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

"Genesis" the new work from RAYE discussed in this episode is out now: https://raye.orcd.co/genesis

RAYE is an English pop singer/songwriter whose debut album, My 21st Century Blues, snagged Album Of the Year at this year’s Brit Awards. One of a historic six wins that evening. For a 26 year old artist who's already survived a tumultuous ride through the music industry, the ceremony was a coup.

On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to RAYE about how a quote from Nina Simone gave her the courage to take control of her career and she explains the inspiration behind her sprawling new, multi-part single, “Genesis.”

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite RAYE songs HERE.
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Michael McDonald’s husky baritone is one of the most instantly recognizable voices from the ‘70s and ‘80s. As a member of The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, and a hitmaking solo artist, Michael McDonald’s career is one for the books.

Enter Paul Reiser—the comedic actor and writer behind New York Times best-selling books, popular movies and TV shows. Before the start of the pandemic, Paul met Mike McDonald at a party and the two became fast friends. Listening to Michael’s incredible stories, Paul found himself trying to piece together the arc of Michael’s career. They began recording their conversations and soon they had over 600 pages of stories that they eventually turned into the memoir, What A Fool Believes. The book chronicles the highs and lows of Michael’s career, his struggles with addiction, and his lifelong insecurities.

On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Michael McDonald and Paul Reiser about their unlikely working relationship. Michael also talks about why his proposed Quincy Jones-produced solo album never materialized. And he remembers the time one of his childhood heroes—Ray Charles—chewed him out while wearing a bathrobe.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Michael McDonald songs HERE.

And you can grab your copy of this fantastic memoir HERE.
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Sarah Jarosz is a singer/songwriter who also happens to be a killer banjo, guitar, and mandolin player. The Wimberly, Texas-native's latest album, Polaroid Lovers, was produced by former Broken Record guest Daniel Tashian. It’s her seventh album and so far the best at highlighting the power of Sarah’s songwriting over her virtuosity.

In this episode you’ll hear Sarah Jarosz tell Bruce Headlam about the Friday night bluegrass jams that shaped her playing, and why she’s turned down co-writing songs with artists she respects. You'll also hear her dabble with some of her instruments and maybe even perform a song or two.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Sarah Jarosz songs HERE.
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DJ Premier is one of the most celebrated producers in hip-hop history. Known as the architect of hip-hop’s venerated boom-bap sound, Preemo first caught people’s attention with Guru in Gang Starr in the late ‘80s. Guru’s lyrical precision over Premier's jazzy, sample-based beats made Gang Starr one of the most influential rap duos of the next decade.

Outside of Gang Starr, DJ Premier has produced classic records for a long list of hip-hop luminaries including New York’s big three—Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas. His expert ability to create a patchwork of musical and lyrical samples is both instantly identifiable and impossible to replicate.

On today’s episode we’ll hear a live conversation Justin Richmond recorded with DJ Premier for the On Air podcast festival. Premier talked in detail about hanging out and working with his late friend, The Notorious B.I.G. He also reminisces about when he and Guru lived with Branford Marsalis in Brooklyn, and he recalls what it was like to work with D’Angelo on that fateful night at Electric Lady Studios when they recorded “Devil’s Pie.”

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite DJ Premier songs HERE.
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Corinne Bailey Rae independently released one of our favorite albums of 2023: Black Rainbows. Justin Richmond spoke to Corinne over Zoom at the end of the year about the place that inspired the album, the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago. And then when she came to Los Angeles around Grammy time they decided to meet up to discuss Reflections / Refractions At the Stony Island Arts Bank, a beautiful new book Corinne put together to catalogue the items that inspired her new music and creative awakening.

The conversation touches on Corinne recording her third album, The Heart Speaks in Whispers, at Capital in Hollywood, to finding her spiritual home in Chicago, to discovering a mid-century New York subway pageant that inspired her raucous song, “New York Transit Queen.”

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Corinne Bailey Rae songs HERE.
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Ann Wilson is the powerhouse lead singer of the band Heart, whose celebrated classic debut album, Dreamboat Annie, came out nearly 50 years ago. Last week we featured an interview with her sister and longtime bandmate Nancy Wilson, so make sure to check that out if you haven’t already.

Today we’ll hear from Ann, who’s responsible for belting out and co-writing some of Heart’s most iconic early hits, like “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” and “Crazy On You.” Four years older than Nancy, Ann was the first Wilson sister to join Heart, a band that started out as a cabaret cover band. Despite undergoing multiple lineup changes since the '70s, Heart has released top 10 albums in nearly every decade in the last 50 years, and sold over 20 million albums worldwide.

Outside of Heart, Ann has also released solo material, including an album in 2023 with her band, Tripsitter.

On today’s episode Leah Rose talks to Ann Wilson about Heart’s current world tour, and the Elton John album she sings before every show to warm up her voice. Ann also explains how she would strategically place guitars around her house when having parties at her Seattle home in the '90s to encourage jam sessions with guests like Lane Staley and Chris Cornell. And she remembers singing on stage with Grace Slick and Stevie Nicks, who Ann says really is a good witch.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Heart songs HERE.
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