Jokermen Podcast – In Conversation: BRUCE HORNSBY

Release Date: April 6, 2026

Episode Overview

The Jokermen Podcast hosts an insightful, candid conversation with acclaimed musician Bruce Hornsby, coinciding with the release of his new album, Indigo Park. Hornsby delves deep into his artistic journey, the evolution of his music, his collaborations (including his Grateful Dead tenure and creative moments with Bob Dylan), and the personal themes animating his latest recordings. Humorous, honest, and rich with musical and literary references, this episode affords a rare window into Hornsby’s restless creative mind and generous spirit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Indigo Park: Genesis and Artistic Process

• Spontaneous Inspiration: Hornsby initially attempted to take a break from songwriting after a creatively intense period but was compelled by a persistent idea, ultimately yielding the title track "Indigo Park."
  • “This one idea just came into my head and would not go away... I tried to hold it off, give it the Heisman for about six, eight months... It just would not go away.”
    — Bruce Hornsby [29:48]
• The Memoiristic Theme: The record is described as an "aging record," drawing upon memories from adolescence and adulthood, self-deprecation, and acceptance of life’s imperfections.
• Content & Musical Structure: The album was built around a demo that elicited strong reactions from Hornsby’s trusted circle, prompting him to “get in there and write nine more.”
  • “You can't force chills. You either get them or you don't. And this song was giving me and my friends and my family chills...”
    — Bruce Hornsby [31:37]
• Specific Inspiration from Life: Hornsby recounts a vivid coming-of-age memory at the Indigo Park Pool, which forms the backbone of the title track. He details the mixture of embarrassment and self-forgiveness that characterizes the adult perspective on youthful folly.
• Lyric Example:
  • “Oh, let these days be your delight / Captured in rhythm and rhyme / Watch these drawn lines trace your life's most scintillating times / Succeed or fail, it’s all the same, it’s only life and life is enough.”
    — Bruce Hornsby [34:57]

2. Experimentation and the Modern Classical Influence

• Adventurous Harmony: Hornsby discusses his longstanding interest in “advanced harmony and chromatic dissonant harmony, not white note music” [05:34], pointing to tracks 3 and 6 as the most experimental.
  • “I always hold a place for adventurous music... I don't want to make it that easy for the listener.”
    — Hornsby [04:29]
• Cinematic and Classical Influences: Influence from composers like Elliott Carter and Ligeti is evident, especially in the track “Entropy Here (Rest in Peace).”
  • “The music is...influenced by the great modern classical composer...Elliott Carter...and a little bit from the great Hungarian composer Ligeti.”
    — Hornsby [07:14]

3. Lyrical Playfulness and Wordplay

• A deep dive into the literary, humorous, and sometimes archaic word choices in his lyrics, e.g., “bibulous lush” and “Mr. Concupiscence”—drawing on family jokes and classical references.
  • “I like funny words. I love the word schadenfreude...I'm ready to receive interesting, odd, and funny words.”
    — Hornsby [12:07]
• Self-deprecation and comic relief are recurrent, even in weighty songs.
• Memorable Moment:
  • “I’m too old to care, so I just let it fly, take out the pad and write craziness. Why not? I’ve been doing it for years.”
    — Hornsby [13:07]

4. Collaboration & Musical Community

• Contra House & Small Labels: Describes joining micro-label Ulyssa for Contra House, underscoring a “do it for love of music” ethos [04:00].
• Grateful Dead Influence: The years with the Dead catalyzed further musical looseness. Most inspiring was their timeless, modal songwriting tradition.
  • “I was inspired and influenced by their songs and their interesting and adventurous sections and songs...”
    — Hornsby [19:32]
  • “To me, they have fully 50 great songs that sound timeless...old deep folk song tradition modality...”
    — Hornsby [20:45]
• Recent Collaborators on Indigo Park: Blake Mills, Pino Palladino, Chris Dave, Bob Weir, and Ezra Koenig.
  • Notably, the track "Might As Well Be Me" features stuttering, polyrhythmic drumming and a towering, unconventional Blake Mills solo.
    • “Blake’s guitar solo on that is next century—it’s very modern, very different. Some people will hate it, but they could stand to open up their ears.”
      — Hornsby [25:01]

5. Songcraft, Memory, and the Passage of Time

• Exploration of personal and universal themes of aging, memory, and retrospection. Songs like "Silhouette, Shadows" and "Memory Palace" are “novelistic,” drawing upon childhood and adolescent recollections.
  • “Different versions of the same thing...my eschatological song...about the end of times.”
    — Hornsby [37:36]
• The tension between self-criticism for past actions and eventual acceptance is a core motif.
  • “As you get older, you look back on this...for a large part of my life I looked back on this thinking, well, that was kind of stupid...but in later life, you acquire a different feeling about this.”
    — Hornsby [34:58]
• Self-reflection Quote:
  • “Is that what I look like? Ha ha ha. Well, I guess that’s so. I laugh but I worry about will I make it through, make my time in solitude work so that my recall is true.”
    — Hornsby [38:48]

6. Bob Dylan: Encounters & Musical Cross-Pollination

• The episode pivots to Hornsby’s longstanding Dylan fandom and their creative intersections:
  • Childhood Adoration: First song learned on piano was “Like a Rolling Stone” at age 10.
    • “I was a Dylan guy at age 10, kept and kept on with it all the way through the years.”
      — Hornsby [42:07]
  • Under the Red Sky Sessions: Hornsby played on “Born in Time,” “TV Talkin’ Song,” and shares stories of Bob’s unique, spontaneous lyric process—sifting scraps of paper for lyrics.
    • “Bob came in...he rid his pockets of all these little pieces of paper with different lyrics sheets...so we're playing this groove and Bob...selects one and goes back around to the mic and starts saying...That became the song TV Talkin’ Song.”
      — Hornsby [46:38]
  • Performing Live with Dylan: On various occasions, including a humorous story of Dylan “humping” him onstage during “All Along the Watchtower” in Portsmouth, VA.
    • “He would come over and he just started humping me every time. It was just a total scream. I laughed my way all the way home. I think he was just with me, really.”
      — Hornsby [49:17]
  • Dylan Covering Hornsby's “End of the Innocence”: Dylan played it live several times in 2002 (“I have kept that YouTube...captures of him doing Innocence. Those are my...Dylan highlights through the years.” – [54:24])

7. Album Artwork: The Edward Hopper Connection

• Hornsby reveals his personal and family connection to Hopper:
  • Used Hopper’s “Rooms by the Sea” for Harbor Lights and “Night Shadows” for Indigo Park.
  • Family lore: Hopper and Hornsby’s grandfather were friends, though not actually related.
    • “We found this note...about our dear friend Edward. And then I realized...we’re not related at all...but it didn’t matter.”
      — Hornsby [57:00]
  • Hopper’s art—“compassion and dignity for ordinary people”—mirrors values in Hornsby’s songwriting.
    • “That’s what I love about Hopper...so much of what I love about Hopper is the compassion and dignity... and I feel like I get so much of that from your songwriting too.”
      — Ian, [61:31]

8. Basketball, Family, and Personal Life

• Hornsby and his family’s deep involvement in basketball informs both life and music.
  • Son Keith played for LSU and is now a grad assistant; Bruce roots for friends rather than teams.
  • “Ecstatic,” from the new album, is inspired by youth AAU basketball chants—soon to feature LSU’s Lady Tigers in the video.
    • “Because of my son’s ties there at LSU, we got Kim Mulkey to have his...Lady Tigers...do those chants in their gym...That’s the video coming out in a couple of weeks.”
      — Hornsby [66:34]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Songwriting’s Evolution:
  • "I started getting all these nasty letters saying, how dare you change? And there was not so much change, really. So my response...was, well, you haven't seen anything yet if you think this is it."
    — Hornsby [16:07]
• On Popular Success:
  • "I kind of blanch at that because...I was writing something inspired by growing up in this small southern town...it was a pure intent."
    — Hornsby [15:28]
• On Aging, Reflection, and Acceptance:
  • “Succeed or fail, it's all the same it's only life and life is enough.”
    — Hornsby quoting from "Indigo Park" [34:57]
• On Dylan’s Influence:
  • "I was a Dylan guy at age 10...right in 1989 or 1990...I got to play on [Under the Red Sky]...What a gift."
    — Hornsby [42:05–45:15]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:25] — Bruce Hornsby joins the show
• [03:57] — On joining Contra House, indie production ethos
• [04:25] — Discussion of Indigo Park’s blend of accessible and avant-garde music
• [07:14] — Influence of Elliott Carter and Ligeti, “Entropy Here” explained
• [10:59] — Humorous lyric etymology: “bibulous lush,” “in his cups,” and family anecdotes
• [13:48] — Evolving past “The Way It Is,” embracing change
• [19:00] — Grateful Dead influence, songwriting and improvisation
• [22:56] — “Florinda” feat. Bob Weir, Blake Mills, and the importance of collaboration
• [29:02] — Thematic unity: memory, self-investigation, and the passage of time
• [34:57] — The story behind “Indigo Park” and lessons on life’s meaning
• [40:00] — Dylan references in Indigo Park, “Like a Rolling Stone” and “It’s Alright Ma” nods
• [42:07] — Dylan stories: Under the Red Sky sessions, lyric scraps, “Born in Time” and “TV Talkin’ Song”
• [49:07] — Dylan live encounters, including comedic “Watchtower” performance
• [54:24] — Dylan’s 2002 performances covering “End of the Innocence”
• [56:59] — Album artwork: Edward Hopper backstory
• [62:29] — Basketball reflections, son Keith’s career, and the lyrical inspiration for “Ecstatic”

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a richly detailed, intimate portrait of Bruce Hornsby as an artist and individual. His capacity for self-invention, his humor, honesty, and reverence for music’s communal and mysterious power shine throughout. The discussion traverses music history, personal memoir, pop culture, and sports—delivering something for longtime Hornsby fans, Dylan devotees, and curious newcomers alike.