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Order your copy of Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam’s new audiobook, Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, now! If you purchase directly from our website, you’ll receive an exclusive Listener’s Guide. Check it out below.
Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is unlike any artistic portrait you’ve ever heard before. Recorded over a series of 30 hours of conversation between Simon, Malcolm Gladwell, and Broken Record podcast…
For generations of music lovers, the liner notes on albums were a central part of the way music was heard. You bought an album and it came with an accompanying narrative: a digression, an aside, a backstory—maybe even an invented history. We intuitively understood that great music required not just listening but conversation between the artist and the audience and the audience and the rest of the world.
Broken Record is a podcast that restarts those conversations—in a world without liner notes—for a new audience of music lovers.
Broken Record is hosted by Justin Richmond with interviews by producer Rick Rubin, writer Malcolm Gladwell, and former New York Times editor Bruce Headlam.
Hip-hop super producer Hit-Boy has helped create some of the biggest hits of the last decade. His discography includes classic songs with Jay-Z and Kanye West, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar,…
Hip-hop super producer Hit-Boy has helped create some of the biggest hits of the last decade. His discography includes classic songs with Jay-Z and Kanye West, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar,…
Moby never stops working. His first taste of mega-success came in the early aughts after the release of his multi-platinum album, Play. In the years since, he's released 19 more studio…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Today we’re kicking off a two-part series of interviews with members of The National, who just released their ninth album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Today’s conversation is with Aaron Dessner,…
Roger McGuinn is best known as the driving force behind The Byrds. But McGuinn is also a preservationist of traditional folk music. For the past 27 years he’s been re-recording…
George Clinton revolutionized funk music with Parliament Funkadelic, whose theatrical, sci-fi, performance art has captivated audiences worldwide for over five decades. P-Funk’s blend of psychedelic rock and deep, repetitive funk…
Today we have the second part of Rick Rubin’s conversation with legendary singer/songwriter Graham Nash. We dropped part one a couple of weeks ago, so definitely go check that out…
U2’s The Edge is one of only a handful of guitarists who's as recognizable as his band’s wildly successful frontman. U2 has been playing together since 1976, when they were…
At 81 years-old, Graham Nash describes his life as, “a magic story from beginning to end.” Graham’s career began in 1962 as a singer/songwriter in the British pop band The…
Today we have part two of Rick Rubin’s conversation with producer and composer, Giles Martin. In part one, Giles talked about his delicate work remastering classic Beatles albums. Today we’ll…
Usher is one of few R&B acts from the ‘90s who has gone on to become a global superstar. Since the start of his 30-year career, Usher has sold over…
Giles Martin may be the son of famed Beatles record producer Sir George Martin, but he’s also an acclaimed producer and composer in his own right. He’s worked on projects…
Today we have part two of Rick Rubin’s conversation with proto-punk icon, Iggy Pop. If you didn’t catch part one last week where Iggy talked about his early days with…
Iggy Pop is one of the most outrageous rock ‘n roll frontmen to ever step foot on stage. As the lead singer of The Stooges, Iggy was known for bending…
Today the interviewer becomes the interviewee.In his nearly 40-year career as a producer, Rick Rubin has helped unlock creativity and inspire musical genius time and time again. The artists he’s…
Today, we are featuring “The Voice of Christmas,” Mr. Johnny Mathis. Over the years, Mr. Mathis has released six Christmas albums. His iconic first holiday record, Merry Christmas, is a…
Today we have part four of our John Frusciante Returns series. This is the latest installment of Rick Rubin’s on-going series of in-depth interviews with the Red Hot Chili Peppers…
We’re back with the third episode in our John Frusciante Returns series. Over the past couple of months Rick Rubin and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have…
The British hip-hop subgenre grime first started to bubble up in London in the early aughts. Artists like Wiley and Dizzee Rascal developed an entirely new style by rapping over…
If Broken Record had an all-star list, Neil Young would be at the top. He’s been on the show three times now, and his legendary body of work has been brought up…
Today we have part two of Bruce Headlam’s conversation with YouTube sensation turned five-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier. We left off our last episode with Jacob talking about what it’s like…
Musical genius and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier joins us today for part one of a two-part conversation. In 2011, when Jacob was only 17, he began posting videos to YouTube of…
Maggie Rogers has never been one to mince words. Aside from her powerhouse voice, one of Maggie’s superpowers is her ability to write pop songs fueled by radical emotional transparency.…
Today we’re excited to bring you the next installment of our John Frusciante interview series. John first came on the podcast back in April to help celebrate the release of…
Today we are featuring one of the most thrilling new groups in contemporary soul music—Gabriels. And lucky for us, they performed three songs, one of which is still unreleased, live…
Today we will hear from singer-songwriter and playwright Anaïs Mitchell who spent the past 16 years building the world of Hadestown, a career-defining stage musical that has grown from a low-budget…
Today we’re sharing one of the most intimate conversations Rick Rubin has ever had on Broken Record. It’s with the famed guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante. Rick Rubin last…
Bartees Strange is an amalgamation of musical styles. Listen to any given song on his newest release, Farm To Table, and you can hear hints of early aughts emo, auto-tuned hip-hop…
Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath have been making music together since 2013, when Amelia asked Nick, a music producer and bassist, to remix her band Mountain Man’s hit…
Today we have Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks of the Tedeschi Trucks Band on the show. Derek Trucks made his name as a slide guitar prodigy with a Hall of…
We have friend of the show Jack White back on the show today along with a legendary special guest — Neil Young! This conversation with Rick Rubin is full of…
Kaytranada’s futuristic, soulful disco sound is suddenly everywhere—including on his new hit song “Twin Flame” with Anderson .Paak. The Haitian-Canadian DJ/producer got his start as a teenager by uploading J.…
Today we are featuring a chat with two members of the Nashville-based string band, Old Crow Medicine Show—lead singer Ketch Secor and drummer Jerry Pentecost. Since forming in 1998, Old…
Today we are featuring a conversation with the world’s preeminent banjo player, Béla Fleck. Over the course of his four-decade career, Béla has won numerous Grammys in a variety of…
Nilüfer Yanya is a 27-year-old singer/songwriter from West London. After several years of hitting small stages with her guitar, Nilüfer broke through in 2016 with a series of soulful, indie-pop…
Swedish-born singer Neneh Cherry’s four-decade-long career has ricocheted between a number of genres including hip-hop, jazz, and trip-hop. Her first single in 1988, “Buffalo Stance,” cemented her standing as a…
Today on the show, we're welcoming Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, Lyle Lovett. Lovett follows in the footsteps of Texas troubadours like Guy Clark, Walter Hyatt, and Townes Van Zandt. In 1986,…
Today we have a fun follow-up to last week’s episode with Johnny Echols from the band Love. This week we’ll hear Rick interview the last two living members of The…
Today we’re closing out Black Music Month by celebrating one of Rick Rubin’s favorite albums of all time — Forever Changes by the band Love. Formed in 1965, Love was…
Today we’re continuing our celebration of Black Music Month with the incredible jazz legend, Sonny Rollins. Rollins is an American tenor saxophonist and composer who is widely regarded as one…
Today on the show, we’re talking to Grammy award-winning musician, Adrian Quesada who's best known as one-half of the Black Pumas. During the pandemic Adrian started working on a solo…
Today we’re talking to Dan Charnas—author, hip-hop journalist, professor, show runner, former A&R person for Def American, and also a longtime friend of Rick Rubin's. Charnas's latest book, Dilla Time: The…
Today we begin our month-long celebration of Black Music Month with PJ Morton—the New Orleans based singer/songwriter, producer, and keyboardist for Maroon 5. Morton recently released his eighth studio album Watch…
Sharon Van Etten joins us today—the singer/songwriter who Pitchfork recently crowned an “indie rock institution.” Earlier this month, Van Etten released her sixth and arguably best album, We’ve Been Going About…
Today we’ll hear Rick Rubin talk to one of his all-time favorite vocalists, Tom Jones. With his soulful baritone and unique interpretation of the American R&B and gospel, Jones became…
Today we’re talking to Stuart Murdoch and Stevie Jackson from the Scottish folk-pop band, Belle & Sebastian. After seven years, the indie pop band is releasing their ninth studio album,…
Today we have a conversation between old friends Rick Rubin and Michael Stipe. Along with his former band R.E.M., Stipe's expert, open-hearted lyrics gave voice to the sensitive and misunderstood…
Today we have the final interview in our month-long series with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in celebration of their new album, Unlimited Love, produced by Rick Rubin. There’s only one Chili…
This is the third episode in our four episode run on the podcast with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, celebrating their new album, Unlimited Love.Today you’ll hear a very special conversation…
We’re continuing our run of episodes celebrating the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album, Unlimited Love, produced by Rick Rubin. We left off our episode last week…
Today is the start of a month-long run of episodes in celebration of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ newest album, Unlimited Love. We kick things off with Rick Rubin in…
Missy Elliott is one of popular music’s greatest innovators. This year is the 25th anniversary of Missy’s classic debut album, Supa Dupa Fly. When that album dropped, Missy’s unconventional rhyme…
Today we have the one and only Patti Smith on the show. Patti is the prototypical downtown, New York City artist. Her 1975 debut album Horses is credited as one of…
Bonnie Raitt is many things—a Rock ‘n Roll Hall-of-Famer, an incredible blues guitarist, an underrated songwriter, and a fierce advocate for social justice. Bonnie was offered her first record deal…
Beach House is a psych-pop band with a die-hard cult following. Since their 2006 debut album, their lush, cinematic sound has been sampled by artists like Kendrick Lamar and The…
To kick off our month long celebration of Women’s History Month, today we are featuring an interview with the great Judy Collins. At 82 years-old, Collins is in the midst…
Robert Plant is arguably the most iconic rock vocalist of all time. As the frontman for Led Zeppelin, his dynamic, soaring vocal style was the perfect lead for the band’s…
Jon Batiste is an overachiever. Batiste is the bandleader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and an Oscar-winning composer for the Pixar animated movie, Soul. He also received the…
Stevie Van Zandt is the ultimate underboss. His first big break came in the mid-70s as Bruce Springsteen’s right-hand man, guitarist, and occasional co-producer in the E Street Band. Later…
Photo: Lynn Goldsmith / Broken RecordTodd Rundgren is a multi-talented musician who has made a name for himself both as a solo artist and a visionary music producer. Rundgren’s crowning…
In the 1970’s Jackson Browne was known as one of the originators of the carefree, California classic rock sound with hits like “Doctor My Eyes” and “Running on Empty.” As…
Since debuting in the late ‘60s, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has made a sizable contribution to the folk canon with tender, contemplative songs like “Wild World,” “Moonshadow,” and “The Wind.” Stevens recently…
Today we’re sharing an episode from our friend Sam Sanders over at NPR’s It’s Been a Minute podcast. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson’s classic album, Control.…
Pino Palladino and Blake Mills are renowned session musicians who recently collaborated on their own album, Notes With Attachments. It’s an experimental, jazz-leaning project that blew Rick Rubin’s mind. Pino…
Welcome to part two of Rick Rubin’s conversation with Neil Young. Today we’ll hear how Neil’s song “I Believe In You” from his 1970 masterpiece After the Gold Rush inspired…
When we first talked about making Broken Record, we had a short list of absolute dream guests for the podcast and Neil Young was at the top of that list.…
24 year-old singer/songwriter Faye Webster stopped by Shangri-La earlier this month in between stops on her tour opening for Wilco to chat with Justin Richmond and play some songs off…
Today we have a special Broken Record Holiday episode with Nashville singer Amanda Shires. Shires’ new holiday album, For Christmas, isn’t meant to make you feel merry and bright. Instead…
Mary Gauthier is a folk singer/songwriter whose songs have quite literally saved her life. Writing music did not come easily to Gauthier. She began abusing drugs and alcohol as a…
Michelle Zauner is the lead singer and creative force behind the indie, dream pop band, Japanese Breakfast. This year Zauner released a series of career-defining projects that propelled her band…
According to Time Magazine, singer Angelique Kidjo is “Africa’s premier diva.” Kidjo started out singing traditional music in her native Benin, West Africa when she was a teenager. In 1983,…
Pastor T.L. Barrett has been known on Chicago’s South side as a religious and community leader for 50 years. But it wasn’t until recently that people started to uncover Barrett’s…
If you’ve sung along to a power ballad in the last 30 years, chances are you’re already intimately familiar with Diane Warren’s songs. Some of her biggest hits include Cher’s…
On her intimate new album Wary + Strange, Amythyst Kiah sings her heart out about losing her mom to suicide, and what it’s like being the only black person in…
Houston rapper Scarface is one of the most recognizable, respected voices in hip-hop. When he was just 17 years-old, Scarface was recruited to join Bushwick Bill and Willie D in…
Cristobal Tapia de Veer is the composer and musician behind Mike Whiteâs HBO show, White Lotus. The sounds in the score range from percussive African and Latin American instruments to…
Lindsey Buckingham’s signature finger-style guitar is perhaps as recognizable as the countless classic songs he wrote while he was in Fleetwood Mac.Buckingham is a self-taught guitar virtuoso and songwriter who…
Ringo Starr is one of the most iconic musicians living today. Famed drummer for The Beatles and a prolific songwriter in his own right, at 81, Ringo’s gearing up to…
John Hiatt is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter whose songs have been covered by a wide range of popular artists including Iggy Pop, Paula Abdul and Jimmy Buffett. Hiatt recorded his latest album, Leftover…
Henry Rollins speaks with Rick Rubin from Shangri-La pre-pandemic and in full Rollins fashion, the stories just poured out of him. Henry talks about the time he was christened a…
Jaden Smith has proved to be much more than just the sum of his famous parents. At 23 he’s spent more than half of his life working as an actor,…
Growing up in a family full of musicians, Lukas Nelson was basically raised on stage. He started playing guitar in his dad Willie Nelson’s band when he was just 11…
Daryl Hall and John Oates are the definition of Blue-Eyed Soul. After a string of monster hits that stretched from the '70s into the mid-80s, the RIAA named Hall &…
Over Jeff Goldblum’s 50-year acting career, he’s played dozens of unforgettable roles. Off-camera, Jeff Goldblum is also a surprisingly dedicated Jazz pianist who has been playing in clubs and bars for…
Rick Nielsen is best known as Cheap Trick’s lead guitarist and main songwriter. In the late ’70s, Cheap Trick helped popularize power pop with their songs “Surrender” and “I Want…
Mark Ronson's big break as a producer came from working with Amy Winehouse to find the perfect sound for her career defining album, Back To Black. Since then, Ronson has…
BROCKHAMPTON’s frontman Kevin Abstract talks through the group’s sixth and latest album, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine with Rick Rubin.
Archie Shepp is a tenor saxophonist and composer who's spent over half a century contributing to the evolution of Black music. Shepp has long fought for Black musicians to get…
Craig Finn, the lead singer and songwriter of The Hold Steady, is known for his vivid, literary-style songwriting. He often writes about characters going through an existential crisis. The Hold…
Moby may be one of the most highly recognizable dance-music artists of all time, but he’s also a talented multi-hyphenate whose unconventional 30-year career includes massive success as a producer…
Brian Eno’s 50-year career is teeming with innovation. He started out playing synths in the early ‘70s as a member of the UK glam-rock band Roxy Music and went on…
Liz Phair helped lay the foundation for a generation of fierce, independent artists on her gritty 1993 debut album, Exile In Guyville. Early in her career, she pushed for freedom…
Rhiannon Giddens is a brilliant fiddle and banjo player who’s one of the few musicians alive today trained in the centuries-old black string band tradition. Giddens is a North Carolina…
In 2005 singer Bonnie "Prince" Billy a.k.a. Will Oldham and guitarist Matt Sweeney released the Superwolf album, which has developed a cult following that includes Rick Rubin who absolutely fell…
Peter Frampton is a classic rock guitar god who rose to international fame in the late ‘70s with his chart-topping double album, Frampton Comes Alive!Justin Richmond caught up with Frampton…
System of a Down’s classic Rick Rubin-produced album, Toxicity, turns 20 this year. Released in 2001 one week before 9/11, the politically charged and wildly bizarre album provided the perfect…
Listening to Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird’s new album, These 13, is like taking a trip down South … a century ago. It’s new territory for Andrew Bird, a classically…
Few bands have experienced such extreme highs and lows as the Bee Gees. Throughout their decades-long career, the band of brothers managed to be both grossly underrated and one of…
Merry Clayton is a legendary backup singer who has managed to consistently steal the spotlight. Merry’s journey from a renowned backup singer to a solo artist was documented in the…
Marianne Faithfull has been many things throughout her half a century in music—a close confidant of the Rolling Stones, a pop star, a homeless drug addict and a critically acclaimed…
Valerie June has helped widen the scope of contemporary Americana music. She’s one of few African American women in the category and her unique combination of gospel and Appalachian folk…
Malcolm Gladwell recently spoke with Ziggy Marley as part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series. Their conversation centers around a book of photographs Ziggy curated called Bob Marley: Portrait…
Since forming in 1996, Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Their enormous success mixing genres like hip-hop, metal and anthemic pop was spearheaded by the band’s ultra-talented…
Since his first conversation with Rick, Kenny Beats’ star has continued to rise. In the past couple of years he has produced songs with Ed Sheeran, Da Baby and Vince…
There’s a reason Kenny Beats is one of the great young producers in Hip Hop. Because he has a vast understanding of the regional sounds and histories of cities to…
Rick Rubin speaks with the great Joan Baez fresh off her birthday and the announcement that she’ll be among this year’s Kennedy Center honorees!Joan was known the world over as…
Most people know Rivers Cuomo as Weezer’s brilliant, quirky lead singer. But one thing people may not know, is that several years ago, a bizarre conspiracy theory made its way…
Rick Rubin connected with Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White to talk about the early days of the band and about their producer, Charles Stepney, who Verdine calls their George…
Nas dropped one of the most universally loved rap albums in 1994 with Illmatic.Since releasing that homage to the gritty streets of his childhood home, Queensbridge, Nas has remained one…
Rick Rubin speaks with friend, pioneering rock journalist, Lisa Robinson about her over 40 year career that’s seen her interview everyone from John Lennon to Lady Gaga, from Jay Z…
Singer/songwriter, pianist, alt-rocker Ben Folds has been releasing records since the 90s. Sometimes with his band Ben Folds Five, sometimes solo. In this episode of Broken Record, he connects with…
In this episode, Eric talks with John Legend about why, at the height of his career, John started taking voice lessons, and how important it has been to learn how…
Nashville producer Dave Cobb has earned six Grammys for his standout work with artists like Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton. Over the past 15 years Dave’s managed to…
Jim James talks about and performs some songs off My Morning Jacket’s “The Waterfall II.” The album of holdovers from the band’s 2015 album came out in July. Jim explains…
Photo: Max MontgomeryJames Blake speaks with Rick Rubin about his new Covers EP. Since his debut album in 2011, the British-born James Blake has gone on to win England’s top…
GQ, US,April 29, 2019Rick Rubin connected with Pharrell Williams over Zoom recently to talk through and listen to some of the biggest hits from Pharrell’s illustrious career. They chat about what…
Photo: Kevin ScanlonIt’s hard to believe Andrew Watt is only 30 years old. He’s built up an impressive and diverse roster of collaborators over the last five years including Ozzy…
The runway to success was short for Black Pumas. Five months after releasing their debut album in 2019, the Austin-based band was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys.…
Photo: Sammy TweedyWilco’s Jeff Tweedy is a prolific songwriter and he's ready to share his secrets. They're all in his new book How to Write One Song. In today's episode…
Photo: Tony DuranLeslie Odom Jr., best known for playing Aaron Burr in âHamilton,â speaks to Bruce Headlam about his career on stage and in music and also his new Christmas…
Mike Campbell, guitarist, co-writer and original Heartbreaker talks to Rick Rubin about growing up with Tom Petty, working on “Wildflowers” and about his new album, “Wreckless Abandon,” with band The…
There’s no playbook for successfully releasing music during a pandemic. Especially if you’re an indie artist, the stakes really couldn’t be higher. But Deep Sea Diver has managed to put…
Kentucky singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson was in his mid-30s when he found fame as a country artist in Nashville. He had already lived a full life including a stint in the…
Photo: Stephen Elvis SmithIn the opening lines of his New York Times bestselling memoir “Let Love Rule” Lenny Kravitz writes that he is deeply two-sided.His young life was all about…
Photo: Michael WilsonS.G. Goodman turns traditional Southern storytelling on its head with songs that present a deeper, more complex look at life below the Mason-Dixon line. As a queer person…
Maya Hawke has managed to escape the long shadow of her very famous parents, Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. She’s made a name for herself, first as an actor in…
Photo: Maryanne BilhamCarlos Santana, along with his wife and drummer, Cindy Blackman got together with Rick Rubin to discuss the 2019 album they recorded together, Africa Speaks, and also to…
Bruce Springsteen is a national treasure. Since his debut album nearly 50 years ago, Springsteen has helped define the American working-class psyche through a collection of world-renowned hit songs. In…
Photo: Maria José Govea, @thesupermaniakIt’s been 10 years since Arcade Fire’s exceptional third album, “The Suburbs,” earned a Grammy for Album Of The Year. It’s a distinction that helped catapult the…
Photo: Megan McIssacTo celebrate the release of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers & All The Rest” box set, Rick Rubin connected with Heartbreakers keyboardist, Benmont Tench for a conversation. Benmont started playing…
Photo: Martyn AtkinsTom Petty crafted another of his many perfect albums back in 1994, this time with Rick Rubin producing. âWildflowersâ was released as a single disc, Pettyâs first for…
Joe Henry is likely one of the best living singer-songwriters that you’ve never heard of. But even if you don’t recognize his name, you’ve probably heard his work. He’s been…
Khruangbin will tell you they did everything wrong. Gave their band a Thai name, play mostly instrumental music, two members wear wigs, they record in barn ... and yet, they’ve…
Burt Bacharach is a living legend. He’s written hits sung by Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield and so many more. With that kind of a resume, he…
Buffy Sainte-Marie tells Rick Rubin there’s a reason she isn’t a household name in the U.S. A pioneering artist in the Greenwich Village folk scene, she could’ve been Bob Dylan,…
Photo: Mathieu BittonRick Rubin talks to Don Was about his early days in Detroit, his time in Was Not Was and his wide ranging career producing defining albums for the…
Photo: Eric ColemanFlying Lotus is one of those producers who creates an entire aesthetic world with the music he makes. Over the past 13 years he’s released four solo albums,…
Photo: Thom KerrIn a bonus Fresh Find episode, Bruce Headlam interviews Australian singer-songwriter Emma Louise about having an accidental overseas hit and pitching her voice down so that it’s unrecognizable…
Brandi Carlile came by Shangri La last year to talk to Rick Rubin with Tanya Tucker about the album they made together, “While I’m Livin’.” After Tanya left, Brandi stayed…
Our episode with Justin Townes Earle was scheduled to run next month. But after we heard about Earle’s passing over the weekend, we decided to put it out sooner. It’s…
This week’s Fresh Find, Vagabon, is a self taught, Cameroonian-born musician whose haunting voice and genre defying style has won over critics at both The New Yorker and Pitchfork. In…
***Run the Jewels are raw and so is the language in this episode***Killer Mike and El-P return to Broken Record to discuss the creation of their fourth album, RTJ4, and…
Broken Record is bringing you a Fresh Find this week. We discovered Berhana after a key placement in Donald Glover’s show Atlanta. In this episode, Berhana talks about growing up…
A tornado raged through Margo Price’s home-base of Nashville right as she was preparing to release her third album in March. A month later Margo’s husband and longtime collaborator, Jeremy…
Rick Rubin joins Questlove and crew on their Questlove Supreme podcast. They discuss Rick’s early Def Jam days, working with the Geto Boys, his process for taking on production work…
Back to the Future is turning 35 and there’s no better way to celebrate than a conversation with Huey Lewis who turned in one of the more memorable movie themes…
It’s been nearly 35 years since the Beastie Boys released their classic debut album, “Licensed To Ill.” In this candid conversation, Rick Rubin, who started out as the Beastie’s DJ,…
Lucinda Williams is defying convention. While most of her peers have settled into a well worn groove, the alt-country icon just released an album that’s way more punk than country.…
Rick Rubin checks in with RZA on Zoom and finds out he’s been peaking creatively while in quarantine. Their wide-ranging conversation covers RZA’s first experiences with hip-hop, ODB’s parkour-like skills…
Nick Lowe wrote the classic "(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" (made famous by Elvis Costello), produced one of the UK’s first punk records ("New Rose" by the…
Jason Isbell is one of the most important Southern voices in music today. He started writing and releasing his own songs in 2007, after a stint with the Drive By…
Rick Rubin talks to Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker about his newest release, “The Slow Rush,” and his creative process. Kevin shares key influences on some Tame Impala songs and also…
Drive-By Truckers play music from and talk about their twelfth album, “The Unraveling.” The band of Alabamans—represented here by Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood—discuss how the political climate shaped the…
XL Recordings has released music from Adele, Tyler the Creator, MIA, Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead, The White Stripes, King Krule and many other beloved, boundary-pushing artists. Richard Russell has been with…
Photo: InstagramRick Rubin, like all of us, has been thinking a lot about fear lately. And few people on the planet understand fear in the same way that Rick’s good…
Alicia Keys talks with Malcolm Gladwell via Zoom about her newly released book, “More Myself: A Journey¸” and how writing it influenced her upcoming album, “Alicia.”
Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, and star of the movie Once, talks to Bruce Headlam about his newest solo album, "This Wild Willing" and how he nearly sampled a Queen and…
Rick Rubin talks with his friend, world-renowned Buddhist and meditation teacher, Jack Kornfield. He’s long been one of the most influential figures in American Buddhism.He connects with Rick by Zoom…
Nathaniel Rateliff talks to Bruce Headlam about his new solo album, “And It’s Still Alright,” a deeply intimate project that reflects on the loss of his former producer and good…
The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir talks to Rick Rubin about why the legendary band was never focused on their studio recordings, and how they were always more interested in seeing…
Bassist, songwriter, and composer Esperanza Spalding sits with Bruce Headlam to discuss her latest work and the opera she’s writing with the legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter. They also discuss why…
Run the Jewels recently took a (smoke) break while working on their fourth album at Shangri-La and taped this podcast with Rick Rubin. Killer Mike and El-P tell Rick about…
James Taylor’s voice sounds sweet and carefree. It’s a gift that hides the darker side to his lyrics and life. He and Malcolm Gladwell sat and uncovered some of the…
Run-DMC were the first rap group on the cover of Rolling Stone. The first to go gold, platinum and multi-platinum. They were true pioneers of hip-hop in the '80s, releasing…
Photo: Silvia GravWhen Robbie Robertson turned a house perched above a Malibu beach into a home studio in the 1970s, he had no idea it’d remain a refuge for artists…
Just before the release of his first solo album in over a decade, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon sat with Rick Rubin to talk about his tumultuous career that’s…
Booker T. Jones — as leader of Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Stax record’s house band — helped popularize the sound of Southern soul music. Working alongside Stax legends like…
Brittany Howard, lead singer of the Alabama Shakes, talks to Rick Rubin about making her first solo album, “Jamie.” She shares a never-before-heard demo from the album and talks about…
André 3000 opens up to Rick Rubin in one of his most candid interviews ever. He talks about the early days of OutKast, how he first found his voice, how…
Justin Vernon and producer Chris Messina from Bon Iver, discuss the new album "i,i" with Rick Rubin. Listen as they bond over their love for remote recording spaces, the importance…
FKA Twigs and Rick Rubin dive deep into the creative journey that lead to Twigs’ stunning new album, “Magdalene.” They cover the physical and emotional trauma that inspired the album,…
Flea sat with Malcolm Gladwell to discuss his newly released memoir, "Acid For the Children," for the very first live taping of Broken Record! The book is a journey through…
Norah Jones sits with Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam at The Bridge Studio in New York to talk about — and play through — her latest album, “Begin Again.” The…
Photo: Sony Music EntertainmentLeonard Cohen died three weeks after releasing his last record, You Want It Darker, in 2016. It was the first album he worked on this son, Adam.…
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney join Rick Rubin at Shangri La to talk about their first tour in five years, scalpers screwing fans out of tickets, their new album—"Let’s Rock"—and…
Brandi Carlile grew up adoring Tanya Tucker for her rebellious spirit. But it’s that same nature that almost derailed Tanya’s comeback album, "While I’m Livin," co-produced by Brandi. Tanya quit…
Rick Rubin sits with 21 year old British songwriter Rex Orange County to discuss his major label debut, "Pony." While Rex is still mostly performs solo on the record (aside…
Wyclef Jean, who’s had solo hits and with the Fugees, and produced hits for Destiny’s Child, Shakira, and Carlos Santana came back this year with a new project, "Wyclef Goes…
After years honing her craft in the UK Yola finally lands with her beautiful album, "Walk Through Fire." Produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, the album combines classic country,…
Tyler, the Creator spent three days this summer in Italy with Rick Rubin. At the end of the three days they sat down to record a conversation about Tyler’s new…
Jack White and Brendan Benson of the Raconteurs play through some songs off their new record, "Help Me Stranger" and talk with Malcolm Gladwell from Jack’s Detroit home. Rick Rubin…
Vampire Weekend returned this month with their first record in six years, "Father of the Bride". And long before it sat on top of the Billboard album chart, the band’s…
Bruce Headlam discovered J.S. Ondara listening to his car radio late last year. And with a great showing at South By Southwest and a spot opening for Neil Young this…
Linda Perry is one of the only women considered a go-to producer in the music industry. After finding success with her band 4 Non Blondes and their ubiquitous single, "What’s…
T Bone Burnett helped launch the careers of Los Lobos, Counting Crows, Gillian Welch; revive the careers of Roy Orbison and Robert Plant; course-correct Elvis Costello’s career in the mid-eighties…
Malcolm Gladwell, along with guest-host, Daisy Rosario, talks with the five members of Pentatonix from GSI Studios in NYC. The quintet, who got their start on YouTube, discuss their approach…
Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey—known as the Love Junkies—write some of the best songs in Nashville today. Between the three of them, they’ve helped launch Taylor Swift, pushed…
Mary Gauthier is one of the most unique songwriters in Nashville. Forgoing the city’s often conventional pop sound, Gauthier’s songs are unafraid to probe into what she calls "the extremely…
Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell talk with David Byrne (formerly of Talking Heads) about protest music: some of his favorite protest songs, the earliest ones he heard, how they affected…
Questlove talks about how he got involved with D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” record, the evolution of his drumming style, how he approaches DJ’ing, and tells the best Obama story ever. Part 2…
Questlove talks about how he got involved with D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” record, the evolution of his drumming style, how he approaches DJ’ing, and tells the best Obama story ever. Part 1…
For the season one finale of Broken Record, Malcolm Gladwell talks with Rick Rubin about Tom Petty, who died in October 2017 at the age of 66. Rubin and Petty…
Malcolm Gladwell sits down with comedian, guitarist, and legendary metalhead Dave Hill, as he recounts how an email exchange between his alter ego Lance and a Norwegian black metal impresario…
“She Remembers Everything” is the name of the latest Rosanne Cash album, the 14th of her amazing career. Rosanne and her husband and musical collaborator, John Leventhal, sit down with…
Malcolm Gladwell talks to three songwriters who helped transform country music in the 1970s. Gone were cowboy hats, train whistles and church suppers. In came songs about desperation, loss, changes,…
Photo: Matthew WelchElton John has called Rufus Wainwright “the greatest songwriter in the world today.” Broken Record’s Bruce Headlam sits down with Rufus in Los Angeles, where Rufus performs breathtaking…
Nile Rodgers, the mastermind behind the disco band Chic and producer of artists like David Bowie, Daft Punk and Madonna, plays live with his band and talks about his life…
Our introductory episode is a conversation between Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell, covering everything from Rick’s role in the very beginning of hip-hop to his role in introducing Johnny Cash…
From Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam: Conversations. Arguments. Stories. Remembering old music. Discovering new music. Broken Record: Liner notes for the digital age.
In the fall of 2017, Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, and Bruce Headlam sat down with Eminem and talked about his song “Walk on Water,” featuring Beyoncé. That interview became the…
