"When you've had a six decade long career at the forefront of contemporary music, and your record label issues a 27-disc box set called Collected Works, you tend to want to look back a bit," says New Sounds host John Schaefer. "Steve Reich is the subject of such a box set." Reich is also Schaefer's guest for the full hour of the show, in which they do look back to hear and discuss some of those earlier works as well as two new works in the set, Jacob’s Ladder (2023) and Traveler’s Prayer (2020). You can hear the episode via WNYC here.

"Every once in a while, you come across someone so skilled with an instrument that it makes you reconsider what you thought was possible," NPR's World Cafe contributing host Kallao says his guest. "That’s how it feels to watch Yasmin Williams play the acoustic guitar." Williams spoke with Kallao and performed songs from her new album, Acadia, and more. "It’s one of the most inventive and exciting performances we’ve had on the show." You can watch it here.

Laurie Anderson was on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends to talk with host Clive Anderson about her new piece ARK: United States V, the premiere performances of which continue at Factory International's Aviva Studios in Manchester through Sunday, and more. You can hear the conversation here. The Quietus highlights ten key tracks from her catalog, from "O Superman"—"her most definitive track"—to "Flying at Night" from her new album, Amelia, "a poignant, moving reflection on what our heroes reveal about ourselves."

Rhiannon Giddens spoke with NPR's Morning Edition about the area in and around the town of Swannanoa, in her home state of North Carolina, as it recovers from the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene. She also talks about an earlier tragedy in the region—a 19th-century train tunnel collapse—that inspired the old work song "Swannanoa Tunnel," which she recorded with Silkroad Ensemble. "Why were we given the ability to sing and touch people?" Giddens asks. "And this is why: when you think about the destruction, there are no words, so a song can tap into something that then releases energy—now I can cry. That's what it's for, helping us all with the emotions that are bigger than we know what to do with."

Natalie Merchant spoke with Sheroes host Carmel Holt, a longtime friend, on the latest episode of the show and its special ten-part series The Road to Joni, honoring Joni Mitchell. This week, on episode four, "The Bridge to Joni," Merchant discusses her own relationship with Mitchell's music and shares a previously unreleased recording of her performing "All I Want" from her personal archives. You can hear the episode, which also features Madison Cunningham, here.

"On Hurray for the Riff Raff's latest album, The Past Is Still Alive, songwriter Alynda Segarra acts as a reanimator, casting the old American cowboy myth in a new light, crafting heroic legends for long-lost friends of theirs, and finding ways to commune with their father, who they lost right before recording the album," Raina Douris, host of NPR's World Cafe, says of her guest. "I love this record." You can hear their conversation here. Segarra was also on ABC Radio National's The Music Show ahead of their Australian tour next month.

"Airplanes, and flying, is a recurring imagery in Laurie Anderson's music ever since her unexpected crossover hit 'O Superman' back in 1981," John Schaefer, host of WNYC's New Sounds, says of his guest. "She often takes a quizzical look at technology and flight has been no exception." Anderson was on the show to talk with Schaefer about her new album, Amelia, which tells the story of Amelia Earhart's last flight. She also joined Schaefer and others at WNYC's centennial celebration in Central Park's SummerStage, where she performed live with the band Sexmob. You can hear both here.

"My participation in country music was short lived, but it was the launchpad for my career," k.d. lang tells Talia Schlanger, guest host of CBC's Q, ahead of her reuniting with her band The Reclines for the first time in 35 years to perform on the Canadian Country Music Awards and her being inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame this weekend. "It's nice to be recognized, that I had an impact for that small amount of time ... I'm lit up about it, what can I say? It was a really fun period of my life." You can hear their conversation here.

Jeremy Denk was on BBC Radio 4's Front Row to talk with presenter Kirsty Wark about Charles Ives, ahead of Denk's celebration of the composer's 150th birthday in concert at the Lammermuir Festival in Scotland this weekend and on his upcoming album Ives Denk, due October 18 on Nonesuch. You can hear their conversation here at 17:30 minutes in.

Laurie Anderson will present a four-episode BBC Radio 6 Music Artist in Residence series December 16–19, 11pm–12am GMT. The themes of Anderson's four playlists: the real world; love and energy; loneliness and change; and the dream world. “It’s been a blast being your DJ and I hope you like the things I put together for 6 Music," she says. "I always wanted to have a late night radio show for people who are somewhere between awake and asleep. But even if you’re out and about—I hope you have a good time listening to some of my favorite music." Anderson is on BBC World Service's In the Studio, offering a front row seat as she put the finishing touches on her new album, Amelia, at Miraval Studios in southern France, with engineer Damien Quintard.

“I think a lot of my stuff is weirdly joyful about mortality, and this is no exception,” Caroline Shaw tells GBH News’ James Bennett II. The two sat down at the Newport Classical Music Festival last weekend for a track-by-track tour of her new album with Sō Percussion, Rectangles and Circumstance, as well as a conversation about songwriting, collaboration, copyright law, and more. You can listen to their conversation here.

"Since I was a kid, I was in love with the sky, the beauty of it, the freedom of it, like I could just float up forever," Laurie Anderson tells BBC Radio 4's Front Row presenter Tom Sutcliffe in a conversation about her upcoming album, Amelia, due August 30. "I remember as a kid doing that, running into the dark ... the ecstasy. Your arms are out like a plane, and you close your eyes and you run." You can hear their conversation here.