Song Exploder
Song Exploder
Song Exploder
Song Exploder
Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.
Wednesday 18 May 2022 : Kevin Morby is a singer and songwriter based in Kansas City. He’s put out seven albums since 2013, including his most recent one, This is...
Wednesday 04 May 2022 : Arooj Aftab is a singer and composer based in Brooklyn. She grew up in Saudi Arabia, but her family is from Pakistan. And earlier this year,...
Wednesday 20 April 2022 : This week, I want to introduce you to another podcast that I make, called Partners. It’s a show about partnerships that was born out of...
Wednesday 06 April 2022 : Peaches is a musician, producer, and performance artist. She’s released six albums and in 2015, she won the Polaris Heritage Music...
Wednesday 23 March 2022 : Steve Reich is a legendary composer who was one of the pioneers of minimalism. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and the New York...
Wednesday 09 March 2022 : This week, I want to revisit one of my favorite episodes of Song Exploder, with Perfume Genius telling the story of making Slip Away. This...
Wednesday 23 February 2022 : Sarah Kinsley is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Her most recent release is an EP called The King, which came out in 2021....
Wednesday 09 February 2022 : Brandi Carlile is a singer and songwriter from Washington State. She's released seven albums and won six Grammys. Her most recent album is...
Wednesday 26 January 2022 : The band Franz Ferdinand formed in 2002, in Glasgow, Scotland. They’ve won the Mercury Prize and two BRIT Awards, they have five Grammy...
Wednesday 12 January 2022 : Joy Oladokun is a singer and songwriter from Arizona, now based in Nashville, who’s been releasing music since 2015. Last year, she was...
Wednesday 15 December 2021 : Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in 1993. It’s a stop-motion animated musical, with music by legendary composer...
Wednesday 01 December 2021 : Halsey is an award-winning singer and songwriter from New Jersey. She's been nominated for two Grammys, and sold over a million records. In...
Wednesday 17 November 2021 : The movie Dune was released on October 21. It's the most recent adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic science fiction novel from 1965. The film...
Wednesday 03 November 2021 : The War on Drugs is a band from Philadelphia who formed in 2005. They won the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2018. This year, they put out...
Wednesday 20 October 2021 : Willow Smith is a singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. She’s also a member of one of the most famous families in the world. From a very...
Wednesday 13 October 2021 : This summer, I gave a TED Talk at the TED Conference. My talk was about what you discover when you really listen. It was based on how making...
Wednesday 06 October 2021 : Earlier this year, I got an amazing email—the estate of John Lennon said that they have a treasure trove of audio material from his life,...
Wednesday 22 September 2021 : Lucy Dacus is a singer and songwriter from Richmond, Virginia. She put out her first album in 2016, and in 2018 she formed the band...
Wednesday 08 September 2021 : Mustafa is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Toronto. He gained national recognition in Canada for his poetry. in 2016, he served on Prime...
Wednesday 25 August 2021 : Lykke Li is a singer and songwriter from Sweden. She started releasing music in 2007, and for much of her career, she’s worked with...
Wednesday 11 August 2021 : Singer, songwriter, and producer James Mercer of The Shins wrote “New Slang” when he was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It came out...
Wednesday 28 July 2021 : The song "Surrender" by Cheap Trick was released in 1978. Rolling Stone called it the ultimate 70s teen anthem, and included it in their...
Wednesday 14 July 2021 : The story of how the song "Deep End" came into existence and became a hit is kind of wild. One person who really didn’t see it coming is...
Wednesday 30 June 2021 : AURORA is a singer and songwriter from Norway, who released her first EP in 2015, when she was 19 years old. It featured the song, "Runaway"...
Wednesday 16 June 2021 : Sparks are the brothers Ron and Russell Mael, a legendary duo from Los Angeles. Over the last 50 years, they’ve released 25 albums....
Song Exploder
Song Exploder
Kevin Morby - This Is a Photograph
Kevin Morby is a singer and songwriter based in Kansas City. He’s put out seven albums since 2013, including his most recent one, This is...
Arooj Aftab - Mohabbat
Arooj Aftab is a singer and composer based in Brooklyn. She grew up in Saudi Arabia, but her family is from Pakistan. And earlier this year,...
Partners: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
This week, I want to introduce you to another podcast that I make, called Partners. It’s a show about partnerships that was born out of...
Peaches - Boys Wanna Be Her
Peaches is a musician, producer, and performance artist. She’s released six albums and in 2015, she won the Polaris Heritage Music...
Steve Reich - Different Trains: America, Before the War
Steve Reich is a legendary composer who was one of the pioneers of minimalism. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and the New York...
Reissue: Perfume Genius - Slip Away
This week, I want to revisit one of my favorite episodes of Song Exploder, with Perfume Genius telling the story of making Slip Away. This...
Sarah Kinsley - The King
Sarah Kinsley is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Her most recent release is an EP called The King, which came out in 2021....
Brandi Carlile - You and Me On the Rock (feat. Lucius)
Brandi Carlile is a singer and songwriter from Washington State. She's released seven albums and won six Grammys. Her most recent album is...
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
The band Franz Ferdinand formed in 2002, in Glasgow, Scotland. They’ve won the Mercury Prize and two BRIT Awards, they have five Grammy...
Joy Oladokun - Look Up
Joy Oladokun is a singer and songwriter from Arizona, now based in Nashville, who’s been releasing music since 2015. Last year, she was...
Danny Elfman - What’s This? (from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”)
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in 1993. It’s a stop-motion animated musical, with music by legendary composer...
Halsey - You Asked for This
Halsey is an award-winning singer and songwriter from New Jersey. She's been nominated for two Grammys, and sold over a million records. In...
Hans Zimmer - Dune
The movie Dune was released on October 21. It's the most recent adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic science fiction novel from 1965. The film...
The War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore (feat. Lucius)
The War on Drugs is a band from Philadelphia who formed in 2005. They won the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 2018. This year, they put out...
Willow - Transparent Soul feat. Travis Barker
Willow Smith is a singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. She’s also a member of one of the most famous families in the world. From a very...
Hrishikesh Hirway TED Talk - What You Learn When You Listen Closely
This summer, I gave a TED Talk at the TED Conference. My talk was about what you discover when you really listen. It was based on how making...
John Lennon - God
Earlier this year, I got an amazing email—the estate of John Lennon said that they have a treasure trove of audio material from his life,...
Lucy Dacus - Thumbs
Lucy Dacus is a singer and songwriter from Richmond, Virginia. She put out her first album in 2016, and in 2018 she formed the band...
Mustafa - Air Forces
Mustafa is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Toronto. He gained national recognition in Canada for his poetry. in 2016, he served on Prime...
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li is a singer and songwriter from Sweden. She started releasing music in 2007, and for much of her career, she’s worked with...
The Shins - New Slang
Singer, songwriter, and producer James Mercer of The Shins wrote “New Slang” when he was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It came out...
Cheap Trick - Surrender
The song "Surrender" by Cheap Trick was released in 1978. Rolling Stone called it the ultimate 70s teen anthem, and included it in their...
Fousheé - Deep End
The story of how the song "Deep End" came into existence and became a hit is kind of wild. One person who really didn’t see it coming is...
AURORA - Runaway
AURORA is a singer and songwriter from Norway, who released her first EP in 2015, when she was 19 years old. It featured the song, "Runaway"...
Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us
Sparks are the brothers Ron and Russell Mael, a legendary duo from Los Angeles. Over the last 50 years, they’ve released 25 albums....
