What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
  • 4.6 (69)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artists (and the hosts) than you ever asked for. Current focus: Björk. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, R.E.M., and Arctic Monkeys.

  1. 6d ago

    Homogenic (Pt. 1)

    The Big Mates discuss the launch of Channel 5, magical crime, “intelligent” dance music and Homogenic by Björk.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her third album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded it, the collaborations she sought to help her, and the goal of creating a cohesive record. They also find time to explore the world around Björk, the experience of the Post tour and her rise to international celebrity, and the effect this has on her career and music going forward.  They also discuss how she wanted to portray herself on the album artwork, new collaborations, and the pressure she felt when writing the album before starting the track-by-track analysis, exploring the composition, sound, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between! What changes did Björk make to her process? What is she hunting for? Is Malaga nice?  Find out on this episode of What Is Music? Our next episode is out next week, Monday August 24th, and will continue the deep-dive into Björk's third album! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/  Support the show

  2. Aug 10

    Björk Confuses Wembley Arena

    The Big Mates provide a large kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from the Post era of Björk’s career.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss dolphin noises, Burger King pens, the sartorial instincts of Sporty Spice, vocal gymnastics, and being welcomed to Bangkok whilst watching Björk perform on TV, at festivals, and at her own shows. They also look at some interviews and promotional footage from around the Post era. Head to YouTube to watch along by clicking here! Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way! Our next episode comes out Monday August 17th, and sees us dive into Björk’s third album - Homogenic! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

  3. Aug 3

    Post (Pt. 3)

    The Big Mates discuss studying, relaxing, chilling, and Post by Björk.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album.  They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between! They also look at how the album was received at the time, how that legacy has been shaped over the intervening years, and the influence heard in today's pop music. What will we make of Post? When does the second half start? Palette cleanser, though? Find out on this episode of What Is Music? Our next episode is out next week, Monday August 10th, and will see us watch some Post related media! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/  Support the show

  4. Jul 27

    Post (Pt. 2)

    The Big Mates discuss chance, big band jazz, sampling, and Post by Björk.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album.  They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between! They also look at how  Björk collaborated on some lyrics, her wish to surprise listeners, and how she linked herself further to the Bristol trip-hop scene.  What surprises lie in wait for us? Will Steve get into electronic music? Can a kestrel play hip-hop?  Find out on this episode of What Is Music? Our next episode is out next week, Monday Monday August 3rd, and will conclude our thoughts on Post! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/  Support the show

  5. Jul 20

    Post (Pt. 1)

    The Big Mates discuss big batteries, envelopes, headphones , and Post by Björk.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her second solo album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded the record, the changes in the team around her, and the thought behind the various styles found on the record. They also find time to explore how Björk reacted to her new found fame and the musical landscape in 1995, before starting the track-by-track analysis of the album, exploring the composition, sound, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between! How does Björk follow up her debut? When did the Spice Girls form? What albums would you describe as a chungus? Find out on this episode of What Is Music? Our next episode is out next week, Monday July 27th, and will continue the deep-dive into Björk's second album! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

  6. Jul 13

    Björk Shows Us Her Home Studio

    The Big Mates provide a special kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from the Debut era of Björk’s career.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss late night hosts, Cars equivalents, Letterboxd ratings, Glastonbury Festival, the Eurovision movie, the true identity of ancient aliens, and hectic editing whilst watching Björk perform on TV, at festivals, and at her own shows. They also look at some interviews and promotional footage from around the Debut era. Head to YouTube to watch along by clicking here! Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way! Our next episode comes out Monday July 20th, and sees us dive into Björk’s second album - Post! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

  7. Jul 6

    Debut (Pt. 3)

    The Big Mates discuss simulations, sampling, scores, and Debut by Björk.  Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and conclude their track-by-track analysis of her first studio album.  They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song on the second half of the record in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between! They also look at how the album was received at the time, the legacy it left behind, and the events that followed its release. Then they sum up their feelings on the album, give it a score, and pick some standout tracks. What do we make of the album? How was the album received at the time? Are Massive Attack trip-hop or Massive Attack? Find out on this episode of What Is Music? Our next episode is out next week, on Monday July 13th! Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

  8. Jul 1

    BREAKING MUSE: The Wow! Signal

    BONG. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NEWS BROADCAST. The Big Mates  discuss the newly released album The Wow! Signal by Muse. They give their first impressions and pick some standout tracks. Join the conversation on: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon! Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion! Support our show when starting your own podcast! By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379 Check out our merch! https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com Donate to our podcast! https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/ Support the show

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Trailer

4.6
out of 5
69 Ratings

About

A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artists (and the hosts) than you ever asked for. Current focus: Björk. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, R.E.M., and Arctic Monkeys.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    348
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music
  • Show Website
    What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

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