Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Peaches has spent more than two decades pushing boundaries in electronic music and performance art, inspiring the look and sound of edgy pop artists like Lady Gaga and Grimes. But long before she was known for her outrageous stage shows, Peaches got her start as part of a folk trio in Toronto. In the mid-'90s, after discovering she could become a one-woman band with her Roland drum machine, Peaches began developing a provocative new persona.
In 2000, she moved to Berlin and released The Teaches of Peaches, featuring the song "Fuck the Pain Away." The track has been cited by Thom Yorke as an inspiration while making Radiohead's In Rainbows, and has appeared in countless movies and TV shows including Lost In Translation, The Handmaid's Tale, and even South Park. Peaches has spent the last several years creating works for stage and screen, including serving as the subject of two recent documentaries. Now, after more than a decade, she's returning with No Lube So Rude, her first album in over 10 years, recorded in Berlin with producer The Squirt Deluxe.
On today's episode, Leah Rose talks to Peaches about making No Lube So Rude and how the album addresses identity, bodily autonomy, and offers an antidote for all the friction in the world. Peaches also discusses how she recently discovered her dad pleaded with a bar mitzvah band to give her her first shot performing live on stage. And she shares her deep love of '70s rock and roll trivia.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Peaches HERE.
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Jacob Collier has built a remarkable career as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger known for his complex harmonic approach and collaborative spirit. He first gained attention as a teenager posting multi-track videos from his childhood bedroom in North London. In 2013, his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" caught the eye of Quincy Jones, who began mentoring him and helped launch his career.
Over the past seven years, Jacob’s released four albums in his Djesse series—ambitious, wide-ranging projects featuring collaborations with artists ranging from Coldplay to Tori Amos. He's won multiple Grammy Awards and developed a following through his inventive live performances and his willingness to share his deep knowledge of music theory with fans online.
Now, Jacob has made a dramatic shift with his new album, The Light for Days. Recorded in just four days using only a custom five-string guitar, it's a stripped-down, intimate collection that explores folk, classical, and jazz influences with notable restraint.
On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Jacob Collier about why he decided to limit himself to a single instrument after years of layered, maximalist production. He discusses the custom five-string guitar built for him by Taylor's master luthier Andy Powers and how its unique tuning opened up new harmonic possibilities. He also talks about working with Joni Mitchell, the influence of artists like John Martyn and Brian Wilson, and how growing up singing Bach chorales with his family shaped his approach to harmony. And he performs several songs from the new album live in the studio.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Jacob Collier HERE.
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Don Was has had a remarkable career moving between different corners of the music world. In the 1980s, he fronted the eclectic band Was (Not Was), mixing funk, rock, and pop in unexpected ways. As a producer, he's helped shape landmark albums for artists like the B-52's and Bonnie Raitt, and worked with Bob Dylan and become a regular producer for the Rolling Stones. For the past decade, Don has led Blue Note Records as its president, bringing new energy to the storied jazz label.

Now, Don has released his own album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, a tribute to Detroit and the music that came out of the city where he grew up.

On today's episode, Justin Richmond talks to Don Was about his wide-ranging career and why his new album is his first under his name. Don also talks about how working with musical heroes like Willie Nelson, Leonard Cohen, and Brian Wilson in the '90s initially shut down his own creative ambitions. And he reflects on his time at Blue Note and how his experience as a touring artist himself allows him to relate to the label's roster in a completely different way.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Don Was HERE.
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When Patty Griffin released Crown of Roses earlier this year, she delivered something both timeless and urgent. It’s an album that draws on gospel, folk, and soul to explore themes of faith, doubt, and resilience. It's a return to the stripped-down intimacy of her earliest work, but with the wisdom and craft of an artist who's spent nearly three decades refining her voice.
That voice first emerged in 1996 with Living with Ghosts, recorded on a simple four-track in her Boston apartment. The album introduced a songwriter who could turn personal pain into something universal. Over the years that followed, Griffin’s songs have been covered by everyone from The Chicks to Solomon Burke, while her own recordings have earned her multiple Grammy nominations and a reputation as a songwriter's songwriter.
On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Patty Griffin about the inspiration behind Crown of Roses and how grit has shaped her songwriting throughout her career. They also discuss her early days in Boston's folk scene and the stories behind some of her most enduring songs. And she reflects on how finally getting to know her mother at the end of her life inspired her to see her mother's story in a whole new light.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Patty Griffin HERE.
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Joe Henry and Mike Reid brought two distinct but complementary legacies to Life & Times, their new collaborative album. Joe is a celebrated producer and songwriter known for his atmospheric, deeply literary approach to Americana. Over the decades, he's produced albums for artists like Solomon Burke, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Costello, while crafting his own work that blurs the line between folk, jazz, and rock. Mike Reid, a former NFL defensive lineman turned Grammy-winning country songwriter, has written hits like "I Can't Make You Love Me" and has long explored the tender spaces between strength and vulnerability.
Their album, Life & Times, captures conversations between two seasoned storytellers, their voices and perspectives interweaving across songs that examine memory, mortality, and the passage of time with unflinching honesty.
On today's episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Joe Henry and Mike Reid about how they developed a deep friendship over their shared love of poetry at a songwriter's retreat. They also discuss the artists and songs that first drew them to songwriting. And they reflect on their individual creative processes and how they've found new ways to inspire each other's work.
You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Joe Henry & Mike Reid HERE.
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