Lucy Dacus returns to talk with Kyle Meredith about her new solo album Forever Is A Feeling, a record that unfolds like a romance film—just not the romcom kind. The Boygenius member discusses writing songs in real time to process emotions, performing early tour dates in European churches and museums, and embracing reverence without necessarily embracing religion. She also gets into her poetic lyricism, including the introspective “Lost Time” and dreamy “Limerence,” and how covering Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle” unexpectedly mirrors her own meditations on how love and time collide. We also talk about the parade of indie all-stars on the album (Bartees Strange, Madison Cunningham, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker) and the surreal joy of texting your heroes to hop onstage.

Listen to Lucy Dacus chat about all this and more or watch on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Read less

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips sat down with Kyle Meredith for three conversations across a handful of years to talk solo albums, Luna reunions, and songwriting that sometimes doubles as emotional excavation. Dean, known for his iconic turns in #Galaxie500 and #Luna, talked in 2014 about finally releasing his first solo album and what it meant to step out from the comfort of collaboration—including with wife and longtime musical partner Britta—and work with #MyMorningJacket’s Jim James as producer. He dug into the funny backlash from his memoir, navigating identity beyond legacy bands, and why a lyric like “what have I done with my life?” doesn’t always need a worried reading. In her own chat in 2016, Britta walked Kyle through #LuckOrMagic, a stunning debut that toggles between torch songs and simmering synth-pop, and how tracks like “Do It Last” playfully (and darkly) flip gendered expectations of obsession in love songs. She also opened up about the nerves of writing about Dean… and then playing those songs for him. The 2017 conversation saw Luna officially back with #ASentimentalEducation, a covers-heavy return that mined overlooked corners of Dylan, the Stones, and even Velvet Underground’s Doug Yule era. Dean explained why a reformation only made sense without pressure, and why sometimes the easiest way forward is an instrumental EP with cheeky titles like “March of the Trolls.” Three interviews. Two solo albums. One band that still knows how to play the long game—with style.

Listen to Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips chat about all this and more. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Read less

Alan Walker joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the 10th anniversary of his breakout hit “Faded” and how he’s turned a bedroom project into a full-blown global empire. The EDM star gets into the making of WalkerWorld 2.0, the new single “Me, Myself and the Night,” and why he’s intentionally channeling his 2016–2019 sound. He also gives a preview of the immersive film WalkerWorld: The Last Ride, and talks about launching his first-of-its-kind World of Walker app—a digital hub meant to bypass social media algorithms and directly connect with fans.

Listen to Alan Walker chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Kyle Meredith sits down with two legends, Randy Bachman and the late Gary Brooker to talk about legacy and how you live with — and sometimes rewrite — the ghosts of greatness. Listen to these archive interviews now.

Hear Brooker of Procol Harum speak just before his passing about the band’s 50-year retrospective Still There’ll Be More, the timeless power of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and why Procol never quite fit in anyone’s box (except maybe their own).

Then, it’s Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive) discussing By George, his inventive reimagining of George Harrison classics that's filled with rearranged melodies, sly tributes, and a surreal phone call from Winnipeg to Friar Park. From Lennon birthday parties in Liverpool to dodged opportunities with Clapton, it’s a masterclass in reverence and reinvention from two legends.

Listen to Randy Bachman and Gary Brooker chat about all this and more. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Zara Larsson caught up with Kyle Meredith to talk about her new album Midnight Sun, her second LP in just over a year. Powered by creative momentum and a self-described “dream team” of collaborators, Larsson is embracing a more spontaneous workflow that channels her current energy into a confident, cohesive record. Listen now.

The record's namesake track, “Midnight Sun,” is a tribute to summer nights in her native Sweden, where the sun never fully sets and life feels mythically endless. “I wanted to be this little nymph that goes to the city,” she says, explaining the vibe that shaped both the sound and spirit of the album. The song itself is a swirl of joy and presence and the kind of spiritual clarity that only appears in duskless Scandinavian landscapes. It also helped unlock the album’s carefree tone: “I don’t give a fuck, but I do care a lot, and I hope and I pray and I manifest,” she says, summing up the paradox at the heart of Midnight Sun.

Larsson will bring that energy to her upcoming tour with Tate McRae, a pairing she’s calling the “perfect combination of two girls who love to put on a show.” Larsson hints at debuting unreleased material on the road, something she’s done before, but with mixed results. “It’s almost like a curse,” she laughs. “All the songs I used to try out live never ended up getting released — but this album is done and sealed.” Expect choreography, singalongs, and a little pop mischief: “I can’t wait to steal her stage for a few minutes.”

Listen to Zara Larsson chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Seth MacFarlane has long lived at the intersection of irreverence and reverence. As the creator of Family Guy, he built an empire of absurdist animation, but his latest creative projects deepens his musical streak. He caught up with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, a collection of unearthed and previously unrecorded Frank Sinatra charts. From there, the conversation swings through his revival of The Naked Gun, a reimagining of The ’Burbs, and the success of Ted’s leap to television. Listen now.

When Tina Sinatra called to offer MacFarlane access to her father’s archived arrangements, he jumped at the chance to revive what had been sitting in boxes for decades. “There were a good hundred charts or so in there that Frank had never recorded,” he says, citing a Nelson Riddle arrangement of “How Did She Look” and the infamous abandoned 1958 session for “Lush Life.” MacFarlane and his team not only finished the track, but aimed to deliver each song with the fidelity and flair of the original era.

On the film and television side, MacFarlane stays just as busy. He’s producing a new Naked Gun movie starring Liam Neeson, who he calls “the last of a breed” of actors who can play it completely straight while delivering massive laughs. He’s also helping adapt The ’Burbs, calling Tom Hanks’ original turn “one of the most brilliant comedic performances ever.” And then there’s Ted, now a breakout hit on Peacock: “It was the most-watched comedy across all platforms for two months straight,” he says. “People loved it. They were all over it.”

For someone straddling high art and high chaos, MacFarlane seems right at home on both sides of the spectrum. Listen to Seth MacFarlane chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Shirley Manson has never been one to shy away from big feelings, big statements, or big synths. Speaking with Kyle Meredith, the Garbage frontwoman dives into Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, a record that flickers with vulnerability, political outrage, and, surprisingly, hope. The follow-up to 2021’s No Gods No Masters, the new LP serves as a spiritual twin — but this one stares down the chaos with resilience rather than just rage. Listen now.

“I realized that if I didn’t change my tack, I was going to lose my mind,” Manson says of her shift in perspective after the last album. “I wanted to project love, even though I was feeling physically broken and emotionally spent.” That brokenness included two hip surgeries and the loss of her dog — yet she funneled it all into a more nuanced lyricism.

She also reflects on her refusal to stay silent about world events, especially the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine. That same spirit fuels the band’s creativity; even with new recording methods during her recovery, she embraced the challenge: “I’d get these musical sketches from the guys and I’d say to my husband, ‘What the hell am I supposed to do with this?’ But eventually, they sparked my imagination.”

Listen to Shirley Manson chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Mark Hamill has played a Jedi, a clown prince of crime, and just about everything in between — but it’s The Life of Chuck that he says might be one of the most special experiences of his entire career. The pop culture icon sat down with Kyle Meredith to talk about the new Mike Flanagan film, a surreal, poetic meditation on existence based on a Stephen King novella. Listen to the episode now.

For Hamill, the film’s emotional core hit hard — both as a performer and as someone reflecting on a long life onscreen. He credits Flanagan’s adaptation for retaining the novella’s time-shifting structure and praised the cast, including a scene-stealing Tom Hiddleston and an emotionally rich performance from young newcomer Benjamin Pajak.

The actor even relates the new film to the messaging behind his most famous role. "I told George [Lucas] I loved the idea of the Force so much because it’s spiritual in a way that doesn’t make people feel uncomfortable,” he explains. “When Yoda came on the scene, it wasn’t about religion — it was something everyone could accept on their own terms.” That same spirit, he says, flows through The Life of Chuck. “This movie, it reassures you everything’s going to be okay. You’ve got to believe in the inherent goodness of people, or what’s the point?”

Listen to Mark Hamill chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.