their episodic series Seasoned at the Tribeca Film Festival, they opened up in their typically ebullient and charming manner about subjects as diverse as their morning routines (and nocturnal movements!), whether or not to delete someone’s contact info if they’ve died, the role a Joni Mitchell lyric played in their most recent disagreement, their son being unfairly overshadowed by Prince William, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got a couple of guys who found huge followings—on the internet and elsewhere—in different ways, but with similar outlooks: Adam Met and Julian Shapiro-Barnum. Met is one-third of the brother band AJR, who’ve found massive pop hits over the past decade with cheeky but sometimes deceptively deep songs like “Bang” and “World’s Smallest Violin.” Perhaps those more into the indie-adjacent world have heard their collaborations with Weezer. But for purposes of this conversation, Met is wearing one of his many other hats, which include Columbia professor, non-profit founder, and as of this week, published author. He just released his first book, AMPLIFY: How to Use the Power of Connection to Engage, Take Action, and Build a Better World, As you may have guessed from the title, it’s about action and advocacy, including in the area of the climate crisis, for which Met is an ardent activist. He casually mentions hanging out with Al Gore here, which may be a Talkhouse first. The book aims to provide strategies for folks who want to do their part, which is a noble cause if you ask me. It features pop-culture names like Ben Folds and Jim Gaffigan, in addition to folks more known in the activism world. It’s out now. The other half of today’s conversation is Met’s pal, comedian and internet personality Julian Shapiro-Barnum. An inquisitive guy by nature, Shapiro-Barnum recorded a series of internet videos over the years that were largely conversations with regular people, and during the pandemic he hit on the idea of chatting with children about how they manage to stay positive when everything seems so crazy. That idea became the very popular series Recess Therapy, which is as charming as it sounds—and, it should be noted, launched the “corn kid” into internet fame. These two jump right into a lively conversation about how music and advocacy can go hand in hand, about Julian’s various shows, including Recess Therapy and Celebrity Substitute, and lots more. Enjoy. Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Julian Shapiro-Barnum and Adam Met for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and visit Talkhouse.com for lots of good stuff. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

Matt Berninger, the iconic songwriter and frontman of The National, joins Alan Sparhawk, renowned for his work with Low, in a heartfelt discussion. They explore their personal journeys through grief, reflecting on how loss has shaped their music. Both artists share insights on the healing power of creativity and the impact of mental health on their songwriting. With humor and honesty, they navigate the complexities of faith, family, and the emotional connections music fosters with audiences, revealing the transformative nature of their craft.

"People are real down on the subway lately but I still like taking it!!" Kareem and Michael continue on the train and talk about Michael's directorial debut, Eric Larue, directing as a way of developing every character in a movie, Kareem and Michael's future buddy comedy where they open an indie Target (and also their buddy drama where they're roommates), male best friend breakup stories as a new genre, Michael's love of R.E.M., doing a cover band, being a loafer, having a fake Chicago accent, Windsor Terrace, how being from the midwest makes you endearing, GoFundMe to pay for a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, not being invited to the Oscars, there are too many screens on the subway, Michael's colonoscopy and other stuff. Host: Kareem Rahma Creators: Kareem Rahma and Andrew Kuo Camera: Maksim Axelrod and Tian Sippel Editor: Tyler Christie Mixer: Dale Eisinger Associate Producer: Ramy Shafi Artwork: Andrew Lawandus Theme Music: Tyler McCauley Subscribe to SubwayTakes. Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify. Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠. Visit ⁠talkhouse.com⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Bluesky⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠Threads⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast’s spin-off series, host Nick Dawson sits down with iconic actress Lili Taylor, who just published her first book, Turning to Birds, a series of thoughtful, beautifully written and deeply human essays about her consuming passion for birdwatching. In an engrossing conversation, the two discuss how recovery and birding intersect, her love of naps, how nature has shifted her relationship to death, Nick getting barked at by a coyote in the Bronx, braving the acting version of the bends after finishing a role, her amazing way of releasing resentment, facing the unknown, how she’s finding resilience and playing the long game as this country plunges into crisis, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

On this week's Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got two old friends who’ve contributed more than their fair share to the emo world and beyond and lived to tell the tale: Evan Weiss and Chris Carrabba. Carrabba is of course the main creative force behind Dashboard Confessional, whose early albums—specifically The Swiss Army Romance and The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most—basically invented the genre’s confessional acoustic-based era. He could’ve made those records a dozen times over the past 20 years, but instead Carrabba filled out Dashboard’s sound over the years, stretching out where the muse took him. Now an elder statesman, Carrabba returned to that simpler sound but brought years of wisdom with him for 2022’s All the Truth That I Can Tell, which he talks about in this great chat. Dashboard will head out on a long summer tour with Goo Goo Dolls starting July 13, but not before playing a show with Weiss’s band in Vegas the day before. Weiss’s band would be Pet Symmetry, a trio he’s been part of for the past decade or so, and which just released an excellent new album: Big Symmetry is a big, loveable, tuneful set of songs that all start with the word “big.” It’s a joyful blast of pop-punk that feels like a deliberate antidote to tough times. It may also be a bit of a reaction to what fans would consider Weiss’s main band, Into It. Over It., which flies that emo flag a bit higher. But whatever, those tags are pretty silly when we ought to be talking about songs. Speaking of, check out the song “Big Wish” from the album Big Symmetry right here. In this wide-ranging chat, Carrabba and Weiss talk about the holiness of punk community, the accidental origins of Dashboard Confessional plus that band’s long hiatus and rebirth, and how the financial collapse of 2008 had opposite effects on their careers. It’s true! Enjoy. 0:00 – Intro 2:21 – Start of the chat 4:45 – On psychedelics 6:34 – Best venue to play a gig (and watch a gig) 13:27 – Were you ever over your head with Dashboard Confessional? 19:00 – Three pieces of advice for younger bands 25:50 – How has Dashboard Confessional evolved? 34:30 – The '08-'09 music era 39:59 – Does increased music access lower fan excitement? 41:25 – One more piece of advice: Take control 46:33 – One more (last) piece of advice: Honor the people who helped you 50:20 – Carrabba on his superpower Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Chris Carrabba and Evan Weiss for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the other great podcasts in our network. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠. Visit ⁠talkhouse.com⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Bluesky⁠, ⁠Twitter (X)⁠, ⁠Threads⁠, and ⁠Facebook⁠.

On the latest episode of this new Talkhouse Podcast spin-off series, host Nick Dawson sits down with visionary writer-director Michel Gondry, whose delightful new film, Maya, Give Me a Title – a hand-drawn 60-minute feature he originally made just for his young daughter – is currently on the festival circuit. In a wide-ranging conversation, the two talk about childhood, him learning a sense of play from cats, the pivotal moment when he decided to work only on his own terms, taking David Lynch’s advice for his 2015 movie Microbe and Gasoline, watching that same movie alone a plane, why people’s fixation on the Bermuda Triangle is nonsense, and much more. For more filmmakers talking film and TV, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com/film. Subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network. Visit talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter (X), Threads, and Facebook.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got a lively chat between Philly friends Kurt Vile and Francie Medosch. Medosch is the singer and main creative force behind the band Florry, which exists in the same sonic universe as Courtney Barnett and the currently exploding MJ Lenderman—loose, rocking, a little bit jammy, a little bit indie, and frequently catchy as hell. The Lenderman connection makes even more sense when you realize that the upcoming Florry album was recorded with help from Colin Miller, who plays in Lenderman’s band and has recorded music from the band Wednesday. That upcoming Florry album is called Sounds Like… and it’s due out May 23 on Dear Life Records. It’s a corker, kinda rambly and rockin’ in all the right ways. You can pre-save and pre-order at all the usual spots. Check out the song “Hey Baby” right here. The other half of today’s chat is a longtime supporter of Florry’s, fellow Philadelphian Kurt Vile. Vile first came out swinging as part of the War on Drugs way back when, but pretty quickly established himself as a genius of hazy, dazed guitar songs pitched somewhere between the ‘70s squall of Neil Young and more contemporary indie-rock. As you’ll hear in this chat, Vile is working—at his own pace, of course—on the follow-up to 2022’s Watch My Moves. Whenever it’s finished, it’s sure to be intriguing, like all of his work. In this chat, Vile and Medosch talk about their shared hometown as well as the fact that Medosch recently moved to Vermont and is working in both a dispensary and a record store—kind of a perfect combo to describe her music, come to think of it. They also chat about a lot of stuff that they love, including John Prine, the recently departed Michael Hurley, and the deeply lovable Bob Odenkirk, who Vile was very excited to meet recently. Enjoy. Chapters: 0:00 – Intro 2:07 – Start of the chat 3:00 – On Jobs 5:30 – Writing songs in your head while you're working 6:58 – On Florry's new album, Sounds Like… 13:04 – "I hate headphones" 15:59 – On Kurt Vile's brother, Jelloman, stealing Kurt's van 18:02 – The six degrees of MJ Lenderman 23:25 – On Michael Hurley 28:38 – On John Fahey 30:10 – On Philly 33:50 – On Bob Odenkirk 40:05 – What's new with Kurt Vile Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Kurt Vile and Francie Medosch for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and while you’re at it check out all the great podcasts in our ever-growing network, including Subway Takes, Life of the Record, and many more. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network. Visit talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter (X), Threads, and Facebook.

A bonus interview by How Long Gone's Chris Black and Jason Stewart with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). Watch the companion video version on YouTube.Subscribe to How Long Gone.Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network.Visit talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more.Follow @talkhouse on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter (X), Threads, and Facebook.