John Kennedy's Track by Track Podcast

Returning to Radio X for another track by track interview, Alex and Scott from The Lathums spoke to The Most Trusted Man In Music all about their second studio album. The boys revealed all about each and every track on the record, from the meaning of the lyrics, to what it was like to produce music videos for some of their songs.

American rock trio ‘HAIM’ joined John Kennedy in the studio following the release of their debut album, ‘Days Are Gone’. Talking in depth about the album, they described the process of writing, recording, and releasing it, and talked about what it was like to record their album in a multitude of studios around the world.

Vampire Weekend swung by the studio in 2013 to talk to John about their latest album, ‘Modern Vampires of the City’. Following the success of their last album, ‘Contra’, they told John about their first ever writing retreat as a band, and how it went…

In 2013, for the fifth time in Track by Track history, Arctic Monkeys joined the most trusted man in music for an album playback. This time, the album in question was AM. As well as providing John with some exclusive insights into the album, Alex and Matt told him what it was like to try and stick to their Sheffield roots whist living in the city of angels.

Ritzy, Rhydian, and Matt from The Joy Formidable joined John Kennedy to talk about every track on Wolf’s Law. After they told JK about the time they spent together in an isolated log cabin in America, they revealed why they put so much effort into perfecting their music.

The release of Biffy Clyro’s first album for 4 years called for another of JK’s iconic Track by Track interviews. Simon Neil from the band came in to talk about every track on Opposites; all 20 of them!

After being together for just 18 months, Jehnny Beth and Gemma Thompson from Savages spoke to John Kennedy about what it was like to write and release their debut studio album so quickly. They also got deep into the meaning behind the songs on the record.

After a short break, Courteeners celebrated the release of their third studio album by visiting the studio and having a chat with the most trusted man in music! John found out why this album has more of a dancefloor vibe, and who exactly Anna is…

Back in 2013, the late Scott Hutchinson came in to talk to John Kennedy about Pedestrian Verse, the fourth studio album from Frightened Rabbit. You can find out more about the mental health charity that was set up in his honour at tinychanges.com

John Kennedy kicked off 2013 with this corker of an interview! Michael, Jeremy, Alex, and Jonathan from Everything Everything joined John to talk about their album ‘Arc’. They explained the pressures of writing an album while touring, and how that impacted the sound of the band.

Yannis and Jimmy from Foals swung by the studio to talk to JK about their first number 1 album! They spoke in depth about every song on the record, including their biggest hit, My Number.

James Blake joined John Kennedy in the studio to talk about his Mercury Prize winning album ‘Overgrown’. As he ran through every track on the record, James told John about how this album reflects on the last two years of his life.

It’s the first Suede album for 10 years, and who better to talk with about it than our very own JK! Brett Anderson from the band popped in to the studio to talk about the inspiration behind every track on the album, and explain exactly why Suede got back together after a decade-long hiatus.

Rock Legend Johnny Marr joined the most trusted man in music to talk about his debut solo album! After moving back to the UK to record this album, Johnny told John how surprising it was to work alone after so long…

On the release date of his fifth studio album, Frank Turner popped in to the studio for an in depth conversation about the record with the most trusted man in music. Frank revealed that Tape Deck Heart was ‘difficult’ and ‘uncomfortable’ to write, and that it was inspired by events in his personal life.

The debut album from ‘Peace’ called for a Track by Track playback with the most trusted man in music. Harry and Dom from the band spoke to John about every track on the record, and explained exactly how this album came to be.

The Monkeys have returned! It's their 7th studio album and sees them return down to Earth from their Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino. In this episode, The Most Trusted Man In Music is joined by Alex Turner and Matt Helders to talk about this album, where the inspiration came from for it and how it flirts with sounding like a movie soundtrack. Hear Alex and Matt talk through every track on The Car with John Kennedy.

Serge is in to talk to John Kennedy about this new era of Kasabian! Recorded in 2022, the band’s frontman talked to John about the story behind the album and who exactly was The Alchemist. Hear Serge talk openly about the band and the recording of this, their 7th studio album.

Wimbledon’s finest is in to talk to JK about his 5th studio album; one that ended up being his first number one! Hear Jamie talk John Kennedy through joining up with Hugo White for this album and what was going on for him when he was creating each track!

It was Foals 7th album and the band faced the task of not only producing another album off the back of their hugely successful Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 and 2. But they also had to create an album after being locked down for 2 years! Yannis and Jimmy talked John Kennedy through the whole album on this Track By Track Podcast.

Florence is back! Recorded in 2022 after 4 years away, John got to talk Flo through everything that went into this album and hear what the last 4 years have been like for her! You’ll hear Florence at her most honest and open throughout the whole of this Track By Track Podcast!

A transatlantic album playback with Jack White sat in Nashville and John Kennedy in the Radio X studios in London. The album is full of Jack White-style guitar riffs, as you’d expect from his music, but it’s also got plenty of experimentation and sampling throughout. Throughout this episode you’ll hear Jack talk John through the creation of this, his 4th solo album.

Frank Turner talks The Most Trusted Man In Music through every track on his ninth studio album. As Frank discusses this is a bit of a ‘back to the start’ record, with him producing songs for it that are heavier than previous albums. Enjoy listening to everything that Mr Turner has to say to John about this album!

The Antipodean musical alchemists are in to talk John Kennedy through their third studio album! You can listen to Dave and Tom from the band talk about the raw honest and emotion that is a strong feature of this album! This is a must listen for any Gang Of Youths fans as you can hear the guys from the band in fine form when talking to The Most Trusted Man In Music.

This is their fourth album and you can hear the band talk about their album, what went into it’s creation in a post lockdown world and what the future holds for the band. Listen as they break down every track on the album with John Kennedy.

The start of 2022 saw the return of The Wombats with their fifth album! Hear how the boys from the band talked John through starting pre-covid pandemic and then continuing when the world returned to normal! They talk The Most Trusted Man In Music through every track on the album Fix Yourself, Not the World.

John is joined for a video call with Simon, James & Ben from Biffy Clyro! Hear the band talk about how confusion, frustration and uncertainty was channelled into making this record!

How to follow up a HUGE debut album…with an even bigger second one! Sam Fender chatted to John Kennedy again about his follow up album, the changes his life has had since the first and what this album meant to him. Listen and Sam talks Radio X’s John Kennedy through every track on Seventeen Going Under.

It’s The Lathums debut album and so the first time that Alex from the band talked John Kennedy through it all. Recorded on zoom with the band being on tour currently, John got all the details on how the band went from having regular day jobs, to recording a releasing an album!

This was The Vaccines fifth studio album and it ended up with some epic soundtrack vibes to it! Listen as the band are on Zoom and John is in the studio in London and he breaks down everything that went into the record and what it was like getting back in the studio for another time!

Their first number 1 album and 3rd one from the band! John Kennedy managed to get all of Wolf Alice on a zoom call to talk through creating the album and what went into it. You can hear the Most Trusted Man In Music talk to bands and artists every Friday and Saturday night from 11pm on Radio X.

John Kennedy talks to Ben and Mike about their third number one album Typhoons. This chat happened in 2021 and you can hear about, despite the fragmented nature of the recording, the band were still able to record a stomper of an album.

Declan came in to talk to The Most Trusted Man In Music about his second studio album Zeros. The album debuted at Number 2 in the album charts and Declan talked to John about the difficulties he faced waiting to bring the album out! Hear as he goes through every track on the album with John Kennedy.

Recorded in the midst of lockdown in 2020, John chats to Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro about A Celebration Of Endings. It’s 8th studio album from the band and their first of 2 releases in 12 months.

The first ever Track By Track that the DMA’s did with John. This was a reflection on a record that has plenty of influences and sounds; indie, rock, synthy dance. An album that ended up at the top of the album charts in the UK and in Australia!

Matty Healy talked to John via a Zoom link at the start of the pandemic in 2020. You can hear him open up about the ambitiousness of the record and hear how he talks openly about creating this 5th album.

Blossoms came in to Radio X to talk John through their album Foolish Loving Spaces. The album marked a development in both their writing and musicality! Here’s what happened when Stockport’s finest chatted to The Most Trusted Man In Music!

Jamie and Ed from Bombay Bicycle Club chatting to John about this album! It was the first back after a hiatus and the band were back with a bang! The Most Trusted Man In Music was on hand to dig through every song on the album and talk to the band about it’s creation.

Liam Fray came in Radio X to talk The Most Trusted Man In Music through The Courteeners 6th album! Hear Liam talk openly about what it’s like in the band now, recording an album, compared to what it has been previously! He talks John through the entirety of the record and delves into the meanings behind some of the songs.

The hugely successful third studio album from Michael Kiwanuka saw the man come into Radio X to talk to John Kennedy. Hear how he breaks down all his track and what went into the creation of them with The Most Trusted Man In Music.

If you want to celebrate and dissect an album after 25 years, who do you go to? The Most Trusted Man In Music! Michael and Mike came in to Radio X to discuss and listen back to a fully re-mixed version of Monster! Originally out 1994, the guys from the band joined John Kennedy in October 2019 to discuss the legacy the album has.

The second release from Foals in 2019 and the second time in 6 months that Yannis and Jimmy talked John Kennedy through every track on an album. It’s album full of mythology and moody riffs. Hear everything they’ve got to say to Johnny Kennedy about it, their first ever number 1 album!

The giants of indie Elbow were back in 2019 with their 8th studio album. The band have stepped away slightly with this one from the anthemic love stories, you can hear them talk John Kennedy through what caused this and an honest assessment of the album, as a whole.

An album title that foreshadowed the meteoric rise that this man had. Sam Fender came into Radio X to talk to John Kennedy about his first album Hypersonic Missiles. This chat was in 2019 and you’ll hear Sam talking candidly about his writing process and how he took a snapshot of life in that year and put it into chorus and verse. Enjoy this chat, track by track, with Sam Fender and The Most Trusted Man In Music, John Kennedy

Whilst Kasabian were on a little hiatus, Serge Pizzorno decided to record this debut album and then come in to talk to John about each of the tracks on there. It’s Serge’s first solo record and he came in to talk John through how it came about and what being away from the band allowed him to do.

Released in 2019, this is Frank’s eighth studio album and saw him put out an album telling the stories of 13 different women. Hear John Kennedy get into the background behind the whole album and what made Frank Turner decide to do a record that was unlike any other.

Album number 9 from The Black Keys saw them chat with John Kennedy via video link from their studio in Nashville. This is an album that saw Dan and Patrick step into a studio together after a short time apart and create an album dedicated to a close friend and influence Glen Schwartz. Hear as they break down the album with JK and talk him through each track on there!

Recorded in 2019 when Jack White and Brendon Benson came into Radio X, John Kennedy goes on a trip through the whole of the The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger album with them. In their own rights the pair of them are musical behemoths and together they created this huge third album that they’ve talked JK through!

Alex from Two Door joined John to dissect this record in 2019. Alex talks in this podcast about the inspiration they took whilst making the record and how other artists played a role in the whole thing! Listen as he talks the Most Trusted Man In Music through the whole thing!

John talks to Ezra Koenig about Vampire Weekend's fourth studio album. This track by track took place in Spring 2019 and you can hear John and Ezra get into a chat about what went into making the album and the meanings behind it's biggest songs.

This is the first album playback that John Kennedy did with Jade Bird as the pair of them delve into her self-titled debut album. Jade opens up with John to talk about what it was like creating the album and what each of the tracks meant to her.

The first of 2 albums that Foals released in 2019! In this episode Yannis and Jimmy talk about self-producing the album and the effort it took to make sure it had a unique sound to not only other Foals albums but also other albums out at the time. Hear the guys from the band talk about every track on the album and talk about inspirations behind it all.