The Lorano Long Conference brought many great thinkers and activists to the campus of The University of Texas in February to talk about, “New Perspectives on the Contemporary Food System in Latin America.” The Secret Ingredient Podcast’s Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebecca McInroy took that opportunity to talk with Dr. Alexis Racelis from the...

“Strawberries is kind of the quintessence of industrial agriculture in California. It’s the fifth highest value crop in the state. It also got the most heavy pesticide regime, by far, of any other crop in the state. And it kind of captures so much of the dynamics of what’s going on in California.“-Julie Guthman In...

“Most of all I would like more coming to terms with what happened…I think what needs to be done is for all of my fellow citizens in this country to understand what happened and to be able to say, this is what was done and now we must think about how to make the playing...

“The work we do is too important to the nation. We are the people who make it possible for every meal to exist. We feed the nation and we ask, have always asked, for the possibility to feed our own families in a dignified way without having to be in a vulnerable position all the...

Season 3 of The Secret Ingredient will focus on The Green New Deal (GND). Listen this season as Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebecca McInroy discuss the future of agriculture, climate change, economic inequality and what it will take to create The Green New Deal in an effort to save the planet!

The Secret Ingredient with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy, Raj Patel, author of A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, and food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones, Tom Philpott to talk about what the Green New Deal is, what it could mean for the future of agriculture, and what it will take to revive...

Explore the future of the Green New Deal and what it means for Texas with Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez. Tzintzún is challenging John Cornyn for the 2020 US Senate seat for the State of Texas. She is the Co-founder of the Workers Defense Project and Jolt, and she talked with The Secret Ingredient team–Raj Patel, Tom...

“We need to change society so everybody can fit in and everyone can afford to live in a decarbonized society.” – Jim Goodman  In this episode of The Secret Ingredient host Raj Patel plays double-duty — he is not just a host, but joins Jim Goodman as a guest. The two discuss what A Green...

“The climate crisis is an emergency, it is a crisis and so we need to make major, major changes in our agriculture system.” Ben Lilliston is the Director of Climate Change and Rural strategies at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. He spoke with The Secret Ingredient team–Raj Patel, Tom Philpott, and Rebecca McInroy,...

The Secret Ingredient with KUT’s Rebecca McInroy, Raj Patel author of A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things, and food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones, Tom Philpott welcome back Rob Wallace an evolutionary biologist for his take on the link between global outbreaks of infectious disease and global agriculture. Rob Wallace is...

Amanda Eyre Ward on compassion, gratitude and “The Same Sky.” In this episode of The Write Up, Amanda talks with host Owen Egerton about the calling of telling stories of the voiceless and powerless, the importance of looking past politics and statistics to the faces of real people, and the ways in which exploring the...

Author Scott Blackwood talks about his new novel “See How Small,” with host Owen Egerton.

Novelist, screenwriter, critic and slam poet C. Robert Cargill sits down with host Owen Egerton at SXSW 2016 to talk about coming up in Austin, the history of scary movies, and advising on the set of Dr. Strange.

In this episode of The Write Up, we talk with prizewinning journalist and nonfiction writer Juliana Barbassa about her book Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro on the Brink depicting the beauty, crime, pressures, and violent paradoxes shaping Brazil’s most vibrant city. Juliana Barbassa has lived and written all...

In this episode of The Write Up, Owen talks to George Saunders about craft, ecstatic empathy, and the afterlife in his new novel Lincoln in the Bardo.   George Saunders is an award winning and New York Times bestselling author of essays, short stories, novellas, and children’s books. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker,...

Scott Westerfeld is a bestselling author of books for both children and adults best known for his young adult series Uglies and Leviathan. While on tour with his new graphic novel Spill Zone, Westerfeld spoke with The Write Up host Owen Egerton about monsters, collaboration, teenagers and storytelling. Westerfeld’s recent projects have embraced visual storytelling. From the stunning illustrations...

In this Episode of “This Song,” host Elizabeth McQueen sits down with singer-songwriter Laura Marling and photographer Todd Wolfson to talk about songs that gave them a greater understanding of freedom and transcendence. You can hear Laura Marling’s Studio 1A performance here. You can download Laura Marling’s cover of Towne’s Van Zandt’s “For the Sake of the […]

In this Episode of “This Song”  host Elizabeth McQueen sits down with Kelsey Wilson from Wild Child to talk about how a Nina Simone song taught her about the power of emotion and freedom in music. Then she talks with Qi and Chaka from Riders Against the Storm about the thematic power of Ibeyi’s “River,” […]

Twin Shadow explores the magic of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," and Michael Ramos explains how Green Onions connects him to the people he loves.

Shawnee Kilgore and Joss Whedon explain how they're inspired by Ani DiFranco, the Grateful Dead and each other. And Daisy O'connor recalls how grudgingly going to see Gregory Alan Isakov perform in a friend's living room changed the entire course of her life.

Delta Spirit's Matthew Logan Vasquez explains how Bob Dylan's "To Ramona" helped him grapple with agnosticism, Michael Kingcaid from What Made Milwaukee Famous explains why Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" showed him the importance of the Epic and Kevin Sekhani talks about how hearing Bowie's "Fame" made him feel feelings he hadn't felt before.

Jose Gonzalez talks about the many ways Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" inspired his musical style as does drummer Trevor Wiggins of Leopold and his Fiction. Then Daniel James, lead singer and guitar player for Leopold and his Fiction, talks about how the Motown sound helped him find his own sound.

Jonathan Meiburg explains how Vic Chesnutt's "Big Huge Valley" helped him realize there was a whole world of music bubbling beneath the mainstream. Plus, he makes the case that Nina Simone is the "best popular musician of the 20th century, and maybe the 21st century too." Then Emily Cross of Cross Record describes the effect Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" had on her while her partner Dan Duszynski explains how King Tubby expanded his ideas of what music could be.

What do John Aielli, David Bowie and Caracaras all have in common? Jonathan Meiburg from Shearwater has learned something from all of them. Hear about his many and varied interests in this first ever "This Song" extra!

Mark Mothersbaugh describes in vivid detail what is was like to see the Beatles for the first time on Ed Sullivan. Then Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen from A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit talk about the the riffs and raw power of Iggy Pop, the songwriting of Regina Spektor how they came to write songs together.

Butch Vig talks about how seeing the Who perform "My Generation" on the Smothers Brothers made him want to be become a drummer, and showed him the kind of energy he would later help others capture in the studio. Along the way talks about what it means to be a producer and about his new documentary "The Smart Studios Story."

White Denim's James Petralli explains how the Grateful Dead's "That's It For the Other One" helped him realize how he wanted to approach both the guitar and the recording studio. Then Bayonne explores how The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" showed him how powerful openness and vulnerability in music could be.

M. Ward explores how John Fahey's record "The Yellow Princess" showed him that an artist could say everything he wanted using only one acoustic guitar. Then Dana Falconberry explains how the songs she learned while playing with Redding Hunter in the band "Peter and the Wolf" changed her approach to music.

"Song Exploder's" Hrishikesh Hirway explains how hearing "Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera," at the age of 6 helped him understand a feeling that he would be able to draw inspiration from for his entire life. Basia Bulat explains why a live version of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me," changed her life.

Black Pistol Fire Drummer Eric Owen likes the simple grooves but he didn't know it until he heard Nirvana's "In Bloom." Hear about this revelation and how the song lead him to finally learn to play the drums. Then the owners of Austin's Modern Outsider Records, Erin and Chip Adams, talk about how Suede's "Heroine" and The Cure's "Close to Me" set them, in their own ways, on a course to loving songs that were off the beaten path, record collecting and finally starting their own record label.

Members of Brooklyn-based Sunflower Bean explore the music that inspires them -- from Brian Wilson and Devo to Beach Fossils and Tonstartssbanht -- while also talking about club scenes with a social conscience, what makes a perfect combination of art and commerce, and the attraction of listening to a musical genius’ decent into darkness.

The members of The Octopus Project explain the impact of how the Guns n Roses' Appetite for Destruction, the theme song from 2001: A Space Oddysey and a live show by The Jesus Lizard. Along the way, the they end up talking about abandoning the trumpet, the connection between music and emotion and the difference between going to a show in 90’s versus today. Then Jane Weaver shares her experience of seeing Kate Bush performing Wuthering Heights on Top of the Pops when she was just five years old, and how Bush's look, dance and singing style still influence her work today.

The new season of This Song starts Wednesday, November 16th and it’s going to be a good one! Tegan and Sara, Andrew Bird, Paul Banks and RZA, Nathaniel Ratliff, Andrew WK and lots of other artists will talk about the songs that changed their lives and give you insight into their artistic process.

Alex Trimble of the Irish indie rock trio Two Door Cinema Club explains how Beck's “Midnight Vultures” album illustrated the concept of music-making without rules. Then Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek of the Brooklyn-based band Big Thief describe how “The Leanover” from Life Without Buildings and the work of Michael Hurley inspired them and lead them to approach their songwriting and musical performances from completely new directions.

El-P and Killer Mike from Run the Jewels start out talking about early influences (Prince's "Beautiful Ones" and Ice-T's "6 In The Morning”) and end up expressing their love and respect for Southern Rock, The Clash, Outlaw Country and early hip hop and rap. Then Sarah Castro and Matt Parmenter of the Austin-based Belcurve explain how Kathleen Edwards, PJ Harvey and Tom Waits helped them create their shared musical vocabulary.

Andrew Bird knew “For The Sake Of The Song” by Townes Van Zandt already, but when he re- listened to it recently he realized how much he related to the lyrics on a personal level. His conversation with Elizabeth touches on how much the song affected him, how it inspired him to write in a less encrypted manner and some of the downfalls of exposing his most intimate experiences in his work.

Professional Partier Andrew W.K. explores one of the most deeply embedded songs in American culture -- The Star Spangled Banner. As he breaks down how this lyrically archaic a technically difficult song works as a stirring National Anthem, you may realize that you have your own connection to the song.

Artists from past episodes of This Song come to the Live Music Capital of the World for one week of music-making magic during SXSW.

Team This Song is still processing SXSW, and we’ve decided to process with you.  Listen as the interviewers, editors, audio engineers and interns who make this show happen bring you their favorite sparkly festival moments from artists like Lizzo, Spoon, OJR, Temples, Cool Kids, Otis the Destroyer and 6lack. Listen to KUTX  On Air Host Jody Denberg’s […]

Vickie Howell has been bringing knitting to the people since the early days of the internet. Hear how her roots in the DIY SoCal punk scene watching bands like Pennywise, Social Distortion and Bad Religion influenced her work with Austin Craft Mafia and continues to inspire her as she embarks on her new project -- "The Knit Show with Vickie Howell."

Anthony West from the alt-pop duo Oh Wonder explains how Death Cab for Cutie's "Plans" was responsible for changing and guiding both his and songwriting partner Josephine Vander Gucht’s writing styles. Listen and learn.

Natalie and Elliot from Wild Belle describe how how crucial the audience is to their music and how both witnessing a Radiohead show and playing their own show in Mexico heightened their awareness of this important notion.

Matthew Sweet has been crafting pop gems since the 90's and his new record "Tomorrow Forever" is no exception. Listen as he explains how John Lennon's songwriting showed the kind of deeply personal yet expansive and experimental artist that he would later strive to be.

Sam Beam, aka Iron and Wine, has been testing the boundaries of folk music since the early 2000's. Hear how Big Star's "Take Care" helped him to evolve his ideas of what he could do with musical arrangements.

Vickie Howell just released her new web series “The Knit Show with Vickie Howell.”  The project, which Howell conceived and developed, was funded through a successful crowdfunding campaign.  Hear how the So-Cal punk scene inspired her life as a DIY entrepreneur, and how she’s working to inspire us all to “DIY your dreams.” Subscribe via […]

This year, Austin's Walker Lukens released his second album Tell It To The Judge, produced by Spoon's Jim Eno. It's a hook-laden mix of pop, rock, electronic, and obtuse lyrics, music that you can emotionally understand without necessarily literally understanding. Listen as Lukens describes how Fleetwood Mac's "Sara" works in a similar way for him, and hear how it's gotten him through some tough times.

Composer and Conductor Benjamin Wallfisch has scored music for over 60 feature films including Hidden Figures and the remake of Steven King’s IT. He also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack for Blade Runner 2049.  Listen as he describes how hearing John William’s score for E.T.  as a young boy set him on the path of making music […]

KUTX presents John Prine “This Song” Live Interview and In-Store Appearance Monday, June 4th at 2pm. Come celebrate the release of John Prine‘s brand new album, Tree of Forgiveness with this special event. The interview and performance will be from 2pm-3pm. John Prine will be signing records from 3-4pm Purchase a copy of Tree of […]

Greg Gonzalez, bass player for Austin's premiere Latin funk outfit Brownout describes how Anthrax's version of "Bring the Noise" introduced him to Public Enemy, which in turn introduced him to the music of James Brown and ignited a lifelong love affair with funk music.

Jamila Woods describes how Stevie Wonder's "Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" affected her deeply as a child, and how it influenced the music she made on "HEAVN."