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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Will Toledo -- aka Car Seat Headrest -- was a Bandcamp legend by the time Matador Records signed him last year. He released 10 albums via the DIY platform and now, he's releasing his first LP of new material through the esteemed indie label. Will took us into the mindset of a musician making the big jump, and what it was like trying to secure the rights to use bits of Cars, Dido, and Neil Diamond songs on "Teens of Denial."
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"Spirits" is an alternative radio hit, and it just might become an even bigger one. All this is relatively new for the Strumbellas, a Toronto-based folk-rock band that's come a long way since playing its first show in a farmer's market. Host Chris Payne chats with Simon Ward and Izzy Ritchie about how they've gotten this far and how they're handling their recent success.
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New music, her Grammy nomination, Australian suburbs -- there was plenty to talk about when we caught up with Courtney Barnett before her performance at Coachella 2016's first week. She discussed how life's been since her breakthrough debut LP dropped last year and took us through her creative process in crafting new tunes.
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For X Ambassadors, success didn’t come overnight. The Ithaca, N.Y.-based band hit it big with the first single off their first full length, but an awful lot of pavement pounding preceded “Renegades” and the attention that came with it. On board Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise last month, we chatted with Sam and Casey Harris about the X Ambassadors story.
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Shamir's fans go by many names -- Shaqueers, Ratcheteers, Baby Ratchets. Whatever they're called, they're being inspired to challenge binary norms and follow their hearts by Shamir's funky, swaggering synthpop. It's brought Shamir from Vegas to an arena tour with Duran Duran, which he chatted about on this week's episode.
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Wolf Parade is reuniting and Operators just rolled out an excellent debut album. Dan Boeckner, the witty vocalist from both bands (and previously, many others)talked about the new tunes Wolf Parade recorded (and when to expect them) along with what Operators has kicking. And get ready to be inspired; Boeckner reflected on toiling through numerous dead-end jobs to forge a full-time life in music.
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Out at sea, Chvrches joked and talked serious (but mostly joked) about sailing on Paramore’s cruise, fighting sexism in the industry, their diverse fanbase, new merch ideas (scratch ’n sniff and health goth, naturally), and wanting to see sharks.
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Onboard Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise, Lights chatted about all sorts of things: her forthcoming “Midnight Machines” mini-album, traveling with her two-year old daughter, getting a "World of Warcraft" in-game item named after her, and getting noticed on MySpace a decade ago. For longtime fans and those who missed Lights' performances on the cruise, this is a must-listen!
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Pvris is destined for big things. The Massachusetts-based rock band built a formidable grassroots following behind its 2014 debut album "White Noise," which put them on the 2015 Warped Tour and nabbed them an opening slot on Fall Out Boy’s current arena tour. Members Lynn Gunn, Alex Babinski, and Brian MacDonald chatted with Chris Payne about how they got so far and what's next (hint: a second album).
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New York City punks Big Ups came together several years back while studying music at NYU, so they’ve got plenty of good advice for students looking to get a new band off the ground. They explained the lyrical growth on their killer new record "Before a Million Universes" and why they're down for a nu-metal revival.
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