World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

At the heart of the Brooklyn based four piece, Guards, is Richie Follin, whose other notable projects include The Willowz, the band behind the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, and he also played guitar in Cults with his sister Madeline Follin. Guards have released an acclaimed EP and numerous singles, but their long awaited full length, In Guards We Trust, is just out this month. In this interview, Follin talks about his early exposure to the life of a musician with a stepdad who played in White Zombie, explains why Guards put off recording their debut.

The Virginia based band, The Last Bison includes siblings Ben and Annah Hardesty and their father Dan, draws on Appalachian and classical influences for a sound they call mountain top chamber music. The group released their debut, Quill, in 2011 and an EP last October in anticipation of their full length, Inheritance, which is coming soon. Ben is the lead singer and writer in the band, and in this interview he discusses how his family started playing together and the story behind The Last Bisons breakthrough song, Switzerland.

The Baltimore based duo of instrumentalist Alex Scally and singer Victoria Legrand arrived in 2005 with their atmospheric pop sound. It was Teen Dream five years later that brought Beach House major critical and fan acclaim, and now the pair has followed up with Bloom. In this interview, Scally discusses the distinct roles he and Legrand play in the creative process, and explains how they dealt with high expectations given the popularity of their last album.

With their eclectic influences, alt-rock outfit Camper Van Beethoven led by David Lowery, also of Cracker, was a staple of college radio stations in the 80s. Its been nine years since Camper Van Beethovens last album, and the new one, called La Costa Perdida, or the lost coast, channels the groups northern California roots. In this interview, Lowery explains how the bands hometown of Santa Cruz inspired the record, and discuss what caused the bands initial split and many breaks over the years.

At the heart of the Brooklyn based four piece, Guards, is Richie Follin, whose other notable projects include The Willowz, the band behind the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, and he also played guitar in Cults with his sister Madeline Follin. Guards have released an acclaimed EP and numerous singles, but their long awaited full length, In Guards We Trust, is just out this month. In this interview, Follin talks about his early exposure to the life of a musician with a stepdad who played in White Zombie, explains why Guards put off recording their debut.

With their eclectic influences, alt-rock outfit Camper Van Beethoven led by David Lowery, also of Cracker, was a staple of college radio stations in the 80s. Its been nine years since Camper Van Beethovens last album, and the new one, called La Costa Perdida, or the lost coast, channels the groups northern California roots. In this interview, Lowery explains how the bands hometown of Santa Cruz inspired the record, and discuss what caused the bands initial split and many breaks over the years.

At the heart of the Brooklyn based four piece, Guards, is Richie Follin, whose other notable projects include The Willowz, the band behind the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, and he also played guitar in Cults with his sister Madeline Follin. Guards have released an acclaimed EP and numerous singles, but their long awaited full length, In Guards We Trust, is just out this month. In this interview, Follin talks about his early exposure to the life of a musician with a stepdad who played in White Zombie, explains why Guards put off recording their debut.

With their eclectic influences, alt-rock outfit Camper Van Beethoven led by David Lowery, also of Cracker, was a staple of college radio stations in the 80s. Its been nine years since Camper Van Beethovens last album, and the new one, called La Costa Perdida, or the lost coast, channels the groups northern California roots. In this interview, Lowery explains how the bands hometown of Santa Cruz inspired the record, and discuss what caused the bands initial split and many breaks over the years.

At the heart of the Brooklyn based four piece, Guards, is Richie Follin, whose other notable projects include The Willowz, the band behind the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack, and he also played guitar in Cults with his sister Madeline Follin. Guards have released an acclaimed EP and numerous singles, but their long awaited full length, In Guards We Trust, is just out this month. In this interview, Follin talks about his early exposure to the life of a musician with a stepdad who played in White Zombie, explains why Guards put off recording their debut.

In addition to leading one of rock s most beloved jam bands, Phish, Trey Anastasio has built a successful solo career over the past ten years with the Trey Anastasio Band. His latest release, _Traveler_, was produced by Peter Katis and features guest performances by members of The National and Mates of State. In this interview, Anastasio discusses the song Valentine, one of the first songs he wrote after getting sober, and talks about the upcoming Broadway musical he co composed, called Hands on a Hardbody.

R and B singer Cody ChesnuTT s second album, Landing on a Hundred, is the decade later response to his solo debut, The Headphone Masterpiece, and The Seed, his hit song in collaboration with The Roots. Now ChesnuTT is back with a magnificent new collection recorded at the storied Royal Studios in Memphis. In this interview, ChesnuTT explains how this disc was born out of a short European tour with local Florida artists, and why he titled the album Landing on a Hundred.

Host David Dye gets a visit from Nick Waterhouse. This young California singer songwriters aesthetic is inspired by music made fifty years before he was born. After a couple years of writing and recording songs that channel 50s and 60s R and B, Waterhouse recently released his debut full-length, Times All Gone. In this interview, he plays for us live and talks about his musical upbringing, and Waterhouse will explain his avoidance of audio manipulation, recording the album as live as possible.

Singer songwriter Ben Schneider is the creative force behind the Lord Huron, the band, which started as a recording project at his home in Michigan on Lake Huron. Two EPs later, Lord Huron signed to IAMSOUND Records and released their first full length album last month called, Lonesome Dreams. In this interview, Schneider talks about the themes that run through the collection, and he explains how he first gained attention, handing out his EP to bloggers at a music festival and plays live.

Allen Stone, a pastors son from Washington state got his start singing in church, but fell in love with secular music, like Stevie Wonder, in his teens. Stone has since become known for his mix of R and B and soul with folk inspired lyrics, which is showcased on his self titled debut album. In this interview, Stone talks about his religious upbringing, and he discusses how his music fits into the modern R and B scene.

On this edition of World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN, host David Dye welcomes Father John Misty. In a departure from his work with Fleet Foxes and his solo singer songwriter catalog, Josh Tillman has taken the Father John Misty moniker for his powerful new rock project. The album, Fear Fun, is a World Cafe favorite of the year, with sardonic, very honest songs inspired by his relocation to Los Angeles from Seattle. In this interview, Tillman talks about some of the characters that appear in his music, and he explains how the record grew out of an attempt to write a novel.