This episode originally aired on October 19, 2023.
On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast we’ve got two women who lead fierce, fantastic rock bands: Karly Hartzman and Marisa Dabice.
Hartzman is the driving force behind the band Wednesday, which started as a solo-ish vehicle for her songs back in 2017 but has blossomed into a full band with an already-sizable catalog. Everything they’ve done is worth checking out, but it sure feels like Wednesday hit exactly what they’d always been striving for on the album Rat Saw God, which came out earlier this year. Hartzman’s lyrics are both pointed and poetic—amazing in their specificity and delivered with some serious passion, whether in a country-ish moment, or one that feels almost metal. Today’s other guest, Marisa Dabice, thinks Wednesday sounds like Black Sabbath meets Sparklehorse, which is both accurate and something that’s probably never been said about any band before. Check out “Bull Believer” from Rat Saw God.
Marisa Dabice is the voice behind Mannequin Pussy, a band that’s been releasing blistering music since 2010. Just this week, Mannequin Pussy announced the release of their long-awaited fourth album, I Got Heaven, which will come out in March of 2024. Hartzman, as you’ll hear in this conversation, has already gotten a listen to the record—which was produced with John Congleton—and she loves it. The title track is already getting rave reviews for taking Mannequin Pussy’s intense punk energy and adding a bit of sweetness with some synths and a sugary chorus, but those aspects almost make it sound even more confrontational in a way. In any case, it’s awesome: Check out “I Got Heaven” right here.
In this chat, these two friends talk about touring, and specifically about how unusual it can feel to perform—and how that can lead to actual tears on stage, not the most fun experience. They chat about the difference between Mannequin Pussy and Wednesday fans, and about the pressure to enjoy your success while it’s happening. Oh, and about saunas. You’ve gotta love a sauna. Enjoy.
Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Maria Dabice and Karly Hartzman for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting service, and check out all the goodness elsewhere on this site. This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time!
Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) with Claire Rousay
Rostam with Jason Stewart (How Long Gone)
Local Natives with Peel
Jeremiah Fraites (The Lumineers) with Gregory Alan Isakov
Joe Steinhardt and Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females) with Jo Firestone
John Grant with CMAT
Live at On Air Fest: Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen) with Randall Poster
Ben Kweller with Brendan Benson
Bob Odenkirk with Marcellus Hall
David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors) with Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie)
Jason Lytle (Grandaddy) with Gruff Rhys
Joe Wong with Mary Timony
Dawn Richard with Torres
Mac DeMarco with Kirin J. Callinan
David Wain (The State) with Craig Wedren
Sharon Van Etten with Charlotte Cornfield
Revisited: Stewart Copeland (The Police) with Jon Wurster
Revisited: Ben Nichols (Lucero) with Jeff Nichols
Revisited: Jemaine Clement with Ruban Nielson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free