Billboard's Behind the Setlist talks to Thurston Moore, co-founder of Sonic Youth, about his body of work as a solo artist and collaborator; his latest album, Flow Critical Lucidity; the likelihood of a Sonic Youth reunion; his musical education witnessing New York’s vibrant music scene in the late ‘70s; and his memoir, Sonic Life, that was released in 2023.
Links:
Thurston Moore home page
Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic
Glenn Peoples @ Billboard
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52:57
Howard Jones
Behind the Setlist chats with synth-pop pioneer Howard Jones, best known for his hits in the ‘80s such as “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life in One Day” and “What Is Love?” His 1985 album Dream Into Action reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and hit No. 2 on the U.K. album chart. Howard has remained incredibly busy over his career, releasing 15 studio albums, the most recent being Dialogue in 2022. Next up is Piano Composed, out May 23, in which he returns to his classical music roots.
Links:
Howard Jones home page
Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic
Glenn Peoples @ Billboard
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42:15
Posdnuos (of De La Soul)
In this episode we talk to Kevin Mercer, otherwise known as Posdnuos, or Pos, from the hip hop group De La Soul. The group continues touring and making music after more than three decades, and they have continued after the death of David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove, in 2023. De La Soul’s 1989 debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was a breakthrough at the time and stands today as a hip hop classic for its positivity, intelligence and sample-heavy production that borrowed from Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Bo Diddly and the Steve Miller Band.
The conversation centered around the group's Jan. 17, 2025 concert at Lincoln Center in Manhattan but also touched on the group's longevity, connecting with younger generations, continuing after Trugoy's death, musical influences and the recent slew of De La Soul reissues.
Links:
De La Soul home page
De La Soul tour dates
Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic
Glenn Peoples @ Billboard
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40:37
David Gray
British singer-songwriter David Gray joins Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast for a song-by-song walk-through of his February 14, 2025 set at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The 23-song set featured a number of songs from his latest album, Dear Life, and went all the way back to his 1993 debut album, A Century Ends. Gray talks about how a cover of Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" made it into his sets, the importance of avoiding routine performances, and how he creates an authentic connection with the audience.
Behind the Setlist is co-hosted by Jay Gilbert from Label Logic and Glenn Peoples from Billboard.
Links
David Gray home page
David Gray tour dates
Jay Gilbert @ Label Logic
Glenn Peoples @ Billboard
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54:00
Jasen Rauch (of Breaking Benjamin)
Jasen Rauch of Breaking Benjamin joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast for a wide-ranging interview about the band's touring life, its loyal fan base, picking songs for Breaking Benjamin concerts, the challenge of developing new rock acts in 2025, and the band's transition away from Hollywood Records.
The group's latest song, "Awake," was licensed by the band through BMG, and Rauch says the band's upcoming album will also be released through BMG. "From our perspective, creatively, it allows us to make sure that we're okay signing off with some things," he says of the deal with BMG, "whether it be the timeline of how long it's taking us to create—because it's been a while since we put an album out, and that's that's all on us and our choice."
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At Behind the Setlist, we talk to artists to get the stories about the songs they play live. Most artists are known best for their recordings, but they love to be on stage. That's where the music feels at home. That's where they connect with the audience. How do they pick the songs to take the audience on a journey? Why do they cover other artists' songs? How many new songs can an artist fit into a 16-song set when people want to hear the classics? We find out.
Hosted by Glenn Peoples (Billboard) and Jay Gilbert (Label Logic).
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