Podcasts by LSQ
Interviews focus on key moments of discovery, and the songs/artists that have soundtracked the guest's life. Hosted by journalist and radio presenter Jenny Eliscu (@jennylsq), these are laid-back but in-depth discussions, with music-makers and music-lovers. Episodes also occasionally feature clips from Eliscu's extensive archive, which includes 20 years' worth of interview audio.
Further podcasts by Jenny Eliscu
Podcast on the topic Musikinterviews
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Joy Oladokun from 2023-11-15T22:09:53
Proof of Life, the excellent fourth studio album by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, has been one o...
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Jason Isbell from 2023-10-20T07:09:49
After years of admiring Jason Isbell's gifts as a songwriter and storyteller, I finally got to ask the alt-country artist about his earliest sparks of creativity, and it was fascinating to h...
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Alvvays - Molly Rankin from 2023-10-11T05:50:17
Alvvays have made some of my favorite indie music of the past decade, and although I’ve interviewed th...
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Blonde Redhead - Kazu Makino from 2023-09-25T20:42:40
On the eve of Blonde Redhead’s first new album in nine years, their excellent Sit Down For Dinner, the...
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Andrew Wyatt from 2023-09-06T07:47:06
Episode 94 features an interview with singer, songwriter and producer Andrew Wyatt, whose voice and tunes you probab...
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The Strokes - Albert Hammond Jr from 2023-06-28T04:46:21
"I always said, I felt like, when the five of us are together, the universe does something different," says Alber...
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Jenny Lewis from 2023-06-13T04:30:04
The incomparable Jenny Lewis joins me for LSQ #91 and, let me tell you, THIS is one of my all-time favorite episodes. Not on...
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Japanese Breakfast - Michelle Zauner from 2023-04-04T05:41:22
To celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her beautiful, best-selling memoir, Listen
Black Belt Eagle Scout - KP from 2023-03-28T02:11:52
KP, the singer-songwriter at the helm of Black Belt Eagle Scout, joins the LSQ pod to talk about their...
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The Raincoats - Gina Birch from 2023-02-23T02:24:37
Post-punk pioneer Gina Birch (bassist and founding member of UK band The Raincoats) joins the LSQ podcast on the...
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The Mountain Goats - John Darnielle from 2023-02-10T04:47:03
For the first episode of Season 6 of the LSQ podcast, I was honored to welcome an artist whose words and music I have admired for nearly thirty years now: Listen
Kae Tempest from 2022-11-21T23:23:44
U.K. artist Kae Tempest, on the first time they ever spit rhymes in public, at age 15: “I remember pushing through the crowd. I remember the tunn...
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Bartees Strange from 2022-11-04T21:12:23
Bartees Strange reflects on important moments during his musical development, including:
- Learning to sing alongside his opera and... Listen
MUNA / The Womack Sisters from 2022-10-17T19:40:07
On the heels of their excellent latest LP, LA indie-pop trio MUNA (Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson) call into the LSQ podcast from...
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Sampa The Great from 2022-09-14T16:00:17
"As young, upcoming artists, we aim to be the examples we saw, but as you grow in your artistry, you realize that example was only there to show you you could do it. Now it's time for you to take t...
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Johnny Marr from 2022-08-08T17:49:42
One of the most influential guitarists and songwriters of all time, Johnny Marr (The Smiths,
Jelani Aryeh from 2022-06-23T23:20:35
The young San Diego singer-songwriter Jelani Aryeh caught my attention with his awesome tune "Stella Brown" a couple years back, and I really enjo...
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Belle & Sebastian - Stuart Murdoch from 2022-05-24T03:50:46
One of my favorite insights from Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch in episode #75: “Maybe 1994 or 1995, a switch came on, and I ...
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Sunflower Bean - Julia Cumming from 2022-05-03T07:31:23
“I remember meeting [guitarist] Nick [Kivlen] outside a bar that we couldn't get into because we were probably 17,” says Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming, reflecting on the New York City indie rock t...
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Terrace Martin from 2022-03-25T22:19:14
“Fill in the blanks” - that’s how Grammy-nominated hip-hop, jazz and R&B artist, musician and producer Terrace Martin Listen
Stevie Van Zandt from 2022-02-28T03:44:50
It did honestly feel like one of those Wayne’s World "I’m-not-worthy" moments when I first got on the Zoom with the legendary
Robert Glasper from 2022-02-07T09:17:15
The brilliant, genre-morphing jazz, hip-hop and R&B artist (and 4x Grammy winner) Robert Glasper reflects on important early mome...
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Fontaines D.C. - Grian Chatten from 2022-01-15T03:32:21
Fontaines D.C.’s leader, Grian Chatten, joins LSQ to talk about the Irish post-punk band’s newly announced third studio album, Skinty F...
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Wet Leg / Kevin Morby & Hamilton Leithauser from 2022-01-03T03:39:54
Have you heard the song “Chaise Longue” by U.K. duo Wet Leg? Are you as obsessed with it — and with them ...
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Courtney Barnett from 2021-11-19T00:38:38
Courtney Barnett, on the unpredictability of inspiration: “Sometimes I just sit down on the couch, and I’m watching TV, and a whole ...
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The War On Drugs - Adam Granduciel from 2021-11-05T17:32:42
The War On Drugs’ Adam Granduciel remembers feeling the electricity through the floor and the house shaking, the very first time he played an el...
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Danny Elfman from 2021-10-18T04:59:33
“When I used to be in Oingo Boingo, I was constantly battling these impulses to go in opposite directions,” says film composer Danny Elfman of his earlier career. “First, I was in weird musical cab...
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Goo Goo Dolls - John Rzeznik from 2021-09-17T14:54:20
Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik discusses the music that inspired him as a kid (The Cars, Springsteen, Petty, the Kinks) and how it taught ...
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Lucy Dacus from 2021-08-27T18:16:04
On the heels of her fantastic new album, Home Video, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus describes the path that led to it -- growing up in Richmo...
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Manchester Orchestra - Andy Hull from 2021-08-06T01:00:14
Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull talks about early influences (Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, the Beatles, the classical music his mother playe...
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Tegan and Sara & Lili from Beach Bunny from 2021-06-18T17:27:34
Tegan and Sara Quinn rejoin the podcast for a fun, roundtable-style conversation with Lili Trifilio from the up-and-coming Chicago indie band Listen
Tame Impala - Kevin Parker from 2021-05-24T03:01:19
Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker delves into his earliest musical endeavors -- learning to play his brother's drums, writing songs on one guitar string...
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Flaming Lips - Wayne Coyne from 2021-04-23T00:46:09
Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne on the profound influence of punk rock in his life: “Previous to that, you didn’t know that art was fuc...
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Oneohtrix Point Never from 2021-04-05T06:55:37
Experimental electronic composer and producer Daniel Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never delves into key influences from Chick Corea to Rush to My Bloody Valen...
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Khruangbin from 2021-03-15T05:25:57
The three members of Houston, TX trio Khruangbin — bassist Laura Lee, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, guitarist Mark Speer — share insights into their indi...
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Vampire Weekend - Chris Baio from 2021-02-18T04:53:19
“I didn’t like curse words when I was real young, so my dad would read Spin and get black ink and blot out the curse words for me,” says V...
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Fleet Foxes - Robin Pecknold from 2021-01-29T06:06:41
“I’d write terrible songs constantly, and I just loved it so much,” Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold says of his early years exploring songwriting — a process he began b...
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Beach House - Victoria Legrand from 2021-01-12T01:54:21
Victoria Legrand, on writing music for Beach House: “It’s like something magical happening. And I believe in that, there’s love, but it’s not just love between us, it’s the whole universe around...
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King Tuff - Kyle Thomas from 2020-12-04T21:59:46
The dude behind the King Tuff moniker, Kyle Thomas, talks about the punk music he discovered as a kid, growing up in Brattleboro, Vermont; ...
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The Charlatans - Tim Burgess from 2020-11-17T00:31:02
Tim Burgess, frontman for The Charlatans, talks about how his lifelong music fandom fuels his popular "Tim’s Twitter Listening Party," and more.
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The National - Matt Berninger from 2020-10-27T00:56:40
On the occasion of releasing his debut solo album, "Serpentine Prison," The National's Matt Berninger talks about key moments in his creative journey.
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Michelle Branch from 2020-09-18T01:43:35
A revealing deep-dive with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Michelle Branch about her life in music — from her childhood obsession with the Beatles and Frankie Valli to early songwriting exploratio...
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Justin Tranter from 2020-08-31T20:36:33
Chances are you already love Justin Tranter’s songs, even if you’ve never heard their name before. During the past several years , Justin has written massive pop songs by artists including Britney ...
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M. Ward // Phosphorescent - Matthew Houck from 2020-08-10T22:32:06
M. Ward talks about his new album, Migration Stories, and early influences from The Beatles and Bach to Firehose and Sonic Youth. Plus, an excerpt from a recent conversation with Phosphorescent's ...
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Dashboard Confessional - Chris Carrabba from 2020-07-10T00:57:21
A look back on key moments of creative discovery for Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba, including a discussion of the new music he's working on for the band.
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Empress Of - Lorely Rodriguez from 2020-06-22T02:07:55
Empress Of's Lorely Rodriguez talks about her new album, I'm Your Empress Of, and the creative journey that led her there. Plus, the debut of a new LSQ theme song, composed and recorded by Houses' ...
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Tim Heidecker from 2020-05-22T06:33:40
Chances are you’re already aware of the genius of Tim Heidecker as a comedian, actor, writer and director. But if you haven’t been paying close attention to his career the past decade, you might ha...
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tUnE-yArDs - Merrill Garbus from 2020-05-06T23:58:09
tUnE-yArDs co-founder Merrill Garbus chats with Jenny about her life in music, discussing early musical influences (Ani DiFranco, Johnny Clegg, Ali Farka Touré, to name a few), how her focus shifte...
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Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Alex Ebert from 2020-04-06T07:47:50
“The biggest artistic change for me in the last ten years is that I finally view my inconsistencies not as my Achilles’ heel, but as my superpower," says Alex Ebert. "I can score a movie, I can wor...
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Grouplove - Hannah Hooper from 2020-03-17T04:42:53
Hannah Hooper went through a lot in the months leading up to making Grouplove's new LP, Healer: emergency brain surgery, the death of a close friend, recording an album down the road from one of th...
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Cursive - Tim Kasher from 2020-03-04T16:00:11
Episode 41 traces the creative journey of Cursive and The Good Life’s Tim Kasher, who helped his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska build its own cottage record industry, in partnership with bands such as...
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Bat For Lashes - Natasha Khan // Archive clip: Best Coast - Bethany Cosentino from 2020-02-10T21:54:06
Natasha Khan, the U.K.-born artist who records under the moniker Bat for Lashes, talks about major musical moments in her life (the Michael Jackson concert her mom took her to, the feeling of layin...
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Hop Along - Frances Quinlan // Archive clip: Lana Del Rey from 2020-01-24T07:45:34
Hop Along's Frances Quinlan, on her creative evolution and her new solo album, Likewise. Plus, an excerpt from a 2011 chat with Lana Del Rey.
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Hamilton Leithauser from 2020-01-07T05:23:19
An in-depth interview with singer-songwriter Hamilton Leithauser (erstwhile frontman for The Walkmen), where he shares the first details about his upcoming new solo album. He also discusses early i...
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Broken Social Scene - Kevin Drew from 2019-11-22T19:06:28
“The problem with good vs evil: Evil has a better publicist,” says Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, describing the difficulty of cutting through digital noise in an algorithm-driven world. It’s pa...
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Caroline Polachek // Archive clip: Scott Weiland from 2019-10-30T03:12:53
Caroline Polachek, known for her work in Chairlift, discusses her intoxicating new solo LP and key moments in her creative journey: from learning the basics of music transposition playing Disney so...
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Devendra Banhart // David Cross from 2019-10-18T03:34:23
Singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart talks about his earliest creative experiences, growing up in Venezuela and Southern California, falling in love with music by artists as varied as Caetano Veloso,...
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Stephen Malkmus // Archive clip: Angel Olsen from 2019-09-26T03:30:11
Indie rock legend Stephen Malkmus chats with LSQ about early influences (Devo, Sex Pistols, Stones), how his songwriting has changed since the Pavement days, and what he thinks of modern artists li...
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Laura Jane Grace from 2019-09-12T02:18:17
Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace reflects on the music that inspired her as a kid, how her songwriting practice has evolved, and what she's learned from twenty years on tour. She also discusses her e...
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Adam Green // Royal Trux - Jennifer Herrema from 2019-08-28T18:36:22
On the eve of releasing a fantastic new album, Engines of Paradise, Adam Green (formerly of The Moldy Peaches) joins Jenny for a lively dissection of his creative process and the influences that ha...
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Interpol - Paul Banks // Colin Hanks from 2019-08-14T20:13:47
A wide-ranging conversation with Interpol’s Paul Banks about his childhood musical influences (Nirvana, Bruce, the song “Tears of a Clown,” and more), his passion for surfing, and how songwriting c...
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The Drums - Jonny Pierce // Archive clip: The Raconteurs from 2019-07-25T03:17:17
A fascinating deep-dive with The Drums' Jonny Pierce about how his songwriting journey was shaped by his strict religious upbringing (including being subjected to conversion therapy by his parents)...
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Superchunk/Merge Records - Mac McCaughan + Laura Ballance // Ex Hex - Mary Timony from 2019-07-04T04:51:59
As the legendary indie label Merge Records prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary in Chapel Hill, its founders — Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance — join LSQ to talk about the evolu...
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Imagine Dragons - Dan Reynolds // Busy Philipps from 2019-06-12T04:12:35
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds discusses his creative journey, examining influences ranging from Harry Nilsson and ska music to spiritual crisis and self-acceptance. And actor-activist Busy ...
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Perfume Genius - Mike Hadreas // Archive clip: Cat Power - Chan Marshall from 2019-05-23T04:23:31
Singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas, who releases his intensely captivating music under the name Perfume Genius, talks about early creative influences including the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack, Liz P...
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Kevin Morby from 2019-05-03T01:23:44
Singer-songwriter Kevin Morby discusses some of the defining influences on his music, including musical heroes such as Bob Dylan and Mountain Goats, as well as the bigger life stuff: the midwestern...
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Chvrches - Lauren Mayberry // Archive clip: PJ Harvey from 2019-04-12T03:45:19
The magnetic and sharp-witted Lauren Mayberry joins Jenny in Los Angeles for a chat about her creative journey, from growing up in Scotland idolizing artists like Gwen Stefani and Kathleen Hanna to...
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Twin Shadow - George Lewis, Jr. // Archive clip: Nick Jonas from 2019-03-21T06:25:03
Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr. delves into the evolution of his sound, from the time he was a little kid emulating Boyz II Men, through his early years playing punk and indie rock, and his more rec...
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Bob Mould // Archive clip: Mavis Staples from 2019-02-28T06:35:06
Indie rock icon Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) discusses his creative journey -- a childhood obsessing over jukebox 45s he got from his dad, his experiences in the Minneapolis/St. Paul punk scene, hi...
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Kurt Vile // Archive clip: Weezer - Rivers Cuomo from 2019-02-07T22:28:40
Don't even get me started on how much I love Kurt Vile's music, and his entire presence as a dude. In this episode, hear the singer-songwriter discuss his musical evolution and his new album, Bottl...
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Sharon Van Etten // Archive clip: Gwen Stefani from 2019-01-17T01:35
Proving herself a master multitasker, singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten made a brilliant new album in the midst of going back to college, starting a new side career in acting, and welcoming the bi...
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Eleanor Friedberger // Archive clip: Amy Winehouse from 2018-11-29T05:42:33
Singer-songwriter Eleanor Friedberger (formerly of Fiery Furnaces) joins Jenny for a discussion of the creative influences that shaped her early songwriting endeavors; how a long trip to Greece ins...
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Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth from 2018-11-08T00:57:29
Few artists of David Longstreth's generation have pushed back as persistently at the boundaries of their own sound. But does that make Dirty Projectors' music "experimental"? That, among other nerd...
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Leon Bridges // Archive clip: Jack White from 2018-10-24T19:06:13
One of modern R&B's most intriguing new artists, singer-songwriter Leon Bridges discusses how his childhood love of dance evolved into the look and sound he's developed since his excellent 2015 deb...
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Conor Oberst, Part Two from 2018-10-04T00:46:48
The second half of a rare, candid conversation with Conor Oberst about his life in music.
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Conor Oberst, Part One from 2018-09-27T01:00:16
The first part of a two-episode special with Conor Oberst, featuring a rare, candid conversation about his life in music.
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Waxahatchee - Katie Crutchfield // Speedy Ortiz - Sadie Dupuis from 2018-09-06T20:49:24
Interviews with two exceptional young singer-songwriters: Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield and Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis. Both artists discuss early musical influences, including, for Katie, the i...
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Death Cab for Cutie - Ben Gibbard from 2018-08-16T04:15:48
Benjamin Gibbard, leader of indie rock icons Death Cab for Cutie, discusses key moments in his musical journey, from teen years spent taking the ferry to Seattle to see all-ages shows, to making De...
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Best Coast - Bethany Cosentino // Archive clip: Christina Aguilera from 2018-07-26T18:17:21
A lively chat with Bethany Cosentino, leader of Los Angeles indie rock duo Best Coast, about her creative journey and how missing home helped her discover her voice as a songwriter. Plus, from the ...
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Rostam // Archive clip: Beck from 2018-07-09T19:58:34
An exceptional multi-talent, the singer, songwriter, producer, & composer Rostam joins Jenny for a wide-ranging conversation examining his creative evolution: his classical music studies and early ...
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Five from the Archive: Beyoncé, Tegan & Sara, Lars Ulrich & more from 2018-06-29T02:23:32
Recapping archival interview clips from the first five LSQ pods, episode 11 features vintage audio from Jenny's interviews with Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Tegan & Sara, Metallica's Lars Ulrich and Par...
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Hot Chip - Alexis Taylor // Archive clip: Dave Matthews from 2018-06-14T04:01:30
Alexis Taylor -- singer, songwriter, guitarist & keyboard player for U.K. electronic outfit Hot Chip -- discusses his early musical influences, from the Farfisa at his grandmother's house to the lo...
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Haim - Danielle Haim // Archive clip: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes from 2018-05-23T00:48:17
Jenny visits Haim's middle sister and musical leader, Danielle Haim, at home in Los Angeles, for a conversation exploring the singer, songwriter and guitarist's creative journey -- from playing at ...
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The Kills - Alison Mosshart // Archive clip: Kanye West from 2018-05-03T05:29:15
Alison Mosshart (The Kills, The Dead Weather) discusses her evolution as a songwriter and artist, her early experiences on the road in the punk band Discount, and what she looks for in a musical co...
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Jack Antonoff // Archive clip: Rage Against The Machine - Zack de la Rocha from 2018-04-12T01:35:53
Grammy-winning songwriter, artist and producer Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, Fun., Steel Train) joins Jenny for a lively discussion of his NJ punk rock roots, his creative evolution, and what it means ...
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Angel Olsen // Archive clip: Avril Lavigne from 2018-03-22T05:00:54
Singer-songwriter Angel Olsen describes her musical evolution (spoiler: her first band played ska punk) and discuss why it was important to her to take greater creative control on her critically la...
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Porches - Aaron Maine // Jonathan Wilson // Archive clip: Paramore - Hayley Williams from 2018-03-01T08:07:37
Interviews with two of LSQ's favorite up-and-coming singer-songwriters: Aaron Maine of the beat-driven indie-rock band Porches, and musical jack-of-all-trades Jonathan Wilson, a singer-songwriter, ...
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Tegan & Sara from 2018-02-08T10:22:09
A pair of conversations with the hilarious, neurotic Quin sisters, featuring Tegan and Sara's reflections on their songwriting process, their personal and creative goals for the coming year, and th...
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Spoon - Britt Daniel // Archive clip: Metallica - Lars Ulrich from 2018-01-15T07:22:43
The impossibly cool Britt Daniel, frontman for indie giants Spoon, tells Jenny about a time in 1999 when he almost broke up the band, as well as discussing his early musical development and songwri...
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The National - Aaron Dessner // Archive clip: Missy Elliott from 2017-12-04T01:34:26
Producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Dessner discusses The National's Grammy-nominated new album, Sleep Well Beast, and talks about his formative years as a musician, when he was fi...
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Sylvan Esso - Amelia Meath // Archive clip: Beyoncé from 2017-11-06T04:41:10
Amelia Meath, singer for Durham, NC electronic duo Sylvan Esso describes a creative life that began with learning contortion at age 16. Also, from Eliscu's archive: An interview with Beyoncé from s...
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