These experimental legends sat down for an episode of the Talkhouse Music Podcast.

Listen to Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Ian Williams (Battles) Bond over Bring It On

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sweet93 embodies the hazy, drifting summers of the early ‘90s — a time when the lullabies of Slowdive and the sweetness of Mazzy Star ruled the alternative rock scene. Based in NYC, sweet93&#8217;s songs are the soundtrack to a waking dream.

sweet93

Louise Trehy and Mike Mason met in early ‘90s Camberwell, London. Both were deeply involved with the independent music scene of the time; Louise co-founded Setanta Records (home of The Divine Comedy, Edwyn Collins, and Into Paradise), and Mike traversed between bike courier, video director, and lighting designer for Spacemen 3, Slowdive, Spiritualized, Curve, and Chapterhouse. Prompted by Louise, they started writing songs together as Swallow.
(Photo Credit: Matt Anker)

Swallow

Music

Swallow and sweet93 Don’t Make Their Beds

Allison Goldfarb and Jackson MacIntosh are the LA synth pop duo Paycheque. Their debut self-titled record is out now on Mansions and Millions.

Paycheque

Mood Board: Paycheque’s Paycheque

Rafay Rashid is an artist and musician who plays with Ravi Shavi, Happiness, and Lookers. He was born in Islamabad, Pakistan and lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Mongeau)

Ravi Shavi

Hear First: Ravi Shavi’s Wild Rock Dove

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. <a href="https://pod.link/Talkhouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe now</a>, and explore more illuminating shows on the <a href="https://talkhouse.com/category/podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talkhouse Podcast Network.</a>

Talkhouse Podcast

Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Famer Duff McKagan is a former member of the Fastbacks, The Fartz, 10 Minute Warning and Guns &#8216;n&#8217; Roses.  He plays bass in Velvet Revolver and founded Meridian Rock, a wealth management firm for musicians.

Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) Talks with Joe Keithley (D.O.A.) on the Talkhouse Podcast

Martin Brugger is a producer based in Munich. He plays in Fazer and is the co-founder of Squama Recordings. His latest record The Shell is out June 26, 2026.

Martin Brugger

Damian Dalla Torre is an Italian-born saxophonist, composer, and producer based in Leipzig, Germany. His latest record, People Pleaser, is out June 12, 2026. 
(Photo Credit: Maximilian Semlinger)

Damian Dalla Torre

Martin Brugger and Damian Dalla Torre Learn to Live With the Mistakes

Ian O’Neil is a musician and artist who plays with Deer Tick, Happiness, and by himself. He lives in Providence, RI. (Photo Credit: Shoji Van Kuzumi)

Ian O’Neil

Deer Tick Like the Hustle

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Talkhouse

A former accountant and attorney, Van Billet transitioned from the business world at age 52 to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a screenwriter. Since then, several of his screenplays have earned critical acclaim, including Saving Paradise, which was produced in 2020. His screenplay <a href="https://www.jaysilvermanproductions.com/yale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yale</a> was produced in 2025 and on June 18, 2026 will have its world premiere as the opening-night film at Dances With Films. His next screenplay, Circumstantial Evidence, is about to be sold. Van’s screenplays are character-driven, exploring human frailty, ambition, and moral conflict. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Van now splits his time between Philadelphia and Naples, Florida.

Van Billet

Film

The Charm, the Audacity and the Emptiness Underneath

Podcast

All One Song :: Lee Ranaldo on “Down By the River”

793: The Best Cookbooks of the Year So Far. Plus, a Very Early Fall Preview with Maggie Hoffman.

958. – Eddie Huang

Nick Dawson talks with filmmakers, musicians and comedians whose work he loves, avoiding the mundane, predictable questions they&#8217;ve heard numerous times and instead asking substantive, thoughtful questions that get to the heart of who they are.

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Kirsten Johnson

Lee Ranaldo is best known as a co-founder of and guitarist/vocalist for Sonic Youth. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/leeranaldo" target="_blank">here</a> and like him on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leeranaldoandthedust/?fref=ts" target="_blank">here</a>.
Ian Williams is the founder of Battles. Follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/it_will" target="_blank">here</a> and like him on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/battlestheband/?fref=ts" target="_blank">here</a>.

Lee Ranaldo and Ian Williams

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Formed in Omaha in the early 2000s by Stephen Pedersen following his departure from Cursive, Criteria has always lived in the space between melody and weight, control and collapse, moving only when there was something real enough to justify it. Criteria’s latest record SEIZE! reflects a period of profound personal and professional change: relationships dissolving, chapters closing, and attention turning toward the fragile beauty of the present. It’s out now on Spartan Records. 
(Photo Credit: Audrey Hertel)