Stay ConnectedEnjoy debating font sizes on festival lineups? Or better yet, ever make a fake Coachella poster and fill it with emo bands? This is your podcast. Each Thursday morning, Billboard staff writer Chris Payne chats with musicians and music writers about what’s going on in alternative music; we’ve got behind-the-scenes stories, chart insight, ~inspirational moments~ and yes, RED HOT TAKES straight from Billboard’s New York City office.
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He's in the studio working on the new Paramore record and he's getting ready to unveil the fresh vibes of his new solo album as Halfnoise. The man is Zac Farro and he stopped by Billboard's Alt In Our Stars podcast to chat about both new albums, and how he mended ties with Hayley Williams and Taylor York after a quitting the band six years ago.
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Blink-182’s “California” went No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and people are wondering (yet again) if pop-punk and emo are on their way back. But did they ever leave? And how does a band like Blink-182 — even after well-publicized inner turmoil — earn so much commercial success in 2016? Host Chris Payne and cultural critic/emo historian/podcast MVP Andy Greenwald discuss all this while reflecting on his 2003 book, “Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo.”
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A new album is on the way for L.A.'s Local Natives. "Sunlit Youth" drops Sept. 9, and the band stopped by Billboard's New York office to reflect on almost a decade of existence. How do you push your band to the next level when you've entered your early 30s? Kelcey Ayer and Matt Frazier discussed artistic reinventions, artistic goals (festival appearances, film soundtracks) and why they decided to get political and endorse Bernie Sanders this year. Now how do they feel about Hillary as the nominee?
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The opening track on Pup’s rollicking 2016 album 'The Dream Is Over" is literally about wanting to kill your bandmates. But don’t get it twisted -- these Torontonians are just about the nicest band you’ll ever meet. Frontman Stefan Babcock and drummer Zack Mykula stopped by the Billboard office to chat about Canadian politeness,, being nominated for the 2016 Polaris prize, keeping fans safe at rowdy punk shows, and more.
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How do A-list festivals choose their A-list headliners? And why do so many of these lineups look really similar? Why are there so few female headliners? Why are there so many new festivals popping up in New York City, and is there room for all of them? Billboard writers Chris Payne, Joe Lynch and Natalie Weiner answer all these questions and reveal what makes a great music festival.
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Critics love “Puberty 2” and there’s good reason why — Mitski’s first album for Dead Oceans Records is raw, poignant indie rock from an artist with charisma and wisdom to share. At Billboard’s New York office, Mitski chatted about her Twitter game, her Myers-Briggs personality type, and why she thinks the press writes about her the way it does.
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If you just know them from "that whistle song," it's time to get your head in the game. Peter Bjorn and John are back with their first album in five years, and "Breakin' Point" is pure alt-pop fireworks. The Swedish trio stopped by Billboard's New York office to discuss how new attitudes in the indie rock game helped them get on board with superstar producers like Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, and Emile Haynie.
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You know "Higher," "With Arms Wide Open" and "One Last Breath" -- but do you know Scott Stapp? Following the hits, the Creed frontman dealt with some very public difficulties around bipolar disorder and drug abuse. But he's turned his life around and he stopped by the Billboard office to talk about it. Stapp is touring solo, fronting a new project, and what about a Creed reunion? Scott spoke about all this, in addition to telling the story of how Creed broke big while he was at Florida State.
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Are they reviving emo? Are they reviving pop-punk? Let's just agree that these Philly punks are ensuring sincere, life-altering music remains something we can all aspire to. On their 2016 album "Holy Ghost" Modern Baseball's songwriters took on heavy subjects -- Brendan Lukens tackled his triumph over addiction and self-harm, and Jake Ewald, his grandfather's death. The whole band stopped by Billboard's New York office for an occasionally somber -- but mostly lighthearted -- chat on all things MoBo.
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Chicago emo revivalists Into It. Over It. have an inner circle of wildly devoted fans, yet they still think they're misunderstood. Maybe it's because their sound keeps evolving; maybe it's just because they've released so much music over the years. The band chatted with host Chris Payne about what they're really about... and how they've found their way onto some of the most carefully-curated concert bills you'll ever see.
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