On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got an interesting pairing—two guys that hadn’t met before, and who come from different parts of the arts world, and who are both pretty damn great at their jobs. It’s Bill Callahan and Michael Imperioli.
Bill Callahan made music under the name Smog for about 15 years, releasing an incredible catalog of gorgeous, mostly minimal, often wandering songs delivered in his unmistakable baritone. He’s one of the most profound lyricists of the past 30 years, crafting careful little worlds that are often funny and heartbreaking at the same time. In 2005, he dropped the Smog moniker and started releasing records under his own name, but there’s no obvious break in the continuity. It’s a fantastic body of work and you can start almost anywhere: I’d recommend 1999’s Knock Knock as an entry point, or maybe 2007’s A River Ain’t Too Much Too Love, which comes up in this chat. But you could just as easily jump in with Callahan’s fantastic new one, My Days of 58, which was finished after a scary cancer battle. In spite of that—or maybe because of it—it’s one of Callahan’s most relaxed and charming ever. Check out “Why Do Men Sing” right here.
Today’s other guest is instantly recognizable to fans of The Sopranos as Christopher Moltisanti, the tragic character that surely wouldn’t have been nearly as indelible without Michael Imperioli’s genius-level portrayal. You’ve seen him in a million other things, too, from Goodfellas to Summer of Sam—which he also co-wrote—to The White Lotus. What perhaps you didn’t know about Imperioli is that he’s also a musician. He’s the singer/guitarist in a band called ZOPA, which plays catchy, straight-ahead rock that sounds deeply rooted in New York City, which Imperioli still calls home. He also wrote a novel, which comes up in this chat with Callahan, and he’s a practicing Buddhist, another topic of conversation.
Even though Callahan and Imperioli didn’t know each other, they were clearly fans of each other’s work. In this chill chat, Michael tells Bill about the exact moment he first heard one of his songs. They also get into Bill’s health scare and how it inspired his new record, Michael’s kids and what they’re up to, and there’s a lot of talk about Lou Reed—a guy that inspired them both. Enjoy.
0:00 — Intro
2:35 — Living in Austin & New York
3:34 — On Bill’s new record and discovering Smog’s past work
5:03 — On birthdays and the Chinese Zodiac
6:34 — On cancer and writing the new album, My Days of 58
8:33 — On Michael’s novel, fiction, and inspiration
10:47 — On practicing Buddhism, reincarnation, and monks
16:03 — On raising kids and their musical talents
19:07 — On AI and why human emotion matters in art and work
25:10 — On playing instruments and recording musicians
29:08 — On knowing Lou Reed, and his inspirations
34:35 — On Bill’s upcoming tour, and favorite guitars
Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Bill Callahan and Michael Imperioli for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform and check out all the great stuff we’ve got going at Talkhouse.com. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!
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