Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Today, we’re joined by one of the most inventive and electrifying vocalists in modern soul music: Bilal.  Since the release of his debut album 1st Born Second in 2001, Bilal has defied categorization by design and by circumstance. With a voice that shifts effortlessly from a whisper to a wail, and from jazz to gospel to outer space, he’s carved a singular path through the world of...

Mike Shinoda took a bold step last fall when he reintroduced Linkin Park with a new lineup featuring drummer Colin Brittain and singer Emily Armstrong as lead vocalist—taking on the role once held by Chester Bennington, who died by suicide in 2017. Mike, who co-founded Linkin Park in 1996, has long served as the group’s de facto producer, as well as its MC and keyboardist. The band ros...

Jesse Malin quite literally came of age onstage in the gritty clubs of New York City. At just 12 years old, he fronted Heart Attack—one of the earliest hardcore punk bands. After the band broke up in ‘84, Jesse went on to play in other groups, including Hope, and later co-founded D Generation, a glam-punk band that toured extensively through the '90s, opening for acts like Kiss, the Ra...

The youngest Haim sister, Alana, started playing music with her older sisters, Danielle and Este, when she was just four years old. Back then, the three of them were part of their family band, Rockinhaim, playing charity gigs all over L.A. and the San Fernando Valley where they grew up. After high school, Danielle was jamming in Laurel Canyon when Jenny Lewis spotted her and invited her to join he...

Today on Broken Record, we’re joined by the one and only Bootsy Collins. Bootsy burst onto the scene in the early ’70s as James Brown’s young, electrifying bass player. But it was with Parliament-Funkadelic that he truly found his voice—or rather, his voices—balancing raw, uncut funk with a psychedelic, intergalactic persona that would go on to inspire artists from Pr...

Today, Justin Richmond is joined by the Starchild himself—KISS co-founder and frontman, Paul Stanley. Born and raised in New York City, Paul fell in love with music at an early age, attending shows at iconic venues like the Fillmore East. Over the course of more than 50 years with KISS, he helped build one of the most devoted fan bases in rock history, turning theatrical spectacle into an ar...

Shirley Manson rose to '90s fame as the magnetic front woman of Garbage, but she was already a seasoned singer when guitarist Steve Marker spotted her in a music video for her previous band, Angelfish. She joined the Garbage in 1994. The band was made up of Steve Marker and producers Duke Erikson and Butch Vig—renowned for his work with Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Nearly 30 years and over...

Today, we're revisiting a gem from our archives. In late 2020, Wilco's frontman and acclaimed songwriter Jeff Tweedy released his compact yet powerful book, "How to Write One Song" – a remarkable guide for unlocking anyone's creative potential through songwriting. This exploration of creativity immediately resonated with Broken Record host Malcolm Gladwell, leading to a fascinating conversat...

For close to three decades, Ben Kweller’s been crafting deeply personal indie rock that's both intimate and expansive. From his early days fronting the band Radish as a teenager in the '90s to his acclaimed solo career that began in the early 2000s, he's consistently delivered songs that feel raw, honest and almost conversational. But his latest album, Cover the Mirrors, finds Ben in a diffe...

Over the past few years, Kali Uchis has released three standout albums:  Red Moon in Venus ,  Orquídeas , and now her latest,  Sincerely . Each has made a powerful contribution to the evolving legacy of R&B and Latin music—but  Sincerely  marks a striking leap forward in her artistic journey. So it’s no surprise that in her conversation with Justin R...

Rico Nasty is a genre-defying force in contemporary hip-hop, known for her raw, unapologetic style and fearless experimentation. Rico started releasing mixtapes while still in high school in Maryland, with early tracks like “iCarly” and “Hey Arnold” catching fire online. After dropping five mixtapes independently, she signed with Atlantic Records in 2018 and introduced the...

Daryl Hall stands as one of the greatest pop songwriters in music history. As the iconic half of Hall & Oates, his classic tracks like "Sara Smile," "Rich Girl," and "Maneater" earned the duo coveted spots in both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet beyond his chart-dominating success throughout the '70s and '80s, Daryl remains a profoundly gifted, soulful creator whose music...

Richard Thompson is a London-born guitar virtuoso whose career started in 1967 as part of the groundbreaking folk band Fairport Convention. The following decade Richard formed a duo with his former wife Linda Thompson, and together they released six albums, including the critically acclaimed,  I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight . Richard then struck out on his own, writing songs that hav...

Jim James, the frontman of My Morning Jacket, has lived many lives over the band’s 27-year career. He started as a hopeful young musician, chasing the magic of his musical heroes—while secretly fearing he’d never measure up. Later, he spiraled into heavy drinking and self-doubt, teetering on the edge of leaving the band. But today, Jim is in a much different place. Healthier, mor...

Join us for an intimate conversation with legendary producer and songwriter Daniel Lanois, captured live at Brooklyn's premier podcast event, On Air Fest. Host Justin Richmond sits down with Lanois before an audience filled with musical luminaries—including Prince's former guitarist Donna Grantis, performance artist Laurie Anderson, and ambient music pioneer Laraaji. In this special episode,...

Justice, the French electronic music duo composed of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay is the gift that keeps on giving. They just released an incredible new album called Hyperdrama that not only sounds like the best possible night out in Paris, but brings in touches of jazz and experimentation that feel new for the group. They also just co-produced the opening track of The Weeknd’s l...

Adam Duritz is no stranger to the spotlight. Counting Crows’ 1993 debut album, August And Everything After, sold over seven million copies in the U.S. Singles released from the album including “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” dominated radio and MTV at the time. But all the exposure wasn’t great for the band, and  according to Duritz, it led critics to focus mo...

Join Justin Richmond and Ben Walter, CEO of Chase For Business, for a special conversation about finding success in the music industry through non-traditional means. Ben shares his insights on balancing risk while scaling a business, as they talk about how the indie label XL Recordings built a sustainable business model by making unorthodox business decisions. He also shares how artists often have...

A month ago at the Grammys, Alicia Keys gave a beautiful speech while accepting the Global Impact Award. Part of her speech was dedicated to the women producers who power the industry, women like Patrice Rushen, Missy Elliott, Linda Perry, and others. This was top of mind for Justin Richmond when he sat down with esperanza spalding at the Blue Note club in New York, where she was in the middle of...

Alice Randall is a country music songwriter, a New York Times bestselling author, and a newly minted memoirist. She calls her new book,  My Black Country , a love letter to Black country music. In addition to her memoir, Alice also released the album,  My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall,  that includes a rendition of the song, “The Ballad of Sally Anne” perform...

In the 30-plus years since Billy Corgan hit it big as the lead singer/songwriter of The Smashing Pumpkins, he’s become many things including the owner of the National Wrestling Alliance, a father and a husband, and an outspoken advocate of free speech through appearances on divisive podcasts hosted by Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, and Bill Maher. Proving to be both eloquent and controversial, Billy...

The Black Keys are gearing up to release their latest album, No Rain, No Flowers. The Akron, Ohio duo consisting of Dan Auerbach on lead vocals and guitar, and Patrick Carney on drums, have released 12 studio albums since their indie debut, The Big Come Up in 2002. On today's episode Justin Richmond talks with Dan and Patrick about their process of mixing the new album. They also share memories gr...

Tunde Adebimpe is a creative powerhouse. He's a cartoonist, a painter, a director, a Hollywood actor, and for the past 20 years, he’s been the lead singer of the band TV On The Radio. His latest offering—another of his many artistic pursuits—is a solo project called Thee Black Boltz. Tunde began writing these songs back in 2019. And after a stint composing music for the PBS Kids...

The British funk band Cymande released their self-titled debut in 1972. The album’s deep calypso and reggae rhythms are inspired by its member’s West Indian roots. And decades after its release, samples taken from Cymande’s albums would find their way into songs that now define hip-hop’s golden era from artists like De La Soul, Gang Starr and The Fugees. While Cymande has f...

Big Willie is back! He's traded his larger than life, excessively positive raps for something more dark and complex but equally inspiring. Anyone following Will’s trajectory the last handful of years, or those who've read his wonderful autobiography knows he’s been on a journey of self-discovery and healing. That’s left him wide open to be a bit of a different artist than he&rsqu...