R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on the Electronics, Mystery, & Difficult Circumstances of 1998’s Up

Kyle Meredith With... · Nov 22, 2023 · 24m

R.E.M.’s Mike Mills catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about the 25th-anniversary edition of Up, their first post-Bill Berry album that found the Athens band trying out a new electronic-based sound. The bassist/songwriter discusses the difficult circumstances in which the LP was created, how they found the sound, and the stories behind songs “Airportman,” “Sad Professor,” “Daysleeper,” and “Hope”. Mills goes on to talk about why they decided not to include the demos on this deluxe package, while also confirming that there are “plenty of unheard songs in the vault.” The two also chat about…