Talkhouse Podcast

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got a great chat between two rockers whose bands tuck classic-sounding songs into punk-inspired packages: It’s Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem and Greg Barnett of the Menzingers.

The Menzingers are one of those bands that are sort of easy to take for granted: They’ve released a steady string of punk anthems for 20 years, and their songs are as reliable as the sunrise. But when you step back and take a look at their catalog, it’s pretty massively impressive. The Scranton, Pennsylvania band just released their eighth album, Everything I Ever Saw, and it’s as big and catchy as you’d hope. They’ll head out on a US tour this fall with one of their big inspirations, Hot Water Music, in the opening slot. Check out "Chance Encounters” from Everything I Ever Saw right here.

The other half of today’s conversation, Brian Fallon, fronts a band of a similar age and sound as The Menzingers, though as you’ll hear in this conversation, his band took a chunky hiatus a while back. The Gaslight Anthem broke through back in 2008 with the instant classic album The ‘59 Sound, which won them acclaim from fans, music writers, other bands, and even their fellow New Jersey-ite Bruce Springsteen. The Gaslight Anthem seemed to split in 2015 but have since reformed; during that time, Fallon also amassed a catalog of solo records, and he’s got another great one on the horizon. Not Bad for New Jersey will be out in September, accompanied by a big tour. The album features his usual anthemic songs plus fun guest appearances from Brandon Flowers of the Killers, among others. Check out the song “Pearls” from Not Bad For New Jersey right here, and again, it’s out in September and available to pre-order now.

In this chat, Fallon and Barnett talk about their lengthy shared history, about stretching out sonically, about their mutual friend Wicca Phase Springs Eternal—including a story about a high school battle of the bands—and much more. Enjoy.

0:00 Introduction

2:47 Start of conversation, touring, and releasing new albums

4:10 On dogs, new babies, and raising kids

6:41 On tour openers, Tiger’s Jaw, and learning from Adam McIlwee

11:28 On learning guitar and songwriting by watching friends, and interesting chords

12:50 On the songwriting process and making iPhone demos

15:42 On the connection between vocals and drums

16:32 On having a recognizable sound, and dealing with reviews and public opinions about your work

20:02 On feeling like you’re creating “real” songs, and how the music industry affects your perceptions

21:43 On the Menzingers’ newest album, and the inspiration for the title track

23:49 On feeling inspired by other bands’ live gigs

25:51 On their bands turning 20, celebrating together, and early recordings

29:16 On their experiences with different record labels, and which ones support artists’ growth

34:58 On how solo work is different from working with their bands, and loving what they do

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Greg Barnett and Brian Fallon for chatting. If you like 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 was composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!

Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠.
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On the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with the Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay Goldstein, who are both the lead singers of the band July Talk and now the stars of the unconventional new romantic comedy Middle Life, which is in theaters from this Friday. In a thoughtful and very connected conversation, the two open up about generational trauma, loss, learning to trust one’s innate wisdom, their emotional visit to the Mauthausen concentration camp, Goldstein dreaming new Angel Olsen songs, Dreimanis’ rec hockey league for sensitive art guys, and much more.

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content!

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got a couple of dynamic frontmen who’ve brought a ton of personality to rock and roll over the years: It’s Pelle Almqvist and James Smith.

Pelle Almqvist, aka Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, is the singer for the Swedish band the Hives, who make garage rock, punk rock, or simply rock and roll, depending on who you’re talking to—that question comes up in this conversation. The Hives broke through back in the early 2000s with the monumental album Veni Vidi Vicious and the song “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and they’ve since amassed an incredible catalog alongside an earned reputation as one of the most exciting live bands you’re ever going to see. The Hives went quiet for a while but came roaring back in 2023, and last year they released their seventh record called The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, a brilliant title if I’ve ever seen one. Check out the title track from that album right here.

The other half of today’s conversation, James Smith, is the singer/talker/kinda rapper at the helm of the British band Yard Act, whose first album—2022’s The Overload—immediately announced them as a serious musical force. Smith’s voice is the slick, confident center of their songs, and his unique way of sing-speaking feels like a gamble that paid off ridiculously well. The band has since released two more records, including the excellent new You’re Gonna Need A Little Music, which deals at times with the idea of getting everything you want but not knowing what to do with it. It was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnson—he’s the Justin mentioned in this chat—who seemed to help tame the beast in all the right ways. Check out “Empty Pledges” right here.

This lively chat took place via Zoom, and I have to note right off the bat that Almqvist was dialing in from his sauna while wearing a Hives-branded robe—totally on brand in the best way. They talk about religion, typical days on tour, and quite a bit about how they’ve both gotten into painting—and how they’re trying not to make it into work. Enjoy.

0:00 Intro

02:42 Start of conversation

02:43 On sharing an interest in painting and art

04:37 On recording new records in home studios, and how touring impacts recording

08:07 On if the “lightning in a bottle” approach to making music is real, trying new sounds, and why Ace of Base is similar to Bob Marley

10:41 On the music scenes in Sweden and Leeds

13:20 On folding bikes and land skis

15:08 On architecture, history, and visiting cathedrals and other landmarks on tour

16:09 On organized religion, capitalism, and if spirituality encourages unity

18:26 On growing up near Russia during the Cold War, nuclear war fears, punk music, and class awareness

20:21 On modern interpretations of punk music

23:04 On traveling on tour, seeing more cathedrals, why AI is like an Easter Island statue, and staying optimistic about the future

26:29 On upcoming tour dates, and future plans and priorities

29:35 On James’ experiences showing his paintings, the pros and cons of selling passion projects, and learning new art skills

32:43 On Pelle’s painting projects, and how painting is like songwriting

35:12 On being creative vs. slowing down during time off

36:53 On if slowing down musically is the same as getting complacent

38:19 On Pelle’s sauna and swimming in the Baltic Sea

39:20 On input vs. output for creativity and culture

Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Pelle Almqvist and James Smith 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 the latest episode of Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That, Nick Dawson sits down with the legendary writer-director Abel Ferrara, the filmmaker behind such iconic movies as Driller Killer, King of New York and Bad Lieutenant. In a conversation that’s candid and often profound, Ferrara opens up about bad acid trips, his fascination with writing code, his addiction to social media (including following people like the late Charlie Kirk …), why he’s not a night person anymore, being traumatized as a young boy by a bloody, life-sized crucifix, and much more.

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That now has a Substack, so head there to check out all of our past episodes, plus subscribe to get access to exclusive audio and video content!

This episode originally aired on June 26, 2026. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Album / Winter Album⁠⁠.

Tonight on Summer Album / Winter Album: Ritual de lo Habitual. 1990.

Our special guest: Hamilton Leithauser of The Walkmen.

Craig Finn is arguing Summer, Jody Avirgan is arguing Winter.

Jody won the coin toss. He is presenting first.

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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.