Phoebe Bridgers with Bettye LaVette

On this week's show, we pair in conversation the artists behind two of 2020's best albums: soul and blues legend Bettye LaVette and indie wunderkind Phoebe Bridgers. Though separated by five decades in age, when the two met backstage at a Tibet House US benefit at Carnegie Hall earlier this year, they immediately developed a mutual friend crush. Now that we've gotten them reconnected here, it appears something very dope is on the horizon... but more on that in the talk!

Their warm, freewheeling convo takes in a lot, including: a wonderful overview of a career Bettye calls “tenuous at best”; the unexpected benefits of promoting a new album during the pandemic; and privilege in the music industry. We also get to hear about making Pete Townshend cry, quirky Little Stevie Wonder, and learn the answer to Bettye's query "What is a Princess Nokia?"

Check it out, and subscribe now to stay in the loop on future episodes of the Talkhouse Podcast, including Norah Jones with Jeff Tweedy, and then Jeff again(!) with comedian Nick Offerman, and Bootsy Collins (Bootzilla, baby!) with Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys). Plus be sure to check our Soundcloud archives for recent shows featuring Tame Impala with Caribou, Carly Rae Jepsen with mxmtoon, Diplo with Charlie Crockett, and loads more.

—Elia Einhorn, Talkhouse Podcast host and producer

For this week’s episode, Bettye LaVette was recorded by her adoring hubby Kevin Kiley, and Phoebe Bridgers by her pal Marshall Vore.

Our long-suffering producer is Mark Yoshizumi.

The Talkhouse Podcast theme song was composed and performed by The Range. Dude released gorgeous new music this year — check it out!

Please direct all podcast-related ideas, vitriol, and compliments to [email protected]. Seriously, I love hearing from you guys. And if we're honest with ourselves, isn't the end always sneaking up on us?