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Life of the Record

Life of the Record

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Classic albums, told by the people who made them.Life of the Record / Talkhouse Música
Episodios
  • The Making of UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT by The Soft Boys - featuring Robyn Hitchcock

    The Making of UNDERWATER MOONLIGHT by The Soft Boys - featuring Robyn Hitchcock
    Mar 18 2026
    For the 45th anniversary of The Soft Boys’ influential second album, Underwater Moonlight, we take a detailed look at how it was made. When Robyn Hitchcock first started a band in Cambridge, England under the name Dennis and the Experts, he recruited Morris Windsor, Andy Metcalfe and Alan Davies. They changed their name to The Soft Boys and released an EP called Give It to the Soft Boys in 1977. Kimberly Rew replaced Alan Davies on guitar as they began working with Radar Records, releasing a single in 1978. After Radar dropped them, they self-released their first album, A Can of Bees, in 1979. At this point, Matthew Seligman replaced Andy Metcalfe on bass as they began working on the material for their second full-length album. Underwater Moonlight was eventually released by the Armageddon label in 1980. In this episode, Robyn Hitchcock describes how the band shifted musically from doing Captain Beefheart-inspired art rock into more Beatles-influenced pop rock. With Matthew Seligman rejoining the band and bringing a more melodic approach to his bass playing, Hitchcock began coming up with more traditional song structures. As punk was rearing its head in England in the late 70s, The Soft Boys proudly wore their 60s influences on their sleeve, incorporating three-part harmonies, jangly guitars and the occasional sitar. Hitchcock wrote with some of the political anger of punk, but also added J.G. Ballard-influenced grotesque imagery. From recording on a shoestring budget, to producer Pat Collier’s 60s approach of bouncing tracks, to the absence of a former girlfriend inspiring the majority of the songs, to the band ending early but going on to inspire legions of fans, including bands like R.E.M. and the Replacements, to a record chock full of power pop gems, we’ll hear the stories of how the album came together.
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    1 h y 21 m
  • The Making of FUR AND GOLD by Bat for Lashes - featuring Natasha Khan and David Kosten

    The Making of FUR AND GOLD by Bat for Lashes - featuring Natasha Khan and David Kosten
    Feb 13 2026
    In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the debut Bat for Lashes album, Fur and Gold, we take a detailed look at how it was made. Natasha Khan had grown up in Hertfordshire, England and studied art at the University of Brighton. After graduating, she taught as a schoolteacher while writing songs and performing as Bat for Lashes. Her manager, Dick O’Dell, got her a publishing deal and connected her with producer David Kosten to work on some demos. The first Bat for Lashes single, “The Wizard” was released on her own label in early 2006. After signing with Echo, Natasha and David began working on a full-length album together at Jacobs studio in the Surrey countryside. They brought in other musicians, including Abi Fry and Caroline Weeks, who had been playing as a group with Natasha at this time. Fur and Gold was eventually released in 2006. In this episode, Natasha Khan and David Kosten have an in-depth conversation where they revisit their initial collaboration that continued long after this record. David shares how he was first asked to co-write with Natasha until he realized she had no interest in co-writing and already had a fully formed vision for this album. Natasha describes wanting to create the world of the album and use unconventional recording techniques, such as recording in a forest and under blankets, to try to achieve the sound she had imagined. Even though Natasha had a fondness for lo-fi MIDI sounds, she worked with David to craft a unique hybrid of well-recorded acoustic instruments with lower quality digital components. The result was the Mercury Prize-nominated Fur and Gold, which launched Natasha’s music into the world. From a cinematic approach of method acting and practical effects, to a shared love of girl groups, to David finding a CD-R meant for another producer, to a memorable tour with Devendra Banhart, to taking inspiration from contemporaries Cat Power, Joanna Newsom and Gwen Stefani, to being averse to anything trip-hop, to having high standards and holding the vision, we’ll hear the stories around how the album came together.
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    1 h y 45 m
  • The Making of Z by My Morning Jacket - featuring Jim James

    The Making of Z by My Morning Jacket - featuring Jim James
    Jan 22 2026
    For the 20th anniversary of the fourth My Morning Jacket album, we take a detailed look at how it was made. The band originally formed in 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky by Jim James, Johnny Quaid, Tom Blankenship and J. Glenn. After signing with Darla Records, they released their debut album, The Tennessee Fire in 1999. Danny Cash joined on keyboards before the release of their second album, At Dawn, in 2001. Patrick Hallahan took over on drums as they signed to ATO Records. Their third album, It Still Moves, was released in 2003. At this point, Johnny Quaid and Danny Cash decided to leave the band so they held auditions and recruited Bo Koster and Carl Broemel. For their fourth album, they hired producer John Leckie and began recording outside of their home studio for the first time. Z was eventually released in 2005. In this episode, Jim James describes this pivotal moment for the band when they were challenging themselves by recording outside of Louisville with a seasoned producer. By working with John Leckie, they were able to rely on his expertise in the studio and push themselves in a new direction sonically. He discusses how their early characterization as a southern rock band made him want to evolve musically and try new approaches by incorporating synthesizers and drum machines. He also shares how he was experiencing depression at the time and struggling after the suicides of two of his close friends, Tim Cushing and Aaron Todovich. With the pressure of trying to make a great record mounting, he describes how his depression was clouding his judgement as he felt like this might be the last record the band would ever make. Luckily the band was able to continue and Z proved to be a turning point as new members Bo Koster and Carl Broehmel have remained two decades later. From borrowing a Juno synth and demoing with a cheap Walmart keyboard, to getting into Prince and Fela Kuti for the first time, to mixing at the legendary Sunset Sound, to calling on friends Andrew Bird and M. Ward to play on the record, to writing abstractly about the state of the world, to using music as an outlet for anger, to the enduring quality of these songs that continue to make the MMJ setlists, we’ll hear the stories of how the album came together.
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    1 h y 38 m
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