One of my favorite podcasts is called Song Exploder, a series hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway who is based in Los Angeles. One of the most interesting things about this podcast is the fact that Hirway brings in new artists each episode to "explode" the song and find the real meaning behind it.
The process begins with an initial interview with the artist or band. Take, for example, Episode 71: The Lumineers. Hirway first sat down with the lead members of the group and conducted your typical interview. From there, Hirway isolates the artists' responses, deleting the questions he poses. As a result, the ensuing audio appears like these artists are simply speaking about their creative process. In the case of the Lumineers, the lead singer goes over the earlier versions of the song "Ophelia". Hirway even includes audio clips of the original melody that inspired the tune, an isolated bass line, or even a broken-up chord progression. That way, you truly get to see the whole process of the song, from the beginning inspiration to the final product. At the end of every episode of the podcast, Hirway includes the final song. For me, this is my favorite part because you can really dig in and hear all of the subtle components that were discussed earlier in the podcast.
This podcast is phenomenal—I highly recommend. Not to mention it's truly incredible to hear such a creative person such as Hirway use the format of a podcast to highlight the equally creative process of these artists.
I’d never heard of this podcast before, but it definitely sounds like it’s up my alley! I think it’s cool that Hirway edits out his questions to let the artists tell their story without interruption, especially when it comes to the more technical details like chord progression. I adore the Lumineers, so I’ll have to check out this episode to hear them talk about their process!
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, this was a really awesome look at the podcast Song Exploder! I have only listened to one episode - Lucy Dacus's episode on her song "Thumbs" which was really incredible - and I don't think I fully realized that the interview questions are removed. Like you said, it really appears as if the artist is simply speaking about their creativity and inspiration for a song. I think you really highlighted how the process of this podcast creates a unique listening experience that provides additional insight into the final version of a song.
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