Podcast Summary: The New Yorker Radio Hour

Episode: The Country Singer Margo Price Talks with Emily Nussbaum
Date: April 11, 2023
Host: WNYC Studios and The New Yorker (David Remnick)
Guest Interviewer: Emily Nussbaum
Guest: Margo Price

Main Theme

This episode centers on an in-depth conversation between New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum and acclaimed country musician Margo Price. Their discussion weaves through Price’s reaction to a recent tragedy in Nashville, her creative process for her new album Strays, reflections on the music industry, personal transformation, and the vulnerability shared in her memoir Maybe We'll Make It. The episode is a candid exploration of grief, artistic struggle, Nashville’s changing landscape, and the power of honest storytelling.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Responding to Tragedy in Nashville

• Opening Context: The episode begins on a somber note, referencing the recent mass shooting at Covenant School in Nashville.
• Margo’s Vigil Performance ([01:26]):
  • Price had performed Bob Dylan's "Tears of Rage" “acapella” at the Nashville Remembers vigil earlier that day.
  • She shares her personal connection to the tragedy, recalling, "My children were actually at their first day of school over at a different school near the Covenant School. They were just up the street. And I got the call that there had been a school shooting in Green Hills, and I just fell to my knees."
  • The song choice was influenced by her own experience losing a child and was sung at her son’s wake ([01:47]).
• Discusses the difficulty of selecting a song that is "uplifting" but not "too political" for such an occasion.

2. Speaking Out: Politics and Music in Nashville

• On Challenging the Status Quo ([03:10]):
  • Price reflects on the cultural taboo against musicians addressing political issues in country music:
    "I am a gun owner...But there's gotta be something that changes...No one is saying we're going to take away all the guns ... But there absolutely, something has to change." ([03:36])
  • She points out political realities around gun laws and the influence of the NRA in Tennessee.

3. Exploring the New Album Strays

• Song Genesis: "Radio" ([04:47]):
  • The song emerged in frustration at her record label:
    "I was very frustrated, honestly, at my ... at my label, and I wrote that song, and it just came out like lightning." ([05:07])
  • Collaboration with Sharon Van Etten enhanced the track. Sharon’s subtle changes “had a lot of weight and meaning.” ([05:49])
  • Price describes writing songs as sometimes a matter of necessity.
• On Artistic Struggle:
  • “My first album...was about the struggle. And so I like the struggle. I think if everything were just to come easy for me, then I wouldn’t be Margo Price.” ([06:51])

4. The Nashville Songwriting Machine

• Attitude Toward Co-Writing ([07:54]):
  • Criticizes the prevalence of “a million co-writers for every song” in Nashville.
  • Emphasizes authenticity and personal connection:
    "I can't do it if I don't like someone's art. I just can't work with them." ([08:52])

5. Psychedelics, Sobriety, and Transformation

• Creative Revelations ([09:14]):
  • Three standout songs—"Been to the Mountain," "Change of Heart," and "Light Me Up"—were written after a psychedelic trip with her husband.
  • “We went to this Airbnb, and we took a very large dose of psilocybin and went through all the feelings. ... the songs ... had ... a mystical quality to them.” ([09:14])
• On Giving Up Drinking ([11:36]):
  • A psychedelic experience helped her understand and overcome alcohol addiction.
  • “When you’re drinking, it shuts down your prefrontal cortex ... Once I learned about the science ... it was actually very easy to quit. And I have never felt better. ... I feel like I’m finally healing.” ([11:36])
  • Distinguishes between transformative use of psychedelics and habitual drinking.

6. Reflections on Nashville and Loss

• "County Road" as a Tribute ([12:47]):
  • The song was written for late friend Ben Eystone, envisioning him “up in heaven...with a set of wheels.” ([13:09])
  • The city’s rapid gentrification and loss of community are mourned:
    "This song is kind of like a love letter to that time." ([13:57])

7. Writing Her Memoir: Fear and Self-Acceptance

• Vulnerability in Publishing ([14:58]):
  • After submitting the final draft, Price experienced intense doubt and anxiety:
    “I felt like I just made a terrible mistake...I was convinced that they were going to disown me.” ([15:09])
    • Husband Jeremy advised, “You belong to no one. ... Just say what you need to say and speak your truth.” ([15:36])
  • Approaching 40, she is learning to show self-compassion and let go of harsh self-judgment:
    "I just want to be excited to be alive and ... proud to age ... not being so hard on myself, because I already have enough people judging me out there." ([16:49])

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Gun Reform:
  “No one is saying we're going to take away all the guns ... But there absolutely, something has to change. I don't see how people can just go on living like this.” – Margo Price ([03:36])

• On Collaboration:
  “I can't do it if I don't like someone's art. I just can't work with them.” – Margo Price ([08:52])

• On Healing and Sobriety:
  “Once I learned about the science behind what alcohol was doing to my brain, it was actually very easy to quit. And I have never felt better. It's like a second chance at life.” – Margo Price ([11:36])

• On Creative Process and Struggle:
  “I like the struggle. I think if everything were just to come easy for me, then I wouldn't be Margo Price.” – Margo Price ([06:51])

• On Vulnerability:
  “I just want to be excited to be alive and I want to be ... proud to age ... not being so hard on myself, because I already have enough people judging me out there.” – Margo Price ([16:49])

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:30 – Introduction to Margo Price’s career and Nashville roots
• 01:26 – Margo discusses her performance at the Nashville vigil
• 03:10 – Discussion on politics and music on Music Row
• 04:47 – Story behind the song “Radio” and label frustrations
• 07:54 – Critique of Nashville’s co-writing culture
• 09:14 – Writing key songs under the influence of psychedelics
• 11:36 – Margo on psychedelics vs. alcohol, and her sobriety revelation
• 13:09 – “County Road” as a love letter to old Nashville and a lost friend
• 14:58 – The agony and purpose of writing her memoir, vulnerability, and self-acceptance

Tone

The episode is intimate, direct, and equally soulful and pragmatic—very much in the spirit of Margo Price's music and Emily Nussbaum's interviewing style. Their exchange balances grief and gratitude, creative grit and personal healing, offering listeners both stark honesty and hope.