Song Exploder

Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.

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Episodes

• Panic! At the Disco - Viva Las Vengeance

  Wednesday, September 21st, 2022

  18 seconds

  Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco breaks down "Viva Las Vengeance."

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• Book Exploder: Carmen Maria Machado - In the Dream House

  Wednesday, September 14th, 2022

  18 seconds

  Carmen Maria Machado breaks down a passage from her 2019 memoir, In the Dream House.

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• Re-issue: Björk - Stonemilker

  Wednesday, September 7th, 2022

  22 seconds

  Björk breaks down her song Stonemilker.

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• Book Exploder: Michael Cunningham - The Hours

  Wednesday, August 31st, 2022

  19 seconds

  Michael Cunningham breaks down a passage from the prologue of The Hours, his Pulitzer-winning novel.

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• Madonna - Hung Up

  Wednesday, August 24th, 2022

  22 seconds

  Madonna breaks down her song "Hung Up," along with co-writer and co-producer Stuart Price.

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• Book Exploder: Min Jin Lee - Pachinko

  Wednesday, August 17th, 2022

  19 seconds

  Min Jin Lee discusses a passage from her novel Pachinko.

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• Kae Tempest - Move

  Wednesday, August 10th, 2022

  17 seconds

  Kae Tempest and producer Dan Carey break down "Move."

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• Book Exploder: Susan Orlean - The Library Book

  Wednesday, August 3rd, 2022

  19 seconds

  Susan Orlean breaks down a passage from her best-seller, The Library Book.

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• Sudan Archives - Selfish Soul

  Wednesday, July 27th, 2022

  16 seconds

  Sudan Archives breaks down her song "Selfish Soul."

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• mxmtoon - Mona Lisa

  Wednesday, July 13th, 2022

  14 seconds

  mxmtoon breaks down her song "Mona Lisa."

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• Monica Martin - Go Easy, Kid

  Wednesday, June 29th, 2022

  25 seconds

  Monica Martin breaks down her song "Go Easy, Kid."

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• Maren Morris - Humble Quest

  Wednesday, June 15th, 2022

  17 seconds

  Maren Morris breaks down her song "Humble Quest."

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• Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

  Wednesday, June 1st, 2022

  24 seconds

  Rick Astley tells the story of how "Never Gonna Give You Up" was made.

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• Kevin Morby - This Is a Photograph

  Wednesday, May 18th, 2022

  20 seconds

  Kevin Morby breaks down his song "This Is a Photograph."

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• Arooj Aftab - Mohabbat

  Wednesday, May 4th, 2022

  23 seconds

  Arooj Aftab tells the story of making her song "Mohabbat."

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• Partners: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

  Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

  17 seconds

  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss tell the story of their Grammy-winning partnership.

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• Peaches - Boys Wanna Be Her

  Wednesday, April 6th, 2022

  15 seconds

  Peaches breaks down her song "Boys Wanna Be Her."

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• Steve Reich - Different Trains: America, Before the War

  Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022

  30 seconds

  Steve Reich breaks down the first movement of "Different Trains."

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• Reissue: Perfume Genius - Slip Away

  Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

  22 seconds

  Mike Hadreas breaks down his song "Slip Away."

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• Sarah Kinsley - The King

  Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022

  18 seconds

  Sarah Kinsley breaks down "The King."

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• Brandi Carlile - You and Me On the Rock (feat. Lucius)

  Wednesday, February 9th, 2022

  20 seconds

  Brandi Carlile breaks down her song "You and Me On The Rock."

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• Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

  Wednesday, January 26th, 2022

  22 seconds

  Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand breaks down the song "Take Me Out."

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• Joy Oladokun - Look Up

  Wednesday, January 12th, 2022

  20 seconds

  Joy Oladokun tells the story of making her song "Look Up."

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• Danny Elfman - What’s This? (from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”)

  Wednesday, December 15th, 2021

  19 seconds

  Danny Elfman breaks down “What's This?” from the stop-motion animated musical The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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• Halsey - You Asked for This

  Wednesday, December 1st, 2021

  17 seconds

  Halsey takes apart her song "You Asked for This."

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• Hans Zimmer - Dune

  Wednesday, November 17th, 2021

  29 seconds

  Hans Zimmer breaks down his score from "Dune."

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• The War On Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore (feat. Lucius)

  Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021

  24 seconds

  Adam Granduciel breaks down the War On Drugs song "I Don't Live Here Anymore (feat. Lucius)."

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• Willow - Transparent Soul feat. Travis Barker

  Wednesday, October 20th, 2021

  16 seconds

  Willow breaks down her song "Transparent Soul feat. Travis Barker."

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• Hrishikesh Hirway TED Talk - What You Learn When You Listen Closely

  Wednesday, October 13th, 2021

  16 seconds

  A TED Talk on how making Song Exploder changed the way I think about connecting with people.

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• John Lennon - God

  Wednesday, October 6th, 2021

  26 seconds

  Through archival interviews, John Lennon tells the story of making his song "God."

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More episodes...