On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes.

Following 2024’s Happiness Bastards, the Black Crowes got straight to work. In early 2025, the Robinson brothers traveled to Nashville to reunite with producer Jay Joyce and build on the momentum of their last album.

The resulting A Pound of Feathers captures a similar energy, full of swaggering rock that, as Robinson tells it, “hits harder, more jagged, but is still true to our musical essence.”

Before heading out on an extensive tour, the frontman stopped by the Artist Friendly studio for a conversation about grief, rebuilding the Black Crowes, and making their newest record in under two weeks.

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Chapters

(0:00) Intro

(4:03) The Southern Music Scene vs. Everywhere Else

(7:40) When It Was Just About Making Records

(9:21) The Craft of Live Performance

(11:31) How Chris Robinson’s Dad Shaped His Sound

(13:00) Record Collecting & Discovering New Sounds

(18:20) Music as a Language

(20:06) Why So Many Artists Quit

(24:59) “A Mind Blown Is a Mind Shown”

(27:16) Is Chris Robinson a Poet?

(29:20) On Not Fitting In

(35:00) Growing Up & His Relationship with His Parents

(39:35) Chris Robinson on Marriage

(42:00) What Makes a Band Last

(44:20) The Craft vs. the Lifestyle

(47:12) The Legacy of The Black Crowes

(1:00:01) What’s Next for Chris Robinson & The Black Crowes

(1:04:07) Favorite Cities Chris Robinson & Joel Madden Have Toured

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Listen to their Artist Friendly conversation on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify.⁠⁠

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Follow Artist Friendly!

IG: @artist.friendly

TikTok: @artist.friendly

YouTube: youtube.com/@artist.friendly

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Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden

Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King

Producers: Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin, Janice Leary

Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer

Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray

Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray

Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer

Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman

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