SONG EXPLODER PODCAST
What is Song Exploder?
Song Exploder is the title of a podcast that debuted in January 2014, hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, who is a singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles. The podcast brings to light the making of songs as told and dismantled by the artists who wrote them. I became interested in listening to the podcast after watching an interview with Hirway on YouTube. As a career musician, it’s always interesting to hear the story behind the song and how the writer was inspired to write it. Frankly, I didn't jump onboard the podcast train while most of my friends were suggesting so many podcasts on various subjects. I felt inundated with everyone's input that I purposely let the podcast train skip past me...until I found YouTube. It was then that I felt the relevance of podcasts.
Hrishikesh Hirway
From the start of the YouTube video, Hirway’s story was an interesting one in that he fell in love with a diversity of music from a mixtape that his sibling had created. While he was born in the states, his parents are of Indian descent, and Bollywood music was the norm around the house. His sister’s mixtape introduced him to Western music and artists, and from that point on his love for music sparked passion. Past his formative years, Hirway became an accomplished musician, even parlaying his talents into an indie record deal under the moniker the One AM Radio.
Hrishikesh closed the chapter on his run as an indie musician around 2011, although he still writes and produces music out of his home. On January 2014, he launched the Song Exploder podcast and to date, the podcast has endured a successful decade and dissected over 250 songs. The show has been applauded for its great use of the podcast format and has won several awards from the Academy of Podcasters, iHeart Radio, the Adweek Podcasts, and the Webby awards.
#250 - SEAL
'KISS FROM A ROSE'
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, or Seal as he's known in the public eye, is a London born and based commercially successful artist. He gained musical attention at the start of the 90s, and enjoyed critical and commercial success from his debut album and the follow up, both titled ‘Seal.’ Arguably, his biggest hit, ‘Kiss From a Rose’ won the Grammy for Best Male performance, Song and Record of the year in 1996 and the second album also featured the hits ‘Prayer for the Dying’ and ‘Newborn Friend.’ I had a chance to meet Seal while he was touring the second album in Mobile, Alabama. I remember the concert fairly well and having a memory to reference from makes the Song Exploder episode more interesting, since I had practically worn out the CD which contained the hit ‘Kiss from a Rose.’ Here’s a link to the episode:
THE EPISODE
In the podcast, Seal explains that ‘KFAR’ was a song that didn’t make the first album, but his producer, Trevor Horn, suggested recording it for the second album. I can say that this track didn’t really grab my ears until it got repeatedly exposed on the radio. Seal had created a multi-track of his vocals mirroring an orchestra’s different instruments playing the melodies and harmonies. After a production meeting with Trevor Horn, the song received a truly unique treatment. As a third release, Seal mentions in the podcast that the public reception fell flat and it wasn’t until the director, Joel Schumacher, used the song on the soundtrack to the ‘Batman Forever’ during the end credits of the movie. The song was then catapulted to platinum status and gave Seal his Grammy award for Song and Record of the Year.
OVERVIEW
The Song Exploder podcast unpacks a ton of information with each episode. My interest has truly gained traction and with the Seal episode, it was clear that the artist, songwriter, and persona of Seal is truly inspiring for songwriters. The uniqueness of his vocals and writing style may not be for everyone, but his music and accolades have secured his fame in the music industry. As a musician, the unpacking of the songs from various artists gives breath to the lyrical and musical content of the songs from the angle of an honest and opaque interview. To this point, the Song Exploder podcast has done an amazing job of giving engaging, behind-the-song stories that, like music, are infectious.
#274 - CROWDED HOUSE
DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER
The episode that drew my initial interest was an interview with Neil Finn of the band Crowded House and how the hit song ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ came to be. This song has long been a favorite of mine and I’ve performed the cover of the song for years. It’s also the reason I became a fan of Crowded House and Neil Finn’s solo work. I can relate to Neil's claim of writing melancholic lyrics and melodies and that he's never deliberate in his songwriting. To this day, he claims he's still trying to figure out songwriting. Not bad for a songwriter who's hit 'Don't Dream It's Over' has become as big an anthem for the country of New Zealand, and an even bigger song that has been covered by a myriad of mainstream and indie artists.
Listen to the episode here:
WHO ARE CROWDED HOUSE?
Crowded House are a rock band from Australia and New Zealand. Neil Finn (vocals, guitar, main producer), founded the group in 1985 in Melbourne. Paul Hester (drums), and Finn were former bandmates in the group Split Enz, who had charted success with the song ‘I Got You’. Nick Seymour (bass), along with Finn's kids Liam and Elroy and Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod comprise the current lineup. In 2024 tour, longtime friend of the band and producer Mitchell Froom, joined the tour, playing keyboards. At one point, Tim Finn, Neil’s brother, had been a part of both Split Enz and Crowded House. Neil Finn and Seymour are the only members who stay the same.
THE EPISODE
The podcast episode features commentary from Neil Finn, who provides the inspiration for writing ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over.’ The song has endured a perpetual success, with a myriad of artists covering the song. In the podcast, Finn claims writing melancholic melodies and lyrics mirrors his humble attitude towards music. Neil presents an early demo of the song, which still holds its true form, and surmises that the demo would be difficult to translate into a band song. Finn’s wife, Sharon, who is an accomplished dancer, became the litmus test for the song, noting that when her hips began to move, he knew the song was validated. From the demo inception to the first band rehearsal, Finn notes the song took a few tries to get to the finished product. Mitchell Froom later produced the track, which gave it a treatment worthy of commercial success.
#259 - LAUFEY
LAUFEY
Under the mononym Laufey, Laufey Lín Bīning Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic-Chinese singer and multi-instrumentalist combining jazz with classic pop. Chet Baker, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald among others inspire her music. Early in the 2020s Laufey initially became well-known with her viral hit "Street by Street" and her 2021 EP, Typical of Me. Everything I Know About Love, charted in the US and Iceland.
'FROM THE START'
"From the Start" came out after Laufey's 2023 concert with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. The concert was called "A Night at the Symphony" and the song's lyrics are about a main character's love for her best friend that isn't reciprocated. The music video calls it "a playful mix of old sounds with modern lyrics." The song got a million listens in less than 24 hours after it came out.
THE EPISODE
In the Song Exploder podcast episode, Laufey playfully discusses her meteoric rise since her career began. She studied jazz and composition at the prestigious Berklee School of Music and started writing songs during her studies. For the inspiration of her song ‘From the Start,’ she claims she had been digesting a good dose of bossa nova albums. About four years ago, she picked up the guitar, and while she dismisses her guitar talents, she recorded the bare bones of the song on her iPhone. She discusses how the song grew during the production phase and her partnership with Spencer Stewart, who co-wrote and produced the song. Laufey credits Stewart with engineering the guitar, bass, and drum parts, while she recorded the piano, cello, and, of course, vocals. The song gained more than a million streams in less than 24 hours after its release.