Shows / Alchemy with Anthony Mason
Alchemy with Anthony Mason
Welcome to Alchemy! This is a show about the craft and mystery of the creative process. It’s for anyone who’s ever been saved by a song, lost in a book, or enlightened by a painting. I’ve spent decades as a journalist interviewing artists in all creative disciplines. Alchemy is a new home for these conversations. Follow us. And be inspired.
Episodes
Alchemy with Anthony MasonHow a crumbling haunted house became the sound of Holly Humberstone’s new album
Holly Humberstone is an impressive young singer-songwriter. I’m a big fan. In 2022, Holly was named “Rising Star” at the BRIT Awards. Her first two albums have…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonPaul Simon's advice to musicians: turn it down
Our guest this week was just named one of “The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters” by The New York Times. In a career that spans eight decades, as a solo…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonCMAT swears by these songwriting rules
The Irish singer CMAT, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, has had a big breakout over the past eighteen months, including an electrifying performance at Glastonbury…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonTaj Mahal's blunt take on what holds people back
Taj Mahal is a blues legend. He's won a handful of GRAMMYs, including a Lifetime Achievement Award, and influenced generations of artists from Keith Richards…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonCarly Pearce reveals what success secretly cost her
Over the past decade, Carly Pearce has been one of country music’s most successful female artists with half a dozen platinum singles. She's won four ACM awards…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonHow Barbara Kingsolver gets past the fear of starting a new book
Since 1993, every book by Barbara Kingsolver has made The New York Times bestseller list. Her last novel, “Demon Copperhead,” won the Pulitzer Prize for…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonWhy Brandon Flowers trusts his own judgment over critics
Brandon Flowers is best known as the frontman of The Killers. All seven of their albums have gone top 10 in the U.S. and to number one in the U.K. Flowers has…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonWhat Holland Taylor learned from Stella Adler after 15 years of acting
The legendary Holland Taylor stars in the new Apple TV series Brothers, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It’s another iconic performance from the…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonWhat Holland Taylor learned from Stella Adler after 15 years of acting
The legendary Holland Taylor stars in the new Apple TV series Brothers, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It’s another iconic performance from the…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonCarly Pearce reveals what success secretly cost her
Over the past decade, Carly Pearce has been one of country music’s most successful female artists with half a dozen platinum singles. She's won four ACM awards…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonWhy everyone finds inspiration at Aaron Dessner's Long Pond Studio
We traveled to a special place this week: Long Pond Studio in upstate New York. It's the home and workplace of Aaron Dessner, a member of the indie rock band…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonMUNA on surviving a breakup while keeping the band together
A few years ago, my daughter shared a song with me and said, “You need to listen to this band.” I've been a fan of MUNA ever since. Katie Gavin, Josette…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonBen Schwartz shot an entire TV series with no buyer. Here's the plan
On this week’s episode, we’re catching up with an old friend. Ben Schwartz is on tour with his improv show “Ben Schwartz and Friends.” He’s voicing Sonic in…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonNile Rodgers on band speak: the language only he and Bowie understood
Our guest this episode, Nile Rodgers, has left an indelible mark on American music, as a guitarist, producer, and leader of the band Chic. Nile was just named…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonTom Morello's new album is a Rage fan's dream
Tom Morello is one of the great guitarists of our time, known for his epic albums with Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. We talk about his many…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonHow Sam Smith's songwriting changed on their new album
Our guest this episode, Sam Smith, is one of the most popular singers in the world. Sam's music has more than 57 billion streams. We first met in 2014 in Sam's…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonHow Sara Bareilles became a Broadway writer, Sondheim star, and sitcom lead
One of my favorite singers, Sara Bareilles, is our guest this episode. Sara's released five top 10 albums, written the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonBrittany Howard on the unexpected rise of Alabama Shakes
Brittany Howard has been ranked one of the greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone. Then there's that voice, which the New Yorker called "a mixture of…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonHozier: “My heart was just torn open”
Welcome to the debut episode of Alchemy! For our very first guest, I invited one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Andrew Hozier-Byrne. Between his breakout…
Alchemy with Anthony MasonIntroducing Alchemy with Anthony Mason
A first look at Alchemy, where award-winning journalist Anthony Mason sits down with the artists who shape our culture. First full episode Wednesday, September…