Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Paul Simon is one of the greatest living songwriters. Since debuting with Art Garfunkel in 1957, Paul Simon has written countless songs quintessential to the American psyche. This year, at 81 years old, he’s released the latest addition to his beloved catalog, Seven Psalms, to an outpouring of critical acclaim. In 2021, Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam released the audiobook, Miracle And Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon. It’s an intimate look into Simon’s songwriting alongside never-before-heard live studio versions of hits including “The Boxer," “The Sound of Silence," and “Graceland.” This fall, we'll also be releasing an updated version of the audiobook with a brand-new chapter featuring even more from Malcolm and Paul's newly-recorded deep dive into Seven Psalms, some of which you'll hear today. To celebrate the latest chapter in Paul Simon’s 65-year-career, on today’s episode Malcolm Gladwell sits back down with Paul to discuss the creation of his latest album. Paul explains why he feels music reviews are more about the writer than the piece of music being critiqued, and he talks about why many of his lyrics take a conversational bent. He also recalls how the title came to him in a dream after he considered never writing again. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Paul Simon songs HERE. Check out the Miracle And Wonder audiobook at miracleaudiobook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18 Juli 202352min

Over the course of his 35-year career, Damon Albarn has reached international fame with two very different bands. In 1988, Damon created the rock band Blur with three friends in his native London. Blur started out as what Damon calls a “classic art school band.” They quickly moved to the forefront of the ‘90s Britpop explosion along with their formal rivals, Oasis. After a series of successful albums with Blur, Damon started Gorillaz in 1998 with cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. Dubbed as the world’s first virtual band, the Gorillaz rotating lineup includes collaborations with De La Soul, Stevie Nicks, Bobby Womack and Lou Reed. The band pulls influence from electronic music, hip-hop and world music, and over the last 25 years, Gorillaz has been wildly successful—selling over 30 million albums worldwide. Despite having found such success, Damon has never stopped exploring his artistic potential. He’s written an opera, released solo and side projects, and recently, he reunited with Blur to release the band’s latest album called The Ballad Of Darren. On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Damon Albarn about what it’s like for Blur to headline international music festivals in 2023. Damon also reveals how Gorillaz are about to undergo a major paradigm shift. And he explains how, according to family lore, John Lennon and Yoko Ono first met at his dad’s counterculture art gallery in London. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Damon Albarn songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Juli 202343min

In September, Ben Gibbard, the founder of Death Cab For Cutie, will set out on a nationwide tour to celebrate the two very different albums that have come to define his career. Both albums came out in 2003. The first was called Give Up, and it was a collaboration with his friend and producer Jimmy Tamborello. They’d made it while Gibbard was taking a break from the relentless cycle of touring and releasing music with Death Cab. They called their new band The Postal Service. Give Up steadily built momentum, found critical acclaim, and eventually became Gibbard’s first platinum selling record. Musically, the Postal Service incorporated various synth and new wave-inspired elements behind Gibbard’s confessional songwriting style, which set a precedent for many of the indie releases over the following decade. Later that same year, Gibbard went back to his band roots and released Death Cab For Cuties’ breakthrough album, Transatlanticism. This fall Gibbard and his band will play both Transatlanticism and Give Up in their entirety. And today we’ll hear him play three acoustic renditions of his classic songs. On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Ben Gibbard about the conditions that led to the most successful year of his career. Gibbard also gets candid about the woman who inspired multiple songs on Transatlanticism, including the brutally honest, “Tiny Vessels.” You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Ben Gibbard songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Juli 20231h 28min

Long regarded as pop music’s resident party animal, Kesha is now dead-set on slowing down and speaking up. Since debuting on the hook of Flo-Rida’s mega smash “Right Round” in 2009, Kesha has released five albums—two of which debuted at number one. And until very recently, she was involved in a decade-long court case with her former producer and label head. Somehow despite the bitter legal battle and a public struggle with an eating disorder, Kesha has remained steadfast in sharing her art with her fans, who she affectionately refers to as her “animals.” On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Kesha about how working with Rick Rubin on her new album Gag Order provided the safe space she has longed for when making music. She also talks about how she channels Dolly Parton, Iggy Pop and Beyonce when she’s in promotional mode, and how early in her career she lived in a castle with roommate Devendra Banhart. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Kesha songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Juni 202350min

Rickie Lee Jones hit it big with her debut album in 1979. The following year she won the Grammy for Best New Artist, and over the course of the next four decades, she released numerous albums that pulled inspiration from jazz, rock, electronic music, and even musical-theater. In late April, Rickie released her latest album, Pieces Of Treasure, where she sings songs from the American songbook with a jazz slant. Producer Russ Titelman, who produced Rickie’s first two albums, reunited with her on her latest and helped inspire Rickie to find comfort in a lower register. The result is an oftentimes sultry meditation on aging and survival. On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Rickie Lee Jones about her decades-long fight to sing jazz even though she is often viewed as an outsider. She also tells stories about leaving home as a young teenager, and the abuse she endured while trying to survive on her own. And she plays songs from her career including one she wrote after seeing John Lennon appear in a dream. And just a note before we get started – this episode contains descriptions of sexual abuse, and might not be appropriate for all listeners. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Rickie Lee Jones songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Juni 20231h 3min

Singer/songwriter Caroline Rose has always been a character. Her music videos often feature Caroline as the screwball lead, navigating ambition, desire and super stardom. Now, on her latest album, The Art of Forgetting, Caroline is shedding all of the past pretense and offering up an unflinching look into her inner life in the midst of personal turmoil. The result is an album packed with clever lyricism and soaring arrangements produced by Caroline with help from Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso. On today’s episode, Broken Record producer Leah Rose talks to Caroline Rose about why she wanted to set her living room on fire for the sake of her album art. Caroline also shares an early demo of a song she wrote under a starry desert sky, and she explains how aside from herself, Caroline’s parents are her harshest critics. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Caroline Rose songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

13 Juni 202337min

Hip-hop super producer Hit-Boy has helped create some of the biggest hits of the last decade. His discography includes classic songs with Jay-Z and Kanye West, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, and Rihanna. His crowning achievement however are the series of albums he's produced for Nas including King's Disease and Magic. On today's episode Justin Richmond talks to Hit-Boy about how he recently introduced a new, but old, piece of equipment into his beat-making process. He also talks about the years-long process of making a beat on Beyonce's Renaissance, and he explains his creative process with Nas and how they have been able to lock in and create some of the best work of Nas's career. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Hit-Boy songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Juni 202359min

Moby never stops working. His first taste of mega-success came in the early aughts after the release of his multi-platinum album, Play. In the years since, he's released 19 more studio albums including his latest, Resound, NYC, where he re-orchestrates songs he recorded between 1994-2010. Moby has also spent a good deal of the last two decades unpacking his own unconventional upbringing and his meteoric rise to fame. He’s released two extensive memoirs, and he recently directed “Punk Rock Vegan Movie,” which explores the connection between two of his greatest passions: punk rock and animal rights. On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Moby about his compulsive desire to make music and why he’s cut out nearly all IRL socialization as a result. Moby also reminisces about the massive party pad he bought in upstate New York that led to years of all-out debauchery. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Moby songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Maj 202357min