Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Join us for an intimate conversation with legendary producer and songwriter Daniel Lanois, captured live at Brooklyn's premier podcast event, On Air Fest. Host Justin Richmond sits down with Lanois before an audience filled with musical luminaries—including Prince's former guitarist Donna Grantis, performance artist Laurie Anderson, and ambient music pioneer Laraaji.

In this special episode, Lanois shares fascinating insights...

Justice, the French electronic music duo composed of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay is the gift that keeps on giving.

They just released an incredible new album called Hyperdrama that not only sounds like the best possible night out in Paris, but brings in touches of jazz and experimentation that feel new for the group. They also just co-produced the opening track of The Weeknd’s latest album, a song called “W...

Adam Duritz is no stranger to the spotlight. Counting Crows’ 1993 debut album, August And Everything After, sold over seven million copies in the U.S. Singles released from the album including “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” dominated radio and MTV at the time. But all the exposure wasn’t great for the band, and  according to Duritz, it led critics to focus more on Durtitz’s star-studded ...

Join Justin Richmond and Ben Walter, CEO of Chase For Business, for a special conversation about finding success in the music industry through non-traditional means. Ben shares his insights on balancing risk while scaling a business, as they talk about how the indie label XL Recordings built a sustainable business model by making unorthodox business decisions. He also shares how artists often have an edge in creating original busin...

A month ago at the Grammys, Alicia Keys gave a beautiful speech while accepting the Global Impact Award. Part of her speech was dedicated to the women producers who power the industry, women like Patrice Rushen, Missy Elliott, Linda Perry, and others.

This was top of mind for Justin Richmond when he sat down with esperanza spalding at the Blue Note club in New York, where she was in the middle of a residency. Not only because she j...

Alice Randall is a country music songwriter, a New York Times bestselling author, and a newly minted memoirist. She calls her new book, My Black Country, a love letter to Black country music.

In addition to her memoir, Alice also released the album, My Black Country: The Songs of Alice Randall, that includes a rendition of the song, “The Ballad o...

In the 30-plus years since Billy Corgan hit it big as the lead singer/songwriter of The Smashing Pumpkins, he’s become many things including the owner of the National Wrestling Alliance, a father and a husband, and an outspoken advocate of free speech through appearances on divisive podcasts hosted by Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, and Bill Maher.

Proving to be both eloquent and controversial, Billy is now hosting his own long form i...

The Black Keys are gearing up to release their latest album, No Rain, No Flowers. The Akron, Ohio duo consisting of Dan Auerbach on lead vocals and guitar, and Patrick Carney on drums, have released 12 studio albums since their indie debut, The Big Come Up in 2002.

On today's episode Justin Richmond talks with Dan and Patrick about their process of mixing the new album. They also share memories growing up together in a town filled ...

Tunde Adebimpe is a creative powerhouse. He's a cartoonist, a painter, a director, a Hollywood actor, and for the past 20 years, he’s been the lead singer of the band TV On The Radio. His latest offering—another of his many artistic pursuits—is a solo project called Thee Black Boltz.

Tunde began writing these songs back in 2019. And after a stint composing music for the PBS Kids show “City Island” with...

The British funk band Cymande released their self-titled debut in 1972. The album’s deep calypso and reggae rhythms are inspired by its member’s West Indian roots. And decades after its release, samples taken from Cymande’s albums would find their way into songs that now define hip-hop’s golden era from artists like De La Soul, Gang Starr and The Fugees.

While Cymande has found a second life through sampling...

Big Willie is back! He's traded his larger than life, excessively positive raps for something more dark and complex but equally inspiring. Anyone following Will’s trajectory the last handful of years, or those who've read his wonderful autobiography knows he’s been on a journey of self-discovery and healing. That’s left him wide open to be a bit of a different artist than he’s been in the past. It also drew ...

Nothing says romance like a perfect playlist—except, maybe, a special network-wide episode about love songs.

In this Valentine’s Day special, Broken Record hosts Justin Richmond and Leah Rose make their cases: is R&B the undisputed sound of love? Are sad songs more romantic? Can country win the day?

Plus, the legendary songwriter Babyface talks about how young love shaped his most enduring ballads, Malcolm Gladwell...

As if having one of the most beautiful and distinctive voices of all time weren’t enough, Smokey Robinson is also one of the greatest songwriters ever, a top-notch producer, engaging performer, and an indispensable part of Motown's legacy. In other words: he’s an institution of American music unto himself.

On February 19th, Smokey turns 85, and as he prepares to head out for another run on the road including a three nig...

Indie rock band Nada Surf first hit big on college radio in 1996 with their driving, guitar forward song, “Popular.” The band started playing together four years earlier while attending college in Vermont. But they’re perhaps best known as a New York City band, where their lead singer and primary songwriter, Matthew Caws came of age.

Caws is known as a vulnerable, and often reflective songwriter who tackles everyt...

Jerry Cantrell has been the lead guitarist and songwriter for Alice in Chains since the band formed in 1987. By the mid ‘90s after a run of multi-platinum albums, Alice secured their spot as one of Seattle’s “big four” grunge bands along with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana.

Legend has it that Alice In Chains’ early whirlwind of commercial success wreaked havoc on the personal and professional live...

Today Justin Richmond has a quick chat with Laura Segura, the Executive Director of MusiCares—a Recording Academy non-profit that's currently offering support to musicians and music professionals affected by the ongoing fires in L.A.

MusiCares can provide assistance with costs related to evacuation, relocation, instrument replacement, home damage, medical care, mental health services, and other essential living expenses.

For ...

Coming off the loss of Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Roy Haynes and Lou Donaldson at the end of 2024, it’s truly a treat to bring you a fresh interview with one of the last musicians of the Bebop era, the saxophone colossus himself, Sonny Rollins. Since we last spoke, a couple interesting artifacts from Rollins life have surfaced: "The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins" and "Rollins in Holland." We discuss those releases, his spiritua...

Alejandro Escovedo is a Texas-born singer/songwriter who comes from a rich family of musicians including his niece, Sheila E. Alejandro started out in the pioneering San Francisco punk band the Nuns in 1975. From there he moved to New York, and then eventually settled in Austin where he started playing rootsy rock with bands like Rank and File, as well as The True Believers.

In March, Alejandro Escovedo released his latest album, <...

2024 has been a career-defining year for St. Vincent. In April she released her self-produced seventh album, All Born Screaming. Then in November she released the Spanish language version of the same album, called Todos Nacen Gritando, as a tribute to fans she met in Spain and Latin America. The album doesn’t serve to replace the English language vers...