The young San Diego singer-songwriter Jelani Aryeh caught my attention with his awesome tune "Stella Brown" a couple years back, and I really enjoyed his debut full-length, I've Got Some Living To Do, from 2021. But I especially loved the brief interview I got to do with Jelani last year for XMU, and was left with so many more questions for him about these early days in his career as an artist. So here we are, at an episode of the LSQ podcast where Jelani and I dig in further, to talk about influences such as Toro Y Moi, Childish Gambino and The Doors, as well as where his next album is headed. He's currently in the studio, and plans to tour again in the fall and winter.  Transcript at jennylsq.com

One of my favorite insights from Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch in episode #75: “Maybe 1994 or 1995, a switch came on, and I started writing better songs. There's no doubt about that. I remember writing a song called ‘Dog on Wheels’ at the start of 1995, and then quickly after that, I wrote a song called ‘The State I Am In,’ a song called ‘Lord Anthony,’ ‘Sleep The Clock Around,' and it suddenly started flowing. There was a moment when I been in my favorite cafe, which I practically lived in — the Grosvenor Cafe — and I started getting the idea for ‘The State I Am In.’  I had a little tune and I took it outside because it was too noisy in the cafe, and the words started to flow. It started coming easily, riding on top of the tune. And I didn't have to ponder the words. And actually I kind of didn't know where the ideas were coming from, I didn’t know what I was saying — it all tumbled out.”  Belle & Sebastian's awesome new album, A Bit Of Previous, is out now. Their upcoming tour dates are below, and you can buy tickets HERE.  May-24: Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville, NC May-25: TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN May-26: The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL May-27: Palace Theatre, Minneapolis, MN  May-28: The Admiral, Omaha, NE  May-31: Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA Jun-1: Roseland Theater, Portland, OR Jun-3: Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA Jun-4: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA Jun-5: Pappy and Harriet’s, Pioneertown, CA Jun-7: The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ Jun-8: The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM Jun-10: The Criterion, Oklahoma City, OK Jun-11: Stubb’s Waller Creek, Austin, TX Jun-13: Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN Jun-14: Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC Jun-15: Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA Jun-16: SummerStage, Central Park, NY  Jun-17: Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA Jun-18: Roadrunner, Boston, MA Jul-1: Spain, Barcelona, Vida Festival Jul-2: Spain, Madrid, Noches del Botanico, Jul-15 Bristol, UK Lloyds Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside Jul-16 Stirling, UK Cardross Estate, Doune The Rabbit Hole Nov-13 Cardiff, UK Great Hall - Student's Union Nov-14 London, UK The Roundhouse Nov-15 London, UK The Roundhouse Nov -17 Sheffield, UK O2 Academy Sheffield Nov-18 Liverpool, UK Olympia Nov -19 Hull, UK Asylum, Hull University Union Nov-21 Aberdeen, UK Beach Ballroom Nov-23 Edinburgh, UK Usher Hall Nov-24 Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK O2 City Hall, Newcastle Nov-25 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy Nov-27 Cambridge, UK Corn Exchange Nov-28 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy Birmingham Nov-29 Southampton, UK O2 Guildhall Southampton Nov-30 Brighton, UK Brighton Dome

“I remember meeting [guitarist] Nick [Kivlen] outside a bar that we couldn't get into because we were probably 17,” says Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming, reflecting on the New York City indie rock trio’s early days. “He said, ‘I’m starting a band called Sunflower Bean, and I had this gut feeling, like, ‘Oh sh*t, I’m gonna join that band, aren’t I? And it became my life.” In a conversation recorded during the lead-up to Sunflower Bean’s excellent new album Headful of Sugar (out May 6), Cumming talks about important musical moments from her childhood — four years old, wanting to play in “The Beatles 2”; harmonizing with her dad to the car radio; making a shrine in her bedroom to The Beach Boys’ Smile — and how they shaped her as an artist. She also discusses her first band, Supercute!, how Sunflower Bean has evolved since their 2016 debut album, and why Headful of Sugar is her proudest accomplishment yet.

“Fill in the blanks” - that’s how Grammy-nominated hip-hop, jazz and R&B artist, musician and producer Terrace Martin describes the special sauce he brings to any collaboration. What he means is that he is ready, willing and able to offer whatever tools from his well-equipped creative shed the situation calls for. Whether that’s playing saxophone (which he does at a master level) or putting together players or producing beats or writing melodies, Martin explains that he just wants to work in service to the music and he can truly do whatever the situation calls for. He also talks about how he first found his own creative spark while watching his uncle DJ, and how that taught him to keep audiences completely engrossed in the music. Martin also shares insight into his creative process, and how he approached collaborations with Leon Bridges and Kendrick Lamar, as well as telling the awesome story of how he became his hero Snoop Dogg’s go-to producer. Martin’s new album, Drones, came out in November and his 2020 album Dinner Party: Dessert (with fellow LSQ guest Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington & 9th Wonder) is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album at the upcoming 64th annual Grammy Awards.

It did honestly feel like one of those Wayne’s World "I’m-not-worthy" moments when I first got on the Zoom with the legendary Steven Van Zandt for the interview in episode 73 of the LSQ podcast. Was truly was an honor and pleasure to get to ask him about his creative ideas and process. Last fall, the musician, songwriter, producer, activist, DJ/radio maven, actor, and more, added "author" to his bona fides when he published his fascinating memoir, Unrequited Infatuations. You should read it. Order a *signed!* copy HERE. Anyway, in the book, he shares not just the incredible story of his life and careers, but also candid insight into what it takes to achieve mastery in music. He elaborates on some of that in episode 73, and we also get to hear about his early days with Bruce, how the E Street Band’s commercial ascent felt from his perspective, his views on the evolution of rock as an art form, how he tried to “turn the Sopranos into a rock band,” what new rock music excites him, and more. 

The brilliant, genre-morphing jazz, hip-hop and R&B artist (and 4x Grammy winner) Robert Glasper reflects on important early moments in his creative evolution: developing his skills at performing arts school in Houston alongside fellow talents like Beyonce and songwriter/producer Bryan-Michael Cox, honing his craft with encouragement from modern greats like Roy Hargrove and Christian McBride during his years studying at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York, collaborating with his college classmate Bilal as his music director, and getting involved with the late 90s Neo Soul scene led by artists such as The Roots and Erykah Badu.  Glasper also talks about his creative process, and how he approaches the collaborations in his phenomenal Black Radio album series, which began with the Grammy-winning Black Radio in 2012. (That LP became the first album ever to debut in the top 10 on four different genre charts simultaneously — a feat repeated by Black Radio 2 the following year.) On February 25th, Glasper will release the highly anticipated Black Radio 3, which features appearances by his frequent collaborator Terrace Martin, Q-Tip, Esperanza Spalding, H.E.R., BJ The Chicago Kid, Common, India.Arie, Ant Clemons, and more. He is also nominated for two 2022 Grammys, for Best Progressive R&B album (for his Dinner Party collaboration with Martin, Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder) and Best Traditional R&B Performance (for “Born Again” with Leon Bridges.)

Fontaines D.C.’s leader, Grian Chatten, joins LSQ to talk about the Irish post-punk band’s newly announced third studio album, Skinty Fia, which is f*cking excellent, btw. (It’s not out until April, but I was lucky enough to hear an advance, in preparation for the interview.) Of course we also delve into his formative creative experiences — from setting up a makeshift drum kit with boxes and pots and pans to recreate a drum fill in Bad Religion’s “American Jesus” (“There was something so symmetrical about it — it reminded me of a dolphin jumping out of the water and creating an arc in the air…”) to memorizing poems in exchange for football cards (an inspired parenting idea from his dad), to playing in a group that actually won their local battle of the bands, to realizing during early gigs as a frontman that he felt an uncanny sense of calm while performing. Skinty Fia comes out April 22nd via Partisan Records and you can pre-save or pre-order it HERE.

Have you heard the song “Chaise Longue” by U.K. duo Wet Leg? Are you as obsessed with it — and with them — as I am? Great! In episode 70, get to know Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, who talk about how they overcame their own shyness to become fearless leaders of one of the most exciting young punk bands in years. (Their self-titled debut album comes out April 8 via Domino.) Episode 70 also features an on-the-road catch-up with LSQ alumni Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby, during their co-headlining “Fall Mixer” tour. Hear them talk about what they view as each other’s strengths as a performer, and share news about the music they’re working on currently.

Courtney Barnett, on the unpredictability of inspiration: “Sometimes I just sit down on the couch, and I’m watching TV, and a whole idea will come to me in one. I never know what’s gonna happen, and that keeps it really exciting. It’s sometimes very frustrating, when I feel like I don’t know the answer, and I feel like I’ll never be able to write another song again. And then a week later, I just accidentally write a song I love. There’s inspiration in everything, that’s the most important lesson I’ve ever learned. You can’t just sit down at a desk and bang your head against a wall for six hours and assume some grand idea will come, because the greatest ideas do come when you’re getting a blood test at the local medical center, and you’re sitting in the waiting room reading a magazine — that’s when the best ideas come.” We talk about the poetry of Hendrix’s lyrics, covering Foo Fighters at a high school talent show, the Australian singer-songwriter's awesome new album, Things Take Time, Take Time, and more, in episode 69 of the LSQ podcast. Courtney is on tour extensively during the coming months. Get tickets here.

The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel remembers feeling the electricity through the floor and the house shaking, the very first time he played an electric guitar. It was at his friend Jeff’s house, on a rig he admits he's been chasing ever since, and it ignited an obsession whose evolution he discusses in episode 68 of the LSQ podcast. We talk about Nirvana and Bob Dylan and songwriting and being a perfectionist in the studio, and his band’s brilliant new album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore. (There’s a fascinating story about an epic mixing session he and producer Shawn Everett undertook in the album’s eleventh hour; he describes it as one of the best creative experiences of his life.) The War On Drugs tour extensively next year. Get tickets here.