Iconic is an overused word these days, but "Weird Al" Yankovic deserves that designation. During our conversation, Al talks about surviving in show business for 40 years and how he dealt with a very public career setback in the late '80s. +

Iconic horror director John Carpenter — the man behind "Halloween" — talks about being an outsider, what inspired him to make films, and how he accidentally became a full-time musician.

Mondo Cozmo frontman Josh Ostrander talks about being an overnight sensation...20 years in the making. He also gets into his recent visit to the Senate and discusses what he calls a "rock and roll freakout" that resulted in hours of surgery.

MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger talks about the band's early days — when it wasn't even a "band" — his time as a folklorist, his need to mean what he says, and the effect Wendell Berry had on both his life and work.

Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, Fun, and Steel Train had very specific ideas of what success in the music industry looked like. When his band Fun blew up, it also blew up those ideas and expanded his horizons. In this conversation, we talk about that explosion, the writing process, and "buying the delusion" as an artist when no one else will believe in you.

Jake Shears might be known as the guy from Scissor Sisters, but he's had a pretty big year on his own. He released an acclaimed memoir, made his Broadway debut in "Kinky Boots," and just announced his first solo album. During our conversation, we talk about the cascade of life changes that brought him to this point.

Jason Molina is one of the most capable, compelling, and confounding musicians of the last quarter century. We're celebrating his life and work as we mark five years since his passing in the spring of 2013. To do so, you'll hear from "Jason Molina: Riding With the Ghost" author Erin Osmon, Jim James, Scott Avett, Strand of Oaks frontman Tim Showalter, and Secretly Canadian Records co-founder Ben Swanson.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu has a lot to say about political correctness, racism, oppression, and the highly polarized nature of our country at the moment. But that doesn't make him a "political comic." During our conversation, we discuss Hari's process, his take on the "Roseanne" reboot, and getting more personal for his new Netflix special, "Warn Your Relatives."

Ted Leo discusses his love for "The Lord of the Rings," growing up as a punk kid, and his complicated relationship with Catholicism. This episode also features a live session recorded at the KEXP studios in Seattle.

Habibi might have formed in New York, but the band's roots are in Detroit — in more ways than one. Rahill Jamalifard and Lenny Lynch both from the Motor City, but the influence of Detroit's middle eastern community and its history of girl group garage rock can be heard loud and clear in their music.

Comedian Martha Kelly discusses her struggles with addiction, how Zach Galifianakis kept her from quitting the TV show "Baskets," and her unironic love of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Last year, Jessica Lea Mayfield opened up about her experiences with domestic violence. The conversation she started on Instagram ultimately culminated in "Sorry Is Gone," a collection of deeply personal, raw songs about her time in an abusive marriage and her journey out of it.