thekylemeredith

[thekylemeredith]

#JohnPaulWhite (he of The Civil Wars) is like a velvet thundercloud—moody, poetic, and slightly amused by it all. We talked about Beulah, writing from the edges, and why he’ll never write a “happy record.”

“I don’t write autobiographically,” he says. “That bores me.”

We also dig into the death of genre, what’s wrong with mainstream country, and why making a great song should always beat chasing a market trend.

[thekylemeredith]

#BillyBobThornton isn't just making music—he's making a lot of music. Nearly 20 albums in 15 years in #TheBoxmasters, and Speck might be the most personal of them all. Produced by Beatles legend Geoff Emerick, it ended up being his final project before passing away.

We talk about parallels between the ’60s and today, radical moderation, writing songs inspired by the unhoused in L.A., and how a tuba solo made it onto one of the record’s best tracks.

“We’re always creating,” says Thornton. “If I’m not, I lose my mind.”

[thekylemeredith]

Tonight on WFPK, I’ll be hanging with #CollectiveSoul’s Ed Roland, who’ll talk 90s hits and playing Woodstock '94.

I’ll also spin 4 hours of absolute gems, including the theme from Bill Nye the Science Guy, because science rules and nostalgia pays.

Meanwhile on the Kyle Meredith With… podcast, I’m looking back at my interviews with #TheyMightBeGiants—because two Johns are always better than one.

6p ET on WFPK.

Listen to the podcast wherever you get your sonic fix.

[thekylemeredith]

Thanks to WDRB News for having me on to talk about Louisville music, including Wombo and Ryan Davis.

[thekylemeredith]

#HonusHonus of #ManMan joined me to talk about On Oni Pond. We covered everything from writing with clarity and cannibalizing past songs, to accidentally creating romance in the woods and invoking Cyndi Lauper.

Also: the chaos of unrooted living, the pitfalls of overthinking, and why he may still have a screenplay or two in him.

[thekylemeredith]

#MichaelEaly joins me to talk about Netflix’s The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window — a casserole-fueled satire where the wine flows freely and the drama is sincerely absurd.

We also get into dad playlists (Taylor Swift > The Police), introducing his daughter to New Edition, executive producing The Devil You Know, and whether he’s ready to finally direct.

“It might look like multitasking, but I compartmentalize like a ninja.”

[thekylemeredith]

First off, here’s a picture of #TylerChilders and me and a bunch of incredible radio people, none of which are on my Bitin’ List.

As for this week’s episodes of Kyle Meredith With…, I’m hanging with Amy Berg to talk about the new #JeffBuckley documentary, and revisiting my interviews with They Might Be Giants—still the only band that can make you laugh, cry, and question the laws of thermodynamics in one song.

And over on WFPK (weeknights at 6p ET), I’ll be joined by:

Collective Soul’s Ed Roland Lucy Dacus Renee Elise Goldsberry David Duchovny U2’s The Edge

One of those people is a literal X-File. Another is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Tune in and sort ’em out.

[thekylemeredith]

#TheJesusLizard are back, and #DavidYow wants you to know: it's not a comeback. It's a one-night stand with your ex... that somehow turned into a killer new album.

We talked about the brutal brilliance of Rack, golden showers for the dead, Lars von Trier-inspired lyrics, and why making movies feels like magic.

[thekylemeredith]

#ButchVig. Drummer for Garbage. Producer of Nirvana, Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Foo Fighters.

I talked with the legendary producer about 5 Billion in Diamonds and their record Divine Accidents—a lush, psychedelic folk-rock voyage inspired by Orson Welles, late-60s B-sides, and "divine accidents."

We also hit on Garbage’s “dark and schizophrenic” No Gods No Masters, making a Bond theme, and his 18-month quest to create the perfect drum plugin.

[thekylemeredith]

Did #KevinSmith just create the best Masters of the Universe anything ever?

I talked to him about turning childhood nostalgia into Shakespearean stakes, getting Henry Rollins to voice a techno cult leader, and why Mark Hamill had to be Skeletor.

[thekylemeredith]

#BrentCobb on Songwriting, Family Ties, and How a Funeral Led to a Major Label Deal

Brent Cobb wrote his major-label debut Shine On Rainy Day as a love letter to his Georgia hometown—he just didn’t know it at the time.

We talked about songwriting as a day job, family reunions at funerals, and how a demo CD passed at a wake led to a record deal with his cousin, super-producer #DaveCobb.

[thekylemeredith]

#ScottMcCaughey of Filthy Friends (and Minus 5, R.E.M., and The Baseball Project, and…) says their debut was never meant as a Trump protest record—it just aged that way. “We’re definitely against some things,” he laughs. “And I think Mitch McConnell should be tried for treason.”

He also tells us about writing songs with Corin Tucker and Peter Buck, the band's "climate change party" anthem, and why Collapse Into Now belongs with REM's best.

[thekylemeredith]

#DeanWareham says every band should just go away for 10 years. He would know— #Luna did exactly that, then came back with A Sentimental Education, a covers record featuring the least popular tracks from Dylan, The Cure, and even the Lou-less Velvet Underground. We talked about the difference between contractual obligation and inspiration, the joys of obscure instrumentals, and why sometimes adding vocals ruins everything.

[thekylemeredith]

Dogs in space. Synths from secret folders. A decade-late sequel.

I talked with #DhaniHarrison about Motorways (Erase It), scoring documentaries for RZA and HBO, touring with ELO, and whether Fistful of Mercy will ever return.

[thekylemeredith]

Is it Abbey Road? Is it Tommy? Is it glam rock #CountingCrows-style?

#AdamDuritz joins me to talk about Butter Miracle and how a shaved head, a farm in England, and complete piano amnesia led to his most ambitious work in years. We dive into the pandemic recording process, glam rock guitar riffs, emo tribute albums, his legendary background vocals, and the Recovering the Satellites deluxe edition that's still MIA (blame Geffen).

[thekylemeredith]

What if you could become the version of yourself you actually want to be?

#RichardLinklater joins me to talk about Hit Man — the wildly entertaining new film he co-wrote with Glenn Powell, who also plays a dozen different fake hitmen and one dangerously real love interest. We get into why this story stuck with Linklater for 20 years, the existential moments that creep into all his films, casting New Orleans as a character, and why he's betting on the future with a 20-year musical project.

[thekylemeredith]

TONIGHT: #KevinSmith drops in to talk Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and probably something wildly inappropriate but heartfelt. Snoochie Boochies, Louisville.

The soundtrack leans chaotic good: Local cuts from PRJCTR and The Broken Spurs, Nina Simone, The Rolling Stones, Black Lab, and new Jon Batiste.

6p ET on WFPK.

It’s not even supposed to be my day off.