Arlo Parks is one of the most compelling voices of her generation. Born in London, the 22-year-old snagged the Best New Artist trophy at the Brit Awards in 2021 in part because of her breakout single “Eugene,” about an unrequited crush. Arlo’s songwriting is a vivid exploration of the euphoria and heartbreak that comes with being young and in love. This month, Arlo Parks will release her sophomore record, called “My Soft Machine.” She collaborated with producers who worked with Brockhampton, SZA and Frank Ocean. The album unpacks the anxiety of feeling lost in your 20s, and navigating the uncertainty of life with grace. On this week’s episode, Justin Richmond talks with Arlo about how seeing Black creators pushing the boundaries of popular music inspires her. She also explains how taking long drives around LA shaped the sound of her new album, and how she first started writing songs at just seven years old. Plus, we’ll hear Arlo play three of her singles live from the Village Studios in Los Angeles. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Arlo Parks songs HERE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Feist has been one of the most dynamic indie voices of the last two decades. Last month she released her sixth album, Multitudes. She recorded it in the aftermath of tremendous personal loss and change. In late 2019 Feist adopted a baby just months before the pandemic started. About a year later, her father died suddenly. Multitudes is a raw, intimate look at how she grappled with deep-seated grief and a new kind of love. On today’s episode Leah Rose talks with Feist about how being assaulted in high school ultimately led to her gaining resilience. Feist also remembers the day her music career began when was asked to front a hardcore punk band, and how screaming on stage–and ultimately blowing out her voice–forced her to develop her intimate, career-defining singing style. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Feist songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds is a pillar of contemporary R&B. As a producer and songwriter, Babyface’s discography includes hits for powerhouse vocalists like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, and Stevie Wonder. Although Babyface’s career is most often associated with pop hits, he started writing songs in the singer/songwriter tradition, pulling influence from James Taylor and The Beatles. On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Babyface about the childhood crushes he had that continue to inspire his songwriting today. He also plays a song he wrote in high school that he considers one of the best songs he's ever written. And he reveals how he was on the verge of making new music with Whitney Houston a month before she died. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Babyface songs HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re bringing you a preview of a new audiobook, So Many Steves. Steve Martin is more candid than he’s ever been about his creative life in this engrossing audio-biography centered around a series of conversations recorded over many afternoons at home with his friend and neighbor, writer Adam Gopnik. You can get So Many Steves, exclusively on audio, now at https://www.pushkin.fm/audiobooks/so-many-steves-afternoons-with-steve-martin or wherever you get your audiobooks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we have part two of our run of interviews with The National in celebration of their new album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Last week Broken Producer producer Leah Rose talked to guitarist and composer Aaron Dessner, and today Leah picks up the conversation with the band’s lead singer, Matt Berninger. Matt, whose fear and anxiety are often on full display in his songwriting, talks about overcoming a debilitating bout of depression in the period before he started writing songs for the new album. He also explains how the combination of weed and iced tea help him spark creativity. And why he hopes his songwriting impresses Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift. You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Matt Berninger and The National HERE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.