In this chat, we get to meet Tracyanne Campbell, the frontwoman of celebrated Scottish indie rock icons Camera Obscura. Back with their first album in over a decade, Look To The East, Look To The West, Camera Obscura have a lot to say now that they're back on the scene, and effortlessly prove that their return was worth the wait. In this talk, lead…

In this chat, we get to meet Canadian singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist, folk music icon, Loreena Mckennitt. In this conversation, Loreena and I dsicuss her new live recording The Road Back Home, which is out now on her own Quinlan Road label , and how she distinguishes it as a “field recording” more than a proper live album. We discuss tou…

In this chat, we get to meet Molly Drag. Molly Drag is the pseudonym of Montreal singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Michael Charles Hansford. In this talk, we dive deep into his brand new album, Mammoth, out now on I'm Into Life Records. But we also talk about...well, a lot of other things. Truthfully, this is quite a spontaneous and circuit…

In this chat, we get to meet Iron & Wine - aka: singer/songwriter/guitarist, and general indie folk icon, Sam Beam. Sam has just recently put out a brand new Iron & Wine record entitled Light Verse, so we do spend a good amount of time discussing this album. We touch on its themes of loss and acceptance, the time it took to make, and the collaborat…

In this chat, we get to meet claire rousay. claire is best known as an ambient composer, crafting soundscapes with keys, found sounds, drone, and other experimental elements. But in this chat, she and I talk quite a bit about her brand new album sentiment, which is out now on Thrill Jockey, which includes much more singer-songwriter style material.…

In this chat, we get to meet Julia Holter. Julia is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and composer extraordinaire, who just put out a wondrous new record, Something in the Room She Moves. In this chat, Julia talk a lot about this new album, including the production, the songwriting, the stories, and the risks of these songs. We talk titl…

In this episode, we get to meet El Perro Del Mar, AKA: Swedish singer, songwriter, musician, producer Sarah Assbring. In this chat, Sarah and I talk at length about her newest full-length EPDM record, Big Anonymous, out now on City Slang. It's been a while since the last one, and we had a lot to talk about. We talk about the dark and emotional (and…

In this episode, we get to meet Bonnie "Prince" Billy - aka Will Oldham. Will has had a great year in music, putting out one of his best records yet with Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You (by some counts his 21st record!) back in August. In this chat, Will and I discuss that album at length, including some of what went into and inspired it. We talk …

In this chat, we get to meet singer-songwriter Jess Williamson. Jess put out her most recent album, Time Ain't Accidental, back in June. (It also happens to be her most acclaimed record yet.) And in this chat, we get to be a bit reflective as opposed to anticipatory. We talk about what the songs mean to her now in the wake vs. the lead-up, and how …

In this episode, we get to meet Jolie Laide, the new band fronted by acclaimed singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Jeff MacLeod. In this chat, Nina and Jeff and I discuss the makings of this debut record, which just came out this past November. We talk about how they met over 20 years ago, and how now felt like the t…

In this episode, we get to meet Kevin Drew. Best known as the sort of de facto captain of indie rock superstars Broken Social Scene, Kevin has just put out his brand new solo album, Aging. In this chat, he and I discuss the album, and its myriad dark, deep, personal themes, as well as what led to its conception and its status as a very piano-led re…

In this episode, we get to meet Joseph D'Agostino, the frontman and lead songwriter of indie rock outfit Empty Country. Previously known for his now-defunct band Cymbal Eat Guitars, D'Agostino's newest record as Empty Country - aptly titled Empty Country II - is out now, and it's a real treat of high-emotion, high-impact, literary songwriting. In t…

In this chat, we get to meet actor and writer Illeana Douglas. Illeana is best known for her film work, costarring in films as wide-ranging as Scorsese's Cape Fear, Gus Van Sant's To Die For, or (one of my personal favorites) Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World. In addition to her film and television, Illeana is also an accomplished writer and film histori…

In this chat, we get to meet Marnie Stern. Marnie is a singer, songwriter, and electric guitar wizard, who's back after more than a decade-long absence with her fifth record, The Comeback Kid. In this chat, she and I talk a lot about this new album - the songwriting, the production - and what it felt like to get back into her specific style and gro…

In this chat, we get to meet Lizzie Powell, the lead singer, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, general jack-of-all-trades of indie rock band Land of Talk. Lizzie and I get deep into the newest Land of Talk record, Performances, which is just out on Saddle Creek. We talk aboutart and creativity, their goals for this record (and beyond), w…

In this chat, we get to meet acclaimed composer Matana Roberts. Best known for their work as a saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer in the world of avant garde and improvisational jazz, Matana Roberts has been making a name for themselves for quite a while. We met on the cusp of the release of the fifth chapter in their ongoing Coin Coin series -…

MEET OUR MAKER IS ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet the fantastic, storied filmmaker Sally Potter. The writer-director of such acclaimed an…

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. In this chat, Regina and I talk a lot about her l…

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet Oscar-nominated composer Emile Mosseri. Though best known for his film work, Emile …

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet The Tallest Man On Earth, otherwise known as Kristian Matsson. In this chat, Kristi…

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet AC Newman (aka Carl Newman), the lead singer and songwriter of Canadian indie rock …

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet Youth Lagoon (aka: Trevor Power). Trevor is now back with his fourth Youth Lagoon r…

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet Jeff Hiller. Jeff is an actor who, most recently, is best known for playing Joel on…

MEET OUR MAKER IS NOW ON PATREON! Go to patreon.com/meetourmakers to pledge and become a patron today. You'll get access to fun stuff, including exclusive moments from interviews and the chance to submit questions for future guests. Woo! In this chat, we get to meet Avey Tare, aka Dave Portner. Dave is one member of the experiment indie rock outfit…

In this episode, we get to meet actor and musician Caleb Landry Jones. Though Caleb is known best as an actor - appearing in projects such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Get Out, and even the Twin Peaks: The Return miniseries - he is also an accomplished an eclectic musician. In this chat, Caleb and I talk about his newest record, Gad…

In this episode we get to meet Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, producer, Kaitlyn is best known as a leading user of the rarified Buchla modular synthesizer. In this chat, she and I discuss what draws her to this instrument, and we talk quite a bit about how the sounds of it (and other sounds) cohered to create he…

In this -- the FIFTIETH (!!!) episode -- of Meet Our Makers, we meet singer-songwriter Alela Diane. In this chat, Alela and I discuss her brand new record, Looking Glass, and some of what went into making it. We talk recording, we talk writing, we talk musicality, we talk theme -- she's got it all. We talk a bit about memory, and how we process thi…

In this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop. Speaking to me from her home in the UK (though she's originally from California), Jesca and I discuss her new album, Order of Romance. In this chat, she and I talk at length about the record - as she says at one point, she's not afraid to "talk shop." We also talk about the political and…

In this episode, we get to meet Emily Sprague. Emily is best known as the frontperson and lead singer of indie folk band Florist. In this chat, Emily and I discuss the ins and outs of the brand new self-titled Florist record from this summer, including its unique recording and composing journey, which took place mostly on a screened-in porch while …

In this episode, we get to meet Laura Veirs. Laura is a singer-songwriter based in Portland, OR, and she's just released her newest record, Found Light. In this chat, Laura and I talk a lot about this new album, unpacking themes, examining specific songs, and talking about the writing and production - which was her first time ever coproducing her o…

In this episode, we get to meet Emily Haines. Emily Haines is best known as the lead singer and lyricist of Canadian indie rock band Metric. In this chat, Emily and I discuss a wide range of things, including their brand new record Formentera, as well as the band's back catalog and beginnings, which began with a bit of a false start. We talk about …

In this episode, we get to mee Torquil Campbell (aka Torq), one of the cofounders and co-bandleaders of Canadian indie rock veterans Stars. I'm excited this talk finally happened, as it's been in the works for almost as long as the pod has been around. But now that Stars have a brand new album out, the stars (!) finally aligned. In this digressive,…

In this episode, we get to meet Daniel Rossen. Dan is best known as one of the singers/songwriters/guitarists of indie rock veterans Grizzly Bear. Now, he has released his debut solo full-length album, the stunning You Belong There, which comes ten years after his first EP, Silent Hour/Golden Mile. In this chat, Dan and I talk a lot about the new r…

In this episode, we get to meet Dan Bejar of Destroyer. What started as a 4-track solo project in the 90s has bloomed into one of indie rock's stalwart acts, and in this talk, Dan and I talk a lot about his storied career, his lyrical stylings, his inspirations, and more. We also discuss his brilliant brand new album, Labyrinthitis, which is his 13…

In this episode, we get to meet singer, songwriter, metal-lover, producer, Sasami. The mononym of one Sasami Ashworth, Sasami has recently put out her anticipated second album, SQUEEZE. In this chat, Sasami and I talk a lot about the new record, including its mistifyingly disparate influences, from nu-metal to folk, from System of a Down to Sheryl …

In this episode - the first of 2022 - I have the privilege of meeting Tony- and Grammy-award winning songwriter, singer, and composer Anaïs Mitchell. Despite having several solo records under her belt and a side-gig in folk trio Bonny Light Horseman, it was her 2019 Broadway hit musical Hadestown that catapulted her to the public eye. In this chat,…

In this episode, the final episode of 2021, we get to meet singer/songwriter José González. Speaking with me from his home in Sweden a couple days before the release of his newest record, Local Valley, José and I chat about the album and his excitement about touring. We discuss the themes and sonic risks he took this time around, including the soun…

In this episode, we get to meet Meric Long, a singer/songwriter/guitarist best known as one half of indie rock band The Dodos. In this chat, Meric and I discuss what went into the band's newest record, November's Grizzly Peak, including some of the themes, the tone, the production, as well as their attempt to get back to what Meric describes as his…

In this episode, we get to meet Xenia Rubinos, a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist hailing from Brooklyn. I actually interviewed Xenia once before, years ago, but because we'd already gotten a lot of the "meeting" out of the way, we were able to really zero in on her brand new album, Una Rosa, which came out this fall on ANTI-. In this chat, …

In this episode, we get to meet Nite Jewel, which is the alias of singer, songwriter, producer, instrumentalist Ramona Gonzalez. In this chat, Ramona and I discuss, at length, her newest record, No Sun, which came out this past summer. We discuss minimalism, history, how the lament as a musical form inspired a lot of this new material, the personal…

In this episode, we get to meet Madi Diaz. Madi is a singer-songwriter based in Nashville, who has just released her deeply personal and honest new solo record, History of a Feeling. Out on Anti-, the record details, with autopsy-like precision, the aftermath of a relationship gone awry. In this chat, Madi and I discuss at length this new album, an…

In this episode, we get to meet Indigo Sparke. Indigo is a singer-songwriter who just put out her debut record, Echo, back in February. In this chat, she and I talk about the process of making her first album, including coproducing with Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker. We talk about some of the symbiosis between her record and Lenker's recent solo albu…

In this episode, we get to meet Spencer Krug. Spencer is best known as one of the lead singers and songwriter of indie rock veterans Wolf Parade, but he has a long history of solo work and other bands, such as Sunset Rubdown, Moonface, and more. In this chat, Spencer and I discuss his latest solo record, Fading Graffiti, which is his first to come …

In this episode, we get to meet SPELLLING, which is the pseudonym of singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Chrystia Cabral. In this chat, Chrystia talk quite a bit about her brand new album, The Turning Wheel, which is out now on Sacred Bones. We discuss some of what went into the process of making it, some of the inspirations beh…

In this episode, we get to meet singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Juana Molina. Speaking to me from her home in Argentina, Juana and I discuss the brand new, 21st century reissue of her 2nd album, Segundo. We talk about the origin of that album, her process then vs. now, as well as the journey of going back at it for the reiss…

In this episode, we get to meet Japanese Breakfast, aka Michelle Zauner. Under the Japanese Breakfast name, Zauner has just put out her third record, Jubilee. She also recently released her debut memoir, Crying in H Mart, which landed on the NYT Bestsellers List. In this chat, she and I discuss the album -- sonic and lyrical inspirations, the conce…

In this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Skye Edwards, who is best known as the lead singer of famed trip hop band Morcheeba. In this chat, Skye and I discuss their new record, Blackest Blue, and reflect on their 25 years in the business, including the group's origin and the conception of their first album. We also touch upon what led to h…

In this episode, we get to meet composer and violinist extraordinaire Sarah Neufeld. In this chat, Sarah and I discuss the very busy 2021 she's shaping up to have. Besides being a core member of Canadian giants Arcade Fire, Sarah is also part of music collective Bell Orchestre, and has numerous solo records. She and I talk about her new solo record…

In this episode, we get to meet singer-songwriter Rosali. Originally based out of the Philly scene, Rosali recently relocated to rural Michigan - in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. In this chat, she and I discuss some of the motives behind that move and the healing benefits of it. We also talk at length about her brand new album, No Medium, which j…

In this episode, we get to meet Nandi Rose, who records music under the alias Half Waif. Under the Half Waif name, Nandi has been putting out albums for quite some time, including last year's excellent The Caretaker. This year, she has a new one, Mythopoetics, coming in July. In this chat, we discuss the new album, as well as her connection to natu…