Joe Talbot of IDLES on the history of the band and working with Nigel Godrich on Tangk!

On today’s episode, Scott is joined by IDLES lead singer Joe Talbot, one of the most exciting frontmen in rock music today! Early in their discussion, they discuss Joe’s childhood in Bristol and his early music memories, including being introduced to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks by his father at a young age. Along the way, they touch on his background as a DJ, and his love for U.K. hip-hop. Next, Scott asks him about the early days of IDLES. Joe shares how he supported himself before he could pursue music full-time, and how the band eventually decided to sign to Partisan Records. After giving some insight into the making of IDLES’ first album, Joe discusses the band’s latest record, Tangk, produced by Kenny Beats and the legendary Nigel Godrich. Finally, the episode ends with some of Joe’s Top 5’s, including his top 5 underrated British rock bands, and his top 5 foods we don’t have in America! This episode is sponsored by Sonos, Scott's favorite speaker brand. Visit sonos.com to learn more and find gifts for every listener on your list. For more incredible rock 'n' roll interviews, hit the subscribe button and also check out Lipps Service with Scott Lipps podcasts on Spotify, Apple, or your favorite podcast player. CREDITS (Instagram handles) Host @ScottLipps Edited by @toastycakes Music by @Robby_hoff Recorded at Melrose Podcasts NY TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - INTRO 0:15 - NYC music/Meet Me in the Bathroom 1:12 - Joe’s influences 1:50 - Growing up/early music memories 3:25 - Coming out of a dark place with music 4:45 - DJing 5:38 - Trip-hop 6:48 - UK hip-hop 7:40 - Joe’s parents’ music taste/Astral Weeks 8:43 - Joe’s relationship with his dad 9:26 - Studying film in college 10:07 - Starting IDLES 12:22 - Holding a fake afterparty for Johnny Marr 13:00 - How Joe supported himself early on 13:42 - Early days of the band 14:40 - Early gigs 15:10 - Performing under a church 15:41 - Signing to Partisan 17:52 - Finding catharsis while recording the first album 18:42 - Revisiting the first album 20:10 - IDLES’ recording process 21:40 - IDLES’ fanbase 23:14 - “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” 25:47 - Vulnerability in Joe’s lyrics 29:15 - Making Crawler 31:52 - Being nominated for two Grammys 35:10 - “Car Crash” 37:00 - Tangk/working with James Murphy 39:30 - Working with Nigel Godrich 42:50 - Working with Kenny Beats 44:10 - Themes on Tangk 48:02 - Origin of the album title 48:44 - The dynamic of the band 54:11 - Touring with Foo Fighters 56:53 - Sending Dave Grohl a jigsaw puzzle 58:45 - Upcoming tour 59:00 - Joe’s top 5 films 1:00:38 - Joe’s top 5 underrated British rock bands 1:03:00 - Joe’s top 5 foods we don’t have in America 1:07:30 - Joe’s #1 favorite film