Kyle Meredith With...

Lord Huron’s Ben Schneider jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to tell us about Long Lost, a concept album about a fictional band lost in time, the studio they record in, and the ghosts that live there. Schneider talks about taking cues from late night public access shows and old time variety shows, how the passage of time and blurring memories play such a big role in the lyrics, and the eternal chain reaction that we’re all part of. The Michigan-born songwriter goes on to discuss the responsibility the band feels to listen to their fan’s deepest questions, his desire to create graphic novels and movies to go along with the music, and being musically inspired by Lee Hazlewood.

Rhiannon Giddens catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about They’re Calling Me Home, the latest project with Francesco Turrisi that finds her (an American) and him (an Italian) searching for the meaning of home while stuck in Ireland with the lockdown. Giddens talks about the old folks tunes that populate the album and what they still say in today’s climate, writing about the fabled city of Avalon, and the cross section of their multicultural music. The Carolina Chocolate Drops co-founder also talks about the possibility of another Our Native Daughters record with Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell and her upcoming opera.

Mike Doughty catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new project, Ghost of Vroom, which features a sound that harkens back to his 90s band Soul Coughing. Doughty tells us the roots of the project trace back to him trying to reunite the band before talks fell apart and how the name recalls Soul Coughing’s debut album Ruby Vroom. He goes on to discuss his knack for injecting jazz into sample based, weird music, the poetry that gave him his style, 25th anniversary of Irresistible Bliss (featuring “Super Bon Bon”), and his plans for an apocalyptic rock opera.

The Offspring are back with Let The Bad Times Roll, their first new album in nine years. Dexter Holland and Noodles sat down with Kyle Meredith to discuss the journey of making the record, reflecting the state of the world within the songs, and the isolation and alienation that populate the lyrics and music videos. The LP is also a chance to look back while moving forward, and the two tell us how they celebrate the past with riffs and other fan-favorite moments, such as the the return of Blackball (the “you gotta keep ‘em separated” guy), as well including a re-recording 1997’s Gone Away as a piano ballad. Dexter and Noodles then take us through the business side of selling their catalog rights, the lineup change that happened before the recording, and how much of this new album to expect in the upcoming live shows.

Heart's Ann Wilson jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about her latest string of solo singles. The legendary rocker takes us through covering Steve Earle and Alice In Chains, and looks back at her friendships with the late Layne Stayley and Chris Cornell. Wilson also discusses why she was so drawn to the 90’s Seattle scene, where Heart's Led Zeppelin influence came from, and then tells us all about her upcoming releases that involves sessions in Muscle Shoals, a duet with Vince Gill, a Jeff Buckley cover, writing with Warren Haynes, and the future of Heart.

St. Vincent catches up with Kyle Meredith to discuss Daddy’s Home, an album that finds Annie Clark showcasing an early 70’s sound. Clark talks about how the era relates to the music her father played her in her own youth and how the story ties to his 2010 prison sentence and recent release. The two also draw the parallels to 70’s nostalgia during the 90s, name checking Dazed and Confused, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Tool, as well as the recently passed Jessica Walter. Annie also previews the tour that will follow this album, which she says will be a much looser live show than the Masseduction setup, coming at a time when everyone may finally be more connected in the pit.

Hoobastank’s Doug Robb and Dan Estrin sit down with Kyle Meredith to revisit 2001 for the 20th anniversary of their debut album. The guys talk about their original intention to change their name before being signed, their early funk rock sound, and eventually arriving at the heavy guitars and soaring vocals that would land them on the top of the rock charts thanks to “Crawling in the Dark” and “Running Away.” Robb and Estrin also take us further to when “The Reason” became a crossover smash and what that was like to suddenly be playing to a pop audience, being part of early internet leak culture, and their recent viral fame on TikTok.

Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about Smith/Kotzen, the new album that finds him collaborating with Richie Kotzen. The English guitarist discusses their shared love of bands like Deep Purple, Free, and Humble Pie, as well as early blues' influence on hard rock. Smith also gets into the album's themes a bit with an eye on getting away from the past and moving forward, and then lets us in on what the live shows might sound like, which would include songs from both artist's back catalog.