Secretly Society

Back in the mid-nineties, a group emerged from St. Louis, later moving to Chicago, where they'd go on to make some of the most beguiling and unique music of the time. They were 90 Day Men. Over four albums and a few EPs, the band's sound developed into elaborate, experimental, baroque songs, influenced by the world around them and delving back into prog, sixties art rock, and beyond. Later this month Numero Group will release a new deluxe 25th anniversary edition of 90 Day Men's '(It Is It) Critical Band' LP, including a previously-unreleased album tracked at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. In this final episode, host Tim Kinsella speaks to the band about their final albums, trips to Japan, the burnout of relentless shows and being a little too ahead of the musical curve.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: 90 Day Men Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   90 Day Men: 90 Day Men on Instagram 90 Day Men: We Blame Chicago 90 Day Men: (It Is It) Critical Band [Y2K 25th Anniversary Edition] Pre-Order

Back in the mid-nineties, a group emerged from St. Louis, later moving to Chicago, where they'd go on to make some of the most beguiling and unique music of the time. They were 90 Day Men. Over four albums and a few EPs, the band's sound developed into elaborate, experimental, baroque songs, influenced by the world around them and delving back into prog, sixties art rock, and beyond. In part two of this three-part series from the Secretly Society Podcast, Tim Kinsella, a fellow Chicagoan and friend of the band, guides us through conversations about 90 Day Men's early singles, working with labels for the first time, lineup changes and how they developed their unique sound, and their first forays into touring. Links:  Secretly Frequencies: 90 Day Men Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   90 Day Men: 90 Day Men on Instagram 90 Day Men: We Blame Chicago 90 Day Men: (It Is It) Critical Band [Y2K 25th Anniversary Edition] Pre-Order

Back in the mid-nineties, a group emerged from St. Louis, later moving to Chicago, where they'd go on to make some of the most beguiling and unique music of the time. They were 90 Day Men. In this three-part series from the Secretly Society Podcast, Tim Kinsella, a fellow Chicagoan and friend of the band, guides us through conversations with the members and other folks who were involved in the scenes and movements that they operated in. Over four albums and a few EPs, the band's sound developed into elaborate, experimental, baroque songs, influenced by the world around them and delving back into prog, sixties art rock, and beyond. 90 Day Men were not ahead of their time, they were of a different world entirely; their discography, and a handful of previously unheard songs, were compiled into a five-LP set by Numero Group in 2023. In this episode, Tim speaks to the band about the musical world from which they were born, and how they came to be.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: 90 Day Men Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   90 Day Men: 90 Day Men on Instagram 90 Day Men: We Blame Chicago 90 Day Men: (It Is It) Critical Band [Y2K 25th Anniversary Edition] Pre-Order

G'day! Today on the Secretly Society podcast we welcome one of our label family's rare Australian artists, Harriette Pilbeam, who you will know much better as Hatchie. Starting out playing in bands as a teenager in Brisbane, Hatchie put her first single out under her own name in 2017 and quickly picked up interest in both her home country and internationally. She signed with Secretly Canadian in 2021, released her much-acclaimed follow up album 'Giving the World Away' in 2022 and just dropped her latest, the sweet and salty 'Liquorice,' last week. Chatting with her fellow countryman Max Thomas, Secretly Distribution's Head of Marketing & Campaigns Asia-Pacific, and co-host Tom Davies, Hariette shoots the breeze on Letterboxd scores, dream-pop, Oasis, and much more.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Hatchie Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   Lonnie Holley: Hatchie Website Link Hatchie on Instagram Hatchie on X Hatchie on Facebook

Today's guest is the inimitable Lonnie Holley, and to say that he has a rich and long history is an understatement. While Lonnie is a relatively recent addition to Jagjaguwar since 2018, he's been creating for decades as a sculptor, painter, musician, and poet; his visual art work is included in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and his musical collaborators include Bon Iver, Richard Swift, and Alabaster Deplume. There's no story quite like Lonnie's, and co-hosts Tom Davies and longtime Jagjaguwar A&R Eric Deines make it down just the tip of the iceberg in this dynamic conversation exploring Lonnie's catalog of songs and stories. Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Lonnie Holley Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   Lonnie Holley: Lonnie Holley Website Link Lonnie Holley on Instagram Lonnie Holley on X Lonnie Holley on Facebook

You may have heard her on your TikTok feed, opening for MUNA, or on the silver screen; Jensen McRae is a polymath and a manifestor. She released her second album 'I Don't Know How But They Found Me!' on Dead Oceans this past spring, and it's already landed on several critics' best-of-2025-so-far lists. Self-described as "one house down from the girl next door," Jensen joins co-hosts Catalog Project Manager Coco Segaller and A&R Samantha Urbani for a game of name that tune. Jensen covers the power of moving on, meeting your heroes, and lyrically swinging between crying and laughing (or both at the same time).   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Jensen McRae Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   Jensen McRae: Jensen McRae Website Link Jensen McRae on Instagram Jensen McRae on TikTok Jensen McRae on SubStack

Tune into Secretly Frequencies with Dana Margolin of Porridge Radio. Dana started Porridge Radio while still a university student, and met natural collaborators Georgia Stott (keyboards), Sam Yardley (drums), and Maddie Ryall, and later, Dan Hutchins (bass). The "sometimes twisted, often transcendent, always incendiary" band came to an end earlier this year, and today's chat with co-hosts Tom Davies and A&R Director Adam Nealon serves as a chance for Dana to look back over a decade spent making music under the Porridge Radio moniker. Dana reflects on visual and sonic art connections (including playing le Centre Pompidou in Paris), writing solo versus arranging with bandmates, and managing a meteoric rise while the world was largely shut down.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Porridge Radio Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   Porridge Radio: Porridge Radio Website Link Porridge Radio on Instagram Porridge Radio on X Porridge Radio on Facebook

Today's guest is Nigil Mack, head honcho of All Flowers Group label drink sum wtr. With roots in hip hop, R&B, and alternative, the emerging record label looks beyond trends to invest in a new cultural legacy, releasing music from Annahstasia, THEY., Gareth Donkin, Aja Monet, and more. Prior to co-founding drink sum wtr, Nigil served as an A&R at Motown and Republic Records,  where his signings include Kid Cudi and focused on artist development on numerous projects; an A&R consultant for Atlantic Records, and as a manger of artists such as DRAM. Now lending his ear to the independent spectrum, Nigil IDs songs for co-hosts Tom Davies and Alexandra Berenson, Senior Director of A&R, from drink sum wtr's already extensive catalog, weaving stories of his inspirations and influences along the way.   Links:   Secretly Frequencies: drink sum wtr Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   drink sum wtr: drink sum wtr Website Link drink sum wtr on Instagram drink sum wtr on X drink sum wtr Newsletter  

To kick off our newest season, R&B sensations Durand Jones & The Indications sit down with our Secretly Frequencies hosts, Tom Davies and the band's old pal, Colemine Records' Terry Cole. Formed in Bloomington, Indiana in 2012 with an original plan to play a single show, we encounter the Indications after countless worldwide tours and four albums, with their most recent, 'Flowers,' released in June via Dead Oceans. Through an interview-by-song, the core songwriting trio of singer Durand Jones, singer/drummer Aaron Frazer, and guitarist Blake Rhein wax on breaking the musical rules, their myriad fanbase, and the power of friendship. Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Durand Jones & The Indications Playlist Secretly Society Podcast Episodes Secretly Society Podcast on Secretly Store Secretly Society General Information   Durand Jones & The Indications: Durand Jones & The Indications Website Link Durand Jones & The Indications on Instagram Durand Jones & The Indications on X Durand Jones & The Indications on Facebook  

Hosts Tom Davies and Mike Holdsworth sit down with Sharon Van Etten to conduct an interview-by-song across her illustrious catalog. If you can believe it, we're commemorating ten years since the release of 'Are We There,' one of her most powerful and timeless collections, with a new limited-edition vinyl and a 7" including a live rendition of beloved tune "Every Time the Sun Comes Up." Sharon's polymathic nature is on full display in this episode, discussing producing, performing, writing, collaborating, and her sonic influences.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Sharon Van Etten Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Sharon Van Etten: Sharon Van Etten Website Link Sharon Van Etten on Instagram Sharon Van Etten on X Sharon Van Etten on Facebook  

Our Secretly Frequencies hosts sit down with Paul Mahern from Zero Boys to conduct an interview-by-song with a blind playlist of tracks spanning the band's esteemed catalog. We're celebrating the fortieth anniversary of Zero Boy's 'History Of...' with a special reissue, including a previously-unheard 1980 live set at Indianapolis venue Crazy Al's. Paul has been a literal professor of punk rock history, in addition to his storied career as a musician, producer, and engineer, so pull up a chair and have a listen – you may learn something!   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Zero Boys Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Zero Boys: Zero Boys on Instagram Zero Boys on Facebook  

We're back in label mode today with the revered Ghostly International and our guests, label owner/founder Sam Valenti and Molly Smith, Ghostly's Senior Art Director. Currently celebrating its 25th year, Ghostly established itself as one of the most well-loved artist-centric labels around, having put out records by the likes of Tycho, ADULT., Gold Panda, Matthew Dear, School of Seven Bells and Telefon Tel Aviv. In the last few years, the label's scope has been broadening with releases from Julie Byrne, Kate Bollinger, with many more exciting new acts to come. Sam and Molly share their memories of working with artists over multiple decades, collaborating on Ghostly's famous aesthetic sensibilities, and more. Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Ghostly International Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Ghostly International: Ghostly Website Link Ghostly on Instagram Ghostly on X Ghostly on TikTok Ghostly on Facebook

Today's guest is Ruban Nielson of the mighty Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The project was started in Auckland in the late noughties by Ruben, and grew over the following years, expanding to include friend Jake Portrait and brother Kody and a number of other incredible musicians along the way. UMO - as they are affectionately known - have released five albums, four with Jagjaguwar, of sprawling, psychedelic rock music. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Ruban chats with us about his early analog influences, songwriting processes, and more from UMO's storied history.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Unknown Mortal Orchestra Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Unknown Mortal Orchestra:  UMO Website Link UMO on Instagram UMO on X UMO on Facebook

Geographically, Bizhiki is almost wholly a made-in-Wisconsin project, a collaboration between Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Joe Rainey and the multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey (aka S. Carey), who for years has been a secret weapon within the Bon Iver family.  The collaboration between these three musicians first began at the Eaux Claires festival in 2015. The festival was being organized on Ojibwe's ancestral homelands, and the organizers didn't feel right without the inclusion of the native communities who lived nearby. The open-endedness of the initial invitation and the "let's just do something together" spirit continues to inform Bizhiki's process. Recording steadily over the course of years — and between several projects from Bizhiki's members, including two solo albums (Joe Rainey's Niineta and S. Carey's Break Me Open) – the trio chipped away at an expansive, ambitious and unique record that sounds like no other music being made today. On Unbound, the powwow style is entwined with synthesized voice modulation, and hand drumming is accented with electronic samples and beats. The harmonies and resonances on this album are equal parts cultural and musical.    Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Bizhiki Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Bizhiki:  Bizhiki Website Link Bizhiki on Instagram Bizhiki on X Bizhiki on Facebook

Secretly Society presents a three-episode mini-series about collaboration, friendship, and a community-driven project; originally formed by Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner in 2008, this is the magical and illusive tale of Big Red Machine. This series is narrated by music writer and broadcaster Laura Barton, including live interviews with Vernon, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Sharon Van Etten, Anais Mitchell, and more. The conclusion to the story, for now. Big Red Machine has been a rejection of the music industry's expectations weighing upon Dessner and Vernon, but also a place of solace for the pair amongst their sometimes painful struggles with mental health. The pair take turns grounding each other through their successes and supporting during their lows, while writing songs like "Brycie" and "Hutch" that pay tribute to close-knit family and friends. The pool of collaborators ripples out ever-further, and new methods of working to complement each others' contributions carry on the experimental spirit of Big Red Machine.   Links:  Big Red Machine Pt. 3 Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Big Red Machine:  Big Red Machine on Instagram Big Red Machine on Facebook

Secretly Society presents a three-episode mini-series about collaboration, friendship, and a community-driven project; originally formed by Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner in 2008, this is the magical and illusive tale of Big Red Machine. This series is narrated by music writer and broadcaster Laura Barton, including live interviews with Vernon, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Sharon Van Etten, Anais Mitchell, and more. Part Two finds Vernon and Dessner working out just what Big Red Machine was, and should be; exactly what role it should play in their respective musical lives was proving hard to pin down. Making their second record, more voices were added to bring Dessner and Vernon's songs to life, expanding the Big Red Machine identity and sound, and discovering that the defining quality of the group was something intentionally experimental.   Links:  Big Red Machine Pt. 2 Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Big Red Machine:  Big Red Machine on Instagram Big Red Machine on Facebook

Secretly Society presents a three-episode mini-series about collaboration, friendship, and a community-driven project; originally formed by Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner in 2008, this is the magical and illusive tale of Big Red Machine. This series is narrated by music writer and broadcaster Laura Barton, including live interviews with Vernon, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Sharon Van Etten, Anais Mitchell, and more. Part One starts with a pivotal Myspace exchange and a shared raw piano track between Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, that would shape the trajectory of their relationship and careers over the upcoming years. Engage with stories about the beginning of the PEOPLE label (37do3d) in a Berlin residency as well as the ultimate cementing of their self-titled album. From long-distance partnerships, onstage improvisations, and the gathering of talented musicians, the story of Big Red Machine is an inspiring account that unveils a new energy and way of working for creatives alike.   Links:  Big Red Machine Pt. 1 Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Big Red Machine:  Big Red Machine on Instagram Big Red Machine on Facebook

Today we're going to be chatting with the band Bonny Light Horseman. That's right, all three of them! Over two and a soon-to-be-released third record, Bonny Light Horseman have crafted and created an immediately recognizable folk sound all of their own and picked up a Grammy nomination along the way. A bit of a supergroup comprising Eric D. Johnson, who you may know from Fruit Bats; Anais Mitchell, highly-acclaimed musician and writer of the wildly popular musical, Hadestown; and Josh Kaufman, a musician and producer you'll have heard on countless records, including ones by The War on Drugs, The National, His Golden Messenger, and a new artist who's starting to make a bit of a name for herself, Taylor Swift. Join us for the first Secretly Frequencies episode of Season 3, where we test artists and labels on their own catalogs and hear a few stories about the songs and history along the way.   Links:  Secretly Frequencies: Bonny Light Horseman Playlist Link Secretly Society Podcast Link Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Bonny Light Horseman:  Bonny Light Horseman Website Link Bonny Light Horseman on Instagram Bonny Light Horseman on X Bonny Light Horseman on Facebook

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of Lost In The Dream, The War On Drugs put together a special long-form episode of their Super High Quality Podcast to tell the behind-the-scenes story of how the record was made. Between sessions in Hoboken and North Carolina, Adam Granduciel worked regularly with engineer Jeff Zeigler in Philly adding "paint" to a collection of songs that would be widely hailed as the band's first masterpiece on its release in March 2014. As the band struggled against the repetition and inevitable distractions of working close to home with local friends and collaborators, as the recordings took shape, Adam  was simultaneously struggling with the unpredictability of his own mental health. In candid conversations with the key players, and using previously unheard early mixes and demos, we'll follow the work in progress from the first sessions in early 2013 through the late summer and early fall when the songs took their final form during mixing.  We'll also ride shotgun with Adam on his journey home from the mastering studio to the shoulder of I-95 in a fitting conclusion to the making of Lost In The Dream. "One of 2014's Truly great records. The perfect American road trip"  - NME "The War On Drugs make archetypal road trip music. Shimmering, steady, gritty as pavement and open as the sky." - Rolling Stone Host: Dominic East Guests: Adam Granduciel, Dave Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Charlie Hall, Dusdin Condren Cross-posted from Super High Quality

Join Tom Davies and Manish Agarwal in an artist interview with Kid Millions and Bobby Matador from the band that stands to be a beacon of Jagjaguwar's history - Oneida. Turn the clocks back to 1999 to listen through the vast and (generally) celebrated discography, featuring clips from albums Enemy Hogs, Come on Everybody Lets Rock, Anthem of the Moon, Each One Teach One, Secret Wars, The Wedding, Happy New Year, Rated O, Romance, and most recently Success. Get immersed in a band that reconsidered sonic space on a gong tour, wrote a song featured on The Onion as a part of a homework assignment, and created the largest music box in the East Coast (or did they?). In short - never turn away from any idea stupid or clever, or for that matter a gong sample! Links:  Secretly Society Podcast Link Oneida Episode Link to Playlist  Secretly Society Podcast Store Link Secretly Society General Information Link   Oneida:  Oneida Website Link Oneida on Instagram Oneida on Twitter Oneida on Facebook Oneida on Bandcamp