Music Interviews

Tenor Douglas Bowles (left), pianist Alex Hassan and soprano Karin Paludan perform music from The Greatest Songs You've Never Heard in NPR's Studio 1.

Music & Culture

'The Greatest Songs You've Never Heard,' Rescued From History

3:19pm July 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

Three for a Song is a performing trio with a love for the 1930s, during which some of the greatest songwriters who ever lived wrote music that would enter the canon of American popular song. But the group has recently added a quirk to its repertoire: performing songs that were never popular.

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For Carole King, Songwriting Is A 'Natural' Talent

10:55am July 01, 2013

Carole King wrote songs for others before becoming a performer and writing for herself. In her memoir, A Natural Woman, she details the stories behind some of her most famous songs and her relationships with songwriters like James Taylor, Gerry Goffin and Paul Simon.

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La Vida Bohème's second album, Sera, draws upon a handful of musical influences, from disco to reggae.

Music & Culture

La Vida Bohème: Dance Rockers Harness Chaos And Conflict

7:07pm June 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

Lead singer Henry D'Arthenay looked to his Venezuelan home for inspiration in constructing the band's latest album, Será.

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Omar's new album, The Man, is his first project in seven years.

Music & Culture

Omar Grows Up To Become 'The Man'

10:42am June 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

Now a family man, the British singer continues to experiment with his music. His latest album, The Man, is all about growth, development and evolution.

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Mavis Staples has been performing for more than six decades. One True Vine is her second album-length collaboration with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.

Music & Culture

Gospel Legend Mavis Staples Comes 'Full Circle'

7:14pm June 26, 2013

by NPR Staff

The gospel legend, whose new album is titled One True Vine, has a career spanning more than 60 years. She says of the record, made in collaboration with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, "I've gone from the strictly gospel to folk to country, and here I am right back at home where I began."

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Chuck Leavell plays alongside Rolling Stones member Ronnie Wood.

Music & Culture

Chuck Leavell: The 'Fifth' Stone Speaks

11:10am June 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

The touring keyboardist has been playing with The Rolling Stones for more than 30 years.

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In his new memoir, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson describes his life in music — and how he mimicked beats at just 10 months old.

Questlove's Roots: A 'Meta' Memoir Of A Lifetime In Music

4:55pm June 24, 2013

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the co-founder of and drummer for the hip-hop band The Roots, has been a musician since he was a teen. In Mo' Meta Blues, he explains how his musician father groomed him for a life in show business from an early age.

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Jimmy Eat World's new album, Damage, is its eighth in 20 years together. Left to right: Rick Burch, Zach Lind, Jim Adkins and Tom Linton.

Music & Culture

Jimmy Eat World Finds The Fuel To Keep Going

1:20pm June 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Perhaps best known for its 2001 hit, "The Middle," the band recently released its eighth studio album, Damage. Lead singer Jim Adkins talks about the band's evolution through two decades together.

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India.Arie reinvents herself on her new album, SongVersation.

Music & Culture

India.Arie Returns, With An Eye Toward A New 'SongVersation'

5:25pm June 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

In 2009, the singer-songwriter says she asked herself the question, "Who am I?" The answer led her to make plans to retire. Four years later, she's re-emerged with a new album called SongVersation, as well as a new sense of who she is as an artist.

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The Emerson String Quartet's new album, Journeys.

Music & Culture

David Finckel On The Emerson Quartet's Changing Of The Guard

12:09pm June 13, 2013

by NPR Staff

The quartet's new album of Tchaikovsky and Schoenberg is the last to feature the cellist and longtime member of the group.

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