This week on the show, we hear from artists learning to live with the brokenness in life. In his return as Pedro The Lion, David Bazan looks back at his first shaky chance at independence while learning to ride a yellow bike. After a career on the road, he traces the loneliness that's followed him to that pivotal moment, feeling "that little ache inside." Meanwhile, Melbourne's Quivers comes out of a tragic loss with an anthem for living through pain: "All my best friends are broken. All the best people are."
Also on the show: Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers join Lucy Dacus as boygenius to plumb a deep break in the foundation of an imbalanced relationship; Barcelona's PAVVLA writes a song that questions the precarious normalcy of life and, pushing through warped production, finds a new appreciation for how fleeting everything can be; and after struggling with cancer, alcoholism and heartbreak, Rubblebucket returns with a celebratory blast of chaotic horns.
But first, at 92 and still smiling, Bob Boilen's mother deserves this shoutout: Happy Birthday, Buzzy. This week's songs are a great reminder that whatever pain we carry through our lives, we can't forget to celebrate life itself.
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