What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys
A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artists (and the hosts) than you ever asked for. Currently exploring the discography of Arctic Monkeys. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, and R.E.M.
Episodes
The Big Mates discuss automobile mishaps, instagram tacos, virtual reality, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their dissection of the band's sixth album by talking about the musicians involved in creating it, a change in the credits, how much of the creative weight landed on Alex Turner's shoulders.
They discuss the recording of the album and continue their track-by...
The Big Mates discuss Cameron, Kubrick, Fellini, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's seixth album by talking about pianos, conspiracy theories, the desire to make a different kind of album, and how Alex overcame writer's block.
They discuss the writing and initial recording of the album, explore the overall themes and sound, and begin their...
The Big Mates discuss longevity, cake, Paddington, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and though...
The Big Mates recieve BREAKING NEWS. Adam, Steve, and Lucas take the truth and make it fluid whilst giving their first reactions to the new song by Arctic Monkeys.
Released on January 22nd as a single from the forthcoming charity album Help(2) in aid of War Child, Opening Night is a new/old/reworked/fresh song by the band and was released amidst rumours that it would be the final song released by the band before breaking up.
We give...
The Big Mates discuss teachers, single edits, smart motorways, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions...
Now on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon last year.
The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album Takk... by Sigur Ros and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.
If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our Patreon to hear more episodes on a range o...
Ladies and gentlemen...
We present to you, an episode from our Patreon!
If you liked this, you can find plenty more like it by heading to https://www.patreon.com/whatismusicpod and signing up today! Free trials are available now for a limited time only!
Join the conversation on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.co...
It is once again a time for reflection, rejoicing, and sharing.
Lucas remembers the time he got an N64 from Santa, Steve shares his plans for a festive family get together, and Adam battles his darkest Christmas yet.
We will return in the New Year!
Join the conversation on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wh...
The Big Mates take a break from the current season to discuss the recent tour undertaken by Radiohead, some of the context surrounding it, and their own experiences of seeing them live at the O2 in London.
Our next episode is out next Monday December 15th!
Join the conversation on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram...
The Big Mates provide legal but audacious audio commentary for a selection of videos of The Last Shadow Puppets on tour in 2016.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the band's onstage personas, how seriously to take their antics, and the evolution of Alex Turner as a performer.
Head to YouTube to watch along with the playlist here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRzMZT2JmJ1Ff80yJnWEqlv3gbyfbPMa3&si=tCeHtTETO12Hf_TM
Or don&apo...
The Big Mates discuss trilogy theory, cider flavours, the accidental discovery of stereo audio, and Everything You've Come to Expect by The Last Shadow Puppets.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by stepping outside of it in order to examine the second album of the side project Alex Turner formed with Miles Kane.
They discuss how the project came back together, the writing and reco...
The Big Mates discuss Mike Wozniak, Paul F. Tompkins, Mike Wazowski, and Belladonna of Sadness by Alexandra Savior.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss how Alexandra Savior got started in music, the writing and recording process of her debut album, and they take a look at some of the songs from it.
They explore the overall themes and sound, and talk about the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all fr...
The Big Mates provide planted and curious audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at PinkPop 2014.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2014 concert and talk about the AM tour in general.
Head to YouTube to watch along here:
https://youtu.be/esAIGJnKg88?si=r6RU3sCc1TLYsi8l
Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!
Our next episode comes out Monday November 17th!
Join the conver...
The Big Mates discuss Angus Murray, Faces of the Cube, Roomuss, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their fifth album.
They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art o...
The Big Mates discuss Drake, Black Sabbath, dancing through lasers to steal an egg, and AM by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and their track-by-track analysis of their blockbuster fifth album.
They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to n...
The Big Mates discuss the Olympics, Thunderbirds, The Lone Ranger, and AM by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's fifth album by talking about haircuts, jackets, the transitional period the band found themselves in, and how they entered the studio to record an 'experimental' album.
They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and recording of the album, explore the overall themes and so...
The Big Mates provide strange and pointless audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Rock En Seine 2011.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2011 concert and talk about the Suck It and See tour in general, including what is a transitional period for the band!
Head to YouTube to watch along here:
https://youtu.be/AmCOx5igI3Y?si=TKhLLQiMBqSG5JOy
Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!
The Big Mates discuss Back to the Future, safety advice, Nuggets, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their fourth album.
They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not cari...
The Big Mates discuss Lucky Number Slevin, lyrical simplicity, Record Store Day, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by diving into the band's fourth studio album.
They discuss the writing and recording of the record, explore the overall themes and sound, and begin their track-by-track analysis, exploring the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning,...
The Big Mates discuss utilisation, Facebook, soundchecks, and Submarine by Alex Turner.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by briefly stepping outside of it in order to examine the only solo release from Alex Turner - the soundtrack to Submarine.
They discuss how the project came together, the writing and recording of the EP, and they explore the overall themes and sound, taking in the ...
Popular Podcasts
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.
Listen to the latest news from the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina are here and have everyone talking. iHeartPodcasts is buzzing with content in honor of the XXV Winter Olympics We’re bringing you episodes from a variety of iHeartPodcast shows to help you keep up with the action. Follow Milan Cortina Winter Olympics so you don’t miss any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and if you like what you hear, be sure to follow each Podcast in the feed for more great content from iHeartPodcasts.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.