A Very Special Episode: Apologizing to the Fiery Furnaces

A guest host revisits his very first interview subject

By Talkhouse Podcast, Eleanor Friedberger, and Matthew Friedberger

9:01 AM EST on February 12, 2026

For this week's episode, we're going to skip the typical Talkhouse format and give you something that I think you're going to love just as much, about a band called The Fiery Furnaces. I bet a lot of you remember, but if you don't, The Fiery Furnaces are siblings, Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger from Oak Park, Illinois, not far from Chicago. Together they put out seven of the scrambliest, catchiest rock albums of the 2000s, and then they kind of disappeared. We got contacted by a longtime radio journalist and producer of the show Snap Judgment, John Fecile, who wanted to talk to Matt and Eleanor. It turns out he had spoken to them over a decade ago, and as he'll explain, there was a very specific reason he wanted to talk to them again.

Upcoming live shows for The Fiery Furnaces

Talkhouse Podcast

@Talkhouse

Your favorite musicians, filmmakers, and other creative minds one-on-one. No moderator, no script, no typical questions. The Talkhouse Podcast offers unique insights into creative work from all genres and generations. Subscribe now, and explore more illuminating shows on the Talkhouse Podcast Network.

Eleanor Friedberger

@EleanorOnly

Eleanor Friedberger formed the Fiery Furnaces in 2000 with her brother Matthew. They released nine albums between 2003 and 2009. Since 2011, Ms. Friedberger has released two solo albums, Last Summer and most recently Personal Record. She's recently been seen playing guitar in Late Night with Seth Meyers' 8G Band. You can follow her on Twitter here.

Matthew Friedberger

@Fiery_Furnaces

Talkhouse Contributing Writer Matthew Friedberger, a Chicagoan born in 1972, is unemployed. He has no degrees or credentials of any kind. He is, therefore and however, a songwriter and composer and has released 10 solo records in the last two years. His next work, Again with the Greatest Hits Live in the Studio, will appear shortly. He lives in France.