Kyle Meredith With...

On the rewind episode of Kyle Meredith With.., hear from Caroline Polachek and Alison Goldfrapp — two vocalists who could probably sing a grocery list and still make it sound like avant-garde pop bliss.Polachek, formerly of Chairlift, has turned heartbreak and hyperpop into an art form, floating somewhere between baroque synths and Enya-core. Goldfrapp, meanwhile, has spent decades wrapping disco, glam, and electroclash into one shimmering Goldfrapp package. Lately, she’s stepped out solo just to remind us she can still make the dance floor melt. Expect stories of sonic reinvention, ghostly falsettos, and why "ethereal" is sometimes just another word for unstoppable.Listen to Caroline Polachek and Alison Goldfrapp chat about all this and more. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.Our Sponsors:* Check out Effecty and use my code KMW for a great deal: https://www.ef

Ben Folds recently sat down with Kyle Meredith to talk about the complicated year that saw him record a stunning live album with the National Symphony Orchestra just before stepping down as Artistic Advisor for the Kennedy Center. Folds opens up about the importance of the Kennedy Center’s mission, how it connects communities beyond the stage, and why that made his exit during the Trump administration’s takeover so necessary. Listen now.Reflecting on the album, Folds calls it “an absolute honor” to record with the NSO, praising the room’s natural magic and the delicate work of mixer David Boucher. The album arrives like an act of resistance, beginning with “But Wait, There’s More,” which Folds says was born out of the absurdity of the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference. “It felt so cynical at first, but I do still believe there’s more good than not,” he says.The conversation also dives deep into the vital role of public funding and arts institutions, and how Folds’ Kennedy Center series aimed to

Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Malachi Barton, and Freya Sky catch up with Kyle Meredith to talk all about Zombies 4 on Disney. The crew dive into how Zed and Addison’s monster diplomacy continues with a new clash between Daywalkers and vampires — vampires that, as Malachi jokes, “don’t suck blood but do snack on blood fruit!” Milo and Meg share what it’s like balancing acting and executive producing, how they keep the characters growing alongside their own lives, and how their real-life love for Disney Channel Friday nights sneaks into the franchise’s vibe. Plus, the newcomers spill on stepping into Seabrook’s wacky world, the vampire makeover, and how everyone’s musical side keeps the set buzzing with impromptu jams and game nights.Listen to Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Malachi Barton, and Freya Sky chat about all this and more or watch it on Youtube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Po

Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about the band’s second album moisturizer, the joys and pitfalls of success, and the choice to cocoon themselves in a countryside house to shut out distractions (including social media). Rhian digs into writing as a full five-piece band this time around, the cathartic evolution of tracks like “Chase These Fists” and “CPR,” and how movies like Jennifer's Body helped soundtrack their creative hibernation. She also opens up about writing love songs for the first time, exploring queer identity through lyrics, and the importance of building a stage persona to armor up against tour anxiety.Get tickets to Wet Leg's upcoming tour dates here: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/NdXjzpy/Listen to Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg chat about all this and more or watch it on Youtube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.Our Sponsors

Tony winner and certified scene-stealer Renée Elise Goldsberry joins Kyle Meredith to talk through Who I Really Am, her long-awaited debut album. Known for #Hamilton, #Girls5Eva, and #SheHulk, Goldsberry opens up about why it took this long to release a solo LP, and why now was the moment to bet on herself. She discusses the freedom of genre-jumping across pop, musical theater, and soul, how she came to reinterpret “Satisfied” for this new chapter, and how Girls5Eva and Sarah Bareilles helped spark her confidence to record original material—including a Bareilles-penned track. It’s an album about embracing outliers, defying labels, and finally asking the question, “Who am I, really?”Listen to Renée Elise Goldsberry chat about all this and more or watch it on Youtube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.Our Sponsors:* Check out Effecty and use my code KMW for a great deal:

Lucy Dacus sits down with Kyle Meredith to discuss her latests solo record, Forever Is a Feeling. The singer-songwriter unpacks the new album’s lush poetry, the angelic iconography behind its cover, and the raw intimacy of performing in churches and museums. Listen now.Touring behind the new record (get tickets here!), Dacus found herself gravitating towards sanctuaries both literal and spiritual. “Places like that always feel super reverent whether or not you’re religious,” she says of the cathedrals and churches she’s played in. “They inspire a quietness and an introspection that I really like.” That same thoughtful hush permeates Forever is a Feeling, an album that glides between dreamlike atmospheres and confessional clarity.Of course, she didn’t go it alone. The record brings together a who’s who of kindred spirits, from Hozier to Madison Cunningham to Bartees Strange, along with her boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker (also her romantic partner), appearances that feel like a tight-knit

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips sat down with Kyle Meredith for three conversations across a handful of years to talk solo albums, Luna reunions, and songwriting that sometimes doubles as emotional excavation. Dean, known for his iconic turns in #Galaxie500 and #Luna, talked in 2014 about finally releasing his first solo album and what it meant to step out from the comfort of collaboration—including with wife and longtime musical partner Britta—and work with #MyMorningJacket’s Jim James as producer. He dug into the funny backlash from his memoir, navigating identity beyond legacy bands, and why a lyric like “what have I done with my life?” doesn’t always need a worried reading. In her own chat in 2016, Britta walked Kyle through #LuckOrMagic, a stunning debut that toggles between torch songs and simmering synth-pop, and how tracks like “Do It Last” playfully (and darkly) flip gendered expectations of obsession in love songs. She also opened up about the nerves of writing about Dean… and then playing those so

Alan Walker joins Kyle Meredith to talk about the 10th anniversary of his breakout hit “Faded” and how he’s turned a bedroom project into a full-blown global empire. The EDM star gets into the making of WalkerWorld 2.0, the new single “Me, Myself and the Night,” and why he’s intentionally channeling his 2016–2019 sound. He also gives a preview of the immersive film WalkerWorld: The Last Ride, and talks about launching his first-of-its-kind World of Walker app—a digital hub meant to bypass social media algorithms and directly connect with fans.Listen to Alan Walker chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.Our Sponsors:* Check out Effecty and use my code KMW for a great deal: https://www.effecty.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kyle Meredith sits down with two legends, Randy Bachman and the late Gary Brooker to talk about legacy and how you live with — and sometimes rewrite — the ghosts of greatness. Listen to these archive interviews now.Hear Brooker of Procol Harum speak just before his passing about the band’s 50-year retrospective Still There’ll Be More, the timeless power of “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” and why Procol never quite fit in anyone’s box (except maybe their own). Then, it’s Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive) discussing By George, his inventive reimagining of George Harrison classics that's filled with rearranged melodies, sly tributes, and a surreal phone call from Winnipeg to Friar Park. From Lennon birthday parties in Liverpool to dodged opportunities with Clapton, it’s a masterclass in reverence and reinvention from two legends.Listen to Randy Bachman and Gary Brooker chat about all this and more. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and

Zara Larsson caught up with Kyle Meredith to talk about her new album Midnight Sun, her second LP in just over a year. Powered by creative momentum and a self-described “dream team” of collaborators, Larsson is embracing a more spontaneous workflow that channels her current energy into a confident, cohesive record. Listen now.The record's namesake track, “Midnight Sun,” is a tribute to summer nights in her native Sweden, where the sun never fully sets and life feels mythically endless. “I wanted to be this little nymph that goes to the city,” she says, explaining the vibe that shaped both the sound and spirit of the album. The song itself is a swirl of joy and presence and the kind of spiritual clarity that only appears in duskless Scandinavian landscapes. It also helped unlock the album’s carefree tone: “I don’t give a fuck, but I do care a lot, and I hope and I pray and I manifest,” she says, summing up the paradox at the heart of Midnight Sun.Larsson will bring that energy to her upcoming tour with Tat

Seth MacFarlane has long lived at the intersection of irreverence and reverence. As the creator of Family Guy, he built an empire of absurdist animation, but his latest creative projects deepens his musical streak. He caught up with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new album Lush Life: The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, a collection of unearthed and previously unrecorded Frank Sinatra charts. From there, the conversation swings through his revival of The Naked Gun, a reimagining of The ’Burbs, and the success of Ted’s leap to television. Listen now.When Tina Sinatra called to offer MacFarlane access to her father’s archived arrangements, he jumped at the chance to revive what had been sitting in boxes for decades. “There were a good hundred charts or so in there that Frank had never recorded,” he says, citing a Nelson Riddle arrangement of “How Did She Look” and the infamous abandoned 1958 session for “Lush Life.” MacFarlane and his team not only finished the track, but aimed to deliver each song with the fidelity

Shirley Manson has never been one to shy away from big feelings, big statements, or big synths. Speaking with Kyle Meredith, the Garbage frontwoman dives into Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, a record that flickers with vulnerability, political outrage, and, surprisingly, hope. The follow-up to 2021’s No Gods No Masters, the new LP serves as a spiritual twin — but this one stares down the chaos with resilience rather than just rage. Listen now.“I realized that if I didn’t change my tack, I was going to lose my mind,” Manson says of her shift in perspective after the last album. “I wanted to project love, even though I was feeling physically broken and emotionally spent.” That brokenness included two hip surgeries and the loss of her dog — yet she funneled it all into a more nuanced lyricism.She also reflects on her refusal to stay silent about world events, especially the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine. That same spirit fuels the band’s creativity; even with new recording methods during her reco

Mark Hamill has played a Jedi, a clown prince of crime, and just about everything in between — but it’s The Life of Chuck that he says might be one of the most special experiences of his entire career. The pop culture icon sat down with Kyle Meredith to talk about the new Mike Flanagan film, a surreal, poetic meditation on existence based on a Stephen King novella. Listen to the episode now.For Hamill, the film’s emotional core hit hard — both as a performer and as someone reflecting on a long life onscreen. He credits Flanagan’s adaptation for retaining the novella’s time-shifting structure and praised the cast, including a scene-stealing Tom Hiddleston and an emotionally rich performance from young newcomer Benjamin Pajak.The actor even relates the new film to the messaging behind his most famous role. "I told George [Lucas] I loved the idea of the Force so much because it’s spiritual in a way that doesn’t make people feel uncomfortable,” he explains. “When Yoda came on the scene, it wasn’t about religi

Finn Wolfhard has officially gone solo. After fronting Calpurnia and The Aubreys, the Stranger Things star is stepping out under his own name with Happy Birthday, an album of tape-saturated indie rock that pulls from Elliott Smith, Ben Lee, Daniel Johnston, and some garage-punk loudness for good measure. The actor spoke with Kyle Meredith all about it, listen now.Wolfhard wrote 50 songs in a single year, then cherry-picked the most personal ones to record alone — initially planning to hide behind a band name. “But then I kind of decided to just go fully in and just do it under my name,” he says. “Because, you know, it’s a personal record.” It’s also a deeply nostalgic one. On tracks like “Crown,” he finds himself longing for simpler times: “When you’re a kid, everything’s done for you/ Looking back, that was actually such a luxury.”Now that Stranger Things has wrapped, Wolfhard’s looking back on nearly a decade spent growing up inside one of the biggest shows of the 21st century. “I got to experience a once-i

In this two-part Rewind episode, Kyle Meredith catches up with Imperial Teen and Rainer Maria — two cornerstone indie bands that helped shape the lo-fi-to-mainstream arc of alternative music. Listen to their insights now.Taped at different moments in their respective comebacks, both interviews dive into the complexities of making new music after years away. Imperial Teen reflect on their 2012 album Feel the Sound, the logistics of long-distance collaboration, and why they never intentionally chase hooks. Meanwhile, Rainer Maria discuss the serendipity of proximity that led to their self-titled reunion album, pulling forgotten ideas from old MiniDiscs, navigating the streaming era, and writing lyrics with more personal depth than ever before. Both bands prove that time apart hasn’t dulled their creative spark. Really, it’s only sharpened their purpose.Listen to Imperial Teen and Rainer Maria chat about all this and more. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts,

Auliʻi Cravalho (best known as the voice of Moana) returns to the mic in Lulu Is a Rhinoceros, a new Apple TV+animated musical that asks, “What if identity was more than skin — or fur — deep?” Voicing a dog who sees a rhinoceros when they look in the mirror, Cravalho uses this children’s story to navigate themes of gender identity, kindness, and self-acceptance, and talks with Kyle Meredith all about it. Listen now.Cravalho is also coming off a run in Cabaret starring alongside Adam Lambert, because apparently it’s not enough to voice a Disney icon — you’ve also got to tackle fascism eight shows a week. She talks about her love for roles that challenge her, her not-so-secret desire to play a villain, and how Lulu offers a chance to speak directly to the younger version of herself. Spoiler: she’s also plotting to take over behind the camera as a producer, director, and general artistic overlord.Listen to Auliʻi Cravalho chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review,

In this long-lost 2016 conversation, legendary Warner Bros. Records president Lenny Waronker walks Kyle Meredith through the iconic Burbank offices (now shuttered), sharing candid stories about signing Prince, nearly passing on “Wicked Game,” quietly acquiring Tom Petty, and what made the label — and its artists — so visionary. Listen now.Waronker reflects on his early studio days, the genius of Prince’s bassless “When Doves Cry,” the Black Album saga, and how letting artists lead was always the secret sauce. From Randy Newman to Chris Isaak to Bat-era Kim Basinger moans, it’s a masterclass in music history told from one of its most influential behind-the-scenes architects.Listen to Lenny Waronke chat about all this and more or watch it on YouTube. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to KMW wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcirc

John Densmore has spent 60 years drumming in the shadow of both jazz greats and one very poetic lizard king, and has lived to talk about it. In this chat, he joins Kyle to dig into The Doors’ ongoing live album series, the hypnotic pulse of “Riders on the Storm,” and having a front row seat to Ray Manzarek’s insane two-handed abilities. Listen now.He also shares how the band’s improvisational wizardry worked in real time — like jamming out "The End" while Jim Morrison free-associated poetry about familial homicide — and reflects on playing “WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)” live at a recent Whiskey a Go Go gig, which ended with his thumb staging a minor protest. There’s talk of Coltrane outtakes, Miles Davis, and even a Chuck D collaboration.And if you’re one of those fans who think the magic died in a Paris bathtub, Densmore kindly reminds you there were twopost-Jim albums. Not that they’ll be staging a reunion tour, but Robby Krieger is currently playing entire Doors albums live, and Densmore occ

Hannah John-Kamen returns to the MCU in Thunderbolts*, reprising her role as Ghost — a character who’s now less flickery rage-machine, more emotionally self-aware loner with sarcasm issues. The film trades in the usual spandex-and-quips formula for something darker: guilt, depression, shame, and what happens when the Avengers forget your name. It’s a Marvel movie by way of group therapy, and she’s here for it. The actress spoke with Kyle Meredith all about it, and you can listen to the conversation now.John-Kamen breaks down how Ghost has evolved — more control, a cooler suit, and a lot less murder-y panic. She didn’t bother rewatching 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, choosing instead to reenter the role like a totally different person, because, well, Ghost is a totally different person now. There’s also some talk about finding British sarcasm in the middle of emotional trauma, improv sessions with Wyatt Russell and Florence Pugh, and the existential experience of filming a Marvel movie that isn’t just a CGI

Gene Simmons returns to Kyle Meredith With… to celebrate the 50th anniversary of KISS’s Dressed to Kill, the album that gave us the studio version of “Rock and Roll All Nite”—which, according to Gene, may or may not qualify as a hit depending on your definition of the word. Listen now.Simmons reflects on the bands origins as four “unqualified” New Yorkers in makeup and heels who somehow ended up headlining stadiums. He also talks about life after the “final” KISS tour, which includes his new film production company (including working on a new movie with Bella Thorne and Mel Gibson), restaurants, vodka brand, and whatever else you can slap a Moneybag™ on. He’ll also return to Vegas with KISS later this year — not in makeup — for a KISS Army celebration.As always, Gene has opinions. On streaming: it ruined music ("Where's the new Beatles? Where's Elvis?"). On critics: they’re talentless ("...They don't really wanna work for a living, but they can't play instruments and have no talent