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Life of the Record

Life of the Record / Talkhouse

Classic albums, told by the people who made them.

music music interviews

All Episodes

119:05

The Making of #1 RECORD by Big Star - featuring Jody...

Life of the Record ·

2022/07/29

For the 50th anniversary of Big Star’s iconic debut, #1 RECORD, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens had taken recording classes from Ardent Studios owner, John Fry, they began to learn the art of recording. John Fry generously allowed them to use the studio during the night as they recorded under the names, Icewater and Rock City. Meanwhile, Alex Chilton had quit the Box Tops and was living in New York City before deciding to return to his

77:26

The Making of CELEBRATION ROCK by Japandroids -...

Life of the Record ·

2022/06/05

For the 10th anniversary of Japandroids’ second album, CELEBRATION ROCK, we take a detailed look at how the record was made. After the unlikely success of their debut album, POST-NOTHING, Japandroids found themselves leaving their hometown of Vancouver to tour the world and play to much larger audiences than they ever dreamed of. The expectations for their second album began to build as the band felt tremendous pressure to deliver a followup record that proved they weren’t just a one-hit wonder. In

80:42

The Making of 3 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS IN THE...

Life of the Record ·

2022/03/24

For the 30th anniversary of the 2x Grammy Award winning group, Arrested Development’s, pioneering debut album, 3 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF…, Speech joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After getting his start in a high school hip hop group in Milwaukee called Attack, Speech left for more opportunities in Atlanta. He connected with Headliner at The Art Institute of Atlanta and the two of them formed Arrested Development, gradually adding group members, Aerle Taree,

81:39

The Making of HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER?...

Life of the Record ·

2022/03/07

For the 15th anniversary of the landmark of Montreal album, HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER?, Kevin Barnes joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After of Montreal had already released multiple albums by this point, Barnes had mostly been writing in a conceptual and fantastical style as a way to avoid writing personal songs. For HISSING FAUNA, Barnes decided to write autobiographically about the difficulties they were experiencing in their personal life during this period

68:12

The Making of PERFECT FROM NOW ON by Built to Spill -...

Life of the Record ·

2022/01/28

For the 25th anniversary of Built to Spill’s astonishing third album, PERFECT FROM NOW ON, Doug Martsch joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After Built to Spill released their first two records on indie labels, they ended up signing with Warner Bros. for their third album. Signing with a major label left Martsch feeling conflicted but inspired to experiment in the studio and was determined to make an ambitious album that deserved to be heard by a larger audience. Martsch’s

52:32

The Making of ONE YEAR - featuring Colin Blunstone

Life of the Record ·

2022/01/11

For the 50th anniversary of the baroque pop classic, ONE YEAR, Colin Blunstone looks back on the unique circumstances around how his first solo album was made. After the end of The Zombies, a band he formed as a teenager with Rod Argent, Hugh Grundy, Paul Atkinson and Paul Arnold, Blunstone found himself unsure about continuing in the music business. The Zombies had recorded ODESSEY AND ORACLE at Abbey Road Studios in 1967, but the initial singles failed to generate interest so the band called it

111:53

The Making of MIC CITY SONS by Heatmiser - featuring...

Life of the Record ·

2021/10/29

For the 25th anniversary of Heatmiser’s third and final album, MIC CITY SONS, Neil Gust, Tony Lash and Sam Coomes talk openly and in detail about the unique circumstances around how this record was made. When Heatmiser embarked on recording their third album, it was a huge turning point for the band, as they signed a deal with a major label and began building their own studio. Elliott Smith was starting to have success as a solo artist and was coming into his own with songwriting and recording,

129:11

The Making of JOHN PRINE (Self-Titled) - featuring...

Life of the Record ·

2021/09/23

For the 50th anniversary of John Prine’s debut album, we take a detailed look at the extraordinary circumstances of how this record came to be. In this episode, John’s older brother, Dave Prine, describes the shocking moment when he realized his brother’s staggering talent. Erin Osmon, author of the forthcoming 33 1/3 book about this album, takes us through John’s discovery story and how he first made an impact at folk clubs in Chicago before being discovered by Kris Kristofferson and Jerry Wexler

72:54

The Making of CIVILIAN by Wye Oak - featuring Jenn...

Life of the Record ·

2021/08/31

In celebration of the 10th anniversary, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack reflect on the writing and recording of the third Wye Oak album, CIVILIAN. In this episode, they describe this intense period as a young band when they were taking every touring opportunity available and were getting burnt out by working constantly. For CIVILIAN, they were moving out of their comfort zone with recording as they sought help beyond their tight knit Baltimore community and went to Dallas to have the record mixed by John

71:00

The Making of THE SOPHTWARE SLUMP by Grandaddy -...

Life of the Record ·

2021/07/27

In this episode, Jason Lytle reflects on the process of making Grandaddy's second album, THE SOPHTWARE SLUMP. Jason talks about being "a man with a mission" while holing up in a farmhouse outside of their hometown of Modesto, California and tracking and mixing nearly everything himself. During this era when bands were starting to record themselves, Jason describes how he was obsessively buying gear and learning the craft of recording while being inspired to experiment after hearing Radiohead's OK

62:36

The Making of MOUNT EERIE by the Microphones -...

Life of the Record ·

2021/06/08

In this episode, Phil Elverum reflects on the experience of making MOUNT EERIE, the last album made under the Microphones name before adopting Mount Eerie as his project name. Phil gets into the process of taking a different approach from his previous album, THE GLOW PT. 2, and conceiving of a theatrical story about death and transformation. As his final album recorded in Olympia, Phil talks about embracing collaboration and enlisting friends from the Pacific Northwest music scene, including Mirah

64:09

The Making of THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE by Low -...

Life of the Record ·

2021/04/20

For the 20th anniversary, Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk reflect on the making of the classic Low album, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE.After Low had made several records in their signature slow and minimal style, they were beginning to expand their sound while recognizing the possibilities of the studio. For THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, Low took their time recording with Steve Albini in Chicago and later enhancing the recordings with Tom Herbers in Minneapolis. The recordings represented a turning point

65:41

The Making of LIGHT GREEN LEAVES by Little Wings -...

Life of the Record ·

2021/03/02

In this episode, Kyle Field reflects on the experience of making LIGHT GREEN LEAVES, Little Wings’ second album for K Records. Kyle gets into the process of conceiving of a record about the fall and ambitiously deciding to make three completely different versions of the album for three different formats. As Kyle reflects on the writing and recording of each song from the album, we’ll hear a detailed look at his creative process. From moving to the Pacific Northwest on a quest, to living in a house

55:22

The Making of ONE MISSISSIPPI - featuring Brendan Benson

Life of the Record ·

2021/01/12

For the 25th Anniversary, Brendan Benson looks back on the process of making his debut album, ONE MISSISSIPPI. In this episode, Brendan Benson reflects on the experience of unexpectedly being signed to a major label at a young age and all of the pressures that came along with that. After initially recording 4-track cassette demos with Jason Falkner, Brendan takes us through the process of making the record in New Orleans, controversially scrapping it, and then remaking the record again in San

97:02

The Making of PLEASED TO MEET ME by the Replacements...

Life of the Record ·

2020/11/18

In celebration of the PLEASED TO MEET ME Deluxe Edition, we look back at the unique circumstances around how the record was created. Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, offers a detailed perspective of this uncertain period when the Replacements entered Ardent Studios after splitting with guitarist Bob Stinson. Luther Dickinson, son of the late producer, Jim Dickinson, reflects on his father’s contribution to the album, as well as his own experience of joining the

90:17

The Making of ELLIOTT SMITH (Self-Titled) - featuring...

Life of the Record ·

2020/08/28

For the 25th Anniversary, Elliott Smith’s friends and collaborators, including Larry Crane, JJ Gonson, Tony Lash, Slim Moon and Leslie Uppinghouse, offer a unique oral history of how the Self-Titled record was created. With many new details that have never been heard before, Tony Lash and Leslie Uppinghouse describe the DIY processes that Elliott used while recording songs at their homes. From Elliott teaching himself how to play cello, to using cracked and out of tune guitars, to calling family

46:57

The Making of PENTHOUSE by Luna - featuring Dean Wareham

Life of the Record ·

2020/04/21

For the 25th Anniversary, Dean Wareham looks back on the process of making Luna’s third record, PENTHOUSE. In this episode, Dean Wareham reflects on recording at Sorcerer Studios in New York City with engineer Mario Salvati and producer Pat McCarthy. Dean Wareham gets into the process of pushing for better performances, major label pressure, the grunge era and working with Tom Verlaine.

39:25

The Making of ESCONDIDA - featuring Jolie Holland

Life of the Record ·

2019/11/19

For the 15th Anniversary, Jolie Holland looks back on her first studio album, ESCONDIDA. In this episode, Jolie Holland reflects on recording in the redwoods with Lemon DeGeorge and her band of San Francisco musicians. Jolie Holland gets into the process of going from the lo-fi aesthetics of Catalpa to the studio environment and finding new fans like Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois along the way.

40:12

The Making of BOWS & ARROWS by The Walkmen -...

Life of the Record ·

2019/11/19

For the 15th Anniversary, Paul Maroon, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer look back on writing, recording and touring the classic Walkmen record, BOWS & ARROWS. In this episode, members of The Walkmen reflect on recording in the south during a hurricane, opening for Incubus after 9/11, a tiger balm incident with Hamilton Leithauser, and the contentious process behind their biggest song, "The Rat."

33:38

The Making of ÁGAETIS BYRJUN by Sigur Rós - featuring...

Life of the Record ·

2019/11/19

For the 20th Anniversary, Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Rós looks back on the writing and recording of their breakthrough album, ÁGÆTIS BYRJUN. In this episode, Kjartan Sveinsson reflects on being an undiscovered, ambitious band in Iceland, working day jobs while recording at night, finding inspiration in broken equipment and rudimentary software, and repurposing bass riffs from Nirvana.

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