Listen Now

In this rerun from 2018, Beth Ditto, former lead singer of the band Gossip, talks about how Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam” helped her grapple with complex feelings about her home state, Arkansas. She also talks about returning home after heartbreak and explores making her first record “Fake Sugar.” Every  Thursday at 7pm CT, KUTX hosts a weekly  Netflix Party featuring a different music documentary. Check it out here. Last week’s movie was What Happened, Miss Simone? and inspired the re-run of this episode discussing Simone’s music and its lasting resonance. Starting this week they’ll be watching the  documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution. This is the last episode of This Song  for a while. In the meantime, check out our hip-hop podcast The Breaks and the Song Confessional podcast. Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song    

In this rerun from 2018, Liz Phair describes how the 1980s rock song “I Wanna Destroy You” by The Soft Boys put her in touch with her youthful desire to destroy something. We also hear Phair share what it was like to revisit her early 90’s songs on the recent Girly-Sound to Guyville tour. Plus, she shares a bit of parenting wisdom with host Elizabeth McQueen. Phair has a new record, Soberish, coming out this summer. Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Beloved American singer-songwriter John Prine is on many people’s minds right now. He is currently in stable condition on a ventilator due to symptoms from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to him and his family.  This episode, recorded live in 2018 at Waterloo records, is a testament to Prine’s creativity,  kindness and generosity of spirit. In it, he explains how Bob Dylan’s “The Lonsesome Death of Hattie Carroll” changed his life and goes in-depth on his own songwriting process for his album “The Tree of Forgiveness. Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Watch to the full interview of John Prine’s This Song episode from KUTX’s Facebook page   Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song Support KUTX’s ability to bring you closer to the music. Donate today.

On March 10th, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down released a new single called, “Temple” along with an accompanying video. 6 days later residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, where lead singer, songwriter and guitar player Thao Nguyen lives, were ordered to shelter in place. In this episode, Thao talks to host Elizabeth McQueen about the inspiration behind the new song and what it was like to release music during a pandemic. She also shares how making her upcoming record, also called Temple, helped prepare her to address her sexuality publicly and to create a safe space in her life where she could exist as her full self. Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Thao and the Get Down Stay Down’s new song “Temple.” Find out where you can Pre-Order “Temple“ Check out Thao and the Get Down Stay Down’s Tour Dates Listen to Thao Nguyen Watch the Video for “Temple”  

Kathy Valentine, bass player in the seminal 80s all-girl rock group the Go-Go’s, recently wrote a memoir titled All I Ever Wanted. In the book, Valentine explores her unconventional childhood, her time with the Go-Go’s, and her journey to sobriety. In this episode of, Kathy explains what “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream taught her about herself when she was 9 years old,  describes how she found her creative process as an author and details how music and storytelling intersected in her new book. Kathy Valentine’s April Book Tour dates are currently being rescheduled, but you can buy a signed copy from one of the bookstores where she was scheduled to appear. Find out where to buy your copy of All I Ever Wanted Kathy also wrote a soundtrack to accompany her book. Check out the soundtrack to All I Ever Wanted on Bandcamp. Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

In this episode, St. Vincent explores how music from early Disney films helped her lay the foundation for beauty and wonder in her own life and work. “All that stuff, it’s your first introduction to magic…You know I think like, every kid wishes they could be in a cartoon. Like you wish so deeply that your reality could transmutate into that world, and music is the closest you get to come to it.” She also explains why she approached the songs on Masseduction with a Disney-esque lack of irony. “That was just sort of a tenet from the beginning…I just felt like OK, what’s the thing that I haven’t done, and I was like I don’t feel like I’ve gone straight for the heart and the jugular.” St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein have a new film coming out called The Nowhere Inn, which will be showing at the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Find out more about the live podcast taping for This Song at SXSW Listen to Carrie Brownstein explain why she loves “Stay” by Rihanna Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw from  Metric talk about  hearing “Teardrop” by Massive Attack early in their musical partnership and how it inspired them, terrified them and helped them find a collaborative way of making music that still works for them today. “I remember listening to that song…and just feeling like..it was sort of a mix between feeling like anything was now sonically possible, and that I would never achieve anything. Because I felt like it had gone to the heights and depths of what I hadn’t known existed, which is an enlightening and somehow taking wind out of sails moment at the same time.” — Jimmy Shaw, Metric Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Art of Doubt Watch Metric’s stripped down version of “Now or Never Now” backstage at the Austin City Limits Music Festival Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

In this rerun of an episode originally recorded last February, Jackie Venson explains how seeing  “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” from the movie “Evita,” changed the way she listened to music and the way she saw herself. Then she describes her journey from classical pianist to blues guitarist. It’s a tale of soul expanding love, self crushing doubt, and musical perseverance. Listen to this episode of This Song Venson will be co-hosting the Austin Music Awards on March 11th at ACLive at Moody Theater. Get your tickets here. Tristan Ipock Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song  

This week we have a special treat for you! A full episode of the new Song Confessional Podcast!  The Song Confessional project began when Austin artists Walker Lukens and Zac Cantanzaro outfitted a trailer like a Catholic confessional and asked people to come in, and tell anonymous “confessions.” Then they took their favorite stories and gave them to musicians, who wrote and recorded songs based on the tales.  In the podcast you hear it all, the confessional, the song, and an interview with the songwriter. In  this episode you’ll hear a tale of family, weed and secrets, the song it inspired written by Brooklyn based Vlad Holiday, and an interview with Holiday about his boozy creative process. And check out this episode of This Song featuring Walker Lukens Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher    

Devendra Bahnart talks about how hearing “Just Another Diamond Day” by Vashti Bunyan while busking on the streets of Paris comforted him with a feeling of motherly love that he still turns to today. He also explains how themes of motherhood, love, fear and compassion show up on his latest record “Ma.” “It’s like once you’re heartbroken, it’s not like ‘That’s it, never gonna be heartbroken again.’ Once you’re not lonely it’s not like ‘That’s it, okay I did it.’ Once you go through a day without making mistakes it’s not like ‘That’s it, end of mistakes.’ It’s this constant thing. I am constantly heartbroken and constantly anxious and lonely and so I have this thing, called art. It’s very beautiful. You have this immediately accessible comfort. This immediately accessible love.” Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Devendra Banhart’s new record Ma Check out Devendra Banhart’s Tour Dates Check out the full session of Devendra Banhart Live in Studio 1A Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

In this episode, Mikaela Mullaney Straus aka King Princess describes how  listening to “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex as a kid made her feel seen. And she explores how anthemic rock bands, along with artists like Prince and Tina Turner helped her understand her gender and showed her how music could transport the listener to another place and time. “It’s about throwing people into a world. It’s about putting people into something that’s like completely separate from reality.” Greg Noire Listen to This Episode of This Song   Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Check out King Princess’s Tour Dates Listen to the New King Princess album Cheap Queen Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song  

Indie electronic duo Matt and Kim talk about how “The Mullet Burden” by The Dillinger Escape Plan showed them how intense music could be. Matt: “I did not even realize that music could be as extreme as that was. Like if I thought that music could be turned up to 10 , it was like, oh wait, you could actually turn up to 12 — there’s like 2 more notches on this thing that I didn’t even know existed.” The couple also explores how they’ve tried to bring that same kind of intensity to their music, especially their live shows, the toll that intensity has taken on their bodies and what they see as the next phase in their musical lives. : Caleb Kuhl Listen to This Episode of This Song Matt and Kim are on tour celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their record Grand. Check out Matt and Kim’s Tour Dates, and see if their is a live podcast taping of The Matt and Kim podcast at the show in your town. Check out The Matt and Kim Podcast Watch the video for GO GO Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

La Marisoul, lead singer and songwriter for the band La Santa Cecilia explains how  Mercedes Sosa’s version of “Yo vengo a ofrecer mi corazón” by Fito Páez helped her understand what a powerful tool music could be for connection and healing. “I can feel myself connected to the earth when I hear her. I feel relieved. I feel like I’m being held by a motherly force…holding me in melody and words that I need.” This sentiment is reflected in La Santa Cecilia’s latest, self titled release. The record was written during a year when 3 of the 4 band members lost their fathers and finds the group reflecting on family, love, and loss and connection. Humberto Howard Listen to this episode of This Song Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Check out La Santa Cecilia’s tour dates and videos Listen to La Santa Cecilia’s new self titled record Watch KUTX’s Pop Up video of La Santa Cecilia performing “Ice El Hielo.” Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Shura is a British singer, songwriter and producer who’s latest record Forevher documents her experience of falling in love with the woman who is now her girlfriend.  On this episode, she sat down with host Elizabeth McQueen on the Bonus Tracks stage at the Austin City Limits Festival to explain why “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine terrified her and intrigued her. They also talk about how she went from a teenage musician who was, in the words of her father “allergic to the idea of a chorus” to a writer who excels in writing catchy pop choruses. Shura also explains what it’s like to write an entire album of love songs and why she felt like now was the right time to use female-gendered pronouns in her work.  Get your own copy of Shura’s new record “Forevher” Check out Shura’s stripped down version of “Religion (u can lay your hands on me)” recorded backstage at the Austin City Limits Musical Festival Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Check out Shura’s stripped down version of “Religion (u can lay your hands on me) recorded backstage a Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

This Song host Elizabeth McQueen has been helping produce a new podcast called The Breaks.  Every Saturday from 10pm-1am, Confucius and Fresh host a hip-hop show on KUTX called The Breaks. And now every Monday at 2pm the world can hear highlights from their wide ranging conversations about all things hip-hop, Austin’s hip-hop and R&B scenes and their lived experiences in the Live Music Capital of the World on The Breaks podcast. In this episode of The Breaks, Confucius and Fresh discuss Joe Budden’s beef with Charlamange tha God. From there they call out Austin organizations promoting diversity without including people of color in decision making. Local Austin artist CP Loony stops by for an interview.  We hear why Fresh thinks Iggy Azalea is not, in fact, the biggest taint on T.I.’s legacy as part of his Unpopular Opinion, and Confucius encourages everyone to lean into their strengths on Confucius Says.  Listen to The Breaks on The Apple Podcasts App, Spotify or Stitcher Follow the Breaks on Instagram and Twitter  

Singer, songwriter and producer Finneas O’Connell not only writes and produces music with his sister Billie Eilish, but also makes his own music under the name FINNEAS. He just released a solo EP called Blood Harmony. Listen as he explains why he loved “Holy S**t” by Father John Misty from the moment he heard it and how the song helped understand that when it comes to songwriting, nothing has to be off the table. “My general rule with songs — it’s the rule I follow with Billie, it’s the rule I follow with every other artist I collaborate with —  is like, write about the stuff that you’re uncomfortable writing about, write songs that you’d be scared to put out, because you wouldn’t want the person who it’s about to hear it…and then put it the f*ck out.” Michael Minasi Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Check out FINNEAS’ Tour Dates Watch “Holy Shit” performed live on KEXP Listen to FINNEAS’ new EP “Blood Harmony” Billie Elilish talked to NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson at ACLfest. Listen to that interview here Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Sleater-Kinney’s 9th album “The Center Won’t Hold” came out in August.  The album, which was produced by St. Vincent, finds the band exploring lots of new sonic territory.  Listen as Carrie Brownstein explains how “Stay” by Rihanna inspired her to write the last track on the new record,”Broken.”  Plus, you can hear why she doesn’t think of this album as a sonic departure for the band, but instead sees it as a product of the band’s expanded musical vocabulary. Listen on The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes Spotify or Stitcher Check out Sleater-Kinney’s Tour Dates Buy and/or Listen to “The Center Won’t Hold” Check out St. Vincent’s This Song episode where she talks about her love of Disney music and her record Masseduction Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

Ezra Koenig, lead singer and songwriter for the band Vampire Weekend, explains why he recently became obsessed with  “I Don’t Think Much About Her No More” by country singer and songwriter Mickey Newbury.  He loved it so much that he even included a cover of the song as a bonus track for the Japanese release of the band’s latest record Father of the Bride.  Listen as he describes why he finds that song so compelling and explores what it was like to apply country music’s direct approach to songwriting to some of the the songs on Father of the Bride. Listen to this episode of This Song Monika Mogi Listen on  The Apple Podcasts App, iTunes  Spotify or Stitcher  Get your own copy of the Japanese release of Father of the Bride Get your copy of the US release of Father of the Bride Listen to Father of the Bride on Apple Music or  Spotify Check out Vampire Weekend’s Tour Dates Learn more about Mickey Newbury Listen to more Mickey Newbury Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song

On the last episode of This Song until the fall, Krissy Teegerstrom, a self-made artist, creative consultant, podcaster, and designer at Featherweight Studio talks about how listening to “Mojo Pin” by Jeff Buckley transported her to a place beyond the real and showed her how to follow her creative intuition. Jeff Buckley’s performance style confirmed the idea of creation as a form of devotion and self-expression, something that Krissy, at first, felt like she couldn’t relate to. Inspired by her own roundabout journey to an artistic life, she started a podcast about overcoming obstacles creativity. That podcast, fittingly titled Beyond + Back, has accumulated ten episodes in its first season, talking to artists like Aimee Mann and Billy Joe Armstrong. The second season will be released on  Saturday, June 29th. Recorded at the Tiny Texas Podcasting Festival this conversation with Krissy Teegerstrom is an inspiring look into creativity, the arbitrary obstacles we use to limit ourselves, and what opening yourself up to the unknown can do for your art. — KUTX Intern, Claire Hardwick   Todd V. Wolfson Listen to this episode of This Song Subscribe via the Podcasts App, iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out. Listen to and Subscribe to Beyond + Back  

Black Pumas, the new musical project by California native Eric Burton and Grammy Award winning producer and guitarist Adrian Quesada has been taking the Austin music scene by storm- even winning Best New Austin Band and Best New Song for “Black Moon Rising” at the 2019 Austin Music Awards, all before they’ve even released their debut album. On this episode of This Song, Eric Burton, the lead singer of Black Pumas,  talks about what he learned about honesty and connection from Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and how he went from busking on the Santa Monica Pier to fronting a band in Austin, Texas. His generosity and gratefulness for the art he creates are palpable in this interview, which was recorded live in front of an audience of aspiring teenage podcasters at the 2019 ISAS Arts Festival. Stream the Black Pumas debut record right now at Relix. Black Pumas debut album comes out this Friday 6/21 on ATO Records and you can catch their release show at Antone’s the same night. -KUTX Intern, Claire Hardwick Listen to this episode of This Song Gabriel C. Pérez Check out The Black Pumas’ new self titled record on iTunes Listen to Adrian Quesada’s This Song interview Subscribe via the Podcasts App, iTunes or Stitcher to get the new episodes of This Song delivered to you as soon as they come out. Listen to Songs from this episode of This Song