Song Exploder Podcast Creator, Hrishikesh Hirway, Interviews Musicians like Iggy Pop, Metallica, and Solange

This week we speak with Song Exploder podcast creator, Hriskikesh Hirway and get the scoop on his work and his personal style. 

My name is Hrishikesh Hirway. I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and for the last decade I’ve lived in Los Angeles where I make music and podcasts. I write songs and sing under the name The One AM Radio and I make the beats in a project called Moors.

In 2014, I started Song Exploder, a podcast where musicians take apart their songs and tell the story of how they were made. I interview artists about the making of one of their songs, using the multitrack stems from the original recording to isolate the different sounds. It lets them talk about their work in granular detail and it gives listeners a chance to hear what’s really happening—in terms of the sounds and the ideas—within a song. I take the interview and cut myself out of it, edit the artist’s side down to the most interesting bits, and use the stems to illustrate what they’re talking about. I’ve made almost one hundred episodes since starting in January 2014, with guests like U2, Björk, Solange, Weezer, Iggy Pop, Metallica, Carly Rae Jepsen, and The National.

My personal style, like the podcast and maybe my music, is minimalist. I wear mostly black, but there are little pops and glints here and there (my wedding ring, my watch, my shoes).

Jeans: Levis 511s. I’ve kept a black pair of 511s as a staple for years. As they start to fade or tear or wear out, I just keep replacing them.
Shirts: I pick up monochromatic button-downs from wherever. I don’t spend a lot on shirts themselves; but then I spend a little extra to get them tailored.
Suits: Most recently, J.Crew Ludlow.
Shoes: Dr Martens “Tattoo” boots. Another staple. I’ve worn them since I got them in 2015 and I’m not sure what I’ll do when they wear out, because they’re discontinued now.
Accessories: I wear either a black & gold Nixon Kensington watch and a brown & gold MVMT watch, to pair with a brown or a black belt. Both of those are actually ladies’ watches. I don’t go in for the huge watch trend, and I’m a lanky guy, so on me, I think those watches look much more classic men’s watches in terms of scale and style.
Bag: Black leather Larsen & Lund Small Weekender.
Outerwear: I buy too many jackets. My current favorite is a wool tweed one that I picked up at a vintage store in Copenhagen.
Favorite cologne: Wonderwood by Commes des Garçons
Favorite app: G-board by Google.
Favorite piece of technology: My Macbook Pro. It’s an extension of myself.
Next style/gear purchase: A new backpack for when I’m on tour. I’ve been looking for the perfect one for about eight months—still haven’t found it.