Talkhouse Podcast

On this week's Talkhouse Podcast, we've got an intense conversation between two friends about loss, mental health, and more: It's James Graham and Rachel Goswell.

Graham is the singer and lyricist of the Scottish band the Twilight Sad, whose first full-length came out back in 2007, and who were part of a scene that included their friends in Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks—the common thread being intense, emotional, heart-on-the-sleeve rock songs. They chugged along for a while there, making great records, and were eventually kind of taken under the wing of the Cure's Robert Smith, who loved their music so much that the Twilight Sad has become the Cure's default opening band. But life hit Graham pretty hard over the past decade, with a seven-year stretch that included losing his mother to dementia and a bout of his own with mental illness. Graham eventually began writing songs about it, and the result is the first Twilight Sad record in seven years, called It's The Long Goodbye. It's not necessarily an easy listen, but it's worth it. Check out "Chest Wound to the Chest" right here.

The other half of today's conversation is Rachel Goswell, best known as the singer of '90s shoegazers Slowdive. Slowdive had a pretty weird trajectory, coming up in the same scene that birthed My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and other big players, but never really getting their due back then. But history was justifiably kind to Slowdive, and they re-formed about 10 years ago, picking up a much younger fanbase in the process—theoretically thanks to TikTok and other social platforms. But Slowdive isn't just playing the nostalgia game: They've released vital new music in recent years, and their latest is 2023's Everything is Alive.

In this immediately intense conversation, Graham and Goswell talk at length about how they first got to know each other, about how they become different people on stage, and about their common bond, having both lost their mothers to dementia in recent years. Like I said, it can be intense, but I appreciate their sincerity and openness, and I hope you do too.

0:00 – Intro

2:19 – Start of the chat

3:40 – On how Rachel & James met

4:55 – Staying healthy & finding connection on tour

11:18 – On daily routines to cope with mental health challenges

14:06 – On musician personas & enjoying tour prep

19:54 – On supporting each other while both their mothers had dementia, and the types of dementia

26:42 – On processing difficult memories & mourning for the future

29:57 – On coping with their mothers' dementia during the pandemic

31:18 – On saying goodbye to their moms

33:17 – On living and working with grief

35:24 – On anxiety & working on mental health

36:25 – On "active grieving"

38:42 – On realizing what matters about art after tragedy

40:21 – On finding hope through connecting with new audiences

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to James Graham and Rachel Goswell for talking. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.
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On this week’s excellent Talkhouse Podcast episode, we’ve got one of my favorite film directors in conversation with the vocalist of one of the last two decades most engaging bands—who also happened to appear in her latest movie. It’s Andrea Arnold and Jason Williamson.

Andrea Arnold is a visionary British filmmaker who doesn’t make movies very frequently, but she sure makes them count. Her first to really make a splash was 2009’s Fish Tank, a coming-of-age story—that’s a recurring theme—that was the first place I remember seeing Michael Fassbender. She’s since directed three more features: an adaptation of Wuthering Heights (though not the gaudy new one), the visceral American Honey, and last year’s magical Bird, which stars Barry Keoghan as the deadbeat working-class dad to newcomer Nykia Adams. It’s flown under the radar for sure, but please seek it out and let me know what you think. I loved it, and it’s got one of the greatest soundtracks you’ll hear all year, with Fontaines DC, Blur, and Sleaford Mods, which leads me to the other half of today’s conversation, Jason Williamson.

Williamson is the lyricist and vocalist—he doesn’t exactly sing—for Sleaford Mods, which has created an unforgettable, fully individual kind of post-punk for the past two decades, characterized by Williamson’s witty, confrontational words. Like Arnold, Williamson has roots in the working class, and his music offers an unvarnished reflection of those roots. When she got in touch with him about playing a small but important role in Bird, he admitted that he wasn’t familiar with her movies—but quickly became a fan. So he was in her movie, and she in return directed a video for the song “No Touch” from the latest Sleaford Mods album, The Demise of Planet X, which came out earlier this year. Check out that song right here.

In this open and generous chat, Arnold and Williamson talk about their shared backgrounds, about shooting Williamson's pivotal scene in Bird, and about Arnold’s career as a dancer and TV presenter for various BBC shows. I’m a fan of her work and I had no idea about this entirely different part of her career. Jason also reveals his unique post-show ritual, and laments—sort of—the fact that you can’t just simply get drunk anymore and hit people. Enjoy.

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Jason Williamson and Andrea Arnold for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out Talkhouse.com for all kinds of great written pieces and other podcasts in our network. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.
Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

This episode originally aired on March 25, 2026. Subscribe to ⁠⁠Music Person.

Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning from South London, England. 

Florence and Dylan discuss the difficulties of international touring, what your brain feels like on art school, black plastics, wanting to become a horse, reaching an associative songwriting state, and riding the bus as an idea-generating machine.

+ Florence gets something off her chest.

Artists we mentioned:

Cate Le Bon, Ryan Davis, Black Midi, bar italia, Jeff Tweedy, Elton John.

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.
Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a songwriter with a long and varied history who’s somehow just now making her solo debut alongside the musician and producer who helped her make it: it’s Morgan Nagler and King Tuff.

You could be excused for not knowing Morgan Nagler’s name; she’s been on the fringes of the L.A. music scene for the past couple of decades, co-writing songs with Phoebe Bridgers (the remarkable “Kyoto”) and HAIM, among others—as well as fronting the band Whispertown. She’s also had another career on-screen, from Punky Brewster to American Pie 2, but that’s not relevant for today’s conversation. Just this month, Nagler released the first album under her own name, and it carries the all-time great title I’ve Got Nothing to Lose and I’m Losing It. If you love melodic, heartfelt pop with a bit of that Laurel Canyon twang, you will find something to love on this record. Check out the song “Hurt” right here, which features a cavalcade of talented backing singers, too.

Kyle Thomas has been making music under the name King Tuff for the past 20 years or so, cranking out rollicking, straightforward rockers that fit perfectly with his moniker. For his new record Moo, Thomas went back to basics after spending what he felt like was too much time cleaning things up. The result is a garage-y, thoroughly catchy set of songs that never try to overcomplicate the desire to rock. Think GBV or Ty Segall or Mikal Cronin. Check out the song “Invisible Ink” from his new album Moo right here. It’s out this week.

In this fun chat, Nagler and Thomas talk about the fun of writing lyrics together, Thomas’ move back to the snowy woods of Vermont, and what they plan to eat on their upcoming tour together. There’s also white weasels and Cadbury creme eggs, so pay close attention and enjoy.

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Morgan Nagler and Kyle Thomas aka. King Tuff for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.
Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a great conversation between two friends and tourmates, one a musician, and one whose job title is slightly harder to pin down: It’s Langhorne Slim and Jordan Klepper.

Langhorne Slim has been making music for the past two decades, and while it’s plenty varied, it also fits nicely into that wide bucket called Americana. For his new album, The Dreamin’ Kind, Slim hooked up with a couple of guys from Greta Van Fleet and ended up dedicating some time to rocking in a way he hadn’t really done before. Parts of the record offer a more polished sound than he’s made in the past—it’s the sound of a guy who’s always loved to go for it kind of going for it in a different way. Live, Langhorne Slim always brings it, connecting with audiences whether they’re already fans or not—often by joining them right out in the audience. If you recognize the voice or name, you may have heard Langhorne Slim on a movie soundtrack or opening for the likes of The Avett Brothers or The Lumineers over the years. Check out one of the more rocking tracks from The Dreamin’ Kind right here, “Haunted Man.”

The other half of today’s conversation is a little harder to categorize. Sure, Jordan Klepper sometimes stands on stage and says funny things, but he’s not exactly a comedian. He’s probably best known as the co-host of the current Daily Show iteration, and via that avenue and others—including his own show, The Opposition and a bunch of standalone specials—he’s actually done some of the most biting and important political-culture reporting of the horrifying era we’re currently living in. He was there on January 6, somehow managing to be funny amidst all the chaos. It’s a talent that’s extended to a podcast, other TV specials, and of course, the stand-up stage. On a recent tour, he asked Langhorne Slim to join him for some dates, and as you’ll hear, the two became fast friends.

In this conversation, they talk about touring together—and Slim’s frequent trips into the audience during shows—plus the tricky business of legacy, the meeting of capitalism and art, and running into an exposed penis on the streets of New York—and how one should react to that. Enjoy.

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Jordan Klepper and Langhorne Slim for chatting. If you like what you heard, please follow us on your favorite podcasting platform, and check out all the great stuff at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more.
Follow @talkhouse on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter (X)⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠.