This Must Be the Gig is joined by Ólafur Arnalds. Across his impressive career, the Icelandic composer's work has scored ballet, TV, and film, in addition to a stunning discography. Like a fusion of classical composition, modernists like Arvo Part, and his own background in punk, Ólafur's compositions tap into an immense well of emotion and deliver surreal heights. His latest album, Some Kind of Peace, appropriately places his face directly on the cover, eyes closed as if in the middle of a...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Local Natives. As two of the founding members of the Southern California band, Taylor Rice and Ryan Hahn first came together when they were just high schoolers. Not long later, Local Natives' debut record Gorilla Manor solidified their radiant credentials. Over a decade later, the five-piece have now released four studio albums and spread their sunshine and wonder at festivals and sold-out shows around the world. Most recently, the band put out the...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Netta. The Israeli artist won the esteemed Eurovision contest in 2018, sealing the victory with the brilliant and quirky "Toy". Utilizing a loop station to accentuate her resonant, powerful voice, Netta has since dominated stages around the world and seen her music spread like wildfire, including "Toy" becoming a massive force on TikTok. Between a video series called Netta's Office and a viral cover of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" for Disney, the Tel...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Tawny Newsome and Bethany Thomas. You may know Tawny as one of the stars of TV shows like Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Space Force, as well as the co-host of Yo, Is This Racist? and a frequent guest of podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang. You may know Bethany, meanwhile, for her celebrated musical and theatrical work on Chicago stages such as Steppenwolf and the Green Mill, performing everything from a Gershwin opera to alt country....

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Black Thought of The Roots.  Long before he became the voice of one of the most essential hip-hop groups of a generation, Tariq Trotter started performing on the streets of Philadelphia with another young man named Ahmir Thompson. Not long later, the duo stood at the fore of a massively influential band, now going by Black Thought and ?uestlove. The Roots made a splash quickly, kicking off in the early '90s and reaching the platinum echelon with 1999's...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Fergal Lawler and Noel Hogan of The Cranberries. The group formed in 1989 in Limerick, Ireland, along with Noel's brother Mike on bass and later joined by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. Over the course of eight albums and 20 years, the group wrote some of the biggest, most memorable sing-along anthems of the '90s, from "Linger" to "Dreams" to "Zombie" to "Salvation", becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Tragically, the group's most recent record, 2019's In the End,...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Emily Cross of Cross Record. The experimental project focuses on a powerful fusion of visceral muscle and ephemeral glow—most recently culminating in an incredible self-titled record in 2019. In addition, Emily is one third of the band Loma, alongside Dan Duszynski, and Jonathan Meiburg, and Loma is set to release a new record of their own via Sub Pop. And as if that weren't enough, Emily is also a death doula, someone who assists in the understanding and...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by Dave Bayley, the brilliant and charming frontman of Glass Animals.  The English outfit formed in 2010, and have since grown into one of the most thrilling acts on the festival circuit. Alongside long-time friends Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward, Bayley and the band have now penned three albums worth of hip-hop tinged psych pop, including the recently released Dreamland. And while fans might be missing out on Glass Animals' canceled...

This Must Be the Gig is joined by actor, poet, and musician Maya Hawke. At 21, Hawke is making a name for herself in multiple artistic practices. You may know her as Robin Buckley from last summer's Stranger Things 3, where she scooped up jokes with past podcast guest Joe Keery. However, this summer, she's back with her debut album, Blush, due out August 21st via Mom + Pop Music. Writing and working alongside musician Jesse Harris, Hawke's crystallized vocals and straightforward,...

This week, we're joined by Drew Dixon, the accomplished former Vice President of A&R at Arista Records, a former Director of A&R at Def Jam Recordings, the former General Manager of John Legend’s independent label Homeschool Records, and the former manager of recording artist Estelle. Her long resume includes working with a variety of world-class performers, including Carlos Santana (“Maria, Maria”), Aretha Franklin (“A Rose Is Still A Rose”), Whitney Houston (“My Love Is Your Love”),...

The brilliant Katie Stelmanis of Austra joins the show this week to discuss her latest album and adjusting to life in the pandemic. After performing in other bands, Katie launched the Austra project in 2009, and since then has been producing some of the thoughtful, enigmatic electronic rock out there. While the pandemic may have delayed your opportunity to see her bring that music to life, her new LP, HiRUDiN, was released at the beginning of May, and offers an equally emotional ride. The...

This week, we're joined by the incredible and hilarious Simon Neil, vocalist/guitarist of Biffy Clyro. Since their foundation in 1995, the Scottish hard rock band have built an incredible resume and an adoring following, drawing massive crowds at festivals around the world. Simon is often at the front of that charge, almost never wearing a shirt, rampaging his way across the stage. The trio's upcoming album, A Celebration of Endings, was intended to be released in May, but has since been...

On this week's episode, we're joined by the inimitable, the powerful Jehnny Beth. There are incredibly few performers with Jehnny's intensity, including in her time as the vocalist for post-punk band Savages. Seeing her walk across the outstretched hands of the fans at the front of the crowd is a serious wow moment. That energy has not been contained only in Savages, as Jehnny has also acted, hosted radio and TV shows, and has an upcoming book about sexual liberation and transgression, which...

This week, This Must Be the Gig is joined by Johnny Rzeznik of Goo Goo Dolls. Since emerging as one of the most exciting voices of the '90s with hits like "Slide" and "Iris", the Goo Goo Dolls have continued to incessantly tour the world, contribute to massive soundtracks, and release new albums that slot in perfectly with fan favorites. Johnny and bassist Robby Takac have now released twelve LPs, including last year's Miracle Pill. As a taste of that record, we're thrilled to share their...

This week, This Must Be the Gig is joined by Ana Perrote, vocalist/guitarist of Hinds. The Madrid-based indie rockers first made their name for raucous live shows and gleeful garage rock off their 2016 debut Leave Me Alone. As the years have gone by, they've further refined and enriched their sound, growing more confident and boisterous without losing any edge. Last week marked the release of their third record, the excellent The Prettiest Curse, which expands the band's sound to include more...

We at This Must Be the Gig wanted to share this brief recording to say that our hearts and our minds are with the communities perpetually devastated by police violence, and with the people protesting that tragic reality. We wanted to use this moment to share resources to educate and ways to make a tangible impact. We are not experts, and are compiling information from black voices we’ve learned from in the hopes that we can work together as a community to listen and learn. Black lives...

This week, This Must Be the Gig is joined by actor, filmmaker, musician, and fearless activist Rose McGowan. Known for her roles in films like Scream and Jawbreaker and TV shows like Charmed, Rose's recent life has been dedicated to bringing the horrors of abusers such as Harvey Weinstein to light and to justice—a subject she faces with boundless fortitude. Most recently, she has turned her passion towards making music, namely the new album Planet 9. Rose envisioned this alternate planet as...

On today's episode, host Lior Phillips and Engineer Adam celebrate 100 episodes of This Must Be the Gig. After compiling votes from listeners, the duo reflect on 12 fan favorite episode and share key clips. Special memories include Mike Patton reflecting on his music piracy while working at a record store, Alicia Keys recognizing herself in music as a teen, and Jacob Collier contextualizing the process of learning music theory. Plus, Lior and Adam look back at powerful moments with David...

JoJo burst onto the scene at only 14 years old with her 2004 debut single "Leave (Get Out)", an incredible, soulful jam that is already stuck in your head just from reading the title. After releasing two albums as a teen, a dispute with her label led to those tracks being held away for years from any and every online streaming or purchase outlet. After settling the dispute in 2014, she re-recorded the albums and started putting out new music, conveying a newfound strength and ownership of her...

The absolute legends and loveliest of people, Sylvan Esso join the podcast this week for a delightful chat. The duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn produce some of the most propulsive, explosive, heart-pumping tunes and lead the biggest dance parties at festivals around the world. It's nearly impossible to pick a favorite song between their two albums, but luckily last week's surprise live album and concert film collect them all in a perfect bundle. The record is a deliriously beautiful...

This week we're joined by the Alex Ebert. In addition to leading ImaRobot and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Alex also won a Golden Globe for scoring the Robert Redford-starring film All is Lost. And now, Alex has just released his second album under his own name, I Vs. I. In this episode, host Alex discusses the record's inspiration, meeting Jim Carrey, seeing Milli Vanilli as a kid, the sequel to I Vs. I, the concept of the stage persona, and much more.  Head here for more info on...

This week we're joined by the exquisitely named Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum. The trio was founded after Michael C. Hall met Peter Yanowitz and Matt Katz-Bohen while starring in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Though they met on Broadway, the three musicians' paths were very different. Peter was a member of The Wallflowers in the band's earliest years, and has drummed for everyone from Yoko Ono to Billy Bragg and Wilco. Matt, meanwhile, has worked with and produced a variety of acts, and...

Fresh off the March 13th release of their new album, Sister, Nigel Godrich and Laura Bettinson of Ultraísta join This Must Be the Gig to premiere their brand new short film directed by the band and filmed throughout London, featuring a series of interconnected videos for songs off the record. Using the London Underground as a route between the songs, Bettinson hops off at appropriately color-coded locales to deliver the vibrant electronic jams in a variety of surreal environments. In the...

As we all continue on our homebound journey, we bring you a conversation with Grammy-winning polymath, prodigy, and musical genius Jacob Collier. And because we know you're all in need of an extra bit of distraction, Jacob and host Lior Phillips built a whole lot of insight and laughter into an extra-jampacked two-hour special quarantine episode! Stay tuned for insights into how to stay creative, focused, and energized even when you're stuck inside—plus much more! Just before the wave of...