Essential Tremors
A show in which musicians and other creators talk about the songs that shaped who they are. Distributed by WYPR, Baltimore's NPR affiliate, and hosted by Matthew Byars and Lee Gardner.
Essential Tremors is produced by Matt Byars and Lee Gardner and distributed by Your Public Studios.
Latest Episodes
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Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney discuss how music by Sinead O'Connor, the Pointer Sisters, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Kate Bush and the Wipers influenced their work. -
In this episode, guitarist and singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz talks about how songs by Nickel Creek, James McMurtry and Paul Simon shaped her work. -
Guitarist Marc Ribot discusses pieces by Frantz Casseus, Ornette Coleman and Chocolate Genius. -
Drummer Kassa Overall is steeped in jazz and has played with some of the greats, but he also came of age with hip-hop, and his polyglot solo work reflects a mix of those traditions. In this episode, he discusses how music by Ahmad Jamal, Digable Planets, and John Coltrane guided his art. -
Kurt Vile talks about how tunes by Lou Reed, the Pixies and Thelonious Monk shaped his work. -
John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats discusses how songs by Stockholm Monsters, Digital Underground and Ava Gabriel shaped his creative process. -
French musician Cécile Schott, who records as Colleen, talks about how music by Lee "Scratch" Perry, the Beatles and This Heat changed her life. -
Kim Deal talks about how songs by Hank Williams, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd shaped her course. -
Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood discusses how pieces by Abdel Halim Hafez, Kraftwerk and Mohamed Abdel Wahab influenced his recent album with Kuwaiti-Israeli musician Dudu Tassa. -
Reeds player Henry Threadgill discusses how music by Howlin' Wolf, Thelonious Monk and James Brown shaped his course.
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"Tremors" creators and co-hosts Matt Byars and Lee Gardner talk about the genesis and continuing joys of WYPR's long-running muse-of-the-music podcast. -
On the latest episode, Low frontman Alan Sparhawk talks about how the music of Roberta Flack, The Clash, and Pere Ubu shaped his work. -
In this episode of Essential Tremors, composer Ellen Fullman discusses the influence of traditional Ainu music, Central African polyphony, and composer Pauline Oliveros. -
Suzanne Vega has spanned four decades with her deceptively cool singing voice and urbane songwriting. On this episode, she discusses how the music of Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, and Lou Reed guided her path. -
Stephen Morris drove the shift from punk to postpunk as the drummer for Joy Division and New Order, and helped further open postpunk to new sounds. On this episode, he discusses how the music of Can, Terry Riley, and Grandmaster Flash shaped his course. -
Tricky has created his own sound world over the past 25 years, built from broken hip-hop beats, forlorn chanteuses, and shadowy mutters. In this episode, he talks about the impact of Nirvana, Billie Holiday, and T. Rex on his life. -
Singer/guitarist Mdou Moctar has blazed a trail for electrified Tuareg music from his native Niger through the music venues of Europe and the U.S. In this… -
Kristin Hersh has built a devoted following with her one-of-a-kind singing and songwriting, as a solo artist and as leader of the bands Throwing Muses and… -
Brandon Soderberg has worked as a music critic, an altweekly editor, and a reporter on the frontlines of protest. He’s now the co-author of I Got a… -
Amanda Shires has made her mark on American music as a singer, songwriter, and fiddle player, both solo and a member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit. On this… -
Thurston Moore's name and work have been ever-present in the last 40 years of underground culture, from his years in Sonic Youth and his solo career, his… -
Bob Mould has turned out decades worth of impassioned singing and songwriting as leader of Husker Du and Sugar and a longstanding solo artist. In this…