Next week David Byrne will release Who Is The Sky?, his first album since 2018’s American Utopia, which became a Tony Award-winning Broadway production. Produced by Kid Harpoon, the new LP features Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Tom Skinner, and arrangements by Ghost Train Orchestra.
For a special video edition of our series We’ve Got A File On You, Stereogum’s buildings and food correspondent Rachel Brown and I met up with David in NYC to discuss varied moments across his iconic 50 year career. He reflected on playing in the proto-Talking Heads band the Artistics, founding the label Luaka Bop, getting clowned on Beavis And Butt-Head, joining Olivia Rodrigo at Gov Ball, scoring a #1 dance hit with X-Press 2, writing "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," and more. Check out the chat below and if you don't have 15 minutes, at least watch through the part where Rachel introduces David to "Crank That (Soulja Boy)."
Interviewer: Rachel Brown
A Cam: Thomas Lange
B Cam: Farah Jabir
Gaffer: Megan Bodmer
Editor: Thomas Lange
Producer: Scott Lapatine
Who Is The Sky? is out 9/5 via Matador Records.
