Audacy Check-In

The picture of Olivia Rodrigo’s third studio album, 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,' is becoming clearer, as the GRAMMY-winning singer recently shared the project’s second single, “the cure.” Olivia joined us inside the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York for another Audacy Check In, this time talking about her latest track, her first performances, and more insight into the upcoming release. “It's my favorite song on the album. I think it's sort of the thesis statement of ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,’” she reveals. “It's just sort of about me realizing that, love doesn't solve all your problems, which I sort of thought that it would when I was younger. And [it] took me a long time to come to that realization.” “Writing the song about it felt like a real moment of catharsis and self-growth, and I just love it. It really moves me.” When asked by Mike Adam about the “final touch” to the track that made her feel like it’s complete, Rodrigo looked back on the screams of “I’m unraveled.” “I kept wanting it to be louder and more screamy,” Olivia admits. “I screamed it a few times, and couldn't quite get it right but then finally landed on the right one.” “Sometimes it is good to not be in like great vocal health when you're recording those songs because it feels a little raspy and rockstar or something like that. Don't show this to my voice teacher.” Without sharing titles, Rodrigo did offer another glimpse into her third album that arrives in a few short weeks. “One of the songs on the record is like a real love song,” she shares. “It sort of reminds me of a song that people would play at their weddings, hopefully,” she adds with fingers crossed. “It was the first time I've written a song like that that is just like pure romantic love, joyful vibes. I think that was a fun creative challenge for me as a songwriter to do something like that.” For more from Olivia Rodrigo on inspiration, her first performances, check out the full conversation above. you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love arrives everywhere on June 12.

Kevin Jonas recently joined us inside the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York to celebrate the release of his new song, “Little Things” during an Audacy Check In, hosted by Mike Adam. An ode to his wife of 17 years, “Little Things” celebrates the small moments in their life that add up to a big reason why they are still going strong. It’s a song so good that Kevin interrupted a family dinner out, to listen to it for the first time with his wife, Danielle. “We actually stood up at dinner and actually went out to the car, and listened to the song,” Kevin says when first getting the track back. They listened to it “like 5 more times,” before returning to finish their meal. “She loved it, definitely one of her favorites.” “What's really cool about, I think all of our wives, especially mine, they are pop girlies,” Jonas says. “When their gut's like, ‘Yo, this is the one,’ it's like you kind of need to listen.” Even the kids are hyped for Kevin’s music, acutely aware of the JoBros phenomenon at ages 12 and 9. “The first time they ever came to a show was the ‘Happiness Begins’ tour,” he says. “I had been doing this already for 10, 12 years before that, but of course, the band had broken up.” “It's really cool to see that my girls were excited about my music.” Before letting Kevin go, Mike Adam had to ask the Disney star about his own Disney Mount Rushmore. Who would he place in those prestigious places? “This is hard. I'm just gonna go with, Cheetah Girls straight across,” he answers, trying to avoid. “No, you can't do that. That's cheating,” fires back Mike. “OK, so Cheetah Girls is like the OG. Hilary Duff, the OG. Phineas and Ferb, they've got some really good songs on there, and then of course the Jonas Brothers.” To hear more from Kevin Jonas on new music and more, check out the full conversation above.

During a visit to the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York, Myles Smith sat down with Mike Adam for an Audacy Check In, offering a look at his life before his success in music, and a preview of his upcoming debut album. Before the success of “Stargazing” and the the start of Smith’s rise in the music industry, Myles shares that he had started a consulting business, backed by his degree in sociology. “I had my own consultancy in business management, so I used to like help businesses run their management and operations, pretty boring,” he laughs. There are things that he carries with him through his sociology experience, including the simple yet often hard to grasp concept of how similar we are. “I think it's just like understanding people and like the trends and patterns,” he says. “No matter where we are in the world, just how much we experience life in such similar ways, and it's so beautiful.” 'My Mess, My Heart, My Life.' is the debut album from Myles Smith, and it arrives everywhere on June 19. The final tracklist consists of 10 "brand new tracks" and 5 songs that document his "journey here," which he views as a way to "round off chapter one” of his career. “The most vulnerable I feel is definitely when I'm writing,” he admits. “There's no real stop gap between my brain and what goes onto a record and I I love doing it that way. I think the more that you try to like polish things or make them sound how you think people want to hear them, the worse the song gets, so I just try and write as authentically as possible.” To hear more from Myles Smith about collaborating with his favorite artists and what he’s learned from Ed Sheeran, check out the full conversation above.

New Gracie Abrams music is out in the world, as the GRAMMY-nominated singer has revealed her new single, “Hit the Wall,” along with plans for her third studio album, 'Daughter from Hell,' where she once again teams with producer Aaron Dessner. Abrams joined us this week inside the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about the new project, along with her first film role, and recent visit to The Met Gala. Sitting for an Audacy Check In with Mike Adam, Gracie detailed the upcoming A24 film she’s set to be a part of, as well as the making of 'Daughter from Hell,' which arrives everywhere on July 17. “We challenge each other,” Abrams says as she praises her collaborator, Aaron Dessner, “and some of my favorite experiences in the studio with him is when we disagree because it always teaches me something. I love him for a million reasons, but I really appreciate that he's kind of helped instill in me that you don't need to make a radical change in order to put out a new album. It doesn't have to sound 100% different than your last thing. It can be a continuation and a discovery of what made you fall in love with writing in the first place.” “This album to me feels like an elevated version of our process working together and I'm very proud of it.” So for Gracie, does that make the creative process easier after years of collaboration and earned understanding? “It was actually not,” she admits. “I think it was more intricate. As a whole, it was more intricate. I feel everything, we ran all of it through with a fine tooth comb and this was like the most I've ever been involved in production before. Aaron and I have such a shorthand, like the way that we describe sounds or what we want, it's like the very exciting part of being in the studio together, and so to see it come to life in the way that it has with this album means a lot to me.” “But the process of getting there was not always easy and I think the first songs that we made for this album we wrote two years ago,” Abrams shares. “I think what differed with this process was like being off tour and having like 5 months of not being on the road to sit with all the songs and to let my nervous system sort of reset. I feel like there's more patience, kind of less manic energy in this music.” “It feels more thoughtful, but I think that also just comes with age and time and giving yourself and the subjects of your songs more grace, and so hopefully that's felt.” To hear from Gracie about her experience at The Met Gala, her thoughts on Noah Kahan’s new album, and more, check out the full conversation above. 'Daughter from Hell' is out everywhere on July 17.

Teddy Swims is launching into a new chapter, full of amazing dad energy, appreciation, and the sweet and humble spirit that has made him so beloved by fans. The GRAMMY-nominated singer recently stopped by for an Audacy Check In with Bru, to talk about what’s next, and the everlasting legacy of his hit, “Lose Control.” Nearing his first birthday, Swims remains glowing about his son and life as a dad. “He'll be a year on June 23rd, man,” he says, astonished. “It's kind of nature, like it's kind of ingrained in you. The the first time I met him, you know, I got to hold him when he was born it was like there was so much that was like, as soon as I held him I was like, ‘I've always been your dad.’ I think it's so primal, things that you just know what to do and how to do, and your instincts are cat-like all of a sudden when he's around, you know what I mean?” “There's so many things that I felt like I was going to be so ill prepared for, because I totally didn't read the books or do the things, but I was like, ‘OK, well, I get it.’ I think I'm doing all right and my dad's the best dad in the world, so I just kind of try to copy and paste and call and ask questions when I can and be like, ‘Dad, am I like doing good?’” As Swims enters his next project, including the recently released “Mr. Know It All,” he emphasizes the importance of surrounding himself with musicians who are better than him. "I mean truly, like if you're the best guy in the room, you're probably in the wrong room,” he shares. With an upcoming North American arena tour, Teddy stresses the challenge of maintaining intimacy on a big stage. “We've been playing arenas pretty much everywhere except for America,” he says. “Live music has still gotta be that fun too, and not that it's any less fun in a big arena or something, it's just that like there's so many tiny moving parts that go into it that there's not as much room for like, ‘Hey man, forget this, let's play this song instead.’ You know what I mean?” In any room, “Lose Control” remains a force, and a song that will stay with Teddy Swims forever. “It's gonna outlive me,” admits Teddy. “It's one of the greatest tunes ever, it's done like so much and it's got so many accolades to it and it just continues to grow and it's still crushing.” “I just recently performed at Preservation Hall, with the band there in New Orleans, and this lady came up to me and she was like, ‘you know, when you got up there, I was like, this guy just kind of looks like Post Malone and Jelly Roll had a baby and I was like, what is this guy gonna sound like and then he started playing ‘Lose Control’ and I was like, oh, that's that guy. I know that.'” For much more from Teddy Swims, check out the full conversation above.

Continuing a crossover revolution, MONSTA X made history once again earlier this month with the release of their 3rd English language album, 'Unfold.' The first K-pop group to release 3 LPs in English finds themselves continuing to level up their game with growth and healing on the new project, and they stopped by our Los Angeles studios for an Audacy Check In with Bru to talk all about it. While sitting with Bru, the members of MONSTA X reflected on the changes and progress experienced in the five years since their last full English album, emphasizing the value of patience and consistency. They described 'Unfold' as having more "emotions” and more “skills" than their previous outings, and they continue to upgrade their sound and overall experience. 'Unfold' also sees MONSTA X experimenting with new sounds, like the bombastic gospel soaring of the focus track, “heal,” and doubling down on dance-floor flooding melodies on songs like “baby blue,” or sincere and serene ballads like “before you met me.” There is still a lot these trailblazers want to do sharing the goals of performing an all-English setlist during their US tour, achieving a stadium tour in America, and winning a GRAMMY, but through it all there’s one constant, “everything” is for the fans. For more from MONSTA X, check out the full conversation above.

Meghan Trainor is dancing her way through the pain, as the GRAMMY-winning singer has returned with the new album, 'Toy With Me,' bright and beautiful but fueled by some real tough emotions behind-the-scenes. Trainor recently stopped by for an Audacy Check In with Bru, and told us that a combo of kids, learning about herself, and a barrage of online criticism served as the backdrop to her latest effort, writing 'Toy With Me' as a form of “therapy.” “I'm overwhelmed and frustrated and angry and learning about my body still, like ADHD, I just got diagnosed with,” Meghan reveals. “All my 3 kids are at that young age where they're going to school and they're picking up germs, so all in one week there's been a lot of diarrhea and pink eye, and infections and, so I'm very overwhelmed, and angry.” “I was very angry and sassy, like ‘Get In Girl,’ was written about a real breakup that happened in my family, and so I was so heartbroken. A lot of my online content I just got so much hate for the first time ever, like back right back on my body. Everyone just wants to talk about my body and it was heartbreaking, but I got to write all these bangers out of it and so I'm using this album as my therapy to get me out of this little dark overwhelmed cloud that I'm in. So I can go dance and party and celebrate and escape this crazy world for a minute.” After running through some of her music video moments from 'Toy With Me,' the talk turned to Meghan’s personal life, which includes a recent renewal of vows with her husband, and having 3 children. For Meghan her experience in being a Pop star has laser focused some of the feelings all parents have, especially with her daughter. “A majority of my job is being commented on, on my body and it's never about like my talent or my songs anymore. It's all like what she looks like her with bangs, her outfits, her choices, and I wanted to write on this album like, ‘buckle up daughter like this world it's gonna be a little bit rough for us,' but I didn't end up doing that. I just wrote these big anthems that are like, ‘I don't care about what people think. It's OK.’" “I went in that direction instead of just being sad,” she adds. “It changes a lot, it's just like highlighted. I think everyone feels these things with social media, but mine has like 18 million people looking.” For much more from Meghan Trainor, check out the full Audacy Check In above. Toy With Me is now available everywhere.

Fresh from the debut of her new single, “drop dead,” and an appearance on the Coachella stage, Olivia Rodrigo made her way to our Los Angeles studios for an Audacy Check In conversation with Bru. Rodrigo's third studio album, 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,' is set to arrive on June 12, packed with freedom, fun, and a personal challenge to herself as a songwriter. "I just love writing songs so much and I hope that my love for writing and music comes through in these songs,” she says. “I just had a blast and I felt really free and happy and I hope that that's, you know, palpable on the record." “So many of the songs are about joy, which is really fun to write about for the first time,” Olivia adds. “There's obviously a lot of sadness and longing and whatever I injected into it, but, yeah, I feel really free and I feel like more myself than ever and, I'm just really, really excited for people to hear the whole album.” Being in what she calls her first “big girl relationship,” Rodrigo took up the challenge of writing something meaningful. “Writing a song about happiness is a lot harder than writing a song about heartbreak, I think.” “It was sort of challenging myself to make a love song and also sort of talk about some of the more negative feelings that go along with being in romantic relationships, like, longing and yearning and jealousy and missing your partner while they're away, and that was kind of the the challenge for me is to try to marry those two worlds.” It all fits within the title, which Rodrigo says came from talk with her producer, Dan Nigro. "I was having a conversation with my producer Dan about something and he was like, ‘oh, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,’ just in conversation. I was like ‘that's it. That's gonna be the album title.’ I'm really happy with it. It really captures, I think, the entire thesis statement of what I was trying to do." The next chapter for Olivia began earlier this month with “drop dead,” and a visual of her running through the Palace of Versailles. “It's so stunning and we were lucky enough to be able to film there basically alone for like a night, which was so rad,” she reveals. “I felt like I was in ‘Night at the Museum.’ I felt like the statues were gonna like come alive and start jousting or something." "It was so special and, I think that that song, ‘drop dead,’ is sort of about like falling for someone and dreaming so big and having all these high hopes, and so I think the Palace of Versailles is such a great backdrop for it because there's so much opulence and so much like glitz and glamour and when you're like falling in love with someone for the first time I think that that's sort of what it feels like, or that's what you're hoping for, and so I'm really happy with it.” For more from Olivia Rodrigo, check out the full conversation above. 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love' is out everywhere on June 12.

Fresh off the release of “Who Will You Follow,” Evanescence have revealed plans for their upcoming album, 'Sanctuary,' due out June 5. Amy Lee joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In to talk touring, the inspiration for the album, and what it means to balance motherhood and music. .The album has been a work in progress for "3 years solid," with Amy sharing that the new song, "Who Will You Follow," was the second-to-last track written for the project. “I felt very fueled, by the state of the world creatively,” she says of the song and album. “I feel like I have a ton to get off my chest. This music is a sanctuary for me.". ."I've been kind of underground for the beginning of this year. I just sort of had to disappear and finish all the lyrics, which seemed more important than ever, and finally pulled my head up and we just finished the album.”. .Lee views the music, and the new album 'Sanctuary,' as a personal haven and a space for self-expression without censorship. She also notes that she is now less "precious and insecure" about collaboration than earlier in her career, working with 3 producers on the new project. “It's just like, here it is,” says Amy. “I'm not afraid of rejection. I want to open my heart to hear what somebody else has to say.”. .“I feel like, when we were making our first music, when we were making our first album, I was just shy. It was hard to share with anybody and also, you know, really trying to prove myself in those first couple of albums, especially like as a writer. Everybody knows I'm a singer, but like let me do my s*** all myself, a lot of the time, when it just doesn't have to be that way.” . .“Music is from the universe, like all these things that we share, this is spiritual, this is deeper than one person's journey, but at the same time it's all very, very specifically personal to me in my life.”. .For more from Amy Lee of Evanescence, check out the full conversation above.

Evanescence have offered up the first official sample of their upcoming album, 'Sanctuary,' and Amy Lee stopped by our Los Angeles studios to unpack their latest effort during an Audacy Check In with Kevin Ryder. Set to arrive on June 5, 'Sanctuary' finds the band in a “huge creative burst,” thanks in part to collaboration with producers Nick Raskulinecz, Zakk Cervini, and Jordan Fish. “We've worked with some incredible people this time around, Three producers actually,” Amy explains. “So as a team, being in there with them and creating these songs, and we just had a huge creative burst. It has been, just a, I don't know, like a new energy. It's hard to really explain, but it feels really special.” It starts now with the new single, “Who Will You Follow,” which Amy reveals is about breaking through the lies to what’s real. “I feel like we're just inundated with so much information now, with people that have a stake in what we believe,” Lee says. “It feels like truth is for sale. So this for me is about breaking through that into the real world and, the album, you know, it's called ‘Sanctuary,’ it's like that. It's a sanctuary, not an escape from this chaotic, surreal, violent time, but escape from the lies, saying that we're not living in that crazy time.” “It is a sanctuary of truth and community,” she adds. “Moving from the song to album, I just feel like this music is a sanctuary for me. It has been. It is every time, you know, last time we made an album, it was the pandemic hitting all around us at the same time and kind of wondering what's next and how do we go on tour and will things ever be normal again. I think when we're in these big, in my life, powerful and painful and difficult moments, and also in the outside world going through these wild moments where we feel like we don't have control and things are slipping through our fingers, the music is a place for me to be able to say anything. No censorship, no holding back. Nobody's telling me I can't, anything. It's our world, and it just feels so beautiful also to give somebody else something that gives them joy.” For much more from Amy Lee of Evanescence, check out the full conversation above.

Just days after the release of their triumphant return to music, 'ARIRANG,' the members of BTS gathered inside the Rockstar Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk with Bru about the emotions surrounding their return, the lessons they learned while they were away, the making of their chart-topping album, and so much more. Starting with the lead single, “SWIM,” BTS unpacked their now-number one album, 'ARIRANG,' saying that the track is one they connected with the most when recording in the states. “This was the track we connected with the most,” shares Jimin, “which is why we chose it as our lead single. “What personally resonated with me was the idea that BTS is a team with room for continuous growth, one that keeps moving forward toward better music That message really stuck with me and felt just right for the lead single.” “We felt like we have to come back with a big project,” RM reveals, when asked why the group went all out with a full album for their return. “With fresh new songs.” Even when away from the spotlight, BTS would connect in the group chat about what the next chapter might look like, sending each other links of inspiration and ideas, according to V. The result is an album packed with collaboration and purpose, with each member quick to shout out a different track that they were most proud of. There were a lot of emotions for both fans and the members of BTS during their time away, but the overwhelming lead of it all was imagining how it would feel to reunite with each other. “I think the first emotion or the first thought that came to mind was just curiosity about what it would be like when we get back together, and what kind of music would we do as a group?” shares j-hope. “So we just wanted to get back together as soon as possible and just get on to it.” There were also moments of missing out along the way, wondering what would be if they were together. “So I was the first one who got discharged from the group,” says Jin. “I went to the Paris Olympics for the torch relay. That's when Jimin's album was released when he was in the military, and I felt like it would've been really nice if Jimin got out to enjoy this and celebrate this together.” It’s a rarity that a group the magnitude of BTS gets to experiment with solo projects as much as the members have, each bringing something new to the mix when it was time to come back. “I felt a lot of that while working on this album,” Jung Kook says. “Like j-hope mentioned earlier, that was why I have been looking forward to working together again as a group, because we couldn't be there to witness each other growing through all those experiences and time. So I was very much looking forward to this song session and then this project.” “We just want to have a good time with the ARMY and the people that love us and listen to us,” RM reveals about the group’s legacy, something he says they have collectively discussed quite a bit. “We just want to claim ourselves again, we started rooted in Korea, and now we're here.We're in New York, we're in Europe, we're everywhere, but still, we just wanna make it clear, we all born in Korea, started everything in Korea. We just wanted our new album and our sound from now on could be universal and eternal like the Korean traditional song.” The group also took time to talk about what’s left on their bucket list, their Netflix special, and the role that fashion plays in the group. “Honestly, back when we first debuted, I don't think I had much room to think about things like matching the outfits to the music,” smiles j-hope. “But now it just goes shoulder to shoulder. Fashion inspires our music and I definitely think that fashion is a way to express our music in a better way.” For much more from BTS, check out the full conversation above.

As Young The Giant prepares to reveal their sixth studio album, 'Victory Garden,' the band stopped by the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about their evolution over the past 15 years, and the lens from which they created their latest project. “There's always more that we want to say,” admits Sameer Gadhia, “and we don't feel anywhere close to having said all of it. So I think there's this inevitability of an inspiration for a record and music.” “When creating this particular record, we're really yearning to kind of come together and get back to our roots as like brothers,” adds Eric Cannata, “and kind of build community within each other, and check in with all of us where we're at, and I think our yearning to kind of be together in a room writing, recording everything, sort of echoes, at least from what you know we discussed with our family and friends and communities, what a lot of people are feeling right now is, the desire to get back to our humanity.” “Being together and viewing the world through the eyes of our children, of all of these guys have young children, and so with that the idea of viewing the world through the lens of a child, it comes like the idea of being present with one another and having empathy for one another so we're really trying to channel that and going forward into our new writing, future writing, I think it's almost become a little bit of like what Young the Giant at its core is about, is viewing the world through the eyes of a of a child.” “It's difficult what's going on right now in the world and I think that if we can bring that sense of humanity that we were searching for within each other that we're still searching for with each other, that hopefully people can feel at home at our shows.” For much more from Young The Giant, check out the full conversation above. 'Victory Garden' is out everywhere on May 1.

The Pussycat Dolls are back, bringing their unshakable hits to a new generation and starting a new chapter with a massive tour and the new single, “Club Song.” The trio recently joined Mike Adam inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In, talking about the differences between now and their 2005 success, and so much more. When asked if there are any new fears or concerns about hitting the road today compared to 20 years ago, Nicole Scherzinger was quick to joke, “when you say fear I think of my knees, my neck, my lower back." “I am just so excited to get back out there and the excitement is overrunning everything at the minute,” adds Kimberly Wyatt. “But the fear comes in place of just trying to get the balance right, trying to keep the mindfulness strong, trying to make sure I'm there for the kids, and they know that that mommy's still in their lives and taking them with me as much as possible, just getting that balance.” “I think enjoying it a bit more,” Ashley Roberts chimes in. “20 years ago, you know, everything was happening so fast and our schedule was nuts and it will be so nice this time around to share the stage with these gorgeous, fabulous women and then also just soak up every moment, be present, and enjoy it a bit more.” These fierce women might need “reminding a little bit” when it comes to the lyrics, but they noted that TikTok and the younger generation have kept PCD current. “The great thing about TikTok and this younger generation is they're still recreating fun things to our songs, but sometimes things will come up and I'm like, ‘wait, was that us? Did we say that? What was it?’” laughs Ashley. “I feel like I need reminding a little bit.” So much has changed across the musical landscape in the past two decades, but also in the way the members of The Pussycat Dolls approach their mental health. “There's so much more awareness and I felt so I was a little lost soul back then,” admits Kimberly. “Looking for the dream and doing anything and sacrificing to just make that dream come true. But man, when your dreams come true and you realize there's a lot of inner work that still needs to be done, that is an endeavor worth taking.” “I think we've all been on such a journey to finally arrive here, and what makes this so special is to have those experiences, be women, know our value, own our power and be able to show up. It's like, I know these girls, but we're showing up with so much work that has been done, and that is a much different showing up.” To hear much more from The Pussycat Dolls about their return and the new track, “Club Song,” listen to the full interview above.

There’s music videos and then there is The Pretty Reckless’ visuals for “When I Wake Up.” The group revealed the clip earlier this month, feature a POV romp through sex, drugs, cigarettes, more sex, drinking, photo booths, more cigarettes, and even more sex. Even in 2026, it left us saying, “is this allowed?” The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen recently joined us for an Audacy Check In to talk about the video, and the band’s upcoming album, 'Dear God,' set to arrive everywhere on June 26. “I think my first thought when we put it out was, really all I thought for the first day was, ‘at what point is this going to get taken down?’” Momsen tells Abe Kanan. “It was an undertaking on my part. We shot for two days, I'm directing it with Chris Acosta. I filmed most of it, like physically. It's the visual representation of, to me, what ‘When I Wake Up’ is about.” “It's like the song. It's a lot of fun to watch, but it takes a dark turn. It's what ‘When I Wake Up’ is saying. We all know the story, you know, we've all heard it before. Some of us have lived it. I'm one of those people. It's where you live a life of excess and debauchery and chasing things outside of yourself to escape your demons and whatever's tormenting you, and that only goes one way at the end of the day, that only goes down. So that's what the song is, and that's what I really wanted the video to feel like, to really take you on that journey with me of something that I lived and survived.” The song is set to be a part of 'Dear God,' due out everywhere on June 26. “It's very exciting to have new music out. It's even more exciting to have a release date for the full album. It's even more exciting to know there's a headline tour on the way because it cannot wait to be headlining again. It's been amazing. I feel like we're in a really good place and everything that's about to come is just incredibly exciting.” To hear for the full conversation with Taylor Momsen, check out the Audacy Check In above.

Shinedown is "everyone's band," as they say, and boy are we all busy this year. The multi-genre, chart-topping, non-stop group is set to release their eighth studio album on May 29, titled, 'EI8HT,' and embark on their 'Dance, Kid, Dance Act II Tour' as well. Brent Smith recently joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In to talk about the making of their latest project, and share tour plans for this year and beyond. "I'm excited for everybody to hear the entire record," shares Smith. "One of the things about this album that is different than the last two is that this isn't a conceptual piece, so it's more of a traditional record where all of these songs belong on the same body of work, but every song is its own story." "It is considered an album, but it's essentially a double record," Brent adds. "This album took about a year and a half years to make. When I'm looking at like when we started it and how we were putting everything together, and obviously last year, releasing 4 singles, then doing the 'Dance Kid Dance Tour,' that's now parlaying into this year with Act 2. That was all by design, but the thing about the record is that there's not one ounce of filler on this particular project. Not that we ever look at making a record and we put filler on the other albums in our catalog, but you can hear it in the way that we've structured this and that it is very much an emotional ride." To hear more about the band's setlist plans for their upcoming tour, and the possibility of a "Deep Dive" tour where the band digs into their b-sides, listen to the full conversation with Brent Smith of Shinedown above.

Death Cab for Cutie have emerged from their anniversary celebration of 'Plans' with new music. The group has announced their 11th studio album, 'I Built You A Tower,' out everywhere on June 5, and shared the first sample with the song, "Riptides." Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer from the group recently stopped by our KROQ studios in Los Angeles to talk with Megan Holiday about the new project, reconnecting to their earlier work, and how personal grief management helped inform the album. While on tour to celebrate the milestone for 'Plans,' and coming off anniversaries for the album 'Transatlanticism' and The Postal Service's 'Give Up,' singer Ben Gibbard was also going through a divorce, having to put the emotions surrounding his relationship aside to perform in arenas across the country. "It was a really difficult period in my life, but I was also tasked with going on stage in arenas and translating these records, performing these records for people," Ben admits. "I had to compartmentalize everything I was going through personally in order to perform every night, which is something that people have to do in their daily lives. We all have to do that in order to do our jobs. If we're gonna do our jobs well, we have to leave certain stuff at the door and come in and try to execute our jobs," he adds. "So, In the process of doing that, I found myself really meditating on this idea of compartmentalization, emotional compartmentalization, and how oftentimes, we have to compartmentalize grief or pain in our lives so that we can just either get through the day or get through a task we have to do." "So, I kind of stumbled into this metaphor or this idea of like building a tower and placing in your kind of emotional landscape and placing trauma or pain or suffering into it, so that you're aware that it's there. You can see the edifice in the distance, but it's also the details of it, the actual way it looks, the way it actually feels is somewhat compartmentalized in that edifice," reveals Gibbard. "There are inevitably times where those traumas, those pains, those experiences, they escape the kind of the thing you've enclosed them in at often very inopportune times and times you're not expecting, and that can be you're driving down a street where you know you had this experience with somebody that you once cared about and just comes flooding back, you know, we've all had these experiences in our lives. So to me the central idea of the record and the central theme of the record is that compartmentalization of grief and how sometimes it breaks out of the compartments that we try to hold it in." That thread extends through Death Cab's lead single, "Riptides," as the band explores what it's like to experience your own personal story alongside a more global trauma with everyone else. "I think at its core of the song is about how when we're going through something personally, oftentimes, certainly in the modern world, there are things going on on the global scale or the national scale that are incredibly traumatic for a lot of people and affect people very deeply," explains Ben. "Certainly the last couple of years, you know, there's been innumerable tragedies and atrocities around the world. And you know when someone is going through their own, trying to manage their own life after dealing with something painful or a trauma or something like that, oftentimes we find ourselves saying things like, 'well, I really can't complain,' you know, we were saying this during the pandemic too. 'Well, I really can't complain, I mean, I have a roof in my head,' but it's like, yeah, that's true, but also you're going through something incredibly difficult, and it's OK for you to focus on that, you don't need to qualify that there are other people suffering even because we all know that." "It's an even more debilitating effect on you emotionally because you feel what you feel, but also you feel the sufferin ...

Sienna Spiro is quickly reaching new heights, almost weekly, thanks to a staggering voice and her emotionally shattering pen. The young songwriter has captured the attention of everyone who has heard the 20-year-old British artist, forcing her to quickly get over what she calls "terrible stage fright," en route to a sold out tour. The "Die On This Hill" singer recently joined us in Chicago, and talked with Audacy and B96's Karla about tapping into heartbreak and her journey to this new level of success during an Audacy Check In. "I feel like everything is happening quick, that it's like hard to be present and enjoy it, but I'm so happy to be here and just, yeah, love everything," shares Spiro. It was only last year that Sienna started properly playing shows, and now she has a sold out run in cities across North America. "I was a terrible performer, I was so shy, I would like sit there and like cover my face," she reveals. "I had terrible stage fright, but I think it's like, you know, you just keep doing it and I, I love it, even though I was so scared, I love doing it, and you just keep doing it and you learn how to trust yourself a little bit more and, I guess get used to it, but you know, I still get really nervous before shows." Spiro has quickly made a mark thanks to raw and vulnerable songwriting, and shares that although the pain sounds romantic in nature, it's so much more. "Even though a lot of my songs sound like they're love songs and like romantic songs, I think the biggest heartbreaks I've had are friendships," Sienna admits. "You can experience heartbreak from family or friends or work or situations, or of course romantic love, but I think I'm just a very passionate person and I care a lot, and when I'm invested in something I'm really there and I'm just in it." "I think that's why it causes me a lot of, I guess I get quite sad, you know, I lay it all out for people," she adds. "That's just the kind of person I am, and I think that that obviously means I get let down a lot. I just give a lot, if I love someone or if I'm there for someone, I'm there, and I'm just all in it, so I just have found myself getting let down a lot in my life because of how much I pour into it." These days though Spiro finds herself "in a really great place," finding inspiration and really just finding ways to figure it out. "There's a lot going on in life," she tells Karla. "I'm 20, I'm learning how to be a human, and I think, you know what's really funny is like, sometimes I'll do these things and people will be like, 'oh, what advice would you give to this person,' and I'm like, 'I'm figuring it out myself.'" For more from Sienna Spiro, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Still riding high from the release of their sixth studio album, 'Everest,' Halestorm once again has a booked and busy year in front of them, sharing their latest single, "Like A Woman Can," playing festivals around the world, and still having the best time doing it all. "We try to have as good of a time as we can as often as we can, because we get to play rock and roll that we love, so we haven't worked in like 20-some years," smiles Joe Hottinger. "I highly recommend joining a band. It's the best time you'll ever have." "It is the coolest thing ever," adds Lzzy Hale. "And, you know, you appreciate things as you go along too, because when we first started touring it was like, first it was like a conversion van, and then it was a two RVs that we were touring with and trying to keep up with the buses and whoever we were touring with." "If we've learned anything it's not where you are, it's who you're with," says Joe. "You can be at an Applebee's on the side of the road in Nebraska and have one of the best nights ever, you know, it's a good time." "I forget when this was, but there was at one point in time where we had to figure out how to make it across the highway to get to a Cracker Barrel because that was literally the only thing around on a day off, and we finally made it there," laughs Lzzy. "It was like a triumph, and then we just stayed at the Cracker Barrel, like playing checkers." Also on the road, the Halestorm crew likes to crash karaoke spots and surprise the locals. "It's always surprising because we'll be, like I said, in the middle of nowhere and one of our favorite things to do on days off with us, and there's some of our crew that really gets into it as well, is go to karaoke bars. I'm always surprised that like there's a handful of people that are maybe, they don't notice at first and then like as the night goes on like, 'wait, are you?' you know." Lzzy is sure to always play to crowd with karaoke selections, the true mark of a pro. " I try to play to the audience, if we're in kind of a mellower, more kind of country bar, I'll do some Bonnie Raitt to start out, and then I'll kick it up with some Pat Benatar and maybe some AC/DC after that. You gotta ease them into it." Sometimes Halestorm even get requests to play their own songs, like the latest, "Like A Woman Can," which Lzzy says is structured just like the love of a woman. "It embodies that, the feeling that you get from being loved by a woman and, there's nothing like that." To hear more about the deep cuts of Halestorm, working with Bad Company, and more on the album 'Everest,' check out the full conversation above.

The Hilary Duff renaissance has arrived, as the singer has shared her new album, 'luck... or something,' plans for 'the lucky me tour' around the world, and a stop at Audacy's 'Leading Ladies' on March 10 to celebrate Women's History Month. The "Roommates" artist recently connected with Bru to talk about her return to the stage, the women she looks up to, and her impact over the years during an Audacy Check In. "I think there's definitely times that I feel like I'm tapping into, you know, this old version of me that's very lived in," Duff reveals about her feelings being back on stage, balancing her new life with the person so many fell in love with the first time around. "I feel more me and comfortable and confident than I ever have, so if old parts of me start to filter in there, I think I embrace it and I feel good with it now, and I don't really shy away." "It's an honor, honestly, to be able to cross generations is like a really powerful thing," Hilary adds. "I know how much family means to me, and, to think that people can bring their kids and they can bop along and be having a good time, but this is really for the parents and the people that have grown up with me that are now having families of their own or living in their adult life, like, we've made it here, and I want to meet people on that level for sure. But, you know, my friends' kids know all the words to my songs. Hopefully they don't know what it's all about, but I think it's fun to see it be multi-generational. It means a whole lot to me." Hilary Duff will take the stage at Hard Rock Hotel New York on March 10 for our annual 'Leading Ladies' event, celebrating women with a special conversation and performance. When asked about the women that helped "mold" who Hilary is today, she was quick to shout out those in the mix with motherhood and truly testing the limits of a "work-life balance." "I think that my answer when I was younger probably would have been a lot different, but now I'm so inspired by my friends, who are in the thick of motherhood and figuring out the work-life balance and trying to do it all," she shares. "I think it's honestly the women that I'm surrounded by inspire me the most right now because we're in the thick of it, man. I feel like we're in the trenches and we're all learning from each other and we all lean on each other when we need to, and I think those are the ones that I take notes from constantly." Some of those themes of balance and relationships are woven through the fabric of 'luck... or something,' with Hilary tackling heavy subjects with Pop perfection throughout. "There's a lot of anxiety through the record. I think themes of being fearful of being in a long-term relationship and wondering if you're gonna feel that excitement of like firsts ever again," says Duff. "A lot of family stuff, abandonment issues, you know, grappling with like, the old you versus the you where you're at now and wondering if that person still exists in you and how to find her." "There's a lot of heavy themes on the record, but it's all disguised in like a glittery going out outfit," she smiles. "I feel like that speaks to a big part of my personality where I'm like, 'there's a lot going on over here, but we're having a good time.'" For more on the making of 'luck... or something' with her husband, her lasting legacy of authenticity, and more, check out the full interview above.

In the world of Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde is working "smarter, not harder," as the band is ready to release their new album, 'Engines of Demolition,' on March 27. During an Audacy Check In with Abe Kanan, the always hilarious Wylde joked about the new project, saying, "It's really no big deal. People are like, 'well, Zakk, what makes it so special compared to all the other records?' I go, 'well, first off, of all the Black Label albums, this is the new one.' Second off, they're like, 'well, the songs all sound the same.' I go, 'I know, because that's all we do is just put different song titles and lyrics to these things and just put them out there.' I mean, you gotta think smarter, not harder." In all seriousness though, what little there is with Wylde, there is a song on the upcoming album called, "Ozzy Song," that looks back on his friendship playing with Ozzy Osbourne, and the feelings surrounding his funeral. "It's about the greatest that ever was and the greatest that it'll ever be," shares Zakk. Thinking the two would record again and play together again after the success of Back To The Beginning, Wylde was ready for what's next with Ozzy. Sadly though, he never got the chance. "After we went over there and laid him to rest, you know, being a pallbearer and our oldest son, who's Ozzy's godson, we were pallbearers carrying Oz to his final resting place. After that, when we got home, we did finish up the Pantera celebration run. I got home, sat in the library, looked at one of his books, and I just wrote the lyrics. I put the music on and I said it." "I just wrote the lyrics right there for Ozzy, and my wife just kept referring to it as 'Ozzy's Song.' They put on 'Ozzy Song' when we were in the truck listening to it when we'd be going somewhere. So, I just said, 'I'm just gonna name it 'Ozzy Song,' cause that's what it is.' If somebody asked me, 'Zakk, did you write that song for Ozzy?' It's like, 'yeah,' so I'll just call it 'Ozzy Song.' So there you go." To hear more about celebrating Ozzy Osbourne, his time touring in Pantera, and the new album, 'Engines of Demolition,' check out the full Audacy Check In above.