The Story Behind The Song

Metric are an enigmatic, shape-shifting band -- always has been, always will be. Born out of Canada in 2001, they have built a discography that now spans eight studio albums that are difficult to box into any one genre (or two, for that matter). Part indie rock, part pop punk, part dance, part electronic -- why even try to put a label on it? The point is that it all works.At the center of it all is Emily Haines, who sings, writes songs, and plays synths and other instruments. Haines rocks it effortlessly with authenticity, energy, and swagger, despite confessing to suffering from deep bouts of stage fright. It's actually a topic she addressed on Metric's breakout single "Help I'm Alive," with its thumping beats and searing lyrics like, "I tremble, I tremble/ They're gonna eat me alive/ If I stumble."Haines joins The Story Behind the Song host Peter Csathy to talk about "Help I'm Alive" and how it and Metric's fourth album, 2008's Fantasies, helped save the band. Also on this episode, Haines discusses the dark but euphoric "Doomscroller," the 10-minute track that kicks off Metric's latest album, Formentera.Listen to the latest episode of The Story Behind the Song now, or watch the full discussion via Consequence. This is the first of a trio of Halloween-themed bonus episodes coming this month on TSBTS, with future episodes centered on Blue Oyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (October 17th) and Danny Elfman discussing Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party" (October 31st). So, make sure to like, review, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts to be alerted when each new episode drops.You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

3 Loka 202251min

Southern California natives Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger front Silversun Pickups, one of rock music’s leading bastions of guitar glory. The band just recently released their sixth studio album, Physical Thrills, produced by the legendary Butch Vig of Garbage (who were highlight on July's episode of The Story Behind the Song). The LP is marked by an adventurous -- and intentional -- departure of sorts, a tone brilliantly set by the lead single, “Scared Together."But the path to this latest record starts back in 2006 with the band's first studio album, Carnavas, and its breakout track "Lazy Eye." The song has become something of a rock and roll staple over the last 15 years, making it a perfect topic for this latest episode of The Story Behind the Song.The pair also dive into "Scared Together" -- which was a perfect fit for the interview, as they called in from the road while staying in a hotel known to be haunted. It is a frequently playful, funny and lazy eye-opening interview of an extremely passionate and talented band that is still grateful and humble after all these years.Listen the the latest episode of The Story Behind the Song now, and then make sure to like, review, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

19 Syys 20221h 2min

This special bonus episode of The Story Behind the Song shakes things up a bit -- let's call it The Story Behind the Festival. Musicians Jim Lindberg of SoCal punk band Pennywise and SoCal native son Donavon Frankenreiter, together with LA music entrepreneur Allen Sanford, join the podcast to talk about their new upcoming music festival BeachLife Ranch.Spinning off of the trio's OG BeachLife event, the fresh fest brings an Americana focus to the same stretch of beach in Redondo Beach on September 16th-18th. Brandi Carlile, Wilco, The Lumineers, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Dierks Bentley, and more are set to play the festival highlighting the ”Cowboy sSurfer Way of Life.” (Tickets are still available here!)Lindberg, Frankenfreiter, and Sanford speak with host Peter Csathy about how these three authentic surf-infused indie dudes started the little festival that could, competing against the big boy corporate festivals. Not only that, they do it their way -- directly on the beaches of LA (which is no small feat by itself!). BeachLife Ranch seeks to redefine the festival experience with a cohesive storyline that flows through the artists, the venue, the food, the drinks, and the merch, creating a consistent overall experience.Listen to this special bonus episode of The Story Behind the Song Festival now, and don't forget to make sure you like, review, and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts. As always, keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media. Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

29 Elo 202245min

Swedish-born Lykke Li has always been a musical enigma. She started her career seemingly happily at the age of 21 with her light, bouncy breakout track, “Little Bit.” But soon after she veered 180-degree into deep darkness, especially with her third full album, 2014’s I Never Learn. Li’s twisted journey continued thereafter with her 2018 latex-heavy album, so sad so sexy, before stripping down all of that album’s artifice to this year’s darkly haunting, spare and cinematic Eyeye that essentially rejects everything about its predecessor.Li has never been an industry “hit-maker.” That’s not her mission. Yet, at the same time, somehow her songs consistently find themselves at the forefront of pop culture and into our collective heads - from her song “Possibility” in the film Twilight, to the throbbing pop of “Get Some” in teen soap opera Pretty Little Liars. One her most iconic tracks certainly is “No Rest for the Wicked” from her I Never Learn album. Li wrote the song as she was exiting a relationship and packing her bags to move from Europe to New York, condemning herself for the damage wrought in the process. Of course she did. That’s just her way.In this latest episode of The Story Behind the Song podcast, host Peter Csathy interviews Lykke Li about the genesis of “No Rest for the Wicked” – and why the song continues to haunt. The two also discuss Li’s new album Eyeye (pronounced simply “eye”) and its final track, “U&I.” The album and track represent yet another vintage departure for Li, and the results are the same. Li has always looked at her life as if it were a “movie,” and this latest film in Li’s life is literally just that. Eyeye is a visual album, with individual one-minute videos that transition each of the album’s eight tracks into the next. Li punctuates this point to supreme cinematic effect in “U&I” when she implores her now ex-lover to not turn his back and walk away, because “The movie is you and I.”Listen to the full episode now. Then make sure you like, review, and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts to catch each episode of the monthly series. Also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

15 Elo 202253min

Garbage are an iconic, eclectic band that is anything but what their name implies. Fronting the outfit is the charismatic and irrepressible Shirley Manson from Edinburgh, Scotland. Manson first met up with her three future bandmates in Wisconsin as a result of one of those strange, classic twists of rock and roll fate involving MTV, a phone call, and a disastrous first audition. In then end, Garbage was formed (even if Manson still isn't such a fan of the name), and with their self-titled debut came the iconic hit "Only Happy When It Rains," a record that feels as fresh today as it did nearly 30 years ago.In fact, as Manson tells it, the misery of that song pours down even more heavily now on audiences as they celebrate and dance to it on the band’s current North American tour with Alanis Morissette. (Get tickets to see for yourself via Ticketmaster.)In the latest episode of The Story Behind the Song, Manson joins host Peter Csathy to share all about the misery behind "Only Happy When It Rains," including her initial thoughts upon reading the "nursery rhyme" lyrics. Manson also discusses "The Men Who Rule the World," the lead song on Garbage's No Gods No Masters, a track that perfectly encapsulates Manson's current state of mind and features lyrics that rained down on her in a moment of spontaneous inspiration.Listen to the full episode now, or check out the complete video interview at Consequence.Make sure you like, review, and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts to catch each episode of the monthly series. Also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

18 Heinä 202253min

"The Glamorous Life" proved to be a major solo breakout for Sheila E. in 1984. The classic pop track was one of her man collaborations with the legendary Prince, but Sheila E. already had a long history of playing with legends. In fact, her professional career began at only 15, when her father (a percussionist himself) asked her to fill in for him as part of Santana's band before a crowd of thousands in a night she describes as a true "out of body experience."Sheila E. joins host Peter Csathy on the 13th episode of The Story Behind the Song to discuss how "The Glamorous Life" helped put her front-and-center for the first time. She talks about working with Prince and trying to outdo each other as they wrote, played, and sang in the studio. She also shares insights on a personal selection from her catalog: her recent salsa collab with B. Slade, "Bailar." Throughout the interview, Sheila E. shares personal stories about working with other legends, and discusses how she persevered when pursuing her passion for percussion in a world of frequent artistic male prejudice.Listen now, or you can watch the full interview over at Consequence.Don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts to catch each episode of the monthly series. Also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at Creative Media.Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZVAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

20 Kesä 202254min

The transition from 1980s new wave and hair rock to 1990s far less follically-minded indie pop wasn’t always a smooth one. But enigmatic, idiosyncratic, and frequently non-grammatical duo They Might Be Giants made it all go down so easy with instantly catchy hooks and frequently hilarious lyrics. The band’s tongue-in-cheek non-sequiturs and unconventional instrumentation masked a knack for writing songs that made us hum the first time we heard them. Nowhere is that more evident than in their major label breakout hit “Birdhouse in Your Soul” from their 1990 album Flood, which is likely the first -- and only -- song ever sung from the POV of a night light. Yes, you read that right: The lyrics are from the perspective of a blue night light shaped like a canary -- something that only co-Giants John Linnell and John Flansburgh could pull off. In this 12th episode of The Story Behind the Song, host Peter Csathy interviews Linnell about how his mind found its way to concoct the addictive “Birdhouse in Your Soul.” As always on this podcast, Peter’s guest also discusses their personal choice for our journey into a second song; in this case Linnell selects the band’s recent surreal, sobering song “If Day For Winnipeg,” from their 2021 album BOOK. Linnell spoke with Peter from his flat in Brooklyn as he prepped for They Might Be Giants' forthcoming 40th anniversary tour (snag tickets here). Listen to the podcast now or check out full video of the discussion at Consequence. Then, make sure you’re subscribed to The Story Behind the Song to catch each episode of the monthly series. You can also keep an eye on the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series, and follow host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and at CREATV Media. Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZV Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

16 Touko 202252min

Rick Astley burst onto the pop scene 1987 seemingly out of nowhere when his debut single, the feel-good, earnest dance anthem “Never Gonna Give You Up,” grabbed the No. 1 spot in 25 countries, including the US and UK. In just a matter of weeks, Astley -- then only 21 -- traded his small town outside of Manchester, England for center stage on a global scale. As fate would have it, "Never Gonna Give You Up" never gave up either. Two decades after its release, the song "Rickwolled" its way back into our hearts and the cultural conversation when it became a mid-2000s internet sensation. Fast forward to today, and the song’s video is creeping close to an astounding 1.2 billion views on YouTube. Perhaps even more impressive, at age 50 in 2016, Astley again topped the UK charts with his aptly titled album 50. While continuing to record new material, he's now sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Safe to say, Astley is no one-hit-wonder: He is a full-fledged artistic and cultural icon. In this 11th episode of The Story Behind the Song podcast, Astley joins host Peter Csathy to talk about "Never Gonna Give You Up," as well as a personal choice from his catalog: "Cry for Help." Penned by Astley for his 1991 album, Free, this soul track reflects the artist's vulnerability and generous heart, an openness that helped it reach the top 10 on both the US and UK pop charts. Speaking as he prepared for his upcoming "MixTape 2022 Tour" alongside New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue (tickets for which can be found here), Astley discussed his journey from breakout pop star to meme to respected soul artist. Listen to Rick Astley reveal the story behind "Never Gonna Give You Up" now, or watch the full interview via Consequence. Don't forget to like and subscribe to The Story Behind the Song wherever you get your podcasts, and follow the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our series. You can also keep up with host Peter Csathy on Twitter @pcsathy and check out his company CREATV Media. Support The Story Behind the Song by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRZyZV Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

18 Huhti 20221h 6min