Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: Uwade's 'Florilegium' (Nov 27, 2025, WNYC)
Episode Overview
In this richly engaging episode, host Alison Stewart welcomes Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Uwade to discuss her debut album, Florilegium. The conversation interweaves live performances, reflections on heartbreak, the influence of family and place, and fascinating insights into Uwade’s academic work in the classics. Listeners are treated to both music and candid conversation about creativity, identity, cultural heritage, and the ways ancient narratives still shape modern perspectives.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introduction to Florilegium and Artist Background
[00:28-01:13]
- Alison Stewart introduces Uwade and the inspiration behind her album's title, which is steeped in classical literature (Ovid's Metamorphosis).
- Uwade is not just a musician but a classics scholar, currently undertaking a PhD at Stanford, after studies at Columbia and Oxford.
2. Live Performance: “Call It a Draw”
[01:13-03:43]
- Uwade opens with a stripped-down performance of her album’s first single, “Call It a Draw,” written in the wake of a significant heartbreak.
3. Songwriting & Production Process
[03:43-05:46]
- Origin of “Call It a Draw”: Written during a difficult breakup.
“I’d just ended a long-term relationship and I didn’t know what to do with myself. So I wrote this song and it really helped.” – Uwade [03:55]
- Improvisational Approach: Unlike her typical approach, this song uses a simple, repeated chord progression, focusing on raw expression over structure.
“I’m just gonna see what comes with this as inspiration. Instead of trying to craft some kind of journey melodically…I was like, no, I’m just gonna say something.” – Uwade [04:34]
- Evolution of Songwriting: Shift from feeling pressure to innovate with each song, becoming more comfortable with repetition and simplicity.
4. Florilegium – Recording Journey
[05:46-06:54]
- The album was recorded over two years, across only a handful of sessions due to touring and school.
- Final recording in North Carolina felt like “the right time,” making the project’s completion feel organic.
5. Collaborating with Fleet Foxes / Rob Pecknold
[07:06-08:52]
- Uwade’s introduction to wider audiences began with her vocal feature on Fleet Foxes’ 2020 album.
“Her voice is just so amazing... she sings with such confident ease…that was exactly how I wanted that song to be sung.” – Rob Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) [07:20]
- This collaboration opened doors: securing a manager, formal touring, and launching her music career.
6. Debut Album – Artistic Intentions
[09:18-10:05]
- Uwade set out to move beyond her signature stripped-down style, intentionally expanding her sound palette:
“I wanted to deliberately beef up the production...so people could see the range, the possible futures that could come from my artistry.” – Uwade [09:32]
7. Live Performance: “Do You See the Light Around Me?”
[10:08-13:26]
- A vibrant, electronically-infused track that marks an artistic shift and is a favorite of Uwade’s mother.
8. Family, Place, and Musical Heritage
[14:05-15:42]
- Uwade’s family immigrated from Nigeria to North Carolina when she was two, and southern folk music influences her guitar-driven style.
“I feel like I wouldn’t have become a guitar gal if not for...being raised around sort of folk and country music in North Carolina.” – Uwade [14:30]
- She recalls a childhood aspiration to be a singer—something she rediscovered looking back on old school assignments.
9. Academic Life in the Classics
[15:42-18:08]
- Initial interest sparked by high school Latin (helped by her father’s encouragement).
“I read book four of Virgil’s Aeneid...and I felt such an instant emotional connection. I was like, what she went through thousands of years ago is what I’m going through right now.” – Uwade [15:54]
- PhD focus evolving toward literature and enslavement in the ancient world, particularly the writings of formerly enslaved people and their intersections with classical literature.
“Slavery was a massive institution...but there were maybe more opportunities for enslaved people to be manumitted and then to end up working in literary forms.” – Uwade [17:07]
- Uwade sometimes writes songs inspired by classical texts, such as a yet-unreleased song, “Lady of Good Hope,” based on book four of the Aeneid.
10. Navigating Eurocentrism in Classics
[19:03-20:00]
- Uwade reflects on classics’ Eurocentric reputation, noting her introduction was through her Nigerian father—challenging the assumption that classics is a “white discipline.”
“I never really thought of it as like a white discipline because the only person I knew who was teaching...was my dad...North Africa was such a huge part of the Roman Empire...half of these writers...were coming from North Africa.” – Uwade [19:13]
11. Album Title: The Meaning of “Florilegium”
[20:13-20:53]
- The word comes from Ovid's Metamorphoses and denotes a collection (a “gathering of flowers”); it metaphorically connects her scholarly interests and eclectic artistic influences.
12. Live Performance: “Harmaton”
[20:56-25:11]
- Inspired by the West African season of Harmattan, the song meditates on longing, presence, and memory, showcasing Uwade’s poetic lyricism.
“Will you sway with me when my voice gives out?...Will we be forgotten?...Never mind, doesn’t matter at all.” – Uwade (singing) [21:50-24:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I wrote it in the middle of heartbreak. The things that happen to us all...I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I wrote this song and it really helped.” — Uwade [04:00]
- “I hear my voice as the thing I've heard my whole life. So it's really amazing to know how much he (Robin Pecknold) appreciates it.” — Uwade [08:04]
- “Little kids know.” — Alison Stewart [15:25], on childhood aspirations.
- “What she (Dido in the Aeneid) went through thousands of years ago is what I'm going through right now.” — Uwade [15:54]
- “I wasn’t...I think that’s what sort of kept me inspired to interrogate this idea that, like, oh, it only focuses on Europe.” — Uwade [19:13]
- “I feel like I wouldn’t have become a guitar gal if not for...being raised around sort of folk and country music in North Carolina.” — Uwade [14:30]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:28 — Alison introduces Uwade; explains Florilegium
- 01:13 — Uwade performs “Call It a Draw”
- 03:43 — Songwriting origins: heartbreak and improvisation
- 05:46 — Recording timeline of the album
- 07:20 — Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold on Uwade’s voice
- 08:35 — Impact of Fleet Foxes’ collaboration on Uwade’s career
- 10:08 — Performance: “Do You See the Light Around Me?”
- 13:34 — Why that song matters to Uwade and her family
- 14:23 — Family, roots in Nigeria and the South, folk influences
- 15:07 — Early dreams of singing, academic ambitions
- 15:54 — Latin, the classics, emotional resonance
- 17:07 — Research focus: slavery and literature in antiquity
- 18:08 — Cross-pollination of academic and creative work
- 19:13 — Pushing past Eurocentric narratives in the classics
- 20:13 — Album title origin: “Florilegium”
- 20:56 — Performance: “Harmaton”
Overall Tone & Style
The conversation is warm, thoughtful, and curious—balancing intellectual inquiry with creative candor. Uwade’s humility, curiosity, and sense of artistic experimentation shine through, while Stewart’s questions draw out both personal and cultural context, making the episode engaging for music lovers and culture scholars alike.