Kyle Meredith With… Podcast
Jon Batiste and Nabil Ayers on Black Lives Matter, Protests, and Change Across the Music Industry
Kyle Meredith With… Jon Baptiste and Nabil Ayers Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Jon Batiste, band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Nabil Ayers, the US general manager for 4AD, both join Kyle Meredith to discuss how Black Lives Matter has affected their work and the entire music industry. Batiste talks about leading protests on the streets of New York and the importance of voting in the upcoming election. While Ayers discusses his recent New York Times article about Ed Eckstine, the first black person appointed president of a major U.S. record label, the industry’s approach to Blackout Tuesday, and the autobiography he’s working on about his own history in the bus...
Billy Hardison and The Head and the Heart’s Tyler Williams on How to Save Live Music for the Future
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public With the COVID-19 pandemic putting upwards of 90% of independent venues in danger of closing forever, it’s become vitally important for Congress to pass a relief bill to aid our most beloved rooms and the music community at large. To get some insight on the matter, Kyle Meredith speaks Billy Hardison, Kentucky’s precinct captain for the recently formed National Independent Venue Association, and artist Tyler Williams, drummer for The Head & The Heart. Together, they discuss what it’s been like to run their respective businesses during a global quarantine and pandemic, and what the dangers of our present and future could mean for live music in the long run. Strea...
The Youngbloods’ Jesse Colin Young on Why He Re-Recorded “Get Together” with Steve Miller
Kyle Meredith With… Jesse Colin Young Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Legendary founder of The Youngbloods Jesse Colin Young speaks with Kyle Meredith about re-recording the ’60s anthem “Get Together” to help feed hungry people through a partnership with SongAid and Why Hunger. Young tells us about tapping his friend Steve Miller to join him on the new version, the meaning of releasing the track on Juneteenth, and how the song speaks to now as much as it did during the original counterculture era. The songwriter also discusses last year’s comeback record, Dreamers, and how he’s continued to write about injustices throughout his 60-year career. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview s...
The Jayhawks on Depression, Anxiety, and the 24-Hour News Cycle
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public The Jayhawks lead man Gary Louris speaks with Kyle Meredith about XOXO. The new album finds the Americana legends heavily collaborating and features each member on the mic for lead vocals. Louris discusses the album’s artwork; themes of depression, anxiety, and the 24-hour news cycle; and life in Minneapolis since the murder of George Floyd. Louris also says the band could have recorded 30 records if the industry allowed them, but teases a finished solo album. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep into the artist’s work to find out how th...
Jehnny Beth on the Inspiration of Carl Sagan and Henry Rollins
Kyle Meredith With… Jehnny Beth Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jehnny Beth calls up Kyle Meredith to speak about To Live Is To Love. The Savages frontwoman discusses working with Nine Inch Nails’ Atticus Ross and taking inspiration from Carl Sagan and Henry Rollins. Beth also dives into the LP’s themes of guilt, sexuality, and religion, while noting that “the core of the record is my shameful faults.” The French multimedia artist also talks about how her many projects intersect, including the record’s companion book, CALM: Crimes Against Love Memories. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and...
Jimmy Buffett Says Fans Still Tailgating for Quarantine Shows
Kyle Meredith With… Jimmy Buffett Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jimmy Buffett sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about Life On the Flip Side, an album that found the legendary performer at No. 2 on the album charts behind Lady Gaga. Buffett discusses balancing heavy subjects with humor in his songs, the influence of Bob Marley, how the melting pot of the Gulf area plays such a big role in his work, and the importance of music as a part of social change. The Margaritaville author also speaks about writing about royalty checks in a new track, playing live stream shows for front line workers and how fans are still tailgating for the quarantine performances. Kyle Meredith With… is an intervi...
Wang Chung on Rewriting Old Hits for New Times
Kyle Meredith With… Wang Chung Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Wang Chung founder Nick Feldman spoke with Kyle Meredith about the band’s involvement in last month’s Back to the Basement fundraiser, which found several ’80s stars live streaming to raise funds for frontline workers. The duo also rewrote one of their biggest hits — re-dubbed “Everybody Stay Safe Tonight” — to not only reflect the pandemic, but also speak to the BLM protests. The new wave legend also weighs in on how their songs have soundtracked Hollywood, last year’s Orchesography, more orchestral live shows, and the release of their long-awaited Clear Light Dark Matter compilation for later this year. Kyle Meredith With… is a...
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James on The Waterfall II, Another New Album, and Justice for Breonna Taylor
Kyle Meredith With… My Morning Jacket Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public After a brief hiatus, My Morning Jacket have returned with their first record in five years, The Waterfall II. Frontman Jim James calls up Kyle Meredith to discuss why they sat on this other half of songs for so long and how the world has changed in the interim. One of the songs, “Magic Bullet”, was originally released in response to a 2016 gun-related killing, and James discusses what the song means today with his hometown of Louisville at the center of a similar story involving the murder of Breonna Taylor. James also talks about the water concept that flows throughout the set, producing S.G. Goodman’s record, and — get ...
Jeremy Zucker on the Concept Behind Love Is Not Dying
Kyle Meredith With… Jeremy Zucker Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jeremy Zucker calls Kyle Meredith to discuss Love Is Not Dying, a concept album about being in a relationship with someone battling addiction and mental health. Zucker speaks on the therapy of writing, coupling overwhelming beauty with the apocalypse, and balancing love and death. On the music side, the 24-year-old New Jersey native discusses using guitars meaningfully, teaching himself piano as he was writing the songs, and the success he’s found around the world. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs d...
Dreamers on Being Influenced by Nirvana and Sci-Fi
Kyle Meredith With… Dreamers Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Dreamers frontman Nick Wold calls into Kyle Meredith With… to talk about the band’s latest single “Heatseeker” and the alternate version that features their friend Grandson. In fact, it’s not the first time the two have collaborated, having teamed up earlier this year for Grandson’s “Whole Lotta”, which inspired Wold to take a more philosophical and political turn within his own lyrics. Wold discusses what this new phase for the band means for his upcoming songs, taking influence from Nirvana and Royal Blood to go heavier, his love of sci-fi, and learning to play piano during this downtime. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview...
Paul Weller on How People Change and Systems Stay the Same
Kyle Meredith With… Paul Weller Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Paul Weller rings Kyle Meredith to discuss his 15th studio album, On Sunset. The Jam singer-songwriter talks about his ability to write in multiple genres, enjoying the freedom to experiment in the studio, and the importance of not repeating himself. Regarding the lyrical themes, Weller dissects how people change but the systems stay the same, how he keeps positivity in the face of extreme turmoil, and how a trip to LA’s famous Sunset Strip resulted in a rare moment of nostalgia and looking back. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, We...
Jefferson Starship on 45 Years of Red Octopus
Kyle Meredith With… Jefferson Starship Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public Jefferson Starship member David Freiberg jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to discuss the 45th anniversary of the band’s sophomore album, Red Octopus. The singer and multi-instrumentalist talks about the variation of styles heard on the record, how the band kept a family environment amidst a revolving door of members, and how “Miracle” became an unlikely hit. Freiberg then goes on to give us a scoop on the band’s upcoming album Mother of the Sun — their first since 2008 — and its first two singles: one of which was written by the retired Grace Slick and the other a tribute to founding member Paul Kantner. Kyle Meredith With...
