The classical rebel who infiltrated pop music
Switched on Pop26 Aug 2025

The classical rebel who infiltrated pop music

You've heard those shimmering disco strings in Miley Cyrus's "Flowers," the cinematic arrangements on Phoebe Bridgers' Punisher, and the orchestral flourishes across Taylor Swift's catalog, but you probably didn't know they're all the work of one person: Rob Moose. The violinist and multi-instrumentalist has contributed to nearly 1,000 albums, quietly becoming pop music's most prolific string architect. In this conversation, Moose reveals how he translates classical training into contemporary pop language, working with everyone from Sufjan Stevens to Bon Iver to create arrangements that feel both intimate and epic. We dive into his process, explore how he's reshaped what strings can do in popular music, and uncover the craft behind those arrangements you can't get out of your head. MORE Subscribe to our newsletter to receive your own bingo card! Songs Discussed Miley Cyrus “Flowers” Phoebe Bridgers “Punisher” Phoebe Bridgers Copycat Killer (EP, includes re-arranged versions of “Punisher,” “Kyoto,” “Savior Complex,” “Chinese Satellite”) Sufjan Stevens “Chicago” Bon Iver “Everything Is Peaceful Love” RINI “Miracle” Bon Iver “Short Story” Bon Iver “Speyside” Phoebe Bridgers “Chinese Satellite” Phoebe Bridgers “Savior Complex” Phoebe Bridgers “Kyoto” Lizzy McAlpine “Ceilings” Gracie Abrams “I Love You, I’m Sorry” Rob Moose “I Bend But Never Break” ft Brittany Howard Alabama Shakes “Sound & Color” Taylor Swift “Hoax” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(526)

Audrey Hobert says the quiet part out loud

Audrey Hobert says the quiet part out loud

Two years ago, Audrey Hobert had never written a song. She was a staff writer on a Nickelodeon series and had recently moved in with her childhood friend Gracie Abrams in Los Angeles. About six months...

13 Jan 55min

2026 Pop Predictions: big beat, animated avatars, and Bruno Mars

2026 Pop Predictions: big beat, animated avatars, and Bruno Mars

It’s a brand new year, and what better way to ring it in than with the second annual Switched On Pop bingo? Like last year, Charlie, Nate, and Reanna polish their crystal balls and play Popstradamus, ...

6 Jan 58min

The Sound of Silence from Unexplainable

The Sound of Silence from Unexplainable

A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationshi...

30 Des 202530min

Naughty or nice? The 2025 holiday music round up

Naughty or nice? The 2025 holiday music round up

Every Christmas season, pop stars far and wide throw their Santa hats into the ring to see who has the next "All I Want for Christmas Is You," and this year is no exception. It's a yearly tradition on...

23 Des 202537min

The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025)

The year that killed music (best and worst of 2025)

From big-ticket albums by Taylor and Gaga, to a revival of the stomp-clap revival – 2025 had it all, for better and for worse. Now that the year has come to a close, it's time to take a look back at t...

16 Des 202547min

Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen)

Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen)

Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen joins NYU Steinhardt students live to trace her path from early pitch songs to co-writing some of the decade's defining hits. She explains why Halsey's "Without Me"...

12 Des 202557min

How Sombr’s bedroom recordings became his biggest hits

How Sombr’s bedroom recordings became his biggest hits

Sombr went from crafting raw, reverb soaked songs alone in his Lower East Side bedroom to finding his life shifting in ways he never could have predicted across 2024 and 2025. His biggest tracks kept ...

9 Des 202539min

"It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet)

"It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet)

When it comes to improvisational loop jams, few have gone as viral as Marc Rebillet. From his 2020 lockdown-era video “How to Funk in Two Minutes,” which features him wearing nothing but a bathrobe, t...

2 Des 202551min

Populært innen Underholdning

papaya
harm-og-hegseth
tore-og-haralds-podkast
enkel-servering
storefri-med-mikkel-og-herman
big-5-med-nils-og-harald-2
konspirasjonspodden
topp-3-med-wold-og-fladseth
tusvik-tnne
ma-pa-behandling-med-morten-ramm
hovla
folk-flest-med-linn-og-nils
kjendiscrush-med-sofie-karlstad
nare-venner
vitnemal
gi-meg-alle-detaljene
rss-gammal-maiden
feedback-med-egon-holstad
christine-dancke
rss-backstage-historier-om-legender