The Art of Longevity Episode 65: David Gray

The Art of Longevity Episode 65: David Gray

Author: The Song Sommelier November 11, 2024 Duration: 1:11:44
Artists have a duty to claim that their most recent project is the best work they have ever done. But what if it’s true? I’m so taken with David Gray’s new album Dear Life (released January 2025) - and so too is David of course - that it seemed churlish to dwell too much on his earlier career success, no matter just how definitive that was. “I’m always all in with the new stuff. If I wasn’t I would just retire. It’s always a moment of total commitment. I like the danger of writing and recor...

The Art of Longevity, hosted by The Song Sommelier, sits at the crossroads of music, history, and the often-unseen business behind it. This isn't a typical interview podcast; it's a series of candid, in-depth dialogues with artists who have built careers spanning decades. Each conversation explores the real journey-how these musicians have weathered the industry's constant shifts, creative droughts, and commercial pressures to not just survive, but to continue evolving and connecting with audiences. We get into the specifics: the collaboration that saved a career, the business decision that changed everything, the fanbase that grew quietly over years. The discussions move fluidly between past triumphs, current projects, and future ambitions, always grounded in the artist's personal definition of success. It's about the resilience required to make art for a lifetime. Tune in for these uniquely honest reflections on what it truly means to last.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

The Art of Longevity
Podcast Episodes
The Art of Longevity Season 8, Episode 2: Half Moon Run [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:16
I had invited Half Moon Run onto the podcast after first hearing Salt - imploring their BMG PR to arrange it as a matter of priority. Speaking with Dylan Phillips was an insight behind the creative process of the (decade…
Season 8 Preview: The Goo Goo Dolls, with John Rezeznik [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:19
So many bands have a complex relationship with their biggest songs (probably because they essentially set a one dimensional benchmark - that of popularity) but dealing with that and playing those songs like it’s the last…
The Art of Longevity 50th Episode: Corey Taylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:47
What better guest for this 50th episode of The Art of Longevity than metal’s renaissance man Corey Taylor? A modern legend of the heavy metal genre, Corey has no less than three successful music projects. He is probably…
The Art of Longevity Season 7, Episode 7: The Walkmen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
Following the highly accomplished 2012 album Heaven, cult American indie band The Walkmen went on hiatus. But now they have reformed. In a recent interview with the band’s frontman Hamilton Leithauser, Vulture magazine r…
The Art of Longevity Season 7, Episode 6: Ron Sexsmith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:36
After he “couldn’t get arrested” in the 80s, post-grunge opened a window through which a then 30-year old Ron Sexsmith could climb. With his sincere, low-key ballads and simple songs straight from the heart, as was his 1…
The Art of Longevity Season 7, Episode 5: Ben Folds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:34
For Ben Folds, coming back on the scene with a new studio album feels like a breeze, literally: “I Feel like the expectations are lowered but I have the wind on my back”. In June 2023 Ben releases What Matters Most, his…
The Art of Longevity Season 7, Episode 4: John Grant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:59
Asking John Grant to describe the essence of the record he is working on now, elicits a response that fascinates from the get go. “I’m trying to marry the vibe of Blade Runner with - wait a minute - let me go and get thi…
The Art of Longevity Season 7, Episode 3: Joseph [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:46
What’s more important in securing a band’s longevity - hit songs or a classic album? I put this question to Meegan and Allison Closner (the twin sisters that make up two-thirds of Joseph along with their sister Natalie C…