Accessibility links
World Cafe WXPN in Philadelphia and host Raina Douris present interviews and performances with today's essential and emerging artists.

World Cafe

Essential and Emerging Artists
Nick Lowe Performs 'Lay It On Me Baby' From His West London Home

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets at Shepherds Bush Empire Simon Jay Price/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Simon Jay Price/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Nick Lowe Performs 'Lay It On Me Baby' From His West London Home

XPN

Recorded with his longtime house band, Los Straitjackets, Lowe performs acoustic versions of songs from his latest EP.

Nick Lowe On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/925758638/925859197" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Margo Price Defies Expectations With 'That's How Rumors Get Started'

Margo Price Bobbi Rich/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Bobbi Rich/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Margo Price Defies Expectations With 'That's How Rumors Get Started'

XPN

Margo Price's new album rocks, which might surprise fans who grew to love the Americana star for her crystalline country voice.

Margo Price On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/925341748/925343822" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Mavericks Are Going Back To Their Roots On 'En Español'

The Mavericks Alejandro Menéndez Vega/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Alejandro Menéndez Vega/Courtesy of the artist

Latin Roots

The Mavericks Are Going Back To Their Roots On 'En Español'

XPN

Though they've done some songs in Spanish in the past, En Español is The Mavericks' first album entirely in Spanish.

The Mavericks On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/922983601/923005071" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Friction Is Essential To What Makes Sylvan Esso's Creative Collaboration Tick

Sylvan Esso Sylvan Esso/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Sylvan Esso/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Friction Is Essential To What Makes Sylvan Esso's Creative Collaboration Tick

XPN

Sylvan Esso's Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath share stories behind their beautiful new album, Free Love, and perform stripped-down versions of songs from the record.

Sylvan Esso On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/921762650/921886361" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Somewhere Between Bluegrass and Heavy Metal, Billy Strings Discovered His Own Sound

Billy Strings Shane Timm/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Shane Timm/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Somewhere Between Bluegrass and Heavy Metal, Billy Strings Discovered His Own Sound

XPN

Billy Strings learned to play traditional bluegrass alongside his stepdad Terry Barber. Later, he thrashed in local VFW halls while in the metal scene. Then, he discovered his own sound.

Billy Strings On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/919484113/921575206" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Jim James Talks My Morning Jacket's New Album And The Nature That Inspires Him

My Morning Jacket Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Jim James Talks My Morning Jacket's New Album And The Nature That Inspires Him

XPN

My Morning Jacket's latest album, The Waterfall II, is a collection of songs recorded in an isolated oceanside studio in Northern California.

My Morning Jacket On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/920315442/920320677" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Hear Dawes Perform On An L.A. Rooftop

Dawes lead singer and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith. Clara Balzary/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Clara Balzary/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Hear Dawes Perform On An L.A. Rooftop

XPN

We've got a live performance from Dawes and an interview with frontman Taylor Goldsmith.

Dawes On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/919484246/919489816" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Ann Powers Recommends 3 New Nashville Albums For Fall 2020

Hear Waylon Payne's "Shiver" in Ann Power's latest spotlight on Nashville music. James Minchin/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
James Minchin/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Ann Powers Recommends 3 New Nashville Albums For Fall 2020

XPN

World Cafe Nashville correspondent Ann Powers shares three recent releases that she's excited about.

Ann Powers' Nashville Recommendations For Fall 2020

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/918666833/918837113" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Billie Eilish On Speaking Up, Staying Hopeful And Keeping Busy During Lockdown

Billie Eilish and Finneas Kenneth Cappello / Matty Vogel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Kenneth Cappello / Matty Vogel/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Billie Eilish On Speaking Up, Staying Hopeful And Keeping Busy During Lockdown

XPN

Eilish and her brother and producer, Finneas, have been spending their time in quarantine writing new music. Hear about their songwriting process, plus a performance of three songs.

Billie Eilish On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/916598302/917704415" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Listen To The War And Treaty Perform 4 Songs From 'Hearts Town'

The War and Treaty David McClister/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
David McClister/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Listen To The War And Treaty Perform 4 Songs From 'Hearts Town'

XPN

Married and musical duo Tanya Blount-Trotter and Michael Trotter Jr's second full-length tackles topics of jealousy in relationships gone wrong and one of Michael's lowest moments.

The War & Treaty On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/916883154/916886817" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Thad Cockrell's Late-Night Cocktails With Brittany Howard Turned Into An Album

Thad Cockrell Jeremy Cowart/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Jeremy Cowart/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Thad Cockrell's Late-Night Cocktails With Brittany Howard Turned Into An Album

XPN

The Nashville singer-songwriter and Leagues frontman shares stories of how his latest album came to be.

Thad Cockrell On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/916484842/916494192" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Real Estate Performs 3-Song Quarantine Set For 'World Cafe'

Real Estate Jake Michaels/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Jake Michaels/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Real Estate Performs 3-Song Quarantine Set For 'World Cafe'

XPN

The full band got together to record performances exclusively for World Cafe and you'll hear how they decided to tweak the tracks from their new album, The Main Thing.

Real Estate On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/916018113/916076148" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Sarah Jarosz Stays Home And Explores A New 'World'

Sarah Jarosz Josh Wool/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Josh Wool/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Sarah Jarosz Stays Home And Explores A New 'World'

XPN

On her new album, World on the Ground, Sarah Jarosz explores the real and imaginary characters of her hometown.

Sarah Jarosz On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/913949394/915270426" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
The Triple Life Of Lori McKenna

Lori McKenna Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Becky Fluke/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe Words and Music from WXPN

The Triple Life Of Lori McKenna

XPN

In this session, Lori McKenna discusses being a mother of five, a celebrated Nashville songwriter, and a performer with 11 solo albums to her name.

Lori McKenna On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/914214140/914347163" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Nap Eyes' Nigel Chapman Is Always On The Brink Of A New Discovery

Nap Eyes Alex Blouin & Jodi Heartz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Alex Blouin & Jodi Heartz/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Nap Eyes' Nigel Chapman Is Always On The Brink Of A New Discovery

XPN

The Nap Eyes frontman's wheels are always turning, about himself, about creativity, about the universe and about music.

Nap Eyes On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/913944715/913958544" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
John Craigie Has A Knack For Spinning Stories

John Craigie Bradley Cox/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Bradley Cox/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

John Craigie Has A Knack For Spinning Stories

XPN

In this session, Craigie performs songs from his new album, Asterisk the Universe, and we get to hear what makes him such a great storyteller at his shows.

John Craigie On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/911906989/911914086" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Carolina Story's Music Has The Ability To Stop Time

Carolina Story Chrissy Nix/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Chrissy Nix/Courtesy of the artist

Nashville Sessions

Carolina Story's Music Has The Ability To Stop Time

XPN

The husband and wife duo's music shimmers, hangs in the air, leaving you not thinking about anything else. Hear a mini-concert in this session.

Carolina Story On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/911116780/911117742" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Will Toledo Takes Car Seat Headrest In A New Direction

Car Seat Headrest. Carlos Cruz Sol/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Carlos Cruz Sol/Courtesy of the artist

Studio Sessions

Will Toledo Takes Car Seat Headrest In A New Direction

XPN

On his band's latest album, Making a Door Less Open, Toledo expanded the scope of Car Seat Headrest's sound, embracing dance music wholeheartedly.

Car Seat Headrest On World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/910727012/910742529" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Hannah Georgas, The Other Singer-Songwriter Who Enlisted Aaron Dessner

Hannah Georgas Vannessa Heins/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Vannessa Heins/Courtesy of the artist

Music

Hannah Georgas, The Other Singer-Songwriter Who Enlisted Aaron Dessner

XPN

The Canadian singer-songwriter's new album, All That Emotion, was released on Friday.

Hannah Georgas on World Cafe

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/909733398/909744112" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Browse archive or search npr.org