(Thanks for the help on this one, Bartees Strange!). Personally, I haven’t found that old saying of “never meet your heroes” to be true. This latest episode is a beautiful example of that and it doesn’t take long for me to share my appreciation to this guest while we’re talking. Today’s pod is with the one and only Tunde Adebimpe, leader of the legendary indie rock band, TV on the Radio. Beyond that, he’s also a cartoonist, art director, music video director (go check out the video for Pin by Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and an actor; most recently appearing in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Simply put, he loves to explore his imagination, and doing so has been the prominent fixture of his life for as long as any of us can remember. This has culminated in his debut solo album, THEE BLACK BOLTZ (out this Friday via Subpop). The album features Tunde trying to make sense of the human condition, highlighting the big and small stressors of life that we can all relate to. It also (in typical Tunde fashion) sounds really fucking cool and on this latest episode of the podcast, we chat all about it.

Also, by request of Tunde, be sure to check out the works of legendary visual artist Gary Panter (through his website and Instagram).

Something that comes up quite a bit on this podcast is how particular the job of a musician is. It’s easy to focus on the sold-out shows and the admiration of fans across the world, but let’s take a sec here to really pinpoint what happens: musicians are people who go into rooms to write down how they feel, and the longer their careers go the more depth they have to utilize to achieve this task. It’s something we don’t often think about when it comes to the mechanisms and how just the sheer mental weight of doing such a thing….is actually kind of insane. These aspects of songwriting were heavily on the mind of today's guest: Lauren Mayberry, the frontwoman of Scottish synth-pop band, CHVRCHES. Both while working on the upcoming fifth CHVRCHES album and her recently released solo album, Vicious Creature. Her solo album contains so many multitudes of what it’s like to be a human being, especially one dealing with grief, anger, sadness, and the persistent desire to dance above all. We chat about all that and crucially: why does Lauren continue to write music?

The reasons for this are numerous, but in 2025, being in a rock band feels like an absurdly radical idea. In a time where people are becoming more divided, where the music industry is in shambles, one could be forgiven for thinking “Why a band?” But the beauty of that framework of a band, of four people coming together to work on a shared vision….it feels beautifully vital and poignant during a time like today. UK rock band October Drift are a shining example of this, especially with how they inadvertently subverse the ideas of what a rock band should be. They’re a band that isn’t afraid of being vulnerable, of not shying away from sensitivity and tenderness. Their latest album, Blame The Young, explores the euphoria that can come from singing your lungs out raw and being steadfast in what you believe in. Across this episode of the pod, I chatted with frontman Kiran Roy and guitarist Dan Young about the who, what, where, and why of October Drift.

Joining me for the first bonus episode of the season is an artist who knows a thing or two about growth. Wafia Al-Rikabi is an artist I’ve been a fan of for several years now. At the core of her songwriting is her ability to sing these stunning songs full of contrasts. No one infuses flecks of pop and R&B the way Wafia does, and similarly: no writes about life experience the way she does. This has all led us to her debut album, Promised Land (which is out now), a body of work that squarely explores the complexities of migration in the western world. No one would’ve blamed her if she only wrote songs about her experiences dealing with not feeling at home anywhere, and yet what’s integral to the album are the moments Wafia is reminding us that at the end of the day, she still has a life to live.

And that’s what we explore across this episode, her experiences traveling, getting her heart broken, reconnecting with family, and the attempt at trying to figure out a sense of home.

Simply put: there are not many things that could be said about Ólafur Arnalds that haven’t already been said. However, in a lot of ways, that’s where the simplicity ends, with Ólafur being the kind of creator that’s impossible to fit into a box. He’s a multi-instrumentalist from Iceland who’s also an accomplished composer, a producer, an arranger, a french fry aficionado; the guy can do it all. On this episode of the podcast, I aim to explore his “why.” Like why does he find himself driven to explore so many areas of art the way that he does, especially when it comes to collaboration.

This reminds me of Ólafur’s recent collaborations that you need to know about: his project SAGES with Swedish singer Loreen (who is also the first woman to become a two-time winner of Eurovision). There’s also the stellar track ‘We Didn’t Know We Were Ready’ which is a collaboration with a beautiful ensemble of artists, including our recently departed friend Eoin French (aka Talos). It’s mentioned in the intro, but a few months back I released a tribute episode to him, and if you’d like to listen to that you can hear it here.

(Thanks for the help on this one, Dodie!). It’s become a tradition to remark on how wild it is that we’re starting a new season, but the truth of that has not waned one bit. Having a space and a platform to showcase a wide spectrum of ideas, perspectives, and walks of life feels more vital than ever and after all these years I still get an immense level of joy at getting to share these stories with you — especially the stories of returning guests, which is the case with Wallis Bird.

Wallis was a guest back in season 6, where we released episodes that were focused on specific countries (with that episode being about her adopted home of Germany). Ever since that chat, I knew I had to have Wallis back on for a longer chat and I couldn’t be more excited to share this one with you. Wallis is a singer-songwriter from Ireland who loves to approach art with a perpetual sense of whimsy. That whimsy is directly tied to her empathy, her curiosity about the human experience, and most importantly: having fun.

Before we kick off season 9, I felt like it’d be cool to have a bridge between what’s just ended and what’s about to begin. Speaking of, season 9 of the podcast will be starting next week on March 18th, and I cannot wait for you to hear it.

My guest today is someone who’s deeply important to me, my friend and mentor, Danny North. Danny’s a photographer from the UK, who got his start in photographing music, which feels like a colossal understatement considering he’s worked directly with acts like U2, Taylor Swift, Muse, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters….I mean man, the list is literally endless. Throughout the years his talents have expanded beyond music, with Danny becoming a master at photographing moments that feel absurdly authentic and dareisay; tangible. He’s been an inspiration for me since I was 18 (I’m 34 now, thanks for asking), and this talk kind of explores the why’s and how of that. Beyond the coolness of working with musicians, we chat deeply about why his approach to work has been instrumental in my life and in a lot of ways, why art is more vital than ever.

You can view Danny’s work on his website here and also on Instagram @dannynorthphoto. I've also started a Substack and you can check that out here.

Time is a ridiculously funny thing, isn’t it? When Elyse and I started recording these talks, I don’t think that either of us could’ve imagined how relevant they’d be so many months later. This last talk in particular feels appropriate in opposition to this time of division, apathy and anguish that we’re currently living through. In 2025, the word ‘hope’ almost feels childish to reflect on, but there’s a vitality to that word that cannot be overstated. That the need for hope has to exist across ourselves internally and externally, especially as we continue to navigate the darkness of the world. I want to thank Elyse massively for how she’s opened her heart across these talks. Her willingness to share her doubts, uncertainties and fears is something I find so damn brave, and I hope it helps you listeners out there to feel less alone. As Father John Misty says on Pure Comedy “each others all we’ve got” (intro song is Pale Cerule by Ajwaa).