Talk the Line

By The Line of Best Fit

What's Talk the Line about?

In Talk the Line our favourite bands and celebs talk about their secret - and not so secret - fascinations, passions and obsessions with host Jen Long. The podcast is brought to you by The Line of Best Fit - the UK's biggest independent website for music discovery.

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Talk the Line episodes:

04.30.2021
Beverly Glenn-Copeland on singing the day
Beverly Glenn-Copeland talks to Jen Long about how singing the day helps him through the pandemic. The reissue of Glenn-Copeland's 1986 masterpiece, Keyboard Fantasies is out now via Transgressive, marking the 35th anniversary of its original release and features restored original...
04.23.2021
Dodie on knitting
Dodie talks to Jen Long about how knitting helped her through the lockdowns. Her debut album Build A Problem is released on 7 May 2021.
04.16.2021
Royal Blood's Mike Kerr on finding a path to wellbeing during lockdown
Two years sober, Royal Blood vocalist talks to Jen Long about a cleaner way of living during the pandemic. The band's new album Typhoons is released on 30 April 20201.
04.09.2021
RAYE on jigsaw puzzles
23-year-old South London-born singer and songwriter Raye talks about discovering a passion for jigsaw puzzles during the pandemic. RAYE's new mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs is out now and her new single with Joel Corry and David Guetta "Bed" has just...
04.02.2021
Alex the Astronaut on the joys of TV shows
Australian singer/songwriter Alexandra Lynn - better known to her fans as Alex the Astronaut speaks to Jen Long about losing herself in tv shows during the pandemic for this episode of Talk The Line. Alex's debut album The Theory of...
03.26.2021
Fran Healy on directing
Travis frontman Fran Healy speaks to Jen Long from his LA home about leaning into his love of directing videos during lockdown for this episode of Talk The Line. Travis’ new album 10 Songs is out now on BMG and their debut...
03.19.2021
JP Saxe on Bananagrams
Grammy-nominated Canadian musician and singer-songwriter tells Jen Long how Bananagrams helped him survive the pandemic.
03.11.2021
Julien Baker on trail running
Tennessee-born 25-year-old singer/songwriter Julien Baker just dropped her third album Little Oblivions and on this episode she talks to Jen Long about trail running.
03.05.2021
Lava La Rue on visual arts
As the founding member of the NiNE8 collective, musician, singer and artist Lava La Rue has curated incredible projects across the worlds of art, music and fashion, as well as establishing her own solo career with debut single "Widdit", and...
02.25.2021
Tom Jones and the art of reimagination
Sir Tom Jones talks to Jen Long about the artists and songs that inspired him on new record Surrounded By Time, and his approach to re-imagining those tracks for a whole new audience.
12.24.2018
Tancred's Jess on her passion for Harry Potter
In the final episode of our first season, Jess Abbott from Tancred talks to host Jen Long about a shared passion: the world of Harry Potter.
12.24.2018
The Sugarcubes's Einar Örn talks about whispers
Einar Örn has been famously described as the first punk in Iceland. He played alongside Björk in in the early 80s anarcho-punk outfit Kukl before joining her as a founding member of The Sugarcubes. In recent years he's collaborated with...
12.21.2018
The Sugarcubes' Sigtryggur Baldursson on why climate change matters above all else
Sigtryggur Baldursson - a founding member of The Sugarcubes alongside Björk - and key figure in the Iceland music scene over four decades - tells us about his concerns for the planet in a special podcast recorded at this year's...
11.29.2018
Milkywhale's Melkorka on entrepreneurialism
Milkywhale was born out of a performative project for dance school and has become one of Iceland's most inventive pop artists. Today’s we’re talking to one half of the duo, Melkorka Magnusdottir, about entrepreneurialism.
11.16.2018
Musician, visual artist and Múm vocalist Sigurlaug Gisladóttir - aka Mr. Silla - on her love of anime
Musician, visual artist and former Múm vocalist Sigurlaug Gisladóttir has been a mainstay of the tightly-knit Icelandic music scene for more than a decade - much of that as part of solo-project-come-collective Mr. Silla. In a special podcast recorded at...
10.29.2018
Jim White on his passion for finding old things
DIY outlier musician Jim White tells us about his passion for finding old things in a special podcast recorded at this year's End of the Road Festival.
10.16.2018
Alessia Cara on growing pains and the awkwardness of adolescence
Canadian popstar and singer/songwriter Alessia Cara talks about the awkwardness of adolescence.
10.03.2018
Japanese Breakfast's Michelle on her love of Korean food
Michelle Zauner - aka Philadelphia pop experimentalist Japanese Breakfast - talks about her love of Korean food to host Jen Long.
09.19.2018
Ritzy from The Joy Formidable talks about living in Utah
Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan from Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable talks about her experiences of living in Utah.
09.04.2018
Samm Henshaw and his favourite comic book adaptations
Rising R&B star and comic book obsessive Samm Henshaw chats to Jen Long about how his favourite books have made it to the big and small screens.
08.21.2018
Interpol's Paul Banks explains the noble art of boxing
Interpol frontman Paul Banks explains the noble art of boxing to Jen Long. The band's sixth album Marauder is released on 24 August via Matador.
08.06.2018
Miles Kane and his passion for WWE - American Wrestling
Miles Kane joins presenter Jen Long to explore his passion for WWE - American Wrestling. With a career stretching back to his mid-teens, Kane's been one of indie rock's most prolific collaborators - notably as part of The Last Shadow Puppets,...
07.20.2018
Mikky Ekko explains how to have lucid dreams
Singer/Songwiter and Rihanna-collaborator Mikky Ekko joins presenter Jen Long to share his fascination with controlling what happens in your dreams. You can take the Japanese Cube Test mentioned in this episode on David Wolfe's website.
07.13.2018
Alec from Clap Your Hands Say Yeh and his love of the Spanish premier football league
Alec Ounsworth is the Pennsylvania-born frontman of Clap Your Hands Say Yeh, one of the most loved US indie bands of the last decade thanks largely to their self-titled 2005 debut and its follow up Some Loud Thunder. The band’s most...
07.06.2018
Tom Grennan on the World Cup and why football's coming home
Rising star Tom Grennan tells us why football's coming home this year as we explore the unique appeal of the World Cup.
06.29.2018
Lucy Rose and the joys of being boring
British singer/songwriter Lucy Rose tells us about the joys of being boring.
06.22.2018
Kevin from Two Door Cinema Club on Northern Ireland and The Troubles
Kevin Baird is a founding member of Two Door Cinema Club, probably the most successful rock band to ever come out of Northern Ireland. The three members of Two Door met as teenagers in Bangor and made their TV debut at...
06.15.2018
Stella Donnelly explains the menstrual cycle
Stella Donnelly was born and raised in Wales before moving to Australia at the age of ten. Fifteen years later she's one of her adopted country's brightest musical hopes, abandoning her plans to study social work at University in favour of signing...
06.08.2018
The Hold Steady's Craig Finn on why baseball is the only sport that matters
Minnesota-born Craig Finn is the frontman of The Hold Steady and as a huge baseball fan has never been shy about his support for hometown team the Minnesota Twins, even penning a fight song for them back in 2010 -...
06.01.2018
Chris and Keith from We Are Scientists explain the appeal of Jack Reacher
Chris and Keith from We Are Scientists go deep in chat on their literary obsession: Jack Reacher, the fictional character created by British author Lee Child.
05.25.2018
Neko Case and why she's inspired by the warrior women of history
Legendary singer and performer Neko Case tells us why she's inspired by the warrior women of history.
05.18.2018
Harry from Peace on how he found a new life through meditation and yoga
Harry Koisser, the frontman of Peace, used to embrace the lifestyle of a metropolitan rockstar but when Peace relocated to a farmhouse in the middle of a forest miles away from civilisation to write their new record Kindness Is the...
05.10.2018
Tove Styrke on the concept of personality
Swedish pop star Tove Styrke tells us about her fascination with personality.
05.04.2018
Max Richter on his fascination with Haruki Murakami
Max Richer - one of the first composers to combine classical and electronic elements with a post rock sensibility – tells us out one of his favourite writers, the Japanese-born Haruki Murakami.
04.27.2018
Andrew W.K. explains why partying hard became his life philosophy
Partying hard remains integral to everything California-born legendary Andrew W.K. does - he’s built a life philosophy around it – and (of course) that’s what we’re talking to Andrew about today for our fiftieth episode!
04.20.2018
Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and his obsession with Vuokko Nurmesniemi , the creator of Marimekko's iconic Jokapoika shirt
Alexis Taylor, the co-founder of the legendary Hot Chip is obsessed with Finnish-born Vuokko Nurmesniemi , the creator of Marimekko's iconic Jokapoika shirt.
04.13.2018
Jamz Supernova takes up deep into the Shondaverse
South East London-born DJ and presenter Jamz Supernova is a TV boxset junkie and for this episode of Talk The Line we're discussing the work of Shonda Rhimes, the hugely influential television producer, screenwriter, and author who created shows such...
04.06.2018
The Vaccines' Justin explores the relationship between running and mental health
The Vaccines singer Justin explores the relationship between running and mental health.
03.30.2018
Kate Nash on why Buffy The Vampire Slayer is so important to her
At the age of 21 singer/songwriter Kate Nash won a BRIT Award and over the last ten years has balanced a successful music and acting career. She's releasd four albums to date and her latest Yesterday Forever was inspired by her adolescent diaries...
03.23.2018
Lissie explains the art of beekeeping
Two years ago Rock Island, Illinois born-singer Lissie moved out of the orbit of the music industry machine and back to her native Midwest. Empowered by the success of her last record - which she released independently - she decided...
03.16.2018
Tracey Thorn on the long walks she takes around her hometown of London
Across four decades Tracey Thorn's songs and writing have offered up a clear-eyed woman’s view of the immediate world around her; from the acerbic teen love songs of her first early-eighties band Marine Girls, through sixteen years as one half...
03.09.2018
Spector's Fred Macpherson tells the history of Pizza Express
Fred Macpherson was already a mainstay of the East London indie scene before forming Spector in 2011. Playing their first shows at Efes Snooker Club in East London, the hype around the group around Spector rose quickly resulting in them signing...
03.02.2018
Emily from The Staves on fantasy fiction and His Dark Materials
The Staves are Emily, Jessica and Camilla - three sisters who cut their teeth performing together at open-mic nights in Watford, their home city an hour North of London.The trio put out their first EP in 2010 and backed up...
02.23.2018
Fischerspooner's Casey on the links between food and memory
Fischerspooner began as a performance art piece in New York City at the end of the last century. They played their very first performance at a Manhattan Starbucks, which ultimately transformed into a spectacle that ushered in the electroclash scene....
02.17.2018
JFDR and her obsession with matcha
Jófríður Ákadóttir - one of Iceland's most talented and productive young musicians tell us about her obsession with matcha, against the backdrop of Kumiko, a teahouse in the hip Grandi area of Reykjavík.
02.09.2018
Káryyn on meditation
Multi-disciplinary artist, electronic musician, vocalist and producer Káryyn tells us about how the importance of meditation in her life.
02.02.2018
Kojey Radical and his passion for mixed martial arts
London-based rapper and poet Kojey Radical tells us in detail about his passion for mixed martial arts.
01.26.2018
Dream Wife's Rakel on monsters, spirits, elves, trolls and the Icelandic art of storytelling
Punk trio Dream Wife came together while they were studying visual arts at Brighton University, with roommates Rakel and Bella roping in fellow student Alice to create a fake girl band for a course project. Of course the fake band proved...
01.19.2018
Marika Hackman and her favourite condiments
British singer/songwriter Marika Hackman's had an incredible 18 months - last year's album "I'm Not Your Man" ditched the pastoral folk sound of her debut and found her treading new ground, asserting her credentials as one of the UK's most...
01.12.2018
Metronomy's Joe Mount and his fascination with architecture
Joe Mount is the mastermind behind Metronomy, one of the UK's most inventive, loved and successful bands. Joe formed Metronomy as a teenage bedroom project in his home town of Totnes, Devon and it took shape when he moved to...

What's Talk the Line about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Talk the Line episodes:

Beverly Glenn-Copeland on singing the day

Dodie on knitting

Royal Blood's Mike Kerr on finding a path to wellbeing during lockdown

RAYE on jigsaw puzzles

Alex the Astronaut on the joys of TV shows

Fran Healy on directing

JP Saxe on Bananagrams

Julien Baker on trail running

Lava La Rue on visual arts

Tom Jones and the art of reimagination

Tancred's Jess on her passion for Harry Potter

The Sugarcubes's Einar Örn talks about whispers

The Sugarcubes' Sigtryggur Baldursson on why climate change matters above all else

Milkywhale's Melkorka on entrepreneurialism

Musician, visual artist and Múm vocalist Sigurlaug Gisladóttir - aka Mr. Silla - on her love of anime

Jim White on his passion for finding old things

Alessia Cara on growing pains and the awkwardness of adolescence

Japanese Breakfast's Michelle on her love of Korean food

Ritzy from The Joy Formidable talks about living in Utah

Samm Henshaw and his favourite comic book adaptations

Interpol's Paul Banks explains the noble art of boxing

Miles Kane and his passion for WWE - American Wrestling

Mikky Ekko explains how to have lucid dreams

Alec from Clap Your Hands Say Yeh and his love of the Spanish premier football league

Tom Grennan on the World Cup and why football's coming home

Lucy Rose and the joys of being boring

Kevin from Two Door Cinema Club on Northern Ireland and The Troubles

Stella Donnelly explains the menstrual cycle

The Hold Steady's Craig Finn on why baseball is the only sport that matters

Chris and Keith from We Are Scientists explain the appeal of Jack Reacher

Neko Case and why she's inspired by the warrior women of history

Harry from Peace on how he found a new life through meditation and yoga

Tove Styrke on the concept of personality

Max Richter on his fascination with Haruki Murakami

Andrew W.K. explains why partying hard became his life philosophy

Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor and his obsession with Vuokko Nurmesniemi , the creator of Marimekko's iconic Jokapoika shirt

Jamz Supernova takes up deep into the Shondaverse

The Vaccines' Justin explores the relationship between running and mental health

Kate Nash on why Buffy The Vampire Slayer is so important to her

Lissie explains the art of beekeeping

Tracey Thorn on the long walks she takes around her hometown of London

Spector's Fred Macpherson tells the history of Pizza Express

Emily from The Staves on fantasy fiction and His Dark Materials

Fischerspooner's Casey on the links between food and memory

JFDR and her obsession with matcha

Káryyn on meditation

Kojey Radical and his passion for mixed martial arts

Dream Wife's Rakel on monsters, spirits, elves, trolls and the Icelandic art of storytelling

Marika Hackman and her favourite condiments

Metronomy's Joe Mount and his fascination with architecture