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Artwork for Song Exploder

Song Exploder

Hrishikesh Hirway
Songwriting
Deceptacon
Waxahatchee
Fire
Sadness As a Gift
Grammy Awards
Los Angeles
Tenderness
Big Thief
Elliott Smith
Anak Ko
Climate Change
Music Production
Stay With Me
Heartbreak
Mohabbat
You Louisiana Man
Waltz No. 1
Four Degrees
We Are

Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. Hosted and produced by Hrishikesh Hirway.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes367Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Music

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Artwork for Song Exploder

Latest Episodes

Paul McCartney is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose career spans more than six decades. As a member of The Beatles and later Wings and then with his own solo albums, he’s simply one of the most influential artists of all... more

Hot Chip is a band from London made up of Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. Their second album, The Warning, came out in 2006. It was nominated for a Mercury Prize, and named one of the best albums of the year by NM... more

My guest today is the bestselling author Emma Straub. Her books include 'This Time Tomorrow,'  'Modern Lovers,'  'The Vacationers,'  and more. And with her husband, Michael Fusco, she co-owns the beautiful Brooklyn bookstore Books Are Magic.

I'm so ... more

The xx formed in 2005, when they were still in high school. They signed to the UK label Young, and put out their first album in 2009. It won the prestigious Mercury Prize, and was named one of the best albums of the year by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork a... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Alexis Taylor
Member of Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Episode: Hot Chip - Boy From School
Joe Goddard
Member of Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Episode: Hot Chip - Boy From School
Emma Straub
bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, Modern Lovers, The Vacationers; co-owner of Books Are Magic
Books Are Magic
Episode: Key Change: Emma Straub
Jamie xx
Member of The xx, producer and musician
The xx
Episode: The xx - Crystalised
Romy Croft
Member of The xx, guitarist and songwriter
The xx
Episode: The xx - Crystalised
Oliver Sim
Member of The xx, bassist and songwriter
The xx
Episode: The xx - Crystalised
Yusuf Cat Stevens
Legendary singer-songwriter featured on the episode
Self
Episode: Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Father and Son
Nate DiMeo
Host of The Memory Palace
The Memory Palace
Episode: The Memory Palace: The Thundering Herd, The Vanishing American
Alynda Segarra
Singer and songwriter from the Bronx, founder of Hurray for the Riff Raff
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Episode: Hurray for the Riff Raff - Alibi

Host

Hrishikesh Hirway
Host and producer of Song Exploder

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 12.7k ratings
  • Pls KATSEYE

    I love this podcast

    Can you please do an Episode with KATSEYE and one with Billie Eilish or Taylor Swift♥️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Te. ka13
    Germany2 months ago
  • 👍

    Verry Good !!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TomSno
    Germany2 months ago
  • Great Podcast!

    The entire backlog of this podcast got me through studying (and passing each section first-time) the ARE (Architect Registration Exam) a couple of years ago. Just hearing the intro music takes me instantly back to that day & age.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KMonk821
    United States3 months ago
  • Great diary of glorious songs

    Very inspiring to see how all these hits were made. Also, it brings so many memories.

    Great podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JimmyJoeJames
    Germany3 months ago
  • Amazing!

    This is great, wouldn’t change a thing! Imagine dragons though if you can

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Amazing!!!!!!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests consistently praise the host's thoughtful, insightful questions and ability to extract detailed stories about the production process.
The show is appreciated for high production quality and clear, informative sponsor reads that fit naturally into episodes.
Listeners value the deep technical breakdowns and the personal, human context behind each track.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#33
United States/Music
Apple Podcasts
#25
United States/Music
Spotify
#23
United Kingdom/Music
Apple Podcasts
#10
United Kingdom/Music
Apple Podcasts
#14
Canada/Music
Spotify
#18
Australia/Music

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Key Change: Emma Straub
Q: Before that meeting, what had been your plan for working after college?
Emma explains she planned to be a novelist and worked in publishing, but the opportunity to work for Stephen Merritt evolved from personal connections and finding a way to blend her love of writing with the music world.
Key Change: Emma Straub
Q: Do you remember the first time that you heard The Magnetic Fields?
Emma Straub recalls being a sophomore in college at Oberlin in 1999 and hearing not just the band but their growing name in conversations, which set her on a path to explore their music and pursue related creative work.
Jack Harlow - Say Hello
Q: What sparked the shift in how you approached Say Hello?
He aimed for a distinctive direction, favoring melody, minimalism, and live instruments to create something timeless rather than flashy, after recognizing the need to avoid ego and braggadocio.
Key Change: Baz Luhrmann on "Time After Time."
Q: How did you decide Tara Marie should sing the lead on the recorded version, and what drove that choice?
Tara was in my ensemble company and demonstrated strong singing ability; her presence in the project evolved through auditions and collaboration, aligning with the film's needs for a vocal pairing that voiced the relationship at the heart of the sequence.
Key Change: Baz Luhrmann on "Time After Time."
Q: Did Time After Time stay in all those different versions as you took it from NIDA onward? Was it always in the mix?
The song remained a throughline; we used it as a device for a montage, and then later created a cover and a duet to reflect the evolving relationship and the film's narrative needs.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Song Exploder

What is Song Exploder about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Listeners get intimate, studio-grade insights into how songs are built, often tracing a track from initial idea through recording to final mix. Episodes spotlight a wide range of guests—from musicians and producers to authors and filmmakers—who walk through creative decisions, collaboration dynamics, and the storytelling embedded in each track. The format blends technical breakdowns with personal anecdotes, offering a rare look at the intersection of music, culture, and craft, often including behind-the-scenes moments, live instrumentation choices, and context for how a song fits into an artist's broader body of work. Noteworthy traits include a consistently thoughtful interviewer, a focus on the songwriting and production process, and cros... more

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How many listeners does Song Exploder get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Song Exploder has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Song Exploder?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Song Exploder:

1. Switched on Pop
2. One Song
3. Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
4. NPR Music
5. 99% Invisible

How many episodes of Song Exploder are there?

Song Exploder launched 12 years ago and published 367 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Song Exploder?

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Where can I see ratings and reviews for Song Exploder?

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What guests have appeared on Song Exploder?

Recent guests on Song Exploder include:

1. Alexis Taylor
2. Joe Goddard
3. Emma Straub
4. Jamie xx
5. Romy Croft
6. Oliver Sim
7. Yusuf Cat Stevens
8. Nate DiMeo

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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