Even with his surging popularity in indie and rock scenes, Bartees Strange strives to bring his music to unexpected audiences and to tease apart the racial boundaries between them. He reckons with the concept of what it means to write music for the kids who are not seen, heard, or cared about. 

In this episode, Strange talks about growing up on a military base in England, working in the labor and climate movements in D.C., and how seeing an appearance by TV on the Radio on the Late Show with David Letterman was the cheat code for writing his own music. 

LANGUAGE ADVISORY: This episode of HELGA contains the use of a racial slur in the context of a conversation about using that word in a musical setting. Listener discretion is advised.

See below for more information on the artists and other references in this episode:

NSYNC

Backstreet Boys

Cleopatra (Group)

"Cleopatra Comin At Ya"

50 Cent

Get Rich Or Die Tryin

Linkin Park

Tunde Adebimpe

Parliament

Sun Ra

Brothers Johnson

Beach House

Slowdive

”Super Spirit” by Junie Morrison and George Clinton

Burial

Gorgon City

Courtney Barnett

Phoebe Bridgers

Lucy Dacus

Car Seat Headrest

The National

Mahershala Ali

Fugazi

Beauty Pill

Chuck Brown

Moses Sumney

Serpent with Feet

Tasha Wow - L’Rain

Dan Kleederman

TK Johnson

John Daise