Kyle Meredith With...

Of Montreal singer-songwriter Kevin Barnes calls Kyle Meredith to detail the outfit’s latest record, UR FUN. Together, they dig into its '80s influences, especially the sounds of Cyndia Lauper, Janet Jackson, and the mid-decade pop era. Barnes also connects the political climate of that time to what’s currently happening in Congress, and how those bigger themes find their way through many of these songs. The psychedelic-pop wizard also talks about combining references of art and pop culture into biographical moments, living with dissociative disorder, and simultaneously producing Locate S,1’s new album, resulting in a sister record to UR FUN. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

After 29 years, The Psychedelic Furs have returned with a brand new album, Made of Rain. Co-founder Tim Butler speaks with Kyle Meredith about the reason for the absence of new music, finding new fans while catering to older ones alike, and gathering influence from bands who were originally influenced by the Furs. Butler also talks about this new set having more band input than ever before, bringing Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus to co-produce, and looking toward David Essex as a touchpoint for one of the songs. March 2020 also marks the 40th anniversary of the band’s self-titled debut, and Butler takes us back to 1980 to discuss what it was like coming from the punk era into a post- world. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Caribou mastermind Dan Snaith speaks with Kyle Meredith about his new album Suddenly. The songwriter discusses the differences in where he left off musically on 2016’s Our Love to produce a set inspired by Alternative R&B and classic soul. Snaith also details how the album began by whittling down over 900 draft ideas, working with his best friend/sounding board Four Tet, and creating an album with loss as a central theme without creating something sad. We also get a preview on what to expect from the forthcoming tour, which will feature some grand visual elements. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Nathaniel Rateliff rings up Kyle Meredith to discuss his latest album, And It’s Still Alright, which finds the “S.O.B.” artist returning to his singer-songwriter roots. Rateliff details how much of the writing came after the latest Night Sweats LP where he could look at his recent divorce with the clarity of a little more time. It was around then that his friend and longtime producer Richard Swift passed away, which gave the resulting songs even more weight. Still, Rateliff says that the main attraction of the new record is hope and dissects how to find the light in songs draped in darkness. On the much lighter side of life, we also hear about him teaming up with WIllie Nelson on their own cannabis line, as well as what opening for The Rolling Stones is like. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Mike Campbell gives Kyle Meredith a call to discuss Wreckless Abandon, his debut album with The Dirty Knobs. The Heartbreakers co-founder gives us the history of the project, which stretches back over a decade, and talks about what it was like to play nearly-secret live shows with an unknown band that carried no hits to fall back on. We also hear about collaborating with Chris Stapleton on "Fuck That Guy" and the story behind the title track. Campbell says that he would have liked to have seen what Tom Petty would have brought to some of these songs, and sounds hopeful in recording with the other surviving members sometime in the future. As far as his other day job as the new guitarist in Fleetwood Mac, Campbell says that he'd like to do an album instead of only live shows, but that might have to wait until Stevie Nicks does her Rhiannon film. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Lisa Loeb gives Kyle Meredith a call to discuss her latest album, A Simple Trick To Happiness. Her first true-blue adult album in over a decade, the singer-songwriter explains what she brought over from her string of children's albums, why she's focusing on more piano-driven music, and how she's finding inspiration from 70's artists like Elton John and Carole King. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of her major label debut, Tales, so we head back to 1995 to hear about the making of that album and how the single "Do You Sleep" was proof that she was more than a one-hit wonder. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Zac Brown gives Kyle Meredith a call to detail his two new records: The Owl features the Zac Brown Band, while The Controversy is billed as his first solo pop album. Both albums showcase an artist stretching out into new sounds and working with some of pop's biggest producers, including Max Martin, Benny Blano, Ryan Tedder, and Skrillex. Brown gives us details into why he chose to take this direction, his need to explore, and some of the comments that critics and purists have given in response. In fact, one of these songs in particular, "God Given", has received the brunt of the backlash, but Brown says it's a song that been extremely misunderstood and uses this opportunity to clear the air. We also hear about covering The Wood Brothers, collaborating with Brandi Carlile on "Finish What We Started", and his plans to release songs in "little batches" as the band goes forward. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Walter Martin jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to dive into the details behind his new album, The World At Night. The co-founder of The Walkmen discusses writing much of the new record as a tribute to Stewart Lupton, his childhood friend and collaborator in Jonathan Fire Eater, which more or less launched the NYC indie scene of the late '90s/early '00s. We also hear about Martin's penchant for using animals, nature, and theatrics in his songs, writing "Do-Dilly-Do" for Missing Link, his day job writing commercial jingles, and the 20th anniversary of The Walkmen ("maybe we'll get some sushi"). For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Drive-By Truckers co-lead Patterson Hood speaks with Kyle Meredith about the band's latest LP, The Unraveling. The Athens, GA group found themselves writing arguably their darkest record, an unintended follow up to 2016's American Band that surveys the political landscape in real time. Hood talks about the difficulty of explaining the latest headlines to his kids, from school shootings to our own government putting babies in cages. We also hear how the song "21st Century USA" became a turning point in Hood's writing, the ridiculous nature of "flat-earthers", and the extremely important need to get Mitch McConnell out of government. On the lighter side, we also hear about recording in Sam Phillips' Memphis studio and making music to match the lyrics in the way you'd score a film. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Derek Sanders chats with Kyle Meredith about his debut solo EP, My Rock and Roll Heart, which finds the Mayday Parade lead singer recording acoustic covers from Saves The Day, Something Corporate, and The Juliana Theory. The title itself comes from Jimmy Eat World's "A Praise Chorus", which gives the two a chance to discuss the genius of the Bleed American record. Sanders also remembers the Tallahassee scene that gave him his start, local legends But Lauren, and how 20 years on, emo and punk-pop are having their comeback run. Sanders also shares what to expect from his solo shows, details the plan for more of these solo EPs, gives us an update on the next Mayday Parade record, and if the band will be getting involved in the campaign season. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

The Naked and Famous guest on the latest Kyle Meredith With... to discuss their latest release, Recover, a record that finds them once again becoming a duo after a decade of various lineups. Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers expand on the the new LP's darker patches, including Powers having a near-death experience after a bout of sepsis, and the moment that love meets mortality. And with their debut album Passive Me Aggressive You turning 10 this year, we also hear about the importance of that breakthrough record in their lives and plans to celebrate. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Silverstein singer Shane Told jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to dish about the band's latest LP, A Beautiful Place To Drown, which arrives on the emo-metal group's 20th anniversary. Told discusses writing on synth and employing saxophone for the first time, knowing when to scream, and the importance of hope in a set of otherwise despair-filled lyrics. The new record takes a hard look at mental health and mass anxiety surrounding the current landscape, and even gives a history lesson on the Vietnam draft in a song called "Sept. 14". We also get to hear about the album's guests, which includes Aaron Gillespie from Underoath and Princess Nokia. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Dave Clark of The Dave Clark Five gives Kyle Meredith a call to talk about the band's new compilation, All The Hits, which finds the legendary group's songs on vinyl for the first time in decades, remixed and remastered at Abbey Road Studios. On that topic, Clark dispels the long-running notion that there was ever a rivalry between the DC5 and The Beatles. We also hear about taking on their record label to release "Because" as a single, the Coast To Coast LP (fun fact: "Any Way You Want It" was the final song the Ramones ever played live), and the untold story behind "Universal Love", which was brought out of the vaults to close out this collection. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Poliça vocalist Channy Leaneagh speaks with Kyle Meredith about the band's new record, When We Stay Alive, and the 10 ft. fall from a rooftop that left her temporarily paralyzed while writing the songs. Leaneagh discusses the identities of her own character both before and after the event, the idea of mentally rewriting her own history as an act of coping, and using that same concept in all of our lives to process the larger cultural environment. We also hear how her involvement in Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner's People (37d03d) collective has changed the way she approaches writing, and her recent collaborations with Boys Noize and Lane 8. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

Hollywood Undead’s Johnny 3 Tears gives Kyle Meredith a shout to discuss the band's latest LP, New Empire Vol. 1. The first of two concept albums finds the band in a much heavier setting than usual, a move that 3 Tears argues comes during a time of reimagining that goes beyond the music and even involves the members leaving their trademark face-masks behind. The two also take some time to talk about the resurgence in metal as a popular genre and the importance of its scene. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy