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And all throughout its run, Hirway has been the constant presence in the show as its long-standing host.
That changes this year.
(Hirway will, however, still be heard reading the ad reads and credits.)
HrishikeshHirway:I had been a fan of Thaos music for a while.
Thats kind of the barometer for me in terms of someone who is going to make a goodSong Exploderguest.
And as much as you could talk over the phone for an hour, I felt like we bonded.
TN: Oh, definitely.
When you do press for a record, you tend to fall back onto the same few things.
But talking to Hrishi, it quickly became a very in-depth conversation.
I think you could tell from the content of that episode; its pretty emotional.
Hes just really great to talk to.
Its hard to get people doing interviews to say something different than what theyre used to saying.
To really appreciate the craft, to become interested in being a listener again.
Ive had this great fortune of making music for a living, but there are downsides.
Its really nice to become a fan again.
And I was also … That almost broke me because of the time commitment required for both projects.
It was really intense.
So I thought, well, maybe I could solve two problems here.
I thought Thao would be great for this.
Its so you’ve got the option to bring a level of empathy into the interviewing process.
I like to focus on the motivations behind the songwriting.
To hear a guitar line or a weird sound and be able to ask, What is this?
Which is one of the things I find so exciting.
ThisWhovian quality is something I find very exciting.
Thao, how do you feel about being the new Doctor?TN:I should watch some episodes.
I know way moreSong Exploderepisodes than I doDr.
HH[laughs]: Me too, actually.
