James Vincent McMorrow is a singer/songwriter whose first albums fell somewhere on the folk music side of things. But his sound has changed over the years, incorporating elements of R&B and electronic music. On the album We Move, James worked with the producer Nineteen85, whose credits include tracks by Drake and Nicki Minaj. In this episode, James breaks down the song, “Get Low,” from that record and how it was inspired by Clipse, minimalism, and Los Angeles.

You can buy “Get Low” on iTunes.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
Clipse – Grindin’

“Get Low” trailer

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Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter started Phantogram in 2007. They’ve worked on crafting a particular sound and they’ve had a particular way of making their dense productions since the beginning. But for their new record, Three, things changed. The song “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” took the band outside of their comfort zone. And, in this episode, Sarah and Josh break down how they made the original demo, and how outsiders like The-Dream and co-producer Ricky Reed influenced the way the song ultimately turned out.

You can buy “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”on iTunes.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
“You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” music video

Eddie Bo – “Hook and Sling, Part One”

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In 2006, Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John released their third album, Writer’s Block. For months and months after that, it felt like you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing the first single from that album, “Young Folks.” It was on top 10 lists for song of the year in places like Pitchfork and NME. It’s been covered by James Blunt, and remixed by Kanye West, along with countless other versions out there. Now, ten years later, Peter Bjorn and John break down the song and how it all came together, and how it almost didn’t come together at all.

You can buy “Young Folks”on iTunes.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
“Young Folks” music video

Live on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, January 2007

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