Jason Isbell Has Conquered Fear, But He's Still Learning About Himself
The country artist's chart-topping new album, Something More Than Free, comes at a turning point in his life.
Music Interviews
50 Years Ago, Bob Dylan Electrified A Decade With One Concert
It's been 50 years since Bob Dylan strolled on stage at the Newport Folk Festival, plugged in an electric guitar, and infuriated his flock. Historian Elijah Wald says there's much more to the story.
A Tattooist And A Tweet Take A Band From Tiny Clubs To Tours
Fitz and the Tantrums' members clicked instantly, and won a famous fan early. But their rise also required an enormous amount of work — what the bandleader calls "success by a thousand paper cuts."
Leaving Los Angeles: Rickie Lee Jones Turns A Decade Into An Album
The new album The Other Side of Desire marks Jones' first original material in years, spurred on by a life-changing move to New Orleans.
The Orchestral-Rock-Folk-Synth-Jazz Sound Of L'anarchiste
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Rob LeCheminant and Alex Gilvarry of the Utah-based band L'anarchiste. The band's new album, Giant, is a blend of classical and folk, synthesized and acoustic.
In Palestine, A Child Of Violence Becomes A Music Educator
Children of the Stone tells the story of a rock-throwing Palestinian teen's journey to found a music school. NPR's Lynn Neary speaks with Ramzi Aburedwan and author Sandy Tolan.
Old Souls Quit Their Day Jobs And Tour The UK
This summer we're following one band's summer tour. NPR's Wade Goodwyn talks to band leader Marty O'Reilly and tour manager James Partridge of the band Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra.
Documentary Seeks To Free Amy Winehouse From Her Tabloid Legacy
In the dawning of the digital age, "She was the unlucky one to be having a nervous breakdown in public at the time," Amy director Asif Kapadia tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.
Pokey LaFarge Mines His Midwestern Roots, Finds 'Something In The Water'
The singer-songwriter brings his acoustic guitar to the Fresh Air studio to sing some new songs as well as some of his favorites from the 1920s and '30s. Originally broadcast April 27, 2015.
Jerry Douglas' Tribute To Bluegrass Legends Lester Flatt And Earl Scruggs
Jerry Douglas, considered by many to be the best dobro player in the world, brings his instrument to the studio and talks about his new album, The Earls of Leceister, a tribute to Flatt and Scruggs.