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

James Blake speaks with Rick Rubin about his new Covers EP. Since his debut album in 2011, the British-born James Blake has gone on to win England's top musical honor, the Mercury Prize, and a Grammy. He’s also produced and collaborated with a ton of musicians including Jay-Z, Beyonce, Billie Eilish, and Travis Scott. A few years back in 2016 James flew from England to Malibu to work with Rick Rubin at Shangri-La. They worked together on his third album, The Colour In Anything. As you'll hear in this conversation with Rick today, James Blake had a life-changing experience while working and living at Shangri-La. In fact, has made LA his home base ever since. James also recalls an embarrassing teenage experience that left him making music in secret for years. And tells Rick that recording his new EP of covers solidified his love of perfect pop songs.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite James Blake songs HERE — enjoy!

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Rick Rubin connected with Pharrell Williams over Zoom recently to talk through and listen to some of the biggest hits from Pharrell’s illustrious career. They chat about what Pharrell is currently working on (Rihanna!), the French powdered drink mix that helped P write “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, and why Pharrell thinks he sounds like a sick billy goat on the hook for Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful.” And be sure to check out Pharrell's new podcast OTHERtone - https://link.chtbl.com/brokenrecord

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Hear all the songs Pharrell mentioned in the episode, along with his favorite Neptunes-produced tracks HERE — you can also enjoy a playlist of some of Pharrell's favorite songs as told to Rick Rubin HERE — enjoy!

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It’s hard to believe Andrew Watt is only 30 years old. He's built up an impressive and diverse roster of collaborators over the last five years including Ozzy Osbourne, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, and Justin Bieber. He’s quietly become one of the biggest producers in the industry … leading to a nomination at the upcoming Grammys for Producer of the Year. Rick Rubin chats with Andrew Watt this episode about getting his start in music interning with the Roots, working with Miley Cyrus on her newest album, and about a frightening experience with COVID in the early days of the pandemic.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Andrew Watt written or produced songs HERE — enjoy!

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The runway to success was short for Black Pumas. Five months after releasing their debut album in 2019, the Austin-based band was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. And now, one year later, Black Pumas are up for Album of the Year for the deluxe version of their debut. Guitarist/Producer Adrian Quesada and Singer Eric Burton met at a crossroads in both of their careers. Adrian left his first band, Grupo Fantasma after a successful run, including a years-long mentorship by Prince. While looking for a new direction, a friend suggested he work with Eric—changing both of their fortunes. In this episode, Adrian talks about being taken under Prince’s wing, Eric reminisces about writing the group’s biggest hit in church, and they explain their unique chemistry that’s led to instant success.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Black Pumas songs HERE — enjoy!

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Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy is a prolific songwriter and he's ready to share his secrets. They're all in his new book, How to Write One Song. On today's episode, Tweedy shares some of his techniques with Malcolm Gladwell and explains why songwriting isn't, in his view, a mystical practice but a practical one. And at the end of the episode, he holds his own master class where he breaks down the song "Opaline" from his new solo album, Love Is The King.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Wilco songs + Tweedy's new album HERE — enjoy!

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Leslie Odom Jr., best known for playing Aaron Burr in Hamilton, speaks to Bruce Headlam about his career on stage and in music and also his new Christmas album. The Christmas Album is Leslie's second crack at a holiday album but his first time not having to do it on a budget. They also discuss Leslie's favorite Christmas music, what it was like playing a Founding Father as a Black Man, and lessons he learned from the incomparable talents of Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr.

Subscribe to Broken Record's YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite holiday songs + Leslie's new album HERE — enjoy!

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Mike Campbell, guitarist, co-writer and original Heartbreaker talks to Rick Rubin about growing up with Tom Petty, working on Wildflowers and about his new album, Wreckless Abandon, with band The Dirty Knobs. It’s the first band Mike’s ever been a part of without Petty - who he started playing with in the early 70’s in Mudcrutch. And it’s the first time Rick’s been able to catch up with Mike since Tom’s passing. They talk about their work together and how the Heartbreakers always managed to find new life ... plus Mike, for the first time, tells the story of how he wrote the riff for “Runnin' Down A Dream."

Subscribe to Broken Record's YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite songs by and featuring Mike Campbell by clicking HERE — enjoy!

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There’s no playbook for successfully releasing music during a pandemic. Especially if you’re an indie artist, the stakes really couldn’t be higher. But Deep Sea Diver has managed to put all that aside to drop a thrilling and relevant new album. While the Seattle-based band’s only recently started to find their place in the indie rock landscape, Jessica Dobson has played in some of the genre’s most defining bands. She toured the world as the lead guitarist for Beck and The Shins, and played keyboard and bass for the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. In 2015, Jessica formed Deep Sea Diver with her husband and drummer Peter Mansen. In the wake of their new album, Broken Record producer Leah Rose talked to Jessica about how a stay-at-home livestream series inspired her to write a pandemic anthem in record time. Jessica also talks about how volunteering at a shelter for homeless sex workers helped her overcome a viscious bout of depression and write what she considers the best album of her career.

Subscribe to Broken Record's YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Deep Sea Diver songs by clicking HERE — enjoy!

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Kentucky singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson was in his mid-30s when he found fame as a country artist in Nashville. He had already lived a full life including a stint in the Navy, and years spent working in Salt Lake City rail yards. His outsider status in Nashville boosted his outlaw appeal. But as time passed, Sturgill began to despise the relentless expectations of the major label system. In true rebel fashion, Sturgill has now taken back control of his career and returned to his independent roots with the release of a bluegrass album: Cuttin’ Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions). In this interview with Rick Rubin, Sturgill explains why his bluegrass album is the purest expression of his work, why it bothers him that people often overlook the stories in his songs, and why being classified as a country artist has been, perhaps, the biggest detriment to his career.

Subscribe to Broken Record's YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Sturgill Simpson songs by clicking HERE — enjoy!

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In the opening lines of his New York Times bestselling memoir, Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz writes that he is deeply two-sided. His young life was all about opposites and extremes—black and white. He grew up between his West Indian grandparent’s home in Brooklyn, and his parent’s home on the Upper East Side where he was surrounded by his family’s famous friends like Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. When Lenny was 11, his mother, Roxie Roker, landed a starring role on the iconic sitcom, The Jeffersons. The family picked up and moved to L.A where Lenny fell in love with classic rock, funk, and skate culture. It’s also where Lenny and Rick Rubin eventually became friends in the late ‘80s. In this conversation, Lenny tells candid stories about his relationship with Lisa Bonet and talks about how writing his memoir helped him finally find peace with his overbearing father. They also talk about the time Lenny, Rick and Johnny Cash were all roommates and the day Lenny received the most devastating news of his life. And, at the end, Lenny performs a beautiful acoustic version of his song, “Johnny Cash," from his album Raise Vibration.

Subscribe to Broken Record's YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find some of our favorite Lenny Kravitz songs, including rarities, by clicking HERE — enjoy!

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