DiscoverThe Louis Theroux PodcastS6 EP5: David Byrne on clashes in Talking Heads, neurodivergence, and culture wars
S6 EP5: David Byrne on clashes in Talking Heads, neurodivergence, and culture wars

S6 EP5: David Byrne on clashes in Talking Heads, neurodivergence, and culture wars

Update: 2025-11-043
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Louis sits down with David Byrne, the musician, author and iconic frontman of Talking Heads. David tells Louis about personality clashes within the band, how his neurodivergence plays a role in his music, and being at the centre of a culture-war storm. Plus, they discuss whether Donald Trump stole his ‘big suit’.




Warnings: Strong language and adult themes.  


 


Links/Attachments:  




Book: Bicycle Diaries, David Byrne (2009) 


https://www.waterstones.com/book/bicycle-diaries/david-byrne/9780571371266  


 


Album: Who Is The Sky, David Byrne (2025) 


https://open.spotify.com/album/5xDqZQlSx2gRrAyAgHQ8AB  


 


Song: ‘The Book I Read’, Talking Heads (1977) 


https://open.spotify.com/track/4OT7Ndu29Z7JfhwRS2iCJX  


 


Song: ‘That’s the Way (I Like It), KC & The Sunshine Band (1994) 


https://open.spotify.com/track/0RQTbMBgSq7xgdZSHFZg4R  


  


Book: ‘An Anthropologist on Mars’, Oliver Sacks (1995) 


https://www.oliversacks.com/oliver-sacks-books/an-anthropologist-on-mars/  


 


Song: ‘She Explains Things To Me’, David Byrne (2025) https://open.spotify.com/album/5f6f5JMGxgNa0LAJqtaUXY  


 


 Song: ‘Psycho Killer’, Talking Heads (1977) 


https://open.spotify.com/track/7dSCxR4LqkmxoBrq9MzVSD  


 


Artist: Randy Newman 


https://open.spotify.com/artist/3HQyFCFFfJO3KKBlUfZsyW 


 


Artist: Alice Cooper  


https://open.spotify.com/artist/3EhbVgyfGd7HkpsagwL9GS  


 


Album: Talking Heads 77, Talking Heads (1977) https://open.spotify.com/album/0r7o2FeARRr23EZ0TJ0a8S  


 


Artist: Ramones  


https://open.spotify.com/artist/1co4F2pPNH8JjTutZkmgSm  


 


Artist: The Clash  


https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RGLhK1IP9jnYFH4BRFJBS  


 


Artist: Sex Pistols  


https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u7kkVrr14iBvrpYnZILJR  


 


2002 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Talking Heads performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBr0FJsDk1g 


 


Stop Making Sense (1984) 


https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/stop-making-sense/umc.cmc.4qcn1p5rridjzo742xirf9j8m  


 


The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 


https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/the-silence-of-the-lambs/umc.cmc.vo1hrvp25kr64fq8irp5jx75?action=play  


 


True Stories (2016) 


https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/true-stories/umc.cmc.7ffwwfhraf765c0l9l1v7a4tw?action=play  


 


Weekly World News: 


https://weeklyworldnews.com/  


 


David’s online magazine:  


https://reasonstobecheerful.world/  


  


Credits: 


Producer: Millie Chu  


Assistant Producer: Artemis Irvine 


Production Manager: Francesca Bassett  


Music: Miguel D’Oliveira  


Audio Mixer: Tom Guest 


Video Mixer: Scott Edwards  


Shownotes compiled by Elly Young 


Executive Producer: Arron Fellows  


   


A Mindhouse Production for Spotify  


www.mindhouse.co.uk  

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S6 EP5: David Byrne on clashes in Talking Heads, neurodivergence, and culture wars

S6 EP5: David Byrne on clashes in Talking Heads, neurodivergence, and culture wars

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