Musicians, writers, actors and more talk about the music they love and how it's influenced and inspired them. Guests include Phoebe Bridgers, Jason Isbell, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Bob Odenkirk, Benmont Tench, Neil Finn and more.
In what we can all agree is the greatest of all holiday traditions, filmmaker Charles Hood and The Wrap's Drew Taylor join me to celebrate / argue about our picks for the ten best films of 2025. Our shortest one yet!
12/22/25 • 66:55
My guest today is Wisconsin-born, LA-based singer/songwriter Hillary Reynolds, who is one of the rare guests to bring a live album to this podcast in the form of Fleetwood Mac's 1997 live record 'The Dance'. Having discovered the album as a child in the backseat of her parents' car, Hillary shares her thoughts on the record, including how the passage of time between when the songs were written and when they were performed at this live concert creates a different perspective on certain songs, how the appeal of Fleetwood Mac is largely informed by the story of the band members' interpersonal relationships, the way the band members' vocal tones are so versatile and greatly contrast with one another, how Fleetwood Mac's melodic style has heavily influenced Hillary's own songwriting, how her relationship to their music has evolved over time, and much more.
11/26/25 • 40:25
This week's guest is Swedish singer/songwriter Peter Morén, known for his work as guitarist and vocalist of indie rock trio Peter Bjorn and John and his solo project SunYears. Peter joins me to discuss the 1994 sophomore album by alternative Swedish artist Stina Nordenstam, 'And She Closed Her Eyes'. Peter and I chat about how this record represents a transitionary period for Nordenstam, how the album was recorded with drums but then stripped of them in the final mix, the elusive nature of Nordenstam as an artist and the ambiguity surrounding whether she will ever record another album, the artist's underground cult following which extends beyond her native Sweden, how the fragility and intimacy of the vocal recordings give the album a timeless feel, and much more.
11/17/25 • 31:28
This week's guest is Nashville singer/songwriter Dillon Warnek, who joins me to discuss 'The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1', featuring revisited, stripped back versions of songs spanning 33 years of the musician's legendary catalogue. We discuss Newman's wry humor and use of sarcasm in his writing and how that stylistic approach has influenced Dillon's own work, the layers of meaning to be discovered within a Randy Newman song and how they don't always reveal themselves on first listen, how the style of Newman's voice plays a huge role in how the song is interpreted versus the interpretations of his songs when sung by other artists, Newman's iconic work on film scores, which of Dillon's songs he'd like to hear covered by Tom Jones, and much more.
11/11/25 • 34:01
Today, I finally get to talk about the Electric Light Orchestra as author, actor and iconic supermodel Paulina Porizkova joins me to talk about the classic ELO album 'Out of the Blue'. Paulina takes us back to moving to Paris as a 15 year old at the beginning of her career, and how this album soundtracked this chapter of her life, coming to the record as a lover of classical music, why ELO aren't thought of as an albums artist, why the album's theme of stepping out on your own resonated with her, their experiences seeing Jeff Lynne and ELO live in recent years and more.
11/5/25 • 41:11
The legendary singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw joins me to talk about an artist whose influence changed the sound of music forever. Marshall talks discovering the classic Diddley Greatest Hits record as a teenager growing up in suburban Michigan, the deceptive drone quality to some of the tracks, the origin of the Bo Diddley name, the other players who were an important part of the Bo Diddley sound, the gear Diddley used, how Marshall has injected elements of the soundscape from this record into his own music through the years, the magic of a group of players performing together live in the studio, how technology and budgets has influenced how records are made and more.
10/22/25 • 28:53
Author and journalist Peter Ames Carlin specialises in puncturing rock'n'roll myths while enriching the legends. His biographies of iconic musicians and bands from Springsteen to REM are often definitive and his latest is no exception, a high stakes page turning exploration of how Bruce Springsteen transformed himself, his career and fulfilled his destiny as rock'n'roll future with his 1975 iconic album 'Born to Run'. We talk about the breakneck writing of the book and his conversations with Bruce himself, Springsteen's self-mythologising, being Superman and Clark Kent, how Springsteen's treatment by his parents and grandparents shaped his personality, getting out vs sticking around, how Thunder Road evolved into the legendary song we all know with some help from John Landau, how audiences behave at Springsteen shows vs other artists and why 'Born to Run' still means something to Bruce in the way that some of his other records don't.
10/14/25 • 49:26
Rock'n'roll singer-songwriter Brian Dunne joins me to make a case for 'The River' as the ultimate Bruce Springsteen album. We talk about how it is rarely chosen as the best of Bruce's classic period, how the album was a response thematically and musically to 'Darkness on the Edge of Town', capturing the epic E Street Band live show in an album, the benefits of a double album, class consciousness in songwriting and Brian's experiences seeing Springsteen live and then meeting him when they shared the bill at a benefit concert, and much more.
10/9/25 • 42:02
In honor of David Byrne being back on the road with a new and absolutely spellbinding show, we are bringing you a remixed and remastered edition of our 2021 audio documentary on Byrne's iconic American Utopia show, which redefined the boundaries of what live music can be.
10/5/25 • 85:34
My guest today is Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Dylan Sevey, best known for his work with The Minks, Ron Gallo, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and the incredible Weird Al Yankovic tribute band Weird Pals. Dylan joins me to discuss Weird Al's 1999 masterpiece 'Running With Scissors'. We chat about the entirely unique place Weird Al has carved for himself within the music industry, how he laid the cultural ground work for future musical comedy acts, the depth of respect and research he puts into each genre he parodies, the origin story of Weird Pals, how at its core Yankovic's catalogue is a celebration of all genres of music, the extraordinary art of the Weird Al polka, and how both a Weird Al concert and a Weird Pals show provides a level of musical breadth and diversity you're unlikely to experience elsewhere. For those attending Weird Al Yankovic's show at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville on Sept 20, Weird Pals will be playing an after party gig across the road at Acme Feed & Seed after the show. We'll see you there!
9/18/25 • 67:50
This week, I'm joined by the poet laureate of Tupelo, Mississippi, mister Paul Thorn. Growing up as a preacher's son, Paul wasn't allowed to listen to secular music, so when he managed to sneak a copy of Marshall Crenshaw's perfect debut album, it became a constant and sole companion for years. Paul takes us with him on his journey with the album as he grew into a young man, and why the album still resonates with him today.
9/5/25 • 31:10
Today I'm joined by singer-songwriter Ryan Davis to talk about an album that defines the phrase cult classic - Red Krayola frontman Mayo Thompson's only solo album 'Corky's Debt To His Father'. We talk about how the album came and went on release, only to be rediscovered by later generations following reissues in the 90s and 00s, the combination of Thompson's idiosyncratic vocals and lyrics with the slick session backing band, the influence on Ryan's own lyrics and music and how Ryan managed to get Mayo Thompson to perform the album in full for the first time ever at his 'Cropped Out' music festival.
8/27/25 • 26:31
Today I'm joined by bluegrass singer, songwriter and superstar bassist Shelby Means, who this year finally released her debut self-titled solo album, to talk about the classic trailblazing bluegrass album by Alison Krauss & Union Station, 'So Long So Wrong'. Shelby talks about how Krauss supplanted Emmylou Harris as her dad's favorite singer, not understanding song lyrics as a kid, discovering the Beatles through bluegrass, the changing lineups of Union Station, the innovative production of the record, the tension between perfectionism and feel, Shelby's experiences recording with members of Union Station and more.
8/20/25 • 28:47
Today I'm joined by Asleep At The Wheel's Ian Stewart to shine a spotlight on the cult classic fiddle super-group album 'Fiddlers 4' - Cajun legend Michael Doucet, old-time master Bruce Molsky, progressive bluegrasser Darol Anger, and cellist Rushad Eggleston. Ian talks about falling in love with the album as a kid attending fiddle camps, how the album fuses different styles and genre approaches from each member, polyrythms, cross tuning, the fiddle as a star instrument instead of accompanying, the one and done nature of the group, the sometimes prescriptive nature of roots genres, meeting all four Fiddlers 4 and playing one of the songs from the album with Michael Doucet.
8/14/25 • 22:41
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and vurtuousic madolinist Sierra Hull joins me to talk about the pivotal classic album that brought a generation into bluegrass music, Alison Krauss & Union Station's 1997 LP 'So Long So Wrong'.
7/30/25 • 34:17
You may know my guest Dom Flemons as The American Songster, as a Grammy winner and multiple nominee, as co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a radio host or as a music scholar and historian. Each strand is a facet that makes him one of the most interesting figures in American roots music, using his talents and platforms to illuminate it's underappreaciated histories and moving it forward into the future. Today he delves into the historic album from Linda Martell, 'Color Me Country'.
7/10/25 • 30:42
Texas titan Will Johnson joins me to discuss one of the pod's favorite bands, The Replacements, and their classic album 'Let It Be'.
6/6/25 • 37:35
Kayla Hall, one-third of Nashville indie-pop trio Moody Joody, joins me to talk about Shania Twain's iconic 1997 album 'Come On Over'.
5/26/25 • 23:29
Songwriter, singer and producer Sean McConnell excavates a cult classic of 80s singer-songwriter music as we discuss David Wilcox's 'How Did You Find Me Here'. Listen to Sean's new album SKIN wherever you listen to music.
5/15/25 • 29:06
Today, Global Editorial Director of GQ and Pitchfork Will Welch joins me to talk about the OutKast classic 'ATLiens'. Will takes us on a journey from discovering the record as a kid in Atlanta to meeting and writing about Andre and Big Boi as a journalist, living in the world they were writing about on the record, the comic book that accompanied the CD, the musical partnership between Andre and Big Boi, the Dungeon Family Cinematic Universe, how OutKast kept it weird as they got more popular, Andre 3000's flute album and much more. We also talk about his recent documentary on Jason Isbell's new album 'Foxes in the Snow', which you can watch here - https://www.thesametruthproductions.com/
5/10/25 • 44:10
The Queen of gnarly noir rock'n'roll, from Alabama via Nashville, Hannah Aldridge joins Jeremy Dylan for a delve into her epochal childhood favorite: Radiohead's Hail to the Thief.
5/1/25 • 47:52
We roar back into life for our 2025 season with the podcast crossover that nobody but us was asking for, as co-host of venerated blockbuster Beatles podcast Steven Cockcroft joins Jeremy Dylan to talk about George Harrison's solo classic 'Living in the Material World'. In amongst numerous fab-adjacent tangents, Steven and Jeremy talk about the long shadow All Things Must Pass casts over this record, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner's innovative double drumming techniques, the lead piano of the legendary Nicky Hopkins, how this album might have served as a template for the rest of Harrison's recording career, Harrison's bitterness around the Beatles and the push and pull between his spirituality and material appetites, lawyer-based hoedowns, Harrison's extremely intermittent history as a live act and more. Plus, Steven shares his memories of attending the amazing Concert for George tribute night featuring every single living (at the time) rock legend plus a surprise Monty Python reunion.
4/24/25 • 96:06
Today we sadly lost the legendary Marianne Faithfull, so in tribute we are resharing this episode from 2016 with Emma Swift celebrating Faithfull's classic album 'Broken English'. ---- Queen of the Sadcore Bangers Emma Swift returns to the show to talk about Marianne Faithfull's brittle, confronting classic 'Broken English'. Faithfull started her career being exploited as a folk-pop starlet, hitting rock bottom with drugs and homelessness and then taking control of her life and identity with this album. Emma and I talk about the cock forrest of the punk / new wave scene, how women are often written out of pop history, the inappropriate way Emma discovered the album, how it's influencing the shift in her music from despair to rage, and more.
1/30/25 • 34:17
This week film director Charles Hood and film journalist and author Drew Taylor (hosts of the official Mission: Impossible podcast Light the Fuse) join Jeremy Dylan to count down their top ten films of 2024. Jeremy's list 10. Blink Twice 9. The Substance 8. Rebel Ridge 7. The Wild Robot 6. A Complete Unknown 5. Hit Man 4. Thelma 3. The Fall Guy 2. Conclave 1. Challengers
1/4/25 • 100:57
After the tragic loss of Jack Colwell this past week, I wanted to share this conversation with Jack celebrating his hero Tori Amos. I have such great memories of recording this chat with Jack, I feel like it captured him at his most ebuliant, articulate and insightful. He was one of a kind and will be deeply missed by a lot of people. ----- Sydney singer-songwriter Jack Colwell makes the case for Tori Amos as a transformative figure in pop - a woman who seized her major-label power to create sophisticated adult pop music, bridging the divide between classical and pop, creating a unique sound and exploring her complicated relationship with her religious upbringing and femininity.
10/8/24 • 46:14
My guest is a musician, songwriter and artist who has never stopped evolving and exploring, from LA to New Orleans to Nashville. Her new EP Fumbling Towards Glory is out now, five years in the making and as she says, is her way of honouring the mess - her mess - of growing up, coming face to face either her own ambition, desire, doubt and experiencing the turmoil and beauty that accompanies is.
10/2/24 • 42:44
Today, Polish Club frontman Novak joins host Jeremy Dylan to discuss the Arctic Monkey's divisive cult classic album 'Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino', the sci-fi concept album that followed up the rock'n'roll behemoth of AM. Jeremy and Novak reminisce about their days as office-mates, Novak coming out as a singer at karaoke, ageing in rock'n'roll, why so many artists both love and envy this album, the artistic bravery of following their biggest commercial hit with a 'jazzy concept album about eating pizza on the moon', the alternate reality where this was an Alex Turner solo album, how swerving musically helps sustain a long career and more. Listen to the new Polish Club album 'Heavy Weight Heart', out now!
9/24/24 • 45:46
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Queenie joins host Jeremy Dylan to talk about Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach's 2017 solo album 'Waiting on a Song'. Queenie talks about how her journey as a fan of the Black Keys and Dan Auerbach coincided with moving to Melbourne from Tasmania, the thrill of following someone's career as a fan from the start, why calling it a solo record is almost a misnomer, the legendary collaborators on the album, why the album is a love letter to Nashville, how Auerbach cashed in his rock star chips to make this record, the influence of the Traveling Wilbury's, the visual elements of Dan's music and more. Queen also talks about the process of making her new album with producer Josh Barber, and taking inspiration from Auerbach's production style to layer in unusual sounds and textures.
9/20/24 • 43:52
Comedian, author, actor, musician and more Michelle Braisier joins Jeremy Dylan to talk about Once, the album of music by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová from the classic film of the same name. Michelle discusses the intimacy and sincerity that powers the film, the beautiful sadness of the music, her annual rewatches of the film in memory of her brother, whether the film is a musical or not, people who hate musicals but like superhero movies, songs that she can't sing without crying, the blurred lines between Hansard and Irglove and their characters, getting RSI auditioning for the stage musical adaption of Once and much more. Michelle also talks about the trick to writing comedy songs that are actually funny, and shares the story of a beautiful moment in Edinburgh during one of her performances just after the passing of her brother when the comedy community rallied around her.
8/13/24 • 43:11
Today comedian/writer/musician/podcaster Chloe Maddren joins me to shine a light on the less heralded Amy Winehouse album, 2003's Frank. We talk about the cat she named after the album, fighting against Winehouse's influence on her voice and lifestyle, the difference between the popular conception of Winehouse and who she was on this album, the differences between Frank and Back to Black, identifying with music beyond your age, the jazz influence on the record, being older than Amy Winehouse when she passed away, the validity of teenage pain, the pun of the album title, lyrics that haven't aged well and much more. We also talk about why she didn't choose a Taylor Swift album, her pop star aspirations, how her comedy career balances with her earnest songwriting, bombing in Bondi and "the girl fedora". Chloe's standup special 'Hot Girl Stuff (Disordered Eating & Crippling Self-Hate) is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=fMzLtyC6VMo&t=65s https://www.patreon.com/TheFriendRequest/posts
8/8/24 • 37:54
