#alternativefacts

Will Toledo -- aka Car Seat Headrest -- was a Bandcamp legend by the time Matador Records signed him last year. He released 10 albums via the DIY platform and now, he's releasing his first LP of new material through the esteemed indie label. Will took us into the mindset of a musician making the big jump, and what it was like trying to secure the rights to use bits of Cars, Dido, and Neil Diamond songs on "Teens of Denial."  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Spirits" is an alternative radio hit, and it just might become an even bigger one. All this is relatively new for the Strumbellas, a Toronto-based folk-rock band that's come a long way since playing its first show in a farmer's market. Host Chris Payne chats with Simon Ward and Izzy Ritchie about how they've gotten this far and how they're handling their recent success.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New music, her Grammy nomination, Australian suburbs -- there was plenty to talk about when we caught up with Courtney Barnett before her performance at Coachella 2016's first week. She discussed how life's been since her breakthrough debut LP dropped last year and took us through her creative process in crafting new tunes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For X Ambassadors, success didn’t come overnight. The Ithaca, N.Y.-based band hit it big with the first single off their first full length, but an awful lot of pavement pounding preceded “Renegades” and the attention that came with it. On board Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise last month, we chatted with Sam and Casey Harris about the X Ambassadors story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Shamir's fans go by many names -- Shaqueers, Ratcheteers, Baby Ratchets. Whatever they're called, they're being inspired to challenge binary norms and follow their hearts by Shamir's funky, swaggering synthpop. It's brought Shamir from Vegas to an arena tour with Duran Duran, which he chatted about on this week's episode.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wolf Parade is reuniting and Operators just rolled out an excellent debut album. Dan Boeckner, the witty vocalist from both bands (and previously, many others)talked about the new tunes Wolf Parade recorded (and when to expect them) along with what Operators has kicking. And get ready to be inspired; Boeckner reflected on toiling through numerous dead-end jobs to forge a full-time life in music.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Out at sea, Chvrches joked and talked serious (but mostly joked) about sailing on Paramore’s cruise, fighting sexism in the industry, their diverse fanbase, new merch ideas (scratch ’n sniff and health goth, naturally), and wanting to see sharks.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Onboard Paramore’s Parahoy! cruise, Lights chatted about all sorts of things: her forthcoming “Midnight Machines” mini-album, traveling with her two-year old daughter, getting a "World of Warcraft" in-game item named after her, and getting noticed on MySpace a decade ago. For longtime fans and those who missed Lights' performances on the cruise, this is a must-listen!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pvris is destined for big things. The Massachusetts-based rock band built a formidable grassroots following behind its 2014 debut album "White Noise," which put them on the 2015 Warped Tour and nabbed them an opening slot on Fall Out Boy’s current arena tour. Members Lynn Gunn, Alex Babinski, and Brian MacDonald chatted with Chris Payne about how they got so far and what's next (hint: a second album).  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

New York City punks Big Ups came together several years back while studying music at NYU, so they’ve got plenty of good advice for students looking to get a new band off the ground. They explained the lyrical growth on their killer new record "Before a Million Universes" and why they're down for a nu-metal revival.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yeasayer gave a hilarious interview at with host Chris Payne. They've got a new album on the way ("Amen & Goodbye,” out May 1) and they reflected on being a band for a whole decade. Topics include how they've seen Brooklyn and Manhattan change before their eyes, Billy Joel, and why they might not want to still be alive in 2080.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chairlift's Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly stopped by the Billboard office and had plenty to talk about: how R&B and new age music have shaped them, how Caroline has names for her different singing voices, how Patrick's studio approach is different from many producers. Both agree that driven artists with a clear vision enjoy the most success in the music world. Prepare to be inspired.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ra Ra Riot frontman Wes Miles chats with Alt In Our Stars host Chris Payne about the band's new album "Need Your Light": collaborating with Rostam Batmanglij, pushing his voice to the limit, and how childhood friendships still affect his art today. Also, he explains what it's like to sing the National Anthem at an NFL game. It's kind of surreal.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Børns chats with Alt In Our Stars host Chris Payne about his 2015 debut album "Dopamine," how to convince him to take a selfie, how Coachella is different from Bonnaroo, and how vocalists can protect their voices on tour.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Host Chris Payne sat down for a fact (and sometimes opinion) -filled chat with Billboard chart staffers Emily White and Kevin Rutherford about some of this year’s most anticipated releases: Paramore, M83, LCD Soundsystem, The 1975, Weezer, and more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The political, saxophone-charged punk band Downtown Boys stops by Billboard for an interview with host Chris Payne. Topics include the new music they’re writing, wanting to perform with Bruce Springsteen, singing in both English and Spanish, how to get people to dance at shows, and how to keep that dancing non-violent and friendly.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Panic! frontman Brendon Urie swung by Billboard’s New York office to chat with host Chris Payne about new album "Death of a Bachelor." He also spoke on getting permission from the B-52s to sample “Rock Lobster,” performing in the 2015 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and being the kind of guy who rocks fedoras. The new album is heavily influenced by Frank Sinatra, after all.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Out promoting his Springsteen-esque country-rock album "Wild Ones," Kip Moore hops on the podcast for a revealing talk with host Chris Payne. He invites us into the psyche of a songwriter who fought for years to break into Nashville, and explains how to defeat the doubt -- and occasional depression -- that can plague musicians. He also reveals that he already has "three other projects" he's been working on since "Wild Ones."  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

HEALTH's "Death Magic" was one of our favorite rock albums of 2015. The band revisits the record in an interview with Billboard's Chris Payne -- pushing guitar music to the future, working with Haxan Cloak, projectile vomiting for a music video, and coming up in the L.A. noise scene centered around a venue called the Smell.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Arthur Ashin — the man behind the experimental R&B project Autre Ne Veut — will inspire you to do amazing things with your voice. And if you’re not much of a singer, he’ll give you plenty to think about regarding all things R&B and soul. He stopped by Billboard’s New York office for a chat with host Chris Payne about his dazzling new album Age of Transparency, why he prefers to be called “failure pop” instead of “PBR&B,” and much more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.