I had a chat with Merrill Garbus,  who with her long term collaborator and husband Nate Brenner, makes the wonderful sound that is Tune-Yards. 

The first time I heard Tune-Yards, I think it being on the 4AD label drew me in, I totally fell for the rhythms and harmonies bursting out of the at the time lo-fi production. Ever since then, new Tune-Yards material is always such heaven to my ears, whether its been on big tunes like Water Fountain or scoring the film Sorry To Bother You. 

Zapping in from Oakland, California, where the skies were still very much effected by fires. We speak about her long term support for Black Lives Matter, feminism and how that plays a role in her songwriting. In the process, the conversation kind of became an examination of the cultural issues behind Paul Simon’s Graceland. 

There’s also a new tune, Nowhere, Man out this week, which takes their sound to realms of squelchy funk.

I hope you enjoy listening.