To celebrate one year of This Must Be the Gig, host Lior Phillips welcomes Mountain Goats mastermind John Darnielle onto the podcast. And, to commemorate the momentous occasion, the duo dig into a massive conversation about what it's like to tour as a parent, their individual approaches to collecting books, the time John and his son visited soundcheck for Lee "Scratch" Perry, the philosophy of Magic: The Gathering, and so, so much more.

Head here for more on the Mountain Goats' excellent new album, In League With Dragons, and the band's upcoming tour.

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This week we have an interview with the music world's foremost whistler, Andrew Bird. Even just listening to his recordings, it's clear that Bird has been playing violin since four years of age. But his music is so much more than impeccable technique—and his brand new record, My Finest Work Yet, taps into a vibrant, labyrinthine inner world of heady emotion, obscure reference, and brilliant songwriting. Host Lior Phillips and Bird work through his elaborate career—his first performances, seeing Japanese noise rockers Boredoms as his first concert, his time with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and all the way up through to his latest release. Plus, just two days out from My Finest Work Yet, we've got an early taste of the record in the form of the dazzling "Sisyphus". For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Since releasing one of 2018's most stunning albums in the form of The Future and the Past, Natalie Prass has been wowing audiences around the world, including as the opening act for recent Grammy star Kacey Musgraves. On this week's episode, host Lior Phillips chats with Natalie about surviving the chaos of 2018 while on the road as a solo artist, performing Aretha Franklin songs with Kacey, designing her own costumes, her DIY roots, and so much more. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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London-based rising star Nilüfer Yanya is on the verge of releasing her debut album, a record that fuses vibrant passion, technical wizardry, and seemingly every genre under the sun—R&B, soul, jazz, indie rock, all working together in a waterfall of wonder. This week, host Lior Phillips chats with Yanya about the origins of the record, tailoring her opening set to different headliners, exercising while on tour, and so much more. Plus, sample that debut record with "Tears", an early preview of the incredible Miss Universe, out March 22nd on ATO Records. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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This week, host Lior Phillips chats with one third of incredible, experimental Scottish rap trio Young Fathers. Lior caught up with Ally Massaquoi just prior to one of the trio's recent shows, sharing some tea in the lobby bar of a Chicago hotel. The two discuss what exactly makes 2018's Cocoa Sugar so special, the feeling of home in the Edinburgh music scene, taking inspiration in his mother's strength, and much more. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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One fourth of the beloved Animal Collective, Panda Bear calls into the podcast this week, just days removed from the release of his sixth album, Buoys. In addition to discussing the record and his upcoming tour, Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) and host Lior Phillips discuss the very first Animal Collective tour with Black Dice, how singing in a choir as a child formed his musical mindframe, what it's like performing solo as an introvert, and how working in Animal Collective is like being on a basketball team. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Legendary British Invasion act The Zombies are finally bound for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—but before then, we have vocalist Colin Blunstone on the show to discuss some of the biggest moments in his live music career. Host Lior Phillips chats with Colin about the very first Zombies shows, performing on TV in the '60s, seeing an impromptu Stevie Wonder concert, seeing the Beatles in the midst of peak Beatlemania, and so much more. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett calls in this week from her Melbourne home while on a break from her world tour supporting 2018's superb Tell Me How You Really Feel. She and host Lior Phillips discuss Courtney's experience as a teenager at a concert from Australian outfit Magic Dirt, the open mics that changed her life, and the importance of putting in the work when writing. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Poet, activist, and musician Jamila Woods joins the podcast this week to discuss finally wrapping up the last tour date behind her sublime 2016 album, HEAVN. A bastion of the Chicago music scene and a prominent advocate of Young Chicago Authors, Jamila has expanded her message to the world through incredibly radiant and empowering R&B. Host Lior Phillips chats with Jamila about the artist's mother and her interest ayurvedic medicine, the connections between non-profit work and putting together a concert, and shorting out the tour van with a portable space heater in Europe. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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Perhaps best known as the founder of The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. has cemented his role as an indie rock icon. This week, host Lior Phillips chats with the New Yorker about the early days of the band, the challenges of going solo, find peace in upstate New York, and watching Eddie Murphy classic Bowfinger with Julian Casablancas the night before the very first Strokes concert. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy

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This episode is sponsored by

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