Object Of Sound

We’re in an unprecedented moment of emergence: long-shuttered venues are reopening their doors, artists are hitting the road again, and you’re probably thinking about what concerts you’ll be heading …

After a long year apart, there’s something particularly comforting about listening to a duet. In this week’s episode, we talk to Sharon Van Etten, who recently released ‘Like I Used To’ a duet with A…

Welcome to season two of Object of Sound! As the world opens back up, we’re entering a moment of collective renewal and return, so it feels right to speak with an artist who is versed in reinvention:…

For the season finale of Object of Sound, a reminder that you are an artist, regardless of what you do for work. Before Brittany Howard became a striking soloist and lead singer of Alabama Shakes, sh…

 What does it mean to be a curator of songs? The one friend who recommends new records, specifically with your tastes in mind. Hanif speaks with Hrishikesh Hirway, the creator and host of Song Explod…

What makes a home? Is it where you create? Where you feel seen? And for a musician like Rhiannon Giddens, how does the idea of home shape the sound of her music? This week, Hanif sits down with North…

When you think of protest music, you might think of the rock anthems of the 1960’s, or rap that turns frustration into elegantly poignant lyrics. For pianist Vijay Iyer, music without lyrics—has alwa…

When Julien Baker and Hanif first met, they felt pulled by the orbit of each other’s work—work that is emotionally layered and complex. This week on the show, Hanif and Julien catch up. Of course, th…

This week marks the release of Hanif’s new book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, and the opening chapter dives into the colorful world of Soul Train. Bell bottoms, th…

 For Hanif, music that some folks would consider ‘dark’ like emo, doom metal, and goth, have helped him find illumination. In this episode, Hanif talks to a master of darkly humorous lyrics, Sydney S…

This week on the show, we're taking a critical look at The GRAMMYs. We bring on NPR’s Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael to talk through the systemic inequities of an event that each year decides wh…

For the first month of the pandemic, Hanif couldn’t listen to music. Then KeiyaA dropped her album Forever Ya Girl! and the idea that new music could be made, in this moment, shook him. This week on …

Matt Berninger started out as the frontman of The National, but recently he’s taken off on his own artistic path. With the re-issue of the National’s early albums out today, we speak with Matt about …

When Grammy nominated bassist Meshell Ndegeocello read James Baldwin for the first time, her world shifted on its axis. Like many before her, Baldwin’s words reverberated into her creative process. I…

 Sylvan Esso’s Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath are tired of your typical love song. They’re more interested in the music that flows from an argument, singing about heartbreak, and falling back in love …

It’s Super Bowl weekend, and we’ve invited critic Wesley Morris on to talk about Whitney Houston’s jaw-dropping rendition of the Star Spangled banner. On the 30th anniversary of her performance, we e…

The strength of Black women as storytellers stands out on arguably the most celebrated album of this year, Heaux Tales, from Jazmine Sullivan. Through stories told by Jazmine’s close circle of women,…

From the late MF Doom to Grace Jones and Orville Peck, we take a look at musicians who have worn masks to protect their identities at a time when we’re all masking up to protect one another. In this …

When one song sits next to another, a new story is told. We talk with Moses Sumney about composing the arc of his album græ, making playlists, and how he honors his own work by refusing to define it.…

2020 was arguably the year of the cover song. Listening to a familiar song spun a new way can be grounding or groundbreaking. We talk to the often covered and prolific performer of covers, Jeff Tweed…