Life of the Record artwork

Life of the Record

41 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 104 ratings

Classic albums, told by the people who made them.

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Episodes

The Making of VENEER - featuring José González

March 13, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 20th anniversary of the debut album by José González, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After getting his start playing in hardcore bands in Gothenburg, Sweden in the 1990s, José González began studying biochemistry at the University of Gothenburg. While he was a student, he continued playing in multiple bands while recording his solo material on the side. His band Junip was working with a local label called Kakafoni and they agreed to release a 7-inch of the solo songs he w...

The Making of OUT OF STEP by Minor Threat - featuring Ian MacKaye

February 20, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour

In celebration of the recently unearthed Out of Step Outtakes, we take a detailed look at the making of the original record. After Minor Threat formed in Washington D.C. in 1980, they began to find an audience in the American punk scene. Their first two seven-inch records contained songs written by Ian MacKaye, such as “Straight Edge” and “Out of Step,” which kickstarted the straight edge movement within punk. By 1982, guitarist Lyle Preslar had left for college and Minor Threat temporarily b...

The Making of I SEE A DARKNESS by Bonnie "Prince" Billy - featuring Will Oldham

January 19, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 25th anniversary of the first Bonnie “Prince” Billy album, we take a detailed look at how it was made. Will Oldham grew up studying acting but decided to pursue music while he was attending Brown University. In 1992, he released his first single with Drag City under the name Palace Brothers. A series of albums followed under several variations of the Palace name, which reflected Oldham’s unique approach to treating the album, rather than the artist, as the primary entity. In 1998, he ...

The Making of SUPERFUZZ BIGMUFF by Mudhoney - featuring Mark Arm and Steve Turner

December 13, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 35th anniversary of Mudhoney’s first 12-inch record, SUPERFUZZ BIGMUFF, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Mark Arm met Steve Turner at a show in Seattle, they became fast friends and began playing in multiple bands together. They started Green River with Jeff Ament and Alex Shumway and eventually added Stone Gossard on second guitar. Tensions over the musical direction of the band eventually caused Green River to dissolve with Ament and Gossard going on to form Mother ...

The Making of CHUTES TOO NARROW by The Shins - featuring James Mercer

November 08, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 20th anniversary of The Shins’ second album, CHUTES TOO NARROW, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After getting their start in Albuquerque in the early nineties as a band called Flake, James Mercer, Neal Langford, Marty Crandall and Jesse Sandoval eventually morphed into The Shins. Mercer had first conceived of The Shins as an outlet for his quieter songs that weren’t working for Flake. Sandoval joined him initially and when Flake called it quits in the late nineties, Langfo...

The Making of HOUDINI by Melvins - featuring Buzz Osborne

October 04, 2023 05:00 - 56 minutes

For the 30th anniversary of the Melvins’ 1993 classic, HOUDINI, we take a detailed look at how the record was made. Buzz Osborne, Mike Dillard and Matt Lukin had formed the Melvins in 1983 when they were teenagers living in Montesano, Washington. Drummer Dale Crover ended up replacing Dillard early on and has remained with the band to this day. When Osborne and Crover decided to move to San Francisco, Lori Black took over on bass, and they began a series of releases with indie label, Boner Re...

The Making of Cursive's DOMESTICA - featuring Tim Kasher

September 12, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour

In celebration of the deluxe edition of Cursive’s DOMESTICA, we take an in-depth look at how the record was made. Following the breakup of the Omaha band, Slowdown Virginia, Tim Kasher reunited with his former bandmates, Matt Maginn and Stephen Pedersen, to start a new project called Cursive. They brought in drummer Clint Schnase and released their first 7 inch on their friends’ label, Lumberjack Records, which later became Saddle Creek. Two full-length records followed, but when THE STORMS O...

The Making of GIVE UP by The Postal Service - featuring Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello

July 18, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour

For the 20th anniversary of The Postal Service record, GIVE UP, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Jimmy Tamborello was looking for vocalists to collaborate with for a Dntel album he was working on, he connected with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie. Gibbard agreed to provide vocals for a track that became, “(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan.” The two of them worked so well together that they decided to work on more material and form a new project. Tamborello’s friend, Ton...

The Making of SURFER ROSA by Pixies - featuring Joey Santiago, David Lovering and Steve Albini

June 06, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 35th anniversary of Pixies’ landmark debut album, SURFER ROSA, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Charles Thompson and Joey Santiago bonded as suitemates at the University of Massachusettes Amherst, they decided to form a band. By putting an ad in the Boston Phoenix for “a female vocalist into Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul and Mary,” they connected with Kim Deal, who was the only one to answer their ad. Deal’s husband, John Murphy, introduced them to drummer David Lovering ...

The Making of VIOLENT FEMMES (Self-Titled) - featuring Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie and Victor DeLorenzo

April 25, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 40th anniversary of Violent Femmes’ classic debut album, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo first started playing around Milwaukee as a rhythm section, they met a teenage songwriter named Gordon Gano. Despite having limited experience and still just being in high school, Gano had an extraordinary set of good songs that he had already written. Violent Femmes began playing as a trio but weren’t able to get many gigs in to...

The Making of LET GO by Nada Surf - featuring Matthew Caws

March 14, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 20th anniversary of Nada Surf’s third album, LET GO, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Matthew Caws and Daniel Lorca formed the band in 1992, they eventually linked up with drummer, Ira Elliot. They spent several years grinding it out in their hometown of New York City where they worked multiple jobs and hustled to get their music heard. During a chance encounter with Ric Ocasek at a show at the Knitting Factory, Matthew Caws gave him a demo tape. A couple weeks later,...

The Making of JAMBOREE by Beat Happening - featuring Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis, Bret Lunsford, Steve Fisk and Gary Lee Conner

January 31, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 35th anniversary of Beat Happening’s second album, JAMBOREE, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After meeting at the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford formed Beat Happening and began releasing music under Calvin’s K label. In 1985, they released their self-titled debut album, which was later was picked up for UK distribution by Rough Trade Records. As the band was gaining interest beyond the Pacific Northwest, expec...

The Making of SONG CYCLE - featuring Van Dyke Parks and Richard Henderson

December 13, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 55th anniversary of Van Dyke Parks’ debut solo album, SONG CYCLE, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After being born in the South, Parks grew up studying music and working as a child actor before settling in Los Angeles, California in the early 1960s. While playing guitar in different folk groups around town, he got his first job as an arranger on “The Bare Necessities” for Disney’s The Jungle Book. Parks began working as a session musician for Producer Terry Melcher, who la...

The Making of VS. by Mission of Burma - featuring Roger Miller, Clint Conley and Peter Prescott

October 25, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 40th anniversary of Mission of Burma’s first full-length album, VS., we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Mission of Burma released their first recordings, the “Academy Fight Song” single in 1980 and the Signals, Calls, and Marches EP in 1981, they felt like they hadn’t fully captured the sound they were going for yet. For this record, they decided they wanted a raw and lively sounding record that embraced the chaos of their live performances. By recording outside of thei...

The Making of NEU! (Self-Titled) - featuring Michael Rother

September 23, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 50th anniversary of the first NEU! album, we spoke to Michael Rother about the extraordinary circumstances of how it was made. After Rother had been invited to jam with Kraftwerk, he had a fateful meeting with drummer, Klaus Dinger. The two of them ended up joining Kraftwerk for a time before deciding to leave and form their own band. Rother and Dinger asked producer, Conny Plank, to record them as they put up their own money to book a studio in Hamburg for four nights in late 1971. P...

The Making of BRICKS ARE HEAVY by L7 - featuring Donita Sparks

August 30, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 30th anniversary of L7’s breakthrough third album, BRICKS ARE HEAVY, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After L7 had released albums on venerable west coast indie labels, Epitaph and Sub Pop, they decided to go for major label distribution with their third album. Seminal Los Angeles label, Slash Records, allowed them more reach as well as a larger recording budget than ever before. After visiting their friends in Nirvana at Sound City during the recording of NEVERMIND, they m...

The Making of #1 RECORD by Big Star - featuring Jody Stephens, Terry Manning, Holly George-Warren and Rich Tupica

July 29, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 50th anniversary of Big Star’s iconic debut, #1 RECORD, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens had taken recording classes from Ardent Studios owner, John Fry, they began to learn the art of recording. John Fry generously allowed them to use the studio during the night as they recorded under the names, Icewater and Rock City. Meanwhile, Alex Chilton had quit the Box Tops and was living in New York City before deciding to return to h...

The Making of CELEBRATION ROCK by Japandroids - featuring David Prowse, Jesse Gander and Steven Hyden

June 05, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 10th anniversary of Japandroids’ second album, CELEBRATION ROCK, we take a detailed look at how the record was made. After the unlikely success of their debut album, POST-NOTHING, Japandroids found themselves leaving their hometown of Vancouver to tour the world and play to much larger audiences than they ever dreamed of. The expectations for their second album began to build as the band felt tremendous pressure to deliver a followup record that proved they weren’t just a one-hit wond...

The Making of 3 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF… by Arrested Development - featuring Speech

March 24, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 30th anniversary of the 2x Grammy Award winning group, Arrested Development’s, pioneering debut album, 3 YEARS, 5 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF…, Speech joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After getting his start in a high school hip hop group in Milwaukee called Attack, Speech left for more opportunities in Atlanta. He connected with Headliner at The Art Institute of Atlanta and the two of them formed Arrested Development, gradually adding group members, Aerle...

The Making of HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER? by of Montreal - featuring Kevin Barnes

March 07, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 15th anniversary of the landmark of Montreal album, HISSING FAUNA, ARE YOU THE DESTROYER?, Kevin Barnes joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After of Montreal had already released multiple albums by this point, Barnes had mostly been writing in a conceptual and fantastical style as a way to avoid writing personal songs. For HISSING FAUNA, Barnes decided to write autobiographically about the difficulties they were experiencing in their personal life during this peri...

The Making of PERFECT FROM NOW ON by Built to Spill - featuring Doug Martsch

January 28, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour

For the 25th anniversary of Built to Spill’s astonishing third album, PERFECT FROM NOW ON, Doug Martsch joins us for a detailed look at how the record was made. After Built to Spill released their first two records on indie labels, they ended up signing with Warner Bros. for their third album. Signing with a major label left Martsch feeling conflicted but inspired to experiment in the studio and was determined to make an ambitious album that deserved to be heard by a larger audience. Martsch’...

The Making of ONE YEAR - featuring Colin Blunstone

January 11, 2022 06:00 - 52 minutes

For the 50th anniversary of the baroque pop classic, ONE YEAR, Colin Blunstone looks back on the unique circumstances around how his first solo album was made. After the end of The Zombies, a band he formed as a teenager with Rod Argent, Hugh Grundy, Paul Atkinson and Paul Arnold, Blunstone found himself unsure about continuing in the music business. The Zombies had recorded ODESSEY AND ORACLE at Abbey Road Studios in 1967, but the initial singles failed to generate interest so the band calle...

The Making of MIC CITY SONS by Heatmiser - featuring Neil Gust, Tony Lash and Sam Coomes

October 29, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 25th anniversary of Heatmiser’s third and final album, MIC CITY SONS, Neil Gust, Tony Lash and Sam Coomes talk openly and in detail about the unique circumstances around how this record was made. When Heatmiser embarked on recording their third album, it was a huge turning point for the band, as they signed a deal with a major label and began building their own studio. Elliott Smith was starting to have success as a solo artist and was coming into his own with songwriting and recordin...

The Making of JOHN PRINE (Self-Titled) - featuring Margo Price, Amanda Shires, Erin Osmon, Dave Prine, Bobby Wood and Gene Chrisman

September 23, 2021 05:00 - 2 hours

For the 50th anniversary of John Prine’s debut album, we take a detailed look at the extraordinary circumstances of how this record came to be. In this episode, John’s older brother, Dave Prine, describes the shocking moment when he realized his brother’s staggering talent. Erin Osmon, author of the forthcoming 33 1/3 book about this album, takes us through John’s discovery story and how he first made an impact at folk clubs in Chicago before being discovered by Kris Kristofferson and Jerry W...

The Making of CIVILIAN by Wye Oak - featuring Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack

August 31, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour

In celebration of the 10th anniversary, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack reflect on the writing and recording of the third Wye Oak album, CIVILIAN. In this episode, they describe this intense period as a young band when they were taking every touring opportunity available and were getting burnt out by working constantly. For CIVILIAN, they were moving out of their comfort zone with recording as they sought help beyond their tight knit Baltimore community and went to Dallas to have the record mixed ...

The Making of THE SOPHTWARE SLUMP by Grandaddy - featuring Jason Lytle

July 27, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour

In this episode, Jason Lytle reflects on the process of making Grandaddy's second album, THE SOPHTWARE SLUMP. Jason talks about being "a man with a mission" while holing up in a farmhouse outside of their hometown of Modesto, California and tracking and mixing nearly everything himself. During this era when bands were starting to record themselves, Jason describes how he was obsessively buying gear and learning the craft of recording while being inspired to experiment after hearing Radiohead'...

The Making of MOUNT EERIE by the Microphones - featuring Phil Elverum

June 08, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour

In this episode, Phil Elverum reflects on the experience of making MOUNT EERIE, the last album made under the Microphones name before adopting Mount Eerie as his project name. Phil gets into the process of taking a different approach from his previous album, THE GLOW PT. 2, and conceiving of a theatrical story about death and transformation. As his final album recorded in Olympia, Phil talks about embracing collaboration and enlisting friends from the Pacific Northwest music scene, including ...

The Making of THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE by Low - featuring Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk

April 20, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 20th anniversary, Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk reflect on the making of the classic Low album, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE. After Low had made several records in their signature slow and minimal style, they were beginning to expand their sound while recognizing the possibilities of the studio. For THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, Low took their time recording with Steve Albini in Chicago and later enhancing the recordings with Tom Herbers in Minneapolis. The recordings represented a turnin...

The Making of LIGHT GREEN LEAVES by Little Wings - featuring Kyle Field

March 02, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour

In this episode, Kyle Field reflects on the experience of making LIGHT GREEN LEAVES, Little Wings’ second album for K Records. Kyle gets into the process of conceiving of a record about the fall and ambitiously deciding to make three completely different versions of the album for three different formats. As Kyle reflects on the writing and recording of each song from the album, we’ll hear a detailed look at his creative process. From moving to the Pacific Northwest on a quest, to living in a ...

The Making of ONE MISSISSIPPI - featuring Brendan Benson

January 12, 2021 06:00 - 55 minutes

For the 25th Anniversary, Brendan Benson looks back on the process of making his debut album, ONE MISSISSIPPI.  In this episode, Brendan Benson reflects on the experience of unexpectedly being signed to a major label at a young age and all of the pressures that came along with that. After initially recording 4-track cassette demos with Jason Falkner, Brendan takes us through the process of making the record in New Orleans, controversially scrapping it, and then remaking the record again in S...

The Making of PLEASED TO MEET ME by the Replacements - featuring Bob Mehr and Luther Dickinson

November 18, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour

In celebration of the PLEASED TO MEET ME Deluxe Edition, we look back at the unique circumstances around how the record was created.  Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, offers a detailed perspective of this uncertain period when the Replacements entered Ardent Studios after splitting with guitarist Bob Stinson. Luther Dickinson, son of the late producer, Jim Dickinson, reflects on his father’s contribution to the album, as well as his own experience of join...

The Making of ELLIOTT SMITH (Self-Titled) - featuring Larry Crane, JJ Gonson, Tony Lash, Slim Moon and Leslie Uppinghouse

August 28, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour

For the 25th Anniversary, Elliott Smith’s friends and collaborators, including Larry Crane, JJ Gonson, Tony Lash, Slim Moon and Leslie Uppinghouse, offer a unique oral history of how the Self-Titled record was created. With many new details that have never been heard before, Tony Lash and Leslie Uppinghouse describe the DIY processes that Elliott used while recording songs at their homes. From Elliott teaching himself how to play cello, to using cracked and out of tune guitars, to calling fa...

The Making of PENTHOUSE by Luna - featuring Dean Wareham

April 21, 2020 04:00 - 46 minutes

For the 25th Anniversary, Dean Wareham looks back on the process of making Luna’s third record, PENTHOUSE.  In this episode, Dean Wareham reflects on recording at Sorcerer Studios in New York City with engineer Mario Salvati and producer Pat McCarthy. Dean Wareham gets into the process of pushing for better performances, major label pressure, the grunge era and working with Tom Verlaine.

Episode 4 - Dean Wareham of Luna on 'Penthouse'

April 21, 2020 04:00 - 46 minutes - 107 MB

For the 25th Anniversary, Dean Wareham looks back on the process of making Luna’s third record, 'Penthouse'.  In this episode, Dean Wareham reflects on recording at Sorcerer Studios in New York City with engineer Mario Salvati and producer Pat McCarthy. Dean Wareham gets into the process of pushing for better performances, major label pressure, the grunge era and working with Tom Verlaine.

The Making of ESCONDIDA - featuring Jolie Holland

November 19, 2019 08:47 - 39 minutes

For the 15th Anniversary, Jolie Holland looks back on her first studio album, ESCONDIDA. In this episode, Jolie Holland reflects on recording in the redwoods with Lemon DeGeorge and her band of San Francisco musicians. Jolie Holland gets into the process of going from the lo-fi aesthetics of Catalpa to the studio environment and finding new fans like Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois along the way.

Episode 3 - Jolie Holland on 'Escondida'

November 19, 2019 08:47 - 39 minutes - 90.2 MB

For the 15th Anniversary, Jolie Holland looks back on her first studio album, 'Escondida.' In this episode, Jolie Holland reflects on recording in the redwoods with Lemon DeGeorge and her band of San Francisco musicians. Jolie Holland gets into the process of going from the lo-fi aesthetics of Catalpa to the studio environment and finding new fans like Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois along the way.

The Making of BOWS & ARROWS by The Walkmen - featuring Paul Maroon, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer

November 19, 2019 08:47 - 40 minutes

For the 15th Anniversary, Paul Maroon, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer look back on writing, recording and touring the classic Walkmen record, BOWS & ARROWS. In this episode, members of The Walkmen reflect on recording in the south during a hurricane, opening for Incubus after 9/11, a tiger balm incident with Hamilton Leithauser, and the contentious process behind their biggest song, "The Rat."

Episode 2 - Paul Maroon, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer of The Walkmen on 'Bows & Arrows'

November 19, 2019 08:47 - 40 minutes - 92 MB

For the 15th Anniversary, Paul Maroon, Walter Martin and Peter Bauer look back on writing, recording and touring the classic Walkmen record, 'Bows & Arrows.' In this episode, members of The Walkmen reflect on recording in the south during a hurricane, opening for Incubus after 9/11, a tiger balm incident with Hamilton Leithauser, and the contentious process behind their biggest song, "The Rat."

The Making of ÁGAETIS BYRJUN by Sigur Rós - featuring Kjartan Sveinsson

November 19, 2019 08:46 - 33 minutes

For the 20th Anniversary, Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Rós looks back on the writing and recording of their breakthrough album, ÁGÆTIS BYRJUN. In this episode, Kjartan Sveinsson reflects on being an undiscovered, ambitious band in Iceland, working day jobs while recording at night, finding inspiration in broken equipment and rudimentary software, and repurposing bass riffs from Nirvana.

Episode 1 - Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Rós on 'Ágætis byrjun'

November 19, 2019 08:46 - 33 minutes - 77 MB

For the 20th Anniversary, Kjartan Sveinsson of Sigur Rós looks back on the writing and recording of their breakthrough album, 'Ágætis byrjun.' In this episode, Kjartan Sveinsson reflects on being an undiscovered, ambitious band in Iceland, working day jobs while recording at night, finding inspiration in broken equipment and rudimentary software, and repurposing bass riffs from Nirvana.

Trailer

November 10, 2019 04:41 - 1 minute

Life of the Record - A podcast where artists look back on the making of a classic album. Featuring Sigur Rós, The Walkmen, Jolie Holland and more.