Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians

What happens when we take the writer away and ask two groundbreaking female artists from two different genres to interview each other?

On the final episode of Musicians on Musicians, Kathleen Hanna meets with Syd to talk about learning to sing, star signs, and what it means to be a rebel.

Kathleen Hanna is a pioneer of the feminist punk movement, and she’s as active as ever, performing sold out shows across the country with her iconic bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. At a Hollywood studio this fall, punk rock's original "Rebel Girl" met with Syd, who's highly respected in R&B and hip-hop for the unconventional path she's carved out with her band, The Internet, and as a solo act. The conversation revealed two women with a unique ability to connect deeply to their audience through their music, and to each other through their individual forms of female empowerment.

Produced by OBB Sound.

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What happens when we take the writer away and ask two old friends and Oscar-winning collaborators to dive into what drives their music and their words?

Today, we hear Common and John Legend discuss the emotional nature of collaboration and how their shared activism has connected them forever.

In the past few years, John Legend has cemented his position as the king of inspirational R&B. His latest album, Legend, is a legitimate double album that features A-list guests and mixes snappy pop-funk with moving piano ballads. At a studio in New York this fall, he reconnected with another long-time friend and collaborator: Common. Legend has that EGOT; Common has a Grammy, Emmy and Oscar of his own, and the pair two won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for ‘Glory,’ the song they performed for the film Selma. And both have contributed their own entries to Audible’s Words + Music series, blending memoir and performance to bring listeners closer to their unique journeys as artists.The conversation revealed the strength of their bond — and a mutual appreciation of the way that art can serve as an important bridge between cultures.

Produced by OBB Sound.

Content in partnership with Audible's Words + Music.

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What happens when we take the writer away and ask two pop phenoms, from two completely different places and generations, to interview each other?

On today's episode, Pharrell sits down with RM of BTS to talk about the price of fame, the keys to creativity, and why it's important to take a break every so often.

RM went from aspiring underground rapper in South Korea to performing in sold-out stadiums around the world as the leader of BTS. Now, he's working on his first official solo album. At the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles this fall, the young superstar met with Pharrell Williams, whose one-of-a-kind career as a producer, rapper, and singer has spanned decades. The conversation highlighted the way both artists use their emotions in their work: from the value of pain to the electric experience of playing for the whole world to the intimacy of producing another artist's work.

Produced by OBB Sound.

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What happens when we take away the writer and ask two groundbreaking producers, from two different generations, to interview each other?

On this episode of Musicians on Musicians, Rick Rubin and FINNEAS talk about how they work in the studio, their listening habits, and the frustrations and the joy involved in making great music.

Rick Rubin started Def Jam Records out of his NYU dorm room in the 1980s, and went on to produce classic albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and many others. He’s still going strong: In addition to his continued collaboration with groups like the Chili Peppers and The Strokes, his book The Creative Act hits bookstores in 2023. Rubin sat down with a young talent making waves of his own: Finneas O’Connell. Finneas produced his sister Billie Eilish’s 2019 smash hit debut in his childhood bedroom in L.A., and has a career of his own as an incisive singer-songwriter — just last year he released his solo debut Optimist. Rubin was a key influence when Finneas was growing up, and their conversation revealed two cutting-edge minds eager to learn from one other.

Produced by OBB Sound.

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What happens when we take the writer away and ask two British rock stars, from two different generations, to interview each other?

In today's episode, Roger Daltrey and YUNGBLUD join forces to talk fashion, optimal recording hours and managing your image in a world gone mad.

In the past few years, YUNGBLUD has picked up the torch for a new kind of British rock: one informed by social causes, personal vulnerability, and an affinity for modern pop and hip-hop. His new, self-titled, album leans even further into those vibes: it’s glammy, showy and confident, much like Yungblud himself. At a studio in London this summer, the young star met another quintessential British rock singer: Roger Daltrey of the Who. 57 years after he first sang “My Generation,” Daltrey is as active as ever, currently wrapping an arena tour with the Who. His conversation with Yungblud revealed a rock icon with some strong opinions — and a rabid curiosity about the experiences of younger artists.

Produced by OBB Sound.

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What happens when we take the writer away and ask two great artists to interview each other the first time they meet in person?

To kick off this year's Musicians on Musicians podcast, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast come together to discuss their songwriting craft, growing up Korean American, and the cathartic pleasures of smashing glass.

In the past two years, Zauner released both a Grammy-nominated album, Jubilee, and a bestselling memoir, Crying in H. Mart. Zauner — who performs as Japanese Breakfast — grew up idolizing Karen O, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer famous for her magnetic stage presence and New York swagger. Recently, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs recently released Cool It Down, their first album in nine years. Now that she’s back and setting stages on fire again, Karen O. was more than happy to sit down with Zauner and be the mentor she wishes she’d had when breaking through.

Produced by OBB Sound.

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For more than 50 years, the writers at Rolling Stone have been sitting down with artists to get inside their sound, their creative process, and the realities of being a musician — but what happens when we take the writer away and ask two great artists to interview each other?

In each episode, two iconic musicians sit down for a conversation about their discography, artistic approaches, personal lives, and everything in between. With the artists in charge, no topic is off-limits.

The Musicians on Musicians podcast offers extended, deep-dive versions of the conversations between artists that you can read in the November issue of Rolling Stone. With the musicians in the driver’s seat, this is not your typical interview series. You’ll get to hear the moments in which two musical forces connect — artist to artist, person to person.

Musicians on Musicians is adapted from Rolling Stone’s popular franchise, produced by OBB Sound, and sponsored by Audible. Listen to the first episode today, wherever you get your podcasts.

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Olivia Rodrigo and Alanis Morissette might be nearly 30 years apart, but they’ve gone down similar paths. Both began as child actors and both of their careers exploded beyond their wildest expectations when they switched their focus to music, releasing blockbuster albums that used intensely personal details. They even both have hit singles whose music videos feature them navigating mixed feelings in a moving vehicle (“Drivers License” and “Ironic”). But the two songwriters, who are big fans of each other’s music, had never met before their Musicians on Musicians interview. They hit it off right away, talking about everything from the power of anger to life in the public eye to when to get your first tattoo.

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As one of the few Black women in country music, Mickey Guyton hasn’t had an easy path. But after years of false starts and disappointments, she decided to do things her way on her debut album, 2021's Remember Her Name. Staying true to herself meant telling her story, and the album included songs like "Love My Hair," which she wrote after seeing a video of a Black girl sent home from school because of her hair, and “Black Like Me,” about the sometimes painful reality of someone in Guyton's shoes. Miley Cyrus knows a few things about doing things her way, too, whether shedding her Hannah Montana image by swinging half-naked on a wrecking ball or pivoting from pop to rock in recent years. This summer, Mickey and Miley reconnected for Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians podcast, presented by Allstate. They touched on everything from country radio to the Reeboks that Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, would wear in the Nineties. But they kept coming back to breaking barriers and being themselves.

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Ludacris and Gunna represent two different eras of hip-hop, with two different styles - there was even a recent peanut butter commercial that played on the difference between their flows. But there wasn’t much of a divide at all when they got together in West Midtown, Atlanta, late this summer for the latest episode of Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians. They had a lot to talk about, from loving their hometown of Atlanta to going to the same high school to Luda's favorite car (a 1993 Acura). 

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