Shoving Wilco

Pat Sansone has always lived at the intersection of melody and meaning. In this episode, Pat joins the show to talk about the long-awaited return of The Autumn Defense, the harmony-rich project he shares with John Stirratt. We trace the new record’s roots through years of friendship, shared playlists, and late-night rediscovery — and back even further to Pat’s Mississippi upbringing, where R.E.M. and Big Star first expanded his sen...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, Todd and Tim are joined by Mike Conklin, executive editor of InsideHook, to unpack Jeff Tweedy’s sprawling new triple album, Twilight Override.

Conklin has spoken with every member of Jeff’s solo band — Spencer, Sammy, Sima Cunningham, Macie Stewart, and Liam Kazar — as well as Jeff himself, to explore how this group has quietly become as much of a creative constant for Tweedy as Wilco.

Read Conkli...

On this episode of Shoving Wilco, Todd welcomes YouTube creator Steve Westman. Known for his channel The Audiophiles, Westman has built a reputation for his deep dives into vinyl pressings, mastering engineers, and the joy of record collecting.

Together, they unpack what it means to experience Wilco on vinyl—why pressing quality matters, which engineers have shaped the sound we love, and how the physical medium continues to bri...

On this episode of Shoving Wilco, we sit down with Canadian singer-songwriter Kalle Mattson to talk about Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting. Kalle breaks down what makes Tweedy’s lyrics stand out, from surreal fragments to plainspoken truths. We explore how Wilco has shaped his own music and teaching, and why the songs of Wilco continue to cut so deep. If you care about how Wilco’s words work—and why they matter—this is an episode you don’...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, Todd and Tim are joined by Dara Weyna and Chad Brooks for a conversation that you've probably had! What three Wilco songs would you play for someone who’s never heard the band? It’s a deceptively tricky question—one that reveals personal favorites, unexpected picks, and the many eras and sounds of Wilco. Whether you're introducing a friend to the band or rediscovering the songs yourself, th...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, we sit down with music journalist and author Bob Mehr to explore the HiFi resurrection of Wilco’s debut album, A.M..

Thirty years after its original release, A.M. is getting the audiophile treatment as part of Rhino’s HiFi series — and it's never sounded better.

Bob joins us to talk about the making of the album, his liner notes for the reissue, and how A.M., once seen as a modest debut, now sh...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, we're thrilled to sit down once again with artist Matthew Pfahlert, who brings a unique perspective to the iconic world of Wilco’s album covers.

Matthew, renowned for his poster designs for Wilco, dives deep into the visual storytelling that accompanies each album. We explore our favorite covers, unpack what makes them uniquely powerful, and reflect on how each piece of album art encapsulates the e...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, host Todd Rossnagel sits down with fellow Wilco devotee and music industry veteran Chris Campbell, whose YouTube channel is a treasure trove of insight on vinyl, alt-country, and, of course, Wilco.

Todd and Chris dive deep into how Wilco arrived in their lives at the perfect time, with Chris tracing his journey from Uncle Tupelo to Being There, Summerteeth, and beyond. They swap personal connections...

On this episode of Shoving Wilco, hosts Todd Rossnagel and Tim Arnold sit down with Wilco’s longtime keyboardist, Mikael Jorgensen. From his early days joining the band to what it's like prepping for a major tour, Mikael shares stories from the road and behind the keys. We dive into his musical influences, what’s currently spinning on his playlist, the value of listening to music with a crowd, and a fascinating documentary he&#...

What happens when a band tears apart its own music only to rebuild it into something even more powerful? Music journalist Saby Reyes-Kulkarni (PopMatters, Pitchfork, SPIN, Billboard) joins us to explore Wilco’s art of deconstruction—how their A Ghost Is Born reissue reveals new layers of the band’s sonic evolution.

We discuss the delicate balance between melody and chaos and Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting genius. Saby also weighs in on t...

Wilco’s A Ghost Is Born is an album wrapped in mystery, experimentation, and one of the most strikingly simple album covers in rock history—a single white egg.

In this episode, we sit down with photographer Michael Schmelling, the creative mind behind the iconic image, to explore the story behind its creation.

We dig into Jeff Tweedy’s curiosity about whether an egg had ever graced an album cover, Walter Sear’s belief that the egg ...

Two-time Grammy-winning writer Bob Mehr joins the show to take us inside the making of A Ghost Is Born and the long-awaited deluxe edition box set, which arrives February 7, 2025.

Mehr, who penned the liner notes for this box, as well as the Yankee box, shares inside stories and his insight into the iconic album, including the creative chaos that shaped A Ghost is Born.

This massive box set—available as either nine vinyl LPs and fo...

In this episode, hosts Todd Rossnagel and Tim Arnold share what they have listened to in 2024.

Todd shares some new artists that caught his attention, and Tim shares some artists that might not be new, but they might be new to you!

Here's a Spotify playlist with everything we mentioned.

And here's the list:

• Bob Dylan
• The Barr Brothers
• Dr. Dog
• Lo Moon
• Wild Pink
• Wunderhorse
• Autumn Defense
• And of course, Wilco

In this episode, Todd Rossnagel and Tim Arnold dive into the exciting news of the upcoming 20th-anniversary deluxe edition of Wilco's iconic album A Ghost Is Born. They explore what we know so far about the reissue, including the promise of previously unreleased tracks and live recordings and why this announcement has reignited enthusiasm for one of Wilco’s boldest artistic statements.

Todd and Tim also take a nostalgic journey thr...

Join hosts Todd Rossnagel and Tim Arnold as they take a deep dive into a pivotal moment in Wilco history: their very first live show on November 17, 1994, at Cicero’s in St. Louis. Performing as "Black Shampoo," Wilco debuted their sound with a setlist that included early classics like "I Must Be High."

In this special episode, Todd and Tim celebrate the 30th anniversary of this legendary performance, sharing rare audio clips, beh...

What do you get when you cross fantasy football with the creation of a Wilco setlist? You get this episode!

Todd Rossnagel, Tim Arnold, Dara Weyna, and Chad Brooks design the ultimate Wilco set list through a fantasy football-style draft. In real-time, they build off of each other's picks and try to design the most unbelievable Wilco show.

They can't include every Wilco song, so some must remain unchosen. Which songs will...

In this episode of the Shoving Wilco podcast, host Todd Rossnagel and co-host Tim Arnold sit down with Peter Blackstock, co-founder of the influential music magazine No Depression. Peter shares his experiences from the early days of the magazine and its deep connections with the alt-country movement that Wilco helped define.

From the origins of the No Depression name to the critical role the magazine played in shaping the musical ...

One conversation is not enough! Greg Kot is back by popular demand. We hop into the time machine and discuss what was happening in Wilco world thirty years ago this summer. We discuss the break-up of Uncle Tupelo, the recording of AM, and the eventual recording of Being There.

Greg also shares a song he wishes Wilco would cover. The answer might just surprise you.

Greg Kot was the former rock critic at the Chicago Tribune for 30 ...

In this episode of Shoving Wilco, we dive into an engaging conversation with Al Shipley, a music journalist who recently ranked all Wilco albums for Spin magazine.

Al passionately argues for Sky Blue Sky as the best Wilco album, and he takes us through his thought process behind this ranking. Throughout the discussion, we explore various aspects of Wilco's expansive discography, touching on the nuances that make each album uni...