Talkhouse Podcast

FORM is a festival unlike any other. It takes place in the “eco-city” of Arcosanti, an architectural marvel in the middle of the Arizona desert. Attendance is limited to 2,000, but they still bring in massive headliners like Florence + The Machine and Anderson .Paak. Fans get to see their favorite stadium artists in an incredibly beautiful and intimate space — and discover their next five favorite bands, all in the same day. There’s no VIP section, but there is a cliffside pool with DJs, rooftop yoga, and immersive listening stations. I'd been hearing rave reviews for years from musicians who'd played the fest, so this spring Talkhouse Podcast producer Mark Yoshizumi and I headed out to FORM to get our glamping on, and record some amazing artists in convo. As an added dimension, we also paired them in musical collaboration. Pulp Arts and Patreon teamed up to co-present The Conservatory, a backstage visual arts installation and recording studio. Talkhouse recorded six episodes there throughout the weekend, so subscribe to make sure to catch upcoming shows, including: — Snail Mail, Fred Armisen & Mary Lynn Rajskub — Kelsey Lu & Yrsa Daley-Ward — Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore — American Football & Pelican — L'Rain & Melanie Faye Our first episode from the fest features jazz and hip hop legend Robert Glasper with a giant of African music, Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré. The two were excited to meet and chop it up, and immediately found a lot of common ground. They get into a lot, including: the role their musician parents played in their own artistic development; the difficulties of being a professional musician in Mali; Vieux’s fear of playing jazz; and the inspiration Vieux drops that Robert wants tattooed on his… well, check it out.After the talk, keep it locked for a trio of breathtaking improvisations between Vieux on guitar and Robert on keys, accompanied by Vieux’s rhythm section of bassist Marshall Henry and drummer Tim Kiper. The uniquely brilliant singer, songwriter, and sculptor Lonnie Holley, who’d stopped in to watch the session after his own incredible set at the fest, also jumped in to sing on a jam. Sinat Giwa, Events Director at OkayPlayer, OkayAfrica, and OkaySpace, joins me to intro this first episode from FORM. You can also enjoy today's show as a video via Talkhouse.com —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. It was recorded at FORM Festival in Arcosanti, Arizona, and at Hook and Fade Studios in Brooklyn. Research assistance provided by Madalyn Feltus. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range.

On the latest episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, two good friends, actor-writer-director Lake Bell and singer Santigold, sit down for a long-awaited chat together. The pair are both very busy performers – Bell is hard at work on the second season of her new show Bless This Mess and can be heard in the new animated feature The Secret Life of Pets 2, and Santi recently dropped I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions and just came back from a U.S. tour – but are also highly involved mothers, and a large focus of their talk is on the challenges of balancing family life with creative work. They discuss how you can’t in fact do it all or have it all, how the making art changes after you have kids, how filmmaking and parenting are (kind of) the same thing, plus Santi’s social media struggles, where the roots of Lake’s comedy lie, what Lake is doing to address the current political situation, Santi’s move into directing, and much, much more. For more filmmakers musicians in conversation, visit Talkhouse at talkhouse.com and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

I'm a father. It's awesome. The best! Seriously. And also simultaneously exhausting and sleepless. And complicated. But eminently worth it! This week, we here at Talkhouse salute the dads, and father figures, of music and cinema. Our Father's Day episode pairs two creative father-and-son duos; one pair defining the sound of hip hop, the others prolific film multi-hyphenates. — Segment one: Prince Paul & DJ PForReal aka Paul Huston Sr. and Jr. The legendary hip-hop producer Prince Paul — known for his pioneering work with Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gravediggaz, BROOKZILL! and more — raised his son, DJ PForReal, in the music game. Paul Jr, DJ for rap star Lil Uzi Vert, joined his dad for today's show to discuss pushing one’s comfort zone, never taking the straight path, faking it till you make it, and what it's like when your first ever DJ gig is opening up for Wu-Tang’s GZA. — Segment two: Larry Fessenden and Jack Fessenden The great horror director, producer and actor Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Habit) also brought his kid up in his chosen craft. Jack Fessenden, who's still a teenager (!), has already directed one feature, Stray Bullets, and is in pre-production for his next. The two sat down to chop it up on the highs and lows of coming up in a cinematic family, why Larry likes to mentor young people, and the reason Jack hasn’t seen many of his dad’s films.Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. DJ PForReal was recorded in Atlanta by Luther Banks at Patchwerk Studios. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range.

To celebrate the release of A$AP Ferg's new joint "Pups," which features fellow Mob member A$AP Rocky, we're re-sharing the Hood Pope's rad 2017 Talkhouse convo with culinary icon — and, as we learn, former rap producer — Andrew Carmellini. Check it out. On Talkhouse's premiere food culture episode (part of its new Talkhouse x Food Republic series), New York City chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini meets Harlem rapper A$AP Ferg at the flagship Sonos store in NYC. In their conversation, they discuss the challenges of their respective crafts, their role as leaders, branding, cooking and more. Check out these two New York cultural titans chopping it up, and subscribe now on iTunes or Stitcher to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.

Stephin Merritt is one of the most brilliant songwriters of our time. Through his projects The Magnetic Fields, The Gothic Archies, Future Bible Heroes, and The 6ths, he’s deconstructed and reimagined the art of the song. Stephin’s lyrics are wonderfully dark and witty, often gender-bending, sometimes intellectual, occasionally utterly heartbreaking. His melodies are addictive enough to be illegal under drug-dealing laws. Stephin is able to make listeners laugh, cry, and think, all in the same song. This year marks the 20th anniversary of 69 Love Songs, widely considered the crown jewel of Stephin Merritt's vast catalog. A three CD (now also a six 10” vinyl) box set, the album is a meta conceit: a record not only full of love songs, but also about love songs themselves. Running 172 minutes and 35 seconds, the songs stylistically jump between indie rock, synth-pop, country, faux punk and jazz, Sondheim-esque showtunes, folk, a capella, '70s singer-songwriter, world music and much more. For today’s show, Stephin sat down with Daniel Handler — aka, A Series Of Unfortunate Events author Lemony Snicket — who played accordion on 69 Love Songs as well as interviewed Stephin for the liner notes. The old friends and collaborators chop it up on the triumphs and occasional difficulties of 69 Love Songs’ improbable existence — the arduous recording, uncharted release campaign, surprising live shows, initial reaction and beloved legacy. Their deep dive talk also takes in: Daniel’s theory that 69 LS has become a children’s album; “tweecore” beefs with Belle and Sebastian and Stereolab; the record release show that found Stephin trapped above the stage; the best music to get busy to; whispering hecklers; and why 69 Love Songs should’ve been sold in sex shops. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. It was recorded at Hook and Fade Studios in Brooklyn. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range.

This week on the Talkhouse Podcast, we’re celebrating artists who take music in unexpected and brilliant new directions. Tuesday’s show saw Tierra Whack and Nnamdi Ogbonnaya in conversation; today, we bring you a fantastic deep dive between Avey Tare of Animal Collective and Ishmael “Ish” Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro in Shabazz Palaces, fka Butterfly of Digable Planets. Ish and Avey are massive fans of each other’s work — Animal Collective and Shabazz Palaces have even remixed tracks for each other. This convo takes in a lot: how seeing Animal Collective play live got Ish back into making his own records when he thought he was done with music; what artists they’re both vibing on rn; Ish’s goal to "elasticize minds" with his live shows; and the “secret sauce” that goes into writing Animal Collective and Shabazz Palaces songs. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. Ish was recorded by Dan Arnes at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Avey was recorded by Adam McDaniel at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, NC. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range.

Duuudes! Those of you who follow us on Insta may know that Mark The Producer and I just got back from our first festival of 2019. As we glamped and recorded some of the best musicians in the world in convo for upcoming Talkhouse episodes, it occurred to me that full-on festival season is almost upon us. That means, of course, that this summer, Talkhouse will be returning to Pitchfork Music Festival for our fifth straight year of recording backstage talks with many of the brilliant artists rocking Union Park. We're so psyched for this year's lineup; get your tix now to catch Belle and Sebastian (playing Sinister in it's entirety!), Pusha T, Haim, Robyn, Earl Sweatshirt, Khruangbin and more. In anticipation, we wanted to share with you a special bonus episode this week. So, here's a fantastic conversation that happened spontaneously at last year's fest; it was too short to be released as a regular episode, but was too good not to share. Tierra Whack and Nnamdi Ogbonnaya both have sounds and visual aesthetics all their own. When the two met in our trailer studio, they connected immediately, cracking us all the f up in the process. Their hilarious and insightful chat takes in quite a bit in its brief runtime: their production techniques and studio vibes; fave bands and movies of all time (some very surprising answers here); wtf happened to those balloons from the Whackworld video; and some pretty great impressions of Oprah and Leonardo DiCaprio. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range. Big thx to the fantastic Pitchfork Music Festival for hosting the Talkhouse Podcast. PMF 2019 takes place in Chicago from July 19-21st, 2019. SEE YOU IN THE PIT, er PARK!

For today’s episode of the Talkhouse Podcast, we sat down backstage at Desert Daze with Grasshopper of Mercury Rev and A Place To Bury Strangers’s Lia Braswell. The two are big fans of each others’ live sets, and were psyched to meet and chop it up. Their conversation takes in a lot: artistic community, DIY culture, the years of work it takes to succeed, and the restorative power of seeing live music. Oh, and we learn how Lia learned to appreciate the feedback. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. You can also now follow us on Spotify! —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. It was recorded at by Keenan Kush at Desert Daze, and at Hook and Fade Studios in Brooklyn by Mark The Producer. Additional recording by Josh Modell. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range. Big thx for the fantastic Desert Daze for hosting the Talkhouse Podcast. Desert Daze 2019 takes place at Moreno Beach from October 10-13, 2019. The first two announced artists are Animal Collective and Stereolab. Find tix and info at https://desertdaze.org/

This week, we here at Talkhouse celebrate two monumental things: first off, this is the Talkhouse Podcast's 250th episode (holy shit, how did that happen?!?!? Thank you, listeners!) The second thing we're celebrating officially this week, and unofficially every other day of the year: mothers and maternal figures! For today’s show, we took a deep dive through the past five years of the podcast to share some of our favorite clips of artists discussing the myriad experiences that comprise motherhood. So buckle up for:— Christina Choe and Andrew Ahn on Christina's mom's star turn as an actress. — Tori Amos and Shirley Manson (Garbage) on the sacrifices and uncertainties of motherhood, and the continuing inspiration Tori receives from her own mother. — Fred Armisen and Alix Lambert on the crazy, sad true story of Fred’s stepmother's time in East Berlin. — Ben Lee and Jon Cryer on how Ben's mum helped him make a really important career decision when he was a teenager. — Tracy Droz Tragos and Martha Shane on how Tracy's maternal instincts guided her experiences on and off screen while making Rich Hill. — Julia Pott’s mum reviewing Get Out — on Julia's answering machine. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast.—Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi.The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range.

“All night, I been drinking all night, I been drinking all night, I been drinking, ay ay” sang Knox Fortune on the hook of Chance The Rapper’s mega-hit single "All Night." For this podcast, Knox and his old buddy comedian Brandon Wardell (Yeah But Still) switched it up and did a little day drinking. The guys sat down late last year to chop it up on the Talkhouse Podcast backstage at Life Is Beautiful Music and Art Festival in Las Vegas, where they’d both performed. Their truly freewheeling convo takes in a lot: which pop stars have the best and worst fans; thoughts on Trippie Redd and Juice WRLD; Banksy’s true identity; the drug that fueled both Home Alone and Aladdin; The Beatles vs. Emo Rap; and loads more. Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast. You can also now follow us on Spotify! —Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer Today’s episode was co-produced by Mark Yoshizumi. It was recorded at National Southwestern Recording in Las Vegas and at Hook and Fade Studios in Brooklyn by Mark The Producer. Additional recording by Josh Modell. The Talkhouse Podcast’s theme song was composed and performed by The Range. Thanks to Life Is Beautiful and Ronald Corso at National Southwestern Recording. This year’s Life Is Beautiful happens Sept 20-22, and the lineup is, as usual, incredible, featuring Chance The Rapper, Billie Eilish, The Black Keys, Desus and Mero, Pod Save America, and so many more. Tix can be purchased here.