The Tonearm

Robin Holcomb & Peggy Lee: Behind the Delicate Sound of 'Reno'


Listen Later

Today, the Spotlight shines On composer and pianist Robin Holcomb and cellist Peggy Lee.

These two musicians have been creating music together for the better part of two decades. Their new album, Reno, out September 12, captures something rare: the kind of musical conversation that happens when two artists know each other's musical language inside and out. Robin's songs draw from American folk traditions while her piano work moves into territories that feel both classical and completely free. Peggy brings a cello sound that's equally at home with composed melodies and total improvisation.

Their collaboration encompasses everything from Robin's early song cycles about utopian communities in the Pacific Northwest to pieces that came from her work on the Donner Party saga. It's music that's hard to categorize, which makes it all the more worth your time.

This conversation in the Fall of 2024, off-hours and in person at Seattle music venue The Royal Room.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Robin Holcomb and Peggy Lee’s album Reno)

Dig Deeper

  • Visit Robin Holcomb at robinholcomb.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook
  • Visit cellist Peggy Lee online
  • Purchase Robin Holcomb and Peggy Lee’s Reno from Songlines or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
  • Wayne Horvitz - Robin's partner, frequent collaborator, and producer of Reno


  • Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on BlueskyMastodonYouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The TonearmBy Lawrence Peryer

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

30 ratings


More shows like The Tonearm

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,012 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,981 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,763 Listeners

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast by Marc Maron

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

29,506 Listeners

Longform by Longform

Longform

1,744 Listeners

Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields / Acast

Good Life Project

3,313 Listeners

The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

The Rich Roll Podcast

11,898 Listeners

The Talk Show With John Gruber by Daring Fireball / John Gruber

The Talk Show With John Gruber

3,132 Listeners

Outside Podcast by Outside

Outside Podcast

2,123 Listeners

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

7,166 Listeners

Living Adventurously by Alastair Humphreys

Living Adventurously

80 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,042 Listeners

Search Engine by PJ Vogt

Search Engine

4,465 Listeners