Show Notes
We traveled to a special place this week: Long Pond Studio in upstate New York. It's the home and workplace of Aaron Dessner, a member of the indie rock band The National and a GRAMMY-winning producer behind some of this year's biggest albums. We discuss the alchemy that's happened there with artists like Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, Marcus Mumford and Taylor Swift.
00:00 Welcome to Long Pond
01:03 Sleep Well Beast, the first album made here
02:11 Building a studio that lets nature in
05:58 How folklore put Long Pond on the map
06:57 The chance meeting behind Mumford & Sons' Prizefighter
10:38 Taylor Swift's out-of-the-blue text
13:08 "Cardigan" arrives at 3 a.m.
16:49 Making space for artists in the room
19:29 How Aaron starts a song
25:02 Dad's drum set and growing up with twin Bryce
28:44 Music as a refuge
30:21 Where does music come from?
34:35 Producing without "peeing on a tree"
38:46 Chasing hits vs. the "ugly ducklings"
42:24 Meeting Gracie Abrams and writing in the room
46:25 Pop pressure and making "That's So True"
50:55 "I still feel like a kid"
53:05 What's inspiring Aaron now
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