Talkhouse Podcast
James Smith (Yard Act) with Pelle Almqvist (The Hives)
On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got a couple of dynamic frontmen who’ve brought a ton of personality to rock and roll over the years: It’s Pelle Almqvist and James Smith.
Pelle Almqvist, aka Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, is the singer for the Swedish band the Hives, who make garage rock, punk rock, or simply rock and roll, depending on who you’re talking to—that question comes up in this conversation. The Hives broke through back in the early 2000s with the monumental album Veni Vidi Vicious and the song “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and they’ve since amassed an incredible catalog alongside an earned reputation as one of the most exciting live bands you’re ever going to see. The Hives went quiet for a while but came roaring back in 2023, and last year they released their seventh record called The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, a brilliant title if I’ve ever seen one. Check out the title track from that album right here.
The other half of today’s conversation, James Smith, is the singer/talker/kinda rapper at the helm of the British band Yard Act, whose first album—2022’s The Overload—immediately announced them as a serious musical force. Smith’s voice is the slick, confident center of their songs, and his unique way of sing-speaking feels like a gamble that paid off ridiculously well. The band has since released two more records, including the excellent new You’re Gonna Need A Little Music, which deals at times with the idea of getting everything you want but not knowing what to do with it. It was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnson—he’s the Justin mentioned in this chat—who seemed to help tame the beast in all the right ways. Check out “Empty Pledges” right here.
This lively chat took place via Zoom, and I have to note right off the bat that Almqvist was dialing in from his sauna while wearing a Hives-branded robe—totally on brand in the best way. They talk about religion, typical days on tour, and quite a bit about how they’ve both gotten into painting—and how they’re trying not to make it into work. Enjoy.
0:00 Intro
02:42 Start of conversation
02:43 On sharing an interest in painting and art
04:37 On recording new records in home studios, and how touring impacts recording
08:07 On if the “lightning in a bottle” approach to making music is real, trying new sounds, and why Ace of Base is similar to Bob Marley
10:41 On the music scenes in Sweden and Leeds
13:20 On folding bikes and land skis
15:08 On architecture, history, and visiting cathedrals and other landmarks on tour
16:09 On organized religion, capitalism, and if spirituality encourages unity
18:26 On growing up near Russia during the Cold War, nuclear war fears, punk music, and class awareness
20:21 On modern interpretations of punk music
23:04 On traveling on tour, seeing more cathedrals, why AI is like an Easter Island statue, and staying optimistic about the future
26:29 On upcoming tour dates, and future plans and priorities
29:35 On James’ experiences showing his paintings, the pros and cons of selling passion projects, and learning new art skills
32:43 On Pelle’s painting projects, and how painting is like songwriting
35:12 On being creative vs. slowing down during time off
36:53 On if slowing down musically is the same as getting complacent
38:19 On Pelle’s sauna and swimming in the Baltic Sea
39:20 On input vs. output for creativity and culture
Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Pelle Almqvist and James Smith for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!
Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network. Visit Talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter (X), Threads, and Facebook.
Other episodes of this podcast
Talkhouse Podcast
Melissa Etheridge with Maggie Rose
On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a pair of powerful songwriters—one you surely know, one you may not yet—who recently toured together, and who both have great new albums out. It’s Melissa Etheridge and Maggie Rose. I’ll try and fail to do justice to Melissa Etheridge’s incredible life and career in one short paragraph: She’s sold millions of records, written and performed massive hit songs, won Grammys and an Oscar, beat cancer, written books, done a one-woman show about her life, been a loud and strong advocate for gay rights since well before that was a mainstream thing to do, and now she’s started a foundation to investigate alternate therapies for drug addiction after losing a son to opioids in 2020. She also managed to write and release her seventeenth studio album over the past couple of years: Rise was co-produced with Shooter Jennings and it’s a bit more rock-leaning than usual. Etheridge is doing a big co-headline tour with Wynonna Judd, and the other half of today’s conversation, Maggie Rose, is opening those shows—and as you’ll hear in this chat, having a ball. Though she started her career in Nashville, Rose has always pushed at the boundaries of what might be called country music, and her last few albums don’t fit the tag at all. Her brand new album, Half Moon , is out this week, and it’s a big, bright pop record—smart and sophisticated and thoughtful and fun. She’s been through the industry wringer and come out the other side with a stronger sense of self than ever. Half Moon and its accompanying EP Cocoon are influenced by motherhood, which you’ll hear about it in this lively chat. Check out “Red Shoes” from Half Moon right here . In this sweet, mutually admiring conversation, Etheridge and Rose talk about the importance of following your own path, about being mothers in a crazy business, and about the Etheridge Foundation, among other things. You’ll also hear them talk about joining each other on stage on tour—you can catch them both on the road the rest of this summer, too. Enjoy. 0:00 Introduction 02:22 Start of conversation 02:32 On “The Four Agreements” and the importance of expression 04:24 On finding connection with yourself as an artist, and on touring together 06:56 On “Poison in My Well, Maggie’s latest releases, and Melissa’s influences on her music 12:47 On how Maggie writes with her husband, and the stories behind “The Other Woman” and “Davina” 15:50 On Melissa’s foundation researching and developing alternative treatments for addiction 19:10 On supporting each other, raising kids while touring, and teaching kids life lessons 23:13 On showing kids that doing what you love matters, and Melissa’s creative journey after her son’s passing 26:22 On recording Melissa’s album “Rise,” and engaging with fans in a new way during the pandemic 29:22 On Maggie’s new album “Half Moon,” why Melissa loves her as an artist, and working outside of genre confines 32:26 On being a live performer, feeling “undiscovered” by the wider music industry, and finding success on your own timeline 35:54 On longevity versus “flash in the pan” success, and learning from Bruce Springsteen about what matters as a musician 38:27 On the rest of their tour, and on Melissa’s 12-string guitar Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast , and thanks to Melissa Etheridge and Maggie Rose for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com . This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network . Visit talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on Instagram , Bluesky , Twitter (X) , Threads , and Facebook .
Talkhouse Podcast
Nobody's Ever Asked Me That: Avalon Fast
On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That , Nick Dawson sits down with writer-director and actor Avalon Fast, a queer auteur whose excellent second feature, the lulling, fairytale-like Camp , hit theaters earlier this summer. In a fun and often surprising conversation, Fast opened up about ego death, musical imposter syndrome, exploring and mapping the dream world version of their childhood home of Vancouver Island, growing up in the shadow of an impending fatal mega-earthquake tsunami, coolness, drinking to die, and much more. Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack , so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content!
Talkhouse Podcast
M.C. Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) with Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman)
On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a Talkhouse favorite in conversation with a guy who’s spent a lot of time behind the scenes on some incredible records. It’s M.C. Taylor and Josh Kaufman. Taylor has been making music under the curious name Hiss Golden Messenger for two decades now, and he’s amassed an incredible—and incredibly varied—catalog of music that’s never easy to pin down. There are elements of rock, folk, even elements of what was called alt-country for a while there. But what ties it all together is a true vision: Taylor has a singular voice and passion that runs through all of his records. The latest is called I’m People and it’s concerned with nothing less than community, music-making, heartbreak, and the world at large. He does not aim low, in other words. It’s his most ambitious and maybe accessible in a while, and as usually features a motley crew of guests and regulars, including Sam Beam of Iron & Wine, Bruce Hornsby, and Sara Watkins, among others. Check out the song “Shaky Eyes” right here . Now in addition to all of those day players on I’m People there was a guy there for most of the process, writing and playing along with Taylor: Josh Kaufman. Now Kaufman might be best known as part of the trio Bonny Light Horseman along with Anaïs Mitchell and Eric D. Johnson, but he’s done amazing work slightly behind the scenes, too. He was one of the driving forces behind the massive Day of the Dead Grateful Dead tribute a few years back; he was a key part of some records by the National; he played on a few Taylor Swift records—yes, that Taylor Swift—and he was integral to the solo albums by our old pal Craig Finn. He’s also, as you’ll hear in this chat, a guy who just loves to talk about and play music. One of us, in other words. In this chat, Taylor and Kaufman talk about making I’m People as well as the other Hiss Golden Messenger records they worked on together. They talk about how they first met, which was sort of a magical moment, plus a Bruce Hornsby show with a few too many guest players, lots of bass players, and not enough inputs. Enjoy. 0:00 - Introduction 02:39 - Start of conversation 03:08 - On how they met, and how their friendship helped them collaborate on I’m People 06:26 - On learning to maintain adult friendships, and connecting as musicians 09:25 - On the different studios they’ve worked in together, playing with Bruce Hornsby, and recording experiences 13:30 - On chasing perfection in the studio, spontaneity, and whether taking too long on albums makes them worse 16:41 - On recording past collaborations together 18:17 - On recording I’m People at Dreamland, and the music scene upstate in the 90s 20:39 - On being inspired by the physical drama of upstate NY and North Carolina, and unique studios 23:10 - On drawing fresh inspiration and references from records from the past while maintaining their own sound 27:14 - On how the musicians they’ve worked with have evolved and changed, and meeting their favorite collaborators 33:04 - On how the vibe of Dreamland influences the music, and the pros of recording portions at home 35:09 - On the records and types of music that inspired them Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to M.C. Taylor and Josh Kaufman for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com . This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the Talkhouse Podcast Network . Visit talkhouse.com to read essays, reviews, and more. Follow @talkhouse on Instagram , Bluesky , Twitter (X) , Threads , and Facebook .
