• Episode 21: Zara Larsson
    Oct 31 2025

    Zara Larsson has entered a new era. The Swedish pop star got her first taste of fame when she was just 10 years old, after winning the Swedish version of Got Talent back in 2008. Her single “Lush Life” catapulted her to international attention aged 17, the first of a series of hit singles including “Ain’t My Fault”, “Girls Like” with Tinie Tempah and “Ruin My Life”. Her fifth studio album, the dazzling Midnight Sun, was released in September 2025 ahead of her spot opening for Tate McRae on her Miss Possessive Tour. Still riding that high, she chats with Roisin about her pop girl status, the support she’s received from her peers and why she can’t help but fire back at the haters.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Episode 20: Bret McKenzie
    Oct 17 2025

    Bret. Brit? Britney? Oscar and Grammy-winning Flight of the Conchords star, composer, musician and actor Bret McKenzie is back with his new album Freak Out City, a lush, psychedelic trip of a record that takes its cues from The Beatles and ELO. In this episode, he regales Roisin with tales of his touring misadventures (heard the one about the tour manager who misplaced $5,000?), explains why bakeries are dangerous territory for a Conchord ("baguette?") and reveals how a mischievous Sir Ian McKellen got him scolded by Peter Jackson on the set of The Hobbit. He and Roisin also discuss the perils of dating in a small town, the weird briefs he gets while composing music for Hollywood blockbusters, and whether he and Jemaine Clement are working on a FOTC reunion...


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Episode 19: Taylor Swift special ft Professor Stephanie Burt
    Oct 3 2025

    Professor Stephanie Burt is described by The New York Times as "one of the most influential poetry critics of [her] generation", and in 2024 made headlines around the world when she offered a class at Harvard University titled "Taylor Swift and Her World". Her new book, Taylor's Version, is inspired by that course and offers in-depth critical studies of Swift's body of work for a wider audience. As the pop star releases her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, Professor Burt tells Roisin about how she first became drawn to Swift's songwriting and why she believes it's possible to make comparisons between her work and the poetry of Alexander Pope or William Wordsworth. She also picks her favourite Swift songs (currently) and unpacks "the two sides" of Swift: the relatable and aspirational.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Episode 18: Kojey Radical
    Sep 19 2025

    Kojey Radical doesn't rush greatness. His debut album, 2022's Reasons to Smile, received a spot on the Mercury Prize shortlist and plenty of critical acclaim to boot. Three years later, he's back with an even better work, Don't Look Down, which develops its predecessor's themes of fatherhood, Blackness, co-parenting, love, success and self-doubt. Seven years since they first met, he opened up to Roisin about why he's struggled to make relationships work and why, despite his fantastic career, he's still hit by feelings of imposter syndrome. They also dived into the making of Don't Look Down, which features an astonishing who's-who of some of the most talented musicians working today.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Episode 17: Jehnny Beth
    Sep 12 2025
    Jehnny Beth's fearless approach to her art has made her one of the most formidable and daring musicians of her generation. With longtime partner and co-producer Johnny Hostile, she adopted a DIY attitude to new album You Heartbreaker, You, slashing and burning anything that made them feel "bored". She and Roisin talk about the judgement and shame she felt growing up bisexual in Poitiers, France, her evolving attitude to relationships and monogamy, and why she doesn't think humanity is that evolved at all when it comes to love. They also realise that Jehnny was this* close to being Roisin's French teacher while working in Enfield, London, before her music career took off!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Episode 16: Bimini
    Aug 29 2025

    Musician, DJ, author and Drag Race UK star Bimini was a standout contestant on the 2025 series of Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, taking part in gruelling challenges alongside fellow celebrities such as musician Lucy Spraggan, dancer Louie Spence and former Love Island contestant Adam Collard. Bimini had plenty to reflect on after their time in the show, while also discussing their recent remix of Anastacia's "Left Outside Alone" and the poignant interpretation of it - plus their ADHD diagnosis, views on gender and non-binary identity, and whether they have plans to write another book. Also, the Shakespearean appeal of reality TV.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Episode 15: Caity Baser
    Aug 22 2025

    Caity Baser is spearheading a new wave of brilliant, bratty Gen-Z pop, but it wasn't an easy journey to get here. Her 2025 EP There, I Said It shows her at her most vulnerable, confessional self, delving into themes of trauma, healing, betrayal and love. In this candid conversation, she opens up to Roisin about how she's perceived by the public... and the side they don't know so well.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Episode 14: Tim Minchin
    Aug 8 2025

    Tim Minchin is an Australian musician, composer, lyricist, actor, director, writer and comedian. He wrote the lyrics and music to the Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage musical Matilda, as well as for the 2022 film adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Stephen Graham. In 2019, he co-produced, wrote, directed and starred in the comedy drama series Upright with Milly Alcock, returning for a second season in 2022. His latest album, Time Machine, was released in July 2025 to critical praise and a No 11 spot in the UK charts. In this revealing conversation, Tim speaks with Roisin about his fascinating career to date, his opinions on social shaming, religion and celebrity, his conflicted views on arts criticism and how he's depicted by critics, and why he enjoyed the divided reactions to his 2020 single 'I'll Take Lonely Tonight', about choosing fidelity over the opportunity to have sex with someone else.


    Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Hear This Now here, to get your weekly dose of the news, artists and features grabbing Roisin's attention.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 9 mins