In this episode we talk to Buzz Osborne, the singer and guitarist for legendary rock band Melvins. Before the Pacific Northwest became known for grunge, Melvins, a notable influence on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, were making sludgy, heavy rock music in Washington State. 

After grunge broke in the early ‘90s, the band was signed to Atlantic Records for two albums, Stone Witch from ’94 and Stag from ’96. Otherwise, Melvins have recorded for indie labels such as Amphetamine Reptile Records and their home for over two decades, Ipecac Recordings. Melvins’ latest album, Tarantula Heart, was released by Ipecac in 2024. 

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In this episode we talk to Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston. Call them easy listening or a bar band from California, but what matters is The Doobie Brothers have been making music for over 50 years and are back with a new album, Walk This Road, out June 6 on Rhino Records.

For Walk This Road, Michael McDonald joins Patrick, Tom and John McFee. Michael was absent on the band’s 2022 album, Liberté, and is back with his fair share of songs on Walk This Road. The title track features the one and only Mavis Staples, and we got the story behind that collaboration in the interview. 

Links:

The Doobie Brothers home page

The Doobie Brothers tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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For a period of time in the late '80s and early '90s, Richard Marx was everywhere. The hitmaker achieved a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Hold Onto the Nights." “Endless Summer Nights” went to No. 2 while both “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Should’ve Known Better” went to No. 3. His album Repeat Offender went to No. 1 in 1989. Richard has had an immensely successful career as a songwriter-producer and helped craft hits for such artists as Keith Urban, NSYNC, Barbra Streisand and Daughtry. His new single is “Forget About the World.”

Links:

Richard Marx home page

Richard Marx tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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In this episode we talk to Larkin Poe, a duo of sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell. Fifteen years into their careers as Larkin Poe, Rebecca and Megan have built a catalog of blues and Southern rock-influenced music and a dedicated following. The duo’s 2022 album, Blood Harmony, won a 2024 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Their latest album, Bloom, is another soulful, occasionally bombastic journey through American roots music.

Links:

Larkin Poe home page

Larkin Poe tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Billboard's Behind the Setlist talks to Thurston Moore, co-founder of Sonic Youth, about his body of work as a solo artist and collaborator; his latest album, Flow Critical Lucidity; the likelihood of a Sonic Youth reunion; his musical education witnessing New York’s vibrant music scene in the late ‘70s; and his memoir, Sonic Life, that was released in 2023. 

Links:

Thurston Moore home page

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Behind the Setlist chats with synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones, best known for his hits in the ‘80s such as “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life in One Day” and “What Is Love?” His 1985 album Dream Into Action reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and hit No. 2 on the U.K. album chart. Howard has remained incredibly busy over his career, releasing 15 studio albums, the most recent being Dialogue in 2022. Next up is Piano Composed, out May 23, in which he returns to his classical music roots.

Links:

Howard Jones home page

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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In this episode we talk to Kevin Mercer, otherwise known as Posdnuos, or Pos, from the hip hop group De La Soul. The group continues touring and making music after more than three decades, and they have continued after the death of David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove, in 2023. De La Soul’s 1989 debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was a breakthrough at the time and stands today as a hip hop classic for its positivity, intelligence and sample-heavy production that borrowed from Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Bo Diddly and the Steve Miller Band. 

The conversation centered around the group's Jan. 17, 2025 concert at Lincoln Center in Manhattan but also touched on the group's longevity, connecting with younger generations, continuing after Trugoy's death, musical influences and the recent slew of De La Soul reissues.

Links:

De La Soul home page

De La Soul tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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British singer-songwriter David Gray joins Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast for a song-by-song walk-through of his February 14, 2025 set at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The 23-song set featured a number of songs from his latest album, Dear Life, and went all the way back to his 1993 debut album, A Century Ends. Gray talks about how a cover of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" made it into his sets, the importance of avoiding routine performances, and how he creates an authentic connection with the audience.

Behind the Setlist is co-hosted by Jay Gilbert from Label Logic and Glenn Peoples from Billboard.

Links

David Gray home page

David Gray tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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Jasen Rauch of Breaking Benjamin joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast for a wide-ranging interview about the band's touring life, its loyal fan base, picking songs for Breaking Benjamin concerts, the challenge of developing new rock acts in 2025, and the band's transition away from Hollywood Records.

The group's latest song, "Awake," was licensed by the band through BMG, and Rauch says the band's upcoming album will also be released through BMG. "From our perspective, creatively, it allows us to make sure that we're okay signing off with some things," he says of the deal with BMG, "whether it be the timeline of how long it's taking us to create—because it's been a while since we put an album out, and that's that's all on us and our choice."

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Fresh off a Grammy win for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, Tarriona "Tank" Ball of the New Orleans group Tank and the Bangas joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist to talk about that Grammy win, the stories behind some of the album's songs, her excitement for performing at the upcoming New Orleans Jazz Festival and how her music got its mix of soul, R&B, hip hop and poetry. If you’ve ever felt disappointed by the sameness of music, if you fail to be surprised by the music fed to you on streaming services, you should give Tank and the Bangas a listen. 

We didn't use our usual recording setup for this episode because Jay was unable to join the interview, so please excuse's Glenn's less-than-pristine audio quality.

Links:

Tank and the Bangas home page

Tank and the Bangas tour dates

Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic

Glenn Peoples @ Billboard

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