Behind the Setlist

Kim Thayil was a co-founder and guitarist of rock band Soundgarden. Kim joined Behind the Setlist to talk about the songs and setlists of the band's final tour in 2017. Formed 33 years earlier in Seattle, Soundgarden played its final show on May 17, 2017 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI. Singer Chris Cornell died the next morning. In addition to helping spawn Seattle's grunge scene in the late '80s and reshape popular music in the '90s, Soundgarden had an incredible string of successful albums in the '90s: 1991's Badmotorfinger, 1994's Superunknown (No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart) and 1996's Down on the Upside (No. 2 on the Billboard 200). It had three songs reach No. 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart: "Black Hole Sun" in 1994, and "Pretty Noose" and "Burden in My Hand" in 1996. Links: Soundgarden's tour history at Setlist.fm Billboard's podcasts Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic Glenn Peoples @ Billboard Glenn Peoples @ Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Feb 202337min

Behind the Setlist is rebroadcasting its first episode from May 2022, an incredible conversation with the one and only Andy Grammer. You may have recently seen Grammer perform at the 100th annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington D.C. And you probably know Grammer for such songs as "Keep Your Head Up" and "Don't Give Up On Me." Billboard talked to Grammer earlier in 2022 about putting people in a good mood at his concerts. “The word positive is cheesy," he said. You’re at a loss to begin with. You’re just starting down 20 points.” But, at the same time, “we all need optimism." Grammer also talks about how he chooses songs to put in a setlist and how he uses poetry to connect with his audiences. If you missed this episode the first time around, you're in for a treat. Links: Andy Grammer talks positivity, poetry and Louis Prima on debut Behind the Setlist podcast Andy Grammer home page Andy Grammer tour history at Setlist.fm Billboard's podcast page Glenn Peoples at Billboard Jay Gilbert at Label Logic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Jan 202330min

Chris Isaak loves holiday music. This year he released his second studio album of holiday tunes, Everybody Knows It's Christmas, and hit the road for his standard holiday tour to share his holiday and non-holiday music with fans. Chris joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist to talk about writing holiday songs such as "Almost Christmas" and "Help Me Baby Jesus," working with famed producer Dave Cobb in Nashville on the recordings and meeting some of his musical idols such as Roy Orbison. Isaak is best known for his timeless song "Wicked Game," from his 1989 album Heart Shaped World that reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991 after it was featured in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart. Heart Shaped World is certified double-platinum with more than 2 million sold in the U.S. His 1995 album Forever Blue is certified platinum in the U.S. and spawned two well-known singles, "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and "Somebody's Crying." Links: Chris Isaak's home page Chris Isaak's tour history at Setlist.fm Jay Gilbert at Label Logic Glenn Peoples at Billboard Billboard's podcast page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Des 202235min

Jim Kerr is a co-founder, singer and songwriter for the Scottish rock band Simple Minds. Known best for the track "Don't You Forget About Me," which propelled from the film The Breakfast Club to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1985. The band followed that with more Hot 100 success from the 1985 album, Once Upon a Time: "Alive and Kicking" (No. 3), "Sanctify Yourself" (No. 14) and "All The Things She Said" (No. 28). Simple Minds' latest album, Direction of the Heart, released on October 21, 2022, is a wonderful collection that showcases the band's time-tested ability to write and perform compelling, emotional rock music. It includes a song written in the band's early days but never released, "Act of Love," and a cover of the 1983 single by The Call, "The Walls Came Down." Links: Simple Minds website Simple Minds tour history at Setlist.fm Billboard podcasts page Jay Gilbert at Label Logic Glenn Peoples at Billboard Glenn Peoples @ Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Des 202244min

Sunny Sweeney is country singer-songwriter who released her fifth studio album, Married Alone, on Sept. 23, 2022, through her own Aunt Daddy Records label. Her music has the sounds and storytelling typical of classic country and Americana roots music. She cites Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks as her biggest inspirations. Her 2006 debut, Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, was self-released and reissued by Big Machine Records. The follow-up, Concrete from 2011, came out through Republic Nashville and featured the song "From a Table Away," which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Married Alone's beautiful title track is a duet with the legendary Vince Gill. In this episode, we focus on Sunny's Oct. 15 show at The Loft at City Winery in Philadelphia, PA. The 16-song set included the new track "Tie Me Up" and the Randy Weeks' song "Can't Let Go" that Lucinda Williams recorded for her breakthrough 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Sunny included on her 2014 album Provoked. Links: Sunny Sweeney's home page Sunny Sweeney's tour history at Setlist.fm Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic Glenn Peoples @ Twitter Billboard podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Des 202245min

Myles Kennedy & Mark Tremonti are one half of the rock group Alter Bridge. The band is currently on tour in Europe in support of its seventh studio album, Pawns & Kings, released on Oct. 14 via Napalm Records. The well-reviewed album reached No. 35 on the Billboard 200 U.S. album chart, No. 2 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 6 in the U.K., No. 7 in Germany and No. 15 in the Netherlands. The band wraps up its European tour on Dec. 12 at the O2 Arena in London. A U.S. tour starts on Jan. 25, 2023 in Tampa, FL, and extends to an April 1 show in Highland, CA. Tremonti's career started with the band Creed with Alter Bridge bandmates Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums). That trio and Kennedy co-founded Alter Bridge in 2004. Kennedy was previously in the rock band Mayfield Four. Kennedy has recorded and toured with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash since his 2010 solo album. Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators released their latest album, 4, in Feb. 2022. Links: Alter Bridge's home page Alter Bridge tour history at Setlist.fm Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic Glenn Peoples @ Twitter Billboard podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 Nov 202228min

As Soccer Mommy, Sophie Allison released her third studio album, Sometimes, Forever, in June of 2022 on the Loma Vista Recordings label. The album has received widespread acclaim. Paste magazine gave it 8.5 out of 10. Pitchfork’s review, an 8 out of 10, noting Allison’s "characteristic humor and wit amidst bitterness and melancholy." The Guardian’s four-out-of-five star review called it "warm, toothsome pop with icy blasts of angst." Soccer Mommy had a busy 2022 on the road. Allison and her band spent the spring touring North America and played the Governors Ball festival in New York in June before heading to Europe for festival and club dates through the end of September. Back in the U.S. Soccer Mommy performed at the Pavement museum in New York City on Oct. 1 — covering three Pavement songs. Sophie talks a bit about Pavement and ‘90s indie rock, a few other bands she covers, how she approaches building a setlist, writing songs on the road and much more.  Links: Soccer Mommy's home page Soccer Mommy at Setlist.fm Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic Glenn Peoples @ Twitter Billboard podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Okt 202231min

Nick Hexum and Chad Sexton are from the rock band 311. Hexum, lead singer and guitarist, and Sexton, drummer, helped form the band in Omaha, Nebraska in 1988. The group's third album, 311 (the blue album) from 1995, made them famous on radio and MTV success of the songs "Down" and "All Mixed Up." The follow-up, Transistor from 1997, reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart and produced three tracks that charted on various radio charts, the title track, "Prisoner" and "Beautiful Disaster." Over the decades, 311 has made a name for themselves through their energetic live shows that showcase the band's mix of rock, metal, funk and reggae. With 13 studio albums in its catalog, and the ability to bust out a cover song such as The Cure's "Love Song" or Human Rights' "Who's Got the Herb?," the number of songs they might play in a given year has crossed 100, Hexum tells Behind the Setlist. In 2022, 311 is performing six albums in their entity on stage. The first two performances were the albums Music and Grassroots in New York City on Oct. 1 and 2. In Chicago on Oct. 22 and 23, the band will play Blue and Transistor. In Los Angeles on Nov. 11 and 12, they will perform Sound System and From Chaos. Each show will be live-streamed. Go to 311streamsystem.com for information about purchasing streams and merchandise packages. Links: Billboard's podcast page Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic Glenn Peoples @ Twitter 311's official website 311 concert history at Setlist.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Okt 202235min