Podcast · 44 episodes
Song Exploder
by Hrishikesh Hirway · English
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.
Latest episodes
Olivia Rodrigo - The CureSong Exploder episode about Olivia Rodrigo’s song “The Cure,” tracing its creation from an early voice memo to the final tense, fast-recorded production.23 Sep 2026 · 26 min
Natalie Merchant - Sister TillyNatalie Merchant explains “Sister Tilly,” a eulogy for a fictional composite woman representing the activist women who shaped her—especially the 1960s/70s generation—and how their legacy is being…16 Sep 2026 · 25 min
Paula Cole - I Don't Want to WaitPaula Cole explains how she wrote and produced “I Don’t Want to Wait,” and why she later re-recorded it to reclaim ownership and sound like the original.9 Sep 2026 · 29 min
All episodes
Olivia Rodrigo - The CureSong Exploder episode about Olivia Rodrigo’s song “The Cure,” tracing its creation from an early voice memo to the final tense, fast-recorded production.23 Sep 2026 · 26 min · 15 chapters
Natalie Merchant - Sister TillyNatalie Merchant explains “Sister Tilly,” a eulogy for a fictional composite woman representing the activist women who shaped her—especially the 1960s/70s generation—and how their legacy is being…16 Sep 2026 · 25 min · 12 chapters
Paula Cole - I Don't Want to WaitPaula Cole explains how she wrote and produced “I Don’t Want to Wait,” and why she later re-recorded it to reclaim ownership and sound like the original.9 Sep 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
Charli XCX - CameraCharlie XCX breaks down her song “Camera,” explaining how acting and film-set vulnerability shaped its themes and production choices.19 Aug 2026 · 23 min · 9 chapters
Mitski - Your Best American GirlSong Exploder revisits Mitski’s 2016 episode dissecting “Your Best American Girl,” from her album Puberty 2 (10th anniversary; deluxe digital and limited vinyl planned).5 Aug 2026 · 15 min · 5 chapters
Suki Waterhouse - Back in LoveSuki Waterhouse explains how she wrote and produced “Back in Love,” the last song written for her album Loveland, and how it reflects loneliness, travel, motherhood, and reclaiming joy.22 Jul 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Key Change: Questlove on PrinceQuestlove (Amir Thompson) discusses Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” 12-inch remix version—how it transforms the original at about 5:18, why Prince used relative minor (B-flat) to reshape the groove,…15 Jul 2026 · 26 min · 14 chapters
Metric - Victim of LuckSong Exploder episode about Metric’s opening track “Victim of Luck” from their 10th album Romanticize the Dive, focusing on the song’s origin, lyric revisions, and production choices.8 Jul 2026 · 23 min · 13 chapters
Hayley Kiyoko - Girls Like GirlsSong Exploder episode about how Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 breakout song “Girls Like Girls” was written, produced, and turned into a cultural landmark—then expanded into a novel (2023) and a feature film…24 Jun 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters
Key Change: Tatiana Maslany on "Faceshopping" by SophieTatiana Maslany discusses how Sophie’s “Face Shopping” shaped her identity as an artist and how she uses music to access character transformations, especially in roles involving multiplicity and…17 Jun 2026 · 20 min · 10 chapters
Paul McCartney - Ripples in a PondPaul McCartney discusses writing and recording “Ripples in a Pond” for his solo work, including early chord-and-lyric demos, later re-recording, and production choices with co-producer Andrew Watt.10 Jun 2026 · 24 min · 15 chapters
Hot Chip - Boy From SchoolSong Exploder episode analyzing Hot Chip’s “Boy From School” (from The Warning, 2006), focusing on how the track evolved from a gentle Casio ballad into a disco-bass, mechanized dance song, and what…20 May 2026 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Key Change: Emma Straub on ‘69 Love Songs’ by The Magnetic FieldsKey Change episode about how author Emma Straub’s relationship with The Magnetic Fields—especially Stephen Merritt’s 1999 triple album 69 Love Songs—shaped her life, writing, and identity, including…13 May 2026 · 23 min · 7 chapters
The xx - CrystalisedSong Exploder dissects “Crystallized” by The xx, focusing on how the band formed, wrote, and recorded the track, plus what it means emotionally.6 May 2026 · 26 min · 15 chapters
Yusuf / Cat Stevens - Father and SonYusuf/Cat Stevens explains how “Father and Son” was first written for his musical project “Revolution” (later “Tea for the Tillerman”), then recreated for the 2020 reimagining “Tea for the Tillerman…22 Apr 2026 · 19 min · 7 chapters
The Memory Palace: The Thundering Herd, The Vanishing AmericanSong Exploder episode that embeds The Memory Palace story “The Thundering Herd, The Vanishing American,” about the mystery and history of Catalina Island’s bison, then explains how that story…15 Apr 2026 · 25 min · 8 chapters
Hurray for the Riff Raff - AlibiSong Exploder episode about “Alibi,” the first track on Hooray for the Riff Raff’s 2024 album The Past is Still Alive, focusing on how the song was written and recorded, and what it means about…8 Apr 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Jack Harlow - Say HelloJack Harlow explains how “Say Hello,” the closing track on his March 2026 album Monica, was written and produced—shifting from his earlier rap-first approach to melody-first, live-instrument…25 Mar 2026 · 26 min · 11 chapters
Key Change: Baz Luhrmann on "Time After Time"Baz Luhrmann discusses how “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper became the pivotal musical moment in Strictly Ballroom, and how his ballroom/theatre background shaped his approach to creativity and…18 Mar 2026 · 22 min · 10 chapters
Thompson Twins - Hold Me NowHow Thompson Twins’ “Hold Me Now” was written and produced—covering the band’s shift to producer-style roles, the emotional relationship context behind the lyrics, and the specific studio techniques…11 Mar 2026 · 24 min · 8 chapters
Silvana Estrada - Como Un PájaroSong Exploder dissects Silvana Estrada’s “Como Un Pájaro,” tracing its evolution from 2019 demos through its 2025 album release, and how it became a meditation on solitude, nostalgia, and healing…25 Feb 2026 · 26 min · 15 chapters
Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American MouthIron & Wine’s “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” creation story, plus how it sparked a later collaboration.18 Feb 2026 · 29 min · 15 chapters
The Marías - No One NoticedThe Song Exploder breakdown of “No One Noticed” by Los Angeles band The Marías, tracing how the song’s lyrics and production evolved from 2020 pandemic loneliness through a later breakup/relationship…11 Feb 2026 · 25 min · 12 chapters
Leon Thomas - MuttLeon Thomas’s “Mutt” (title track) creation—how the song’s “hound dog/mutt” concept, funk-inspired bass, and an interpolated Enchantment sample shaped its sound and vulnerable lyrics; plus the…28 Jan 2026 · 25 min · 15 chapters