NPR Music: Interview with Mitski (March 21, 2026)
Episode Overview
In this episode of NPR Music (shared from World Cafe), host Raina Douris sits down with critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Mitski to discuss her latest album, Nothing’s about to Happen to Me. Recorded live at the Power Station in New York City, the conversation delves into Mitski’s artistic process, the pressures and intentions behind her new music, themes of anxiety, isolation, and femininity, plus the surprising influence of Shirley Jackson’s novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Mitski also performs several songs live, offering stripped-down renditions that highlight the emotional core of her work.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Creative Process & Sound of the Album
- Songwriting Genesis: The album’s first single, “Where’s My Phone?”, emerged from Mitski repeatedly muttering the titular phrase—“I was saying it over and over... and just started humming a melody... Once I found my phone, I recorded it.” (05:09, Mitski)
- Overwhelm & Dissociation: Mitski used the cacophonous arrangement to express “the sense of... wanting to dissociate, not wanting to be here, everything being overwhelming... I just want to... leave my brain, I want to go into my phone.” (05:09)
- Return to Musical Roots: Mitski initially envisioned a “stripped down, just band instrument, just guitar, bass, drums, and voice”—a nod to her DIY punk roots. But ultimately, “the songs said no... This is what we actually are.” (06:55, Mitski)
- Adding Orchestration: The songs demanded more complexity, especially orchestral elements: “Songs all have their own life... at a certain point, they just sort of reveal themselves.” (08:59)
2. Themes of Isolation, Anonymity, and Escape
- Small Town vs. Big City: Drawing on her experience moving to New York, Mitski contrasts the suffocation of small-town life for outsiders with the liberating anonymity of urban existence: “For people who don’t fit in, tiny communities can be really terrible... [in the city] I’m anonymous. And that was amazing.” (09:44, Mitski)
- Anxiety & Rituals: Loosely inspired by We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Mitski discusses “trying to find control where I can and inevitably failing because so much about life... is out of your control.” (18:13, Mitski)
3. Literary Influences & Symbolism
- Shirley Jackson’s Impact: Mitski’s favorite author, Jackson, shaped the album’s themes: “She has a lot of characters... who are very much in their minds and don’t fit in... I really did relate to Mary Kat.” (16:19, Mitski)
- Cats as Feminine Symbols: “I think cats are very feminized creatures... people think of dogs as boys and cats as girls... cats don’t know anything about obedience... There’s something there... cats being feminized... and also being hated or demonized for not being obedient.” (19:13–21:26, Mitski)
- Album Iconography: Visual elements (odd-eyed white cats) and lyrics reinforce this symbolism of femininity, boundaries, and outsider status.
4. Emotional Tension: Public vs Private Selves
- Persona Management: Mitski reflects on being a public figure and the exhaustion of performing a “public self”: “It’s kind of just like who you are when you go to a party, but times 1,000... you’re not pretending to be someone else, but you’re heightening certain aspects.” (27:56, Mitski)
5. Feminine Rage, Societal Expectations & “Dead Women”
- Writing “Dead Women”: Mitski channels societal anger: “When I was writing it, it just felt like the world was telling me the only good woman is a dead one... you can’t have dreams... you exist to serve.” (29:25)
- On the Fetishization of Dead Women: “I was also reflecting on the glee with which people consume... true crime, the fetishization of dead women... [you] want to take cherry-pick the poems... and go see how pleasing she was.” (29:25)
6. Live Performance Ethos & Touring Choices
- Intimacy and Connection: For the new tour, Mitski desires experiential, small-scale shows—even at unconventional venues like high schools: “I wanted it to feel special... like going to an abandoned firehouse and watching a band.” (34:15)
- Logistical Challenges: Mitski humorously defers to her managers regarding the logistics of nontraditional venues: “I feel really bad actually. God bless them.” (35:57)
7. Wallowing, Sadness, and Musical Contrasts
- Existential Comfort in Melancholy: Talking about “I’ll Change for You,” Mitski embraces the “deliciousness to wallowing”: “We have songs that encourage you... But... when I’m really self-pitying... I want a song that goes, poor me.” (36:31)
- Gendered Expectations of Grief: “A man wallowing and drinking away his sorrows at a bar is sort of romanticized. If you’re sad as a lady... you go home, you eat your pint of ice cream... I don’t think that’s necessarily true for everybody.” (37:39, Raina)
- Juxtaposing Mood and Music: Mitski pairs a bossa nova beat with feelings of sadness: “I wanted it to sound like music that would be playing while you’re wallowing and... weirdly enjoying your depression in a nice place.” (39:02)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On songwriting as self-discovery:
“Songs all have their own life... you can try to, like, shoehorn them into what you want them to be, but at a certain point, they just sort of reveal themselves.”
— Mitski (08:59) -
On the burden of being a public figure:
“It’s kind of just like who you are when you go to a party, but times 1,000... you’re still yourself, you’re not pretending to be someone else, but you’re kind of heightening certain aspects.”
— Mitski (27:56) -
On feminist rage and “Dead Women”:
“The only good woman is a dead one. We want you dead, we want you dead on the inside... if you have an inner life, well, don't. Don’t have it. Be dead inside.”
— Mitski (29:25) -
On cats as feminine symbols:
“Cats don’t know anything about obedience... It’s not that they’re cold. It’s not that they don’t like people. It’s just that they have boundaries.”
— Mitski (19:41) -
On emotional honesty:
“There should be songs for being pitiful and pathetic because those are real things that people experience and that’s okay.”
— Mitski (36:36)
Important Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment | Summary | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | “Where’s My Phone?” (Live) | Mitski opens with a raw performance of the new album’s single| | 04:27 | Interview Begins | Mitski explains the song’s origin and lyrical intent | | 06:55 | Sound & Orchestration | Discusses her shift from stripped-down demos to fuller arrangements| | 11:22 | “In a Lake” (Live) | Performance illustrates themes of escape and anonymity | | 15:32 | Literary Influence | Mitski on Shirley Jackson and We Have Always Lived in the Castle| | 19:13 | Cat Symbolism | Discussion about cats, feminism, and boundaries on the album | | 22:05 | “If I Leave” (Live) | Song about codependency and anxiety, performed solo | | 27:56 | Public vs Private Selves | Mitski on the personal cost of public life | | 29:25 | “Dead Women” and Feminist Themes | Mitski discusses the anger behind the song | | 34:15 | Touring and Venues | Mitski on creating intimate, experiential shows | | 36:31 | “I’ll Change for You” & The Value of Wallowing| Mitski articulates the importance of melancholy in songwriting| | 39:58 | “I’ll Change for You” (Live) | Closing live performance |
Live Song Performances in the Episode
- Where’s My Phone? (01:30)
- In a Lake (11:36)
- If I Leave (24:22)
- I’ll Change for You (39:58)
Tone and Takeaways
This episode is intimate, honest, and emotionally resonant, much like Mitski’s music. The interview roams fluidly from technical production insight and literary references to deeper explorations of anxiety, isolation, public perception, and feminist critique. Raina Douris’ thoughtful questions and Mitski’s candid vulnerability make the conversation both rich for fans and welcoming for newcomers.
Highly recommended for listeners interested in the art of songwriting, the experience of outsiderhood, and the struggles and joys of being a modern woman in music.