LSQ

“The biggest artistic change for me in the last ten years is that I finally view my inconsistencies not as my Achilles’ heel, but as my superpower," says Alex Ebert. "I can score a movie, I can work on political stuff, I can write, I can do all these things, I can be happy, I can be sad, I can be a punk, I can be a hippie, because to quote Walt Whitman, I do contain multitudes. And so do you. I th...

Hannah Hooper went through a lot in the months leading up to making Grouplove's new LP, Healer: emergency brain surgery, the death of a close friend, recording an album down the road from one of the most notorious U.S./Mexico border detention camps, and the cathartic experience of painting her first solo exhibition. We delve into all of it in episode 42, as well as discussing her evolving songwrit...

Episode 41 traces the creative journey of Cursive and The Good Life’s Tim Kasher, who helped his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska build its own cottage record industry, in partnership with bands such as Bright Eyes and The Faint. The conversation also finds Kasher reflecting on the ebbs and flows of songwriting, his relationship with his singing voice, his screenwriting hobby, and more. Plus, some impo...

Natasha Khan, the U.K.-born artist who records under the moniker Bat for Lashes, talks about major musical moments in her life (the Michael Jackson concert her mom took her to, the feeling of laying on her patio in a green mohair sweater, dreaming of Kurt Cobain, her earliest attempts at making her own art, etc.) and how they have shaped her creative approach. She also explains how she came to the...

Hop Along's Frances Quinlan, on her creative evolution and her new solo album, Likewise. Plus, an excerpt from a 2011 chat with Lana Del Rey.

An in-depth interview with singer-songwriter Hamilton Leithauser (erstwhile frontman for The Walkmen), where he shares the first details about his upcoming new solo album. He also discusses early influences (Springsteen, The Cramps, soundtracks to Fred Astaire films), his initial songwriting endeavors (using the mathematical side of composition to sketch out his ideas) and why he chose to build a...

“The problem with good vs evil: Evil has a better publicist,” says Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, describing the difficulty of cutting through digital noise in an algorithm-driven world. It’s part of a fascinating interview that touches on early creative influences (Morricone’s The Mission soundtrack , trips to Rod Stewart concerts with his mom), the pros and cons of leading a band with more th...

Caroline Polachek, known for her work in Chairlift, discusses her intoxicating new solo LP and key moments in her creative journey: from learning the basics of music transposition playing Disney songs on a keyboard her dad brought home, to her teenage nu-metal band, to the ladies’ choir where she performed a cappella versions of Enya and Brandy & Monica tunes. Plus, a 2001 interview with Stone Tem...

Singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart talks about his earliest creative experiences, growing up in Venezuela and Southern California, falling in love with music by artists as varied as Caetano Veloso, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Radiohead and Modest Mouse. Plus, an interview with David Cross about his tastes in music and comedy, and a fascinating discussion of the writing process he uses to put together h...

Indie rock legend Stephen Malkmus chats with LSQ about early influences (Devo, Sex Pistols, Stones), how his songwriting has changed since the Pavement days, and what he thinks of modern artists like Vampire Weekend and Frank Ocean. Plus, highlights from a 2018 interview with Angel Olsen, on the eve of her new album, All Mirrors.

Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace reflects on the music that inspired her as a kid, how her songwriting practice has evolved, and what she's learned from twenty years on tour. She also discusses her excellent debut solo album, Bought To Rot, and addresses whether Against Me! is likely to make another album.

On the eve of releasing a fantastic new album, Engines of Paradise, Adam Green (formerly of The Moldy Peaches) joins Jenny for a lively dissection of his creative process and the influences that have shaped his art. We also discuss his quest to figure out what cologne David Bowie wore. Plus! Royal Trux legend Jennifer Herrema talks about getting the band back together, and how she found her way to...

A wide-ranging conversation with Interpol’s Paul Banks about his childhood musical influences (Nirvana, Bruce, the song “Tears of a Clown,” and more), his passion for surfing, and how songwriting can feel like an archaeological dig. Also, actor and documentary filmmaker Colin Hanks talks about how early experiences hearing Bowie on the radio or seeing hair metal give way to alt-rock on MTV shaped...

A fascinating deep-dive with The Drums' Jonny Pierce about how his songwriting journey was shaped by his strict religious upbringing (including being subjected to conversion therapy by his parents), and how he's learning to let go of the idea that he needs to be sad to be creative. Plus, from the archive, a backstage interview with The Raconteurs' Jack White and Brendan Benson, recorded at Lollapa...

As the legendary indie label Merge Records prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary in Chapel Hill, its founders — Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance — join LSQ to talk about the evolution of the imprint, and their separate experiences growing up as punk rock kids in the Eighties. Plus, Helium/Wild Flag/Ex Hex’s Mary Timony explores the influences that forged her current approach to s...

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds discusses his creative journey, examining influences ranging from Harry Nilsson and ska music to spiritual crisis and self-acceptance. And actor-activist Busy Philipps chats with Jenny about various musical obsessions, from Tori Amos to Father John Misty.

Singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas, who releases his intensely captivating music under the name Perfume Genius, talks about early creative influences including the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack, Liz Phair’s Whip Smart, a babysitter with a small role in the Twin Peaks tv series, and more. Plus, an excerpt from a 2003 interview with the brilliant Chan Marshall of Cat Power, on the subject of motherhood...

Singer-songwriter Kevin Morby discusses some of the defining influences on his music, including musical heroes such as Bob Dylan and Mountain Goats, as well as the bigger life stuff: the midwestern cities he moved between as a kid, the panic attacks he suffered during high school, the death of a best friend he made after moving to NYC. We also talk about his excellent latest solo LP, Oh My God, an...

The magnetic and sharp-witted Lauren Mayberry joins Jenny in Los Angeles for a chat about her creative journey, from growing up in Scotland idolizing artists like Gwen Stefani and Kathleen Hanna to discovering how to tap into her own powerful onstage persona as frontwoman for electro-pop trio Chvrches. Plus, from Jenny’s archive, an excerpt from a 2000 phone interview with PJ Harvey about the maki...

Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr. delves into the evolution of his sound, from the time he was a little kid emulating Boyz II Men, through his early years playing punk and indie rock, and his more recent drive to explore sounds from his native Dominican Republic. Also: A clip of Nick Jonas in 2009, at the height of Jonas Brothers' fame, discussing how he went from singing on Broadway to being a pop s...

Indie rock icon Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) discusses his creative journey -- a childhood obsessing over jukebox 45s he got from his dad, his experiences in the Minneapolis/St. Paul punk scene, his current life in Berlin -- and how those touchstones inform his excellent new album, Sunshine Rock. Also featured: an excerpt of a backstage interview with gospel and R&B legend Mavis Staples at Lollapa...

Don't even get me started on how much I love Kurt Vile's music, and his entire presence as a dude. In this episode, hear the singer-songwriter discuss his musical evolution and his new album, Bottle It In. Also featured: An excerpt from a 2002 interview with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, about finding ways to integrate more metal into his music.

Proving herself a master multitasker, singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten made a brilliant new album in the midst of going back to college, starting a new side career in acting, and welcoming the birth of her first child. Hear her conversation with Jenny about her new album, Remind Me Tomorrow, and the creative journey that led her there. Plus, an excerpt from Jenny's 2004 interview with Gwen Stefa...

Singer-songwriter Eleanor Friedberger (formerly of Fiery Furnaces) joins Jenny for a discussion of the creative influences that shaped her early songwriting endeavors; how a long trip to Greece inspired her fantastic new album, Rebound, and more. The episode also includes an archive clip from one of Jenny's early '07 interviews with Amy Winehouse for Rolling Stone, wherein Amy talks about her own...

Few artists of David Longstreth's generation have pushed back as persistently at the boundaries of their own sound. But does that make Dirty Projectors' music "experimental"? That, among other nerdy tangents, populate a conversation about Longstreth's early influences -- his older brother, a book on Beatles' recording techniques, and more. He also discusses his creative process and perfectionist t...