We’re in an unprecedented moment of emergence: long-shuttered venues are reopening their doors, artists are hitting the road again, and you’re probably thinking about what concerts you’ll be heading to in this new world. We’re looking ahead to a summer full of live music, and what it means to listen together -- again. Hanif speaks with GRAMMY Award winning artist, Esperanza Spalding on creating ‘Songwrights Apothecary Lab’ and how live music can help rebuild our communities. And journalist Cherie Hu shares her predictions for the future of live music. Plus, listeners call in and share reflections from their favorite festival moments.

After a long year apart, there’s something particularly comforting about listening to a duet. In this week’s episode, we talk to Sharon Van Etten, who recently released ‘Like I Used To’ a duet with Angel Olsen. Hanif and Sharon dig into the interpersonal stories behind some of their favorite duet collaborators, unpack what makes for a great pairing of voices, and make a playlist of their top duet songs. To listen to the playlist of songs curated for this week's episode visit www.mixcloud.com/sonos.

/Music In This Week's Episode/

Like I Used To - Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen

The Boy Is Mine, Brandy and Monica

Streets of Paradise, Richard and Linda Thompson

Waves, Miguel (feat. Kacey Musgraves)

Oh, What A Good Thing We Had, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

Perfect Combination, Johnny Gill and Stacey Lattisaw

Da Rockwilder, Method Man and Redman

Welcome to season two of Object of Sound! As the world opens back up, we’re entering a moment of collective renewal and return, so it feels right to speak with an artist who is versed in reinvention: Mykki Blanco. Hanif sits down with Mykki to talk about the release of their new album ‘Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep’ coming out today, and the two enter into a layered conversation about what it means for an artist to be labeled as ‘ahead of their time.’ Visit www.mixcloud.com/sonos to check out the playlist of songs curated for this episode.

/Music In This Week's Playlist/

Love Me, Mykki Blanco

Cruel Cruel World, Jackie Shane

Rent, Big Freedia

Koi, Le1f

Queen Of This Shit, Quay Dash

Coytada, Linn de Quebrada

Don’t Despair, Beverly Glenn-Copeland

Adore, Dreamcrusher

For the season finale of Object of Sound, a reminder that you are an artist, regardless of what you do for work. Before Brittany Howard became a striking soloist and lead singer of Alabama Shakes, she worked at Cracker Barrel, sold cars, and even delivered mail in rural Alabama. In this episode, Hanif and Brittany reflect on how they preserved their creative lives and taught themselves writing and music while on the job. They dive into a shared love of funk and Brittany reveals how she learned to play guitar as a kid from reading magazines. Plus, a playlist of songs to soundtrack your work day. After this episode, we’re going to take a break. Season Two of Object of Sound picks up June 18th! Stay tuned. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode, visit http://bit.ly/oos-work

/Music In This Week's Playlist/

You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks, - Brittany Howard covering Funkadelic

The Prophet’s Song, Queen

Pressure, Paramore

Ain’t it Hard, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Tears of Rage, The Band

People Everyday, Arrested Development

Time’s a Wastin, Erykah Badu

What does it mean to be a curator of songs? The one friend who recommends new records, specifically with your tastes in mind. Hanif speaks with Hrishikesh Hirway, the creator and host of Song Exploder and a fellow music enthusiast. In this episode, Hanif and Hrishikesh discuss the communal and emotive nature of music sharing. They reflect on the experience of often being the only person of color at punk shows and what it means to, now, be in a position to evaluate music, while moving beyond the role of “tastemaker.” Plus, they collaborate on a playlist of musical underdogs who give you the most bang for your buck. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode, visit http://bit.ly/oos-hrishikesh

/Music In This Week's Playlist/

I’d Like to Walk Around in Your Mind, Vashti Bunyan

Sour Times, Portishead

Machine Gun, Slowdive

For Want Of, Rites of Spring

Too Much Information, The Police

The Sun, Alice Coltrane

Sound and the Fury, Fanny

Super Duper Love Parts 1&2, Sugar Billy

What makes a home? Is it where you create? Where you feel seen? And for a musician like Rhiannon Giddens, how does the idea of home shape the sound of her music? This week, Hanif sits down with North-Carolinian multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens from her new homebase in Dublin. They talk about how Ireland has seeped into her music, muse on the banjo as a weapon and a tool of archiving Black histories, and how Rhiannon is able to masterfully draw influences -- wherever she finds herself. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode, go to www.mixcloud.com/sonos.

When you think of protest music, you might think of the rock anthems of the 1960’s, or rap that turns frustration into elegantly poignant lyrics. For pianist Vijay Iyer, music without lyrics—has always been political music. This week, we talk with Vijay about the release of his new album 'Uneasy,' which in many ways is a protest album. We delve into the political history of jazz, the role of music in protest movements today. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-vijay

When Julien Baker and Hanif first met, they felt pulled by the orbit of each other’s work—work that is emotionally layered and complex. This week on the show, Hanif and Julien catch up. Of course, they talk about Julien’s recent album release, Little Oblivions —which Hanif wrote the liner notes for— but they also get into ideas of self-redemption, digesting emotions through music, and missing the miraculous feeling of live music. Plus, Hanif and Julien collaborate on a playlist of their personal praise songs; the music they would play in their own respective churches. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-julien

This week marks the release of Hanif’s new book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, and the opening chapter dives into the colorful world of Soul Train. Bell bottoms, the Soul Train line, afro’s as high as the sky. Hanif and journalist Ericka Blount Danois talk through how the show forever changed fashion, dance, and carved out a path for the all-Black media empires we see today. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-soultrain

For Hanif, music that some folks would consider ‘dark’ like emo, doom metal, and goth, have helped him find illumination. In this episode, Hanif talks to a master of darkly humorous lyrics, Sydney Sprague, about her debut album, ‘maybe I will see you at the end of the world’ and what it takes to make music at a time when survival feels like a question mark. Plus, Hanif and Sydney make a playlist of songs that’d be the perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse. For the playlist of songs curated for this episode visit http://bit.ly/oos-apocalypse