Evidence of Thoughtfulness
(3 min)
If you haven’t heard the podcast Song Exploder or seen the Netflix adaptation of the show, here’s the elevator pitch:
“Song Exploder is a podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made.”
Past guests include Fleetwood Mac, Billie Eilish, U2, Metallica, Yo-Yo Ma, and The Roots, just to name a few.
Additional projects that the show's creator and host Hrishikesh Hirway has made are The West Wing Weekly with Joshua Malina, Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat, and Partners. Plus he presented an excellent TED Talk in 2021 titled “What You Discover When You Really Listen.” And he makes his own music both under his own name and as The One AM Radio.
It’s fair to say his body of work is very impressive.
Beautiful examples of curation and intentionality are found throughout his music, podcasts, collaborations, and guest appearances. A recent conversation he had on the podcast The Art of Curation with host Mia Quagliarello especially highlights why we, personally and with our own company ethos, resonate so much with Hirway and his work.
The Art of Curation seeks to understand and appreciate curation with guests from a variety of mediums. Midway through the captivating conversation, Quagliarello asks how songs are selected on Song Exploder. Hirway replies, “The biggest thing that I’m looking for is the evidence of thoughtfulness.”
Thoughtfulness.
It’s not a word that often springs to mind. Social media and algorithms, streaming platforms and advancements with AI all seem to encourage the opposite. When the “more is more” mentality is rewarded, thoughtfulness can fall by the wayside.
Instead of feeding an algorithm with sheer quantity, thoughtfulness nourishes through quality. It’s the difference between a viral video and one that creates a lasting impact. Thoughtfulness is that not-so-secret sauce behind so many of our favorite projects, including Song Exploder and any number of award-winning shows or movies.
Hirway’s insight into his process is a breath of fresh air. And rather than bemoan the current state of the world, we simply seek to spread the presence of thoughtfulness and curation by sharing stories like this and doing our best to walk the walk ourselves. With that we’ll raise a figurative glass to Hrishikesh Hirway, encourage you to check out his work and interview on The Art of Curation, and share a little “song exploding” of our own from TLL creative director, Daniel Holter.
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