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Norah Jones sits down with singer-songwriter, producer, and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Linda Perry for the first part of a two-part conversation and musical collaboration. The guest discusses her unexpected documentary, Let It Die Here, which captured her personal struggles, family trauma, and the process behind writing new solo material. The discussion covers her decision to leave Four Non Blondes at the height of their success, her extensive work as a producer and film scorer, and the unique genesis of her massive hit "What's Up?". The episode features stripped-down, intimate covers of The Cars' "Just What I Needed" and the iconic Four Non Blondes anthem performed live in the studio.
The episode opens with iHeart and sponsor advertisements before the host introduces the show.
Norah Jones welcomes Linda Perry and sets the stage for the interview.
Perry recounts how a documentary about his life sparked the creation of his new album.
Perry explains his process for scoring films, emphasizing restraint and emotional support.
Perry reflects on the challenges of balancing solo projects with the legacy of Four Non Blondes.
Perry shares his thoughts on songwriting, live performance, and the importance of authenticity.
Perry discusses upcoming projects, including a new Four Non Blondes record, and reflects on his career trajectory.
They rehearse a verse of the song, with one host expressing excitement and nervousness about performing it.
The guest recounts how he met Dolly Parton, wrote songs for her, and the collaborative process that led to the album.
The episode opens with host Norah Jones introducing the show and a series of commercial spots.
The hosts wrap up the episode, tease the next part, and provide final credits and acknowledgments.
Unintentional Documentary Creationstory
The guest explains how a simple behind-the-scenes film project by director Don Hardy unexpectedly turned into a deeply personal documentary about her losing her identity while producing other artists.
Spontaneous Late-Night Songwritingstory
The guest describes waking up at two in the morning to write a deeply personal song about her mother, bringing in strings and background singers the next morning to capture the performance in just four hours.
Improvised Live Performance Freedominsight
The guest shares that she could easily perform a completely unscripted 45-minute show on the fly, having previously toured with a band capable of following her spontaneous genre shifts.
Scoring With An Out-Of-Tune Pump Organstrategy
The guest details how she used an out-of-tune pump organ with reverb and delay while listening only to the film audio to score the movie Too Leslie.
Reforming Four Non Blondesstory
The guest explains how agreeing to play a festival offer from Bottle Rock led to a viral moment and the recording of a brand new Four Non Blondes album.
Writing Songs With Dolly Partonstory
The guest shares the story of working with Dolly Parton on the soundtrack for Dumblin', where they unexpectedly wrote six songs together in two days despite the country legend never having co-written with a woman before.
“The movie inspired the album, because once I saw what the movie was about, I was like...”
“You know what this film is? It's, it's what happens to all of us, but we don't film it and let other people see it.”
“When you showed up into the world with your, your music and your incredible voice,”
“Twenty-five years and life is still trying to get up that great big hill of hope”
“And, I mean, I have to tell you the story because it's pretty, it's one of my, you know,”
“But it's also such a contrast to what I do on my own. Like my record is dark. It's very thoughtful.”
GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry joins Norah for Part 1, looking back on the songs, records, and moments that have been part of her journey, with some special, reimagined duets in the mix.
11,995 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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