Joanna Newsom Talks 'Divers,' Kendrick Lamar, and Teaches Larry to Play the Harp

A year after he claimed there was no famous living harpist, Larry eats his words with the world's most famous harpist. Joanna Newsom digs into her lyrics, her new album, and why you won't find her on Spotify - and treats Larry to his first ever harp lesson!
#JoannaNewsom

[@hs4974]

Every time I see my grandad he asks me a question about my life, and when I start to answer he interrupts me to repeat back whatever I said and then asks a completely unrelated question. Even tho he's really supportive, I know that he has no real idea what my life is like, and he doesn't really seem that interested in moving past his impression of me. This is basically that.

[@taylorannedraws7585]

Harry Soolia wow this is so spot on! Joanna is that you?

[@Satanmeow]

This is so spot on. At some points, his interview questions are a lesson in sexism.

[@vulpinedeity3379]

Really? I didn't get that impression at all.

[@AN-cy7xm]

One of the funniest things I've read...

[@whisht]

brilliant analogy. Problem is, King is *meant* to be a professional interviewer. From what I see of this, he isn't. He's a personality meeting people and being himself rather than particularly interested in them. But as you suggest, not in a nasty way. Just a bit... lazy.

[@Glossynews]

"You're showing off..." No, if she wanted to show off she would absolutely blow your mind.

[@salemkitschtrials791]

im larry reading her lyrics back to her and asking "what does that mean"

[@jeidavies6957]

Larry (ignores her instructions, interrupts her constantly, plays the harp wrong) : "wow I'm amazing!" Joanna (is a literal angel): "sure..."

[@HauntedHarmonics]

Wow, I like Larry but he did Joanna dirty af with that intro. Calling her the “worlds most famous harp player” is like calling Bob Dylan “the worlds most famous guitar player”. She’s one of the greatest songwriters of her generation Larry, give her some damn credit

[@xavierserrano4880]

Her eyes are so gentle, kind and ...looks to almost be on the verge of crying? Beautiful soul

[@bdixmusic]

"I'd like to make people not evil" "I'd like to be invisible". Alrighty, Larry.

[@008Invisibleman]

Lol when he said he’d like to be invisible, I was like, “you already are, Grandpa, you already are.”

[@educostanzo]

Joanna's reaction when he said that was priceless.

[@ohnahnah7939]

This interview sounds like a court interrogation wtf

[@raleighjoyner5829]

I think that's just how he was as an interviewer. I haven't watched a ton of Larry King interviews, but there's one of him with Morrissey and it's very similar.

[@shaynedonnelly9596]

that's larry king

[@zackzallie8735]

Every Larry King's interview is like a court interrogation. Have you seen him interviewing Mark David Chapman? (John Lennon's killer)

[@hannahwebster5606]

I think this style of interview may work with some guests but it doesn't really work here.

[@MV-es3sk]

He’s equally playful and laughs, he’s got great chemistry and even plays the harp in this one - back off buddy.

[@scottryjones]

Geeze, give this girl a second to think and respond! I would fold under that pressure.

[@edcruwys]

Joanna is simply a jewel in every way. Captivating to listen to, so intelligent in what she does and her shyness is very endearing.

[@jennygoodwine2494]

She has so much thoughtful stuff to say and Larry King unfortunately is not the right person to hear the depth of wisdom and intelligence she has to share. Humph. It's stressful to watch her begin to give really insightful answers, and he cuts her off half way through with another irrelevant, non-nuanced question. :-( I want to hear the fullness of what she has to say!

[@nickynoir376]

It’s edited

[@markwhite2207]

You need to go to her interview with Marc Maron, WTF...

[@jennygoodwine2494]

@@markwhite2207 yes! i've heard that one, it's an amazing interview and he really respects and honors the depth of her skill and intelligence.

[@BonoLightier]

Dude, Larry King pissed me off. He interrupted her in the middle of questions, he didn't do his homework, he didn't know anything about her and he seems slightly interested in knowing them.

[@winkmurder]

I love Joanna, she's astonishingly remarkable. I am so happy and grateful that I had the privilege and opportunity of seeing her perform live.

[@ScottishMatters]

Every time she speaks it's like poetry... She's just lovely and a pure, earnest artist

[@ilovejustinvernon]

for real! and nice avatar :)

[@ExecutionOfAllThings]

She played harp for years until she woke up one day and realized she is one of the greatest poets of her lifetime.

[@godsgrannie]

No initial intention to be negative, but this is truly a f* awful example of interviewing. It is plainly transparent that Larry doesn't give a shiny about Joanna or her background at all. I am obviously bias. I think Joanna is a truly beautiful poet and creator. A beautiful person.

[@Thrivinginthespotlight]

Larry is like dry mud, he just seems to be a realist and a stickler He's got both feet on the ground and he's in the presence of a fairy flitting and floating around

[@khadijasohailshafi2612]

I just discovered Joanna Newsom and she's already my favorite only Harpist in the world.

[@leanner.2391]

i love how carefree her laugh is especially at 23:22

[@Missjunebugfreak]

The way Joanna's face lights up when talking about Andy is super adorable. You can tell how much she adores him.

[@mornincorp.2116]

What an intelligent and beautiful woman

[@thirdmann3]

larry is not listening to her instruction at all lol

[@vulpinedeity3379]

I think he's... trying. But he seems to have kind of a strong personality, you know? Probably doesn't take instruction well.

[@markiep8477]

He's SO not doing it right. An old man not listening to a young woman. She knows, we know. It's kind of symbolic.

[@mindrunfree]

She’s very interesting to listen to. I wanted to add that Loreena Mckennit is a wonderful harpist as well.

[@sravikalinga1699]

I can't put into words how mesmerizing and out-of-this-world she seems. Damn, her eyes...there's so much intelligence and gentleness in those eyes

[@winkmurder]

03:07 "Why the long break?" Made me think "Why the long face?"

[@raymondzrike2085]

I’ve been waiting to watch the full interview for forever.

[@JHamiltonTexas]

Ayy raymond dab dab dab dab dab

[@Paulito-ym4qc]

@@JHamiltonTexas ?????????????

[@aIewishus]

that laugh at 15:04

[@joshuakirkwood6680]

I searched "Joanna newsom interview" and I found GOLD. This is so amazing. Larry King was probably the best interviewer of all time. You can safely assume that I have great taste, for having known about her and searching for such a thing, but this is an interview for history. Omg only James Lipton rivals Larry King. Joanna, as I know, is a master pianist. That she is a harpist is news to me. I love her and compare her to Tori. The one and only. SHE MARRIED ANDY!!! OH WOW . What a match made in heaven, and what a wonderful interview.. Maybe the most beautiful interaction I have ever seen. SOLID GOLD

[@brianhonsinger8214]

Ok grandpa, that's enough harp playing, time for bed.

[@NellieKAdaba]

😆

[@joegibbskins]

Larry when you are able, come down and join the kettle’s on. And your family’s round the table, will you come down before the sun is gone?

[@bigguy423]

15:50 «You want kids? little harpists?» ...uhhh there's something somebody forgot to tell Larry not to ask about lol

[@poppyalice3950]

what do you mean?

[@conallharkin5365]

@@poppyalice3950 joanna has written multiple songs about her miscarriage. She's since had a child, but I think it was after this interview.

[@covinaut9283]

@@conallharkin5365 it *was* after this.

[@JackT13]

Weird that the exact passage that made me really enjoy Joanna is the very verse that Larry read to her, from ‘Leaving the City’

[@hongkongbrummie248]

This is crazy and should only be kept on KZbin as an example of an old man failing to understand a woman who has more talent than he could ever imagine

[@abetrasken]

She is not the only one that can translate the lyrics. My soul and the world around me have revealed their meaning to me, I say this far more literally than you assume or would ever accept as reality (myself included, before it started happening). This is the most important musical album ever written.

[@abetrasken]

Are you abstract? "Not on purpose" hahahahahahahaahahaha I love you Joanna.

[@friedmandesigns]

I 100% accept as reality what Joanna's music / meaning for you / your soul was / is -- and think it's amazing it hit you at such a deep level of reality-creation. We often don't accept many things just beyond the curtains of our current perceptual engines at the time(s) before those curtains are cast open. " _There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy_ . " ;) Cheers to beautiful artifacts, solving puzzles, and reveling in the senses and realm we're exploring now. 👽🌃♾

[@silverseedcat]

Awesome interview.

[@maireadoneill7574]

shes so great

[@TheGuitologist]

I love this woman.

[@educostanzo]

This is the first Joanna interview I watch and I'm impressed about how thoughtful and adorable she is. The contrast between her and Larry is astounding lol

[@kslifter1]

Great interview! I found out about her with the film 'The Strangers'. Her song 'Sprout and The Bean' was on the soundtrack. I loved it and have been a huge fan ever since! I can't wait till her tour stops in Kansas City!!

[@mikal]

She's 100% correct about record companies. Thirty Seconds To Mars has sold millions of albums and has not only never been paid a single penny by their record company for those sales, but the record company contends that the band owes THEM money.

[@processandbeing]

I found her music by going into a Barnes and Noble and, multiple times, finding myself caught by the album cover for Ys. I finally listened to a sample and was hooked.

[@bunnytrouble]

Larry clearly needs to find a job he enjoys doing

[@mizzzlady]

Why can't he retire already?

[@JasonAhl]

Lol she's pretending he's doing well but you can tell she thinks he's so far off

[@vulpinedeity3379]

I think it's nice of her not to dash his dreams. It's his first lesson, he'll not be great, and she knows that.

[@glitchwitchery]

She's so freaking perfect. Love her.

[@sbearly]

She is wonderful. But just because Larry has never heard or met a harp player doesn't mean the one he has in front of him must be the world's most famous or she wouldn't be there. Poor girl has to put up with this. But how sweet she is.

[@rumademedoit]

i adore her so much

[@fattybogracious]

I own every one of her records.

[@bulgieR]

Loved every second of that! I'm a JN fan from way back but I'd never really seen a Larry King show before, not sure why. He's adorable! Second most charming person in the interview by a long shot, but you can't feel bad about losing to Joanna, she's Next Level charming.

[@lee-sq6ob]

good god she is actually perfect

[@buckleygeneration]

“Does he understand your vocals?” Dude...

[@NellieKAdaba]

Of course he understands her vocals, that is why they are together. And I knew she would say that her favourite comedian is Steve Martin.

[@j.c7719]

“No, he’s deaf” like wtf, Larry knew nothing about music, he wasn’t qualified for his condescending position

[@laspetz9560]

What a kind soul she is.

[@cookycandy4]

i understand why she doesn’t have her music on spotify...still...):

[@brodieskrocki7899]

kat heck it’s on SoundCloud

[@Hawkeye42nd]

Buy them bitches. Also artists get paid per stream and a lot of her songs are super long

[@FeltonHM]

you can import it in to your spotify library if you have it downloaded onto your computer

[@dayglowjoe]

i think the interview feeling rushed is more to do with time constraints of the format of the show rather than larry not being interested in what she has to say. it was fun in a quick-fire way but oh how i wish he’d slow down. this could easily have been an hour long. she comes across so well even tho you can tell she could’ve talked a lot more.

[@RastaHenkie]

What min is the Kendrick Lamar part?

[@PudgeTalks]

Rasta Henkie there isnt, she just says she likes hip hop

[@F4C3M3LT]

This is a really late response, but at the very end of this video he mentions a blog post. The Kendrick thing is in a blog-exclusive video there. If you Google "larry king blog joanna newsom" you'll find it.

[@aaawwweeee]

Joanna Newsom = super genius

[@ChescoYT]

*Superpowers:* *Creepy Larry King: "I'd like to be invisible.*

[@clownhorse925]

That's really funny. She says her superpower, if she had one, would be to make evil people not to be evil. Joanna? Please wake up! That's exactly what you do as musician and as a person: let the good, the loving, the caring, resound in people who listen to your music and go to your concerts. You make people be better people. You already HAVE that superpower, my dear.( How about wishing for being invisible?)

[@lorettajfarmers]

silly questions but im glad spotify came up. its way more personal shes not on it even tho i want.

[@geylforcewynd]

Protip: Listen to Joanna Newsom on the first day that feels like spring.

[@CelestialGalaxy7]

YS in the beginning of summer hits different too

[@debracisneroshhp2827]

@@CelestialGalaxy7 , "The Sprout and the Bean" is a loop in my mind since I just listened to it for the first time, yesterday. 😛😇💖🙌😺

[@strawberrykisses247]

why are her eyes so glossy? they look beautiful.

[@46metube]

coke.

[@MegaJolaus]

she's been drinkin

[@qwer8907]

I enjoyed the interview she seems natural of course this is her public face she seems pleasant

[@2b00bsjohnson]

Music is the intersection of math and science with art and literature

[@brendantannam499]

I like to think Gillian Welch is talking about Spotify in Everything Is Free: Everything is free now That's what they say Everything I ever done Gotta give it away Someone hit the big score They figured it out That we're gonna do it anyway Even if it doesn't pay

[@jamesmcpherson3924]

This is true, also, sylvan esso covers it beautifully

[@Capitel]

Yes, he interrupts her and it's annoying, but I do thing both appreciate each other and she seems delighted about talking to Larry King. That, or she's extremely polite and diplomatic...

[@markstokes3685]

Right on, got the POC in, though I do love her

[@Brokenhill42]

Bandcamp is a much better alternative to services like Spotify. Great way to support artists.

[@coleslaw3422]

8:51 why is she wearing an earpiece? She then puts on her on the ear after

[@IzzieAugust46]

"You said you can't write an 'easy' song." Literally has a song called "Easy"...

[@kevin2themystic]

She is so adorable

[@davidrichman9779]

i actually find larry and joanna charming together. i may be the only one.

[@dannyarbre6280]

Same here. He’s doing his old style I’ve always known him to do, playing a little dumb and superficial, but curious enough, while being a bit speedy, catching his interviewee off guard. She goes along with it, obviously she must have known what she’d agreed to, it’s lighthearted and a bit silly and more focused on the personal than an in-depth dive into her music/writing/art. People, chill. There are plenty of analysis and other interviews out there, this one helps her work become more approachable to a different audience that the already devout/culturally elitist people. I’d be curious to see JN-designed furniture, btw.

[@reearean]

You're a natural, Larry

[@BonoLightier]

Larry King is a terrible interviewer here

[@TheBetterGamerz]

I mean this interview is edited strangely which is why every question seems so sudden and abrupt.

[@ccgarciab]

"Right, someone is leaving. A city" the exasperation right there.

[@not_emerald]

Well.... I understand her position on streaming services and I do have issues with Spotify for example, but at the same time, I wouldn't have known a shitton of artists I love nowadays if not for streaming services or piracy, herself included. In fact I bought Ys recently and it came just about a few hours ago, and I'm glad piracy exists. I mean, before Spotify, record labels didn't act in a much different way. They always most of the money with record sells, and I hardly see someone remembering that. Zappa also criticized MTV in a similar way, which I also understand, but these artists ignore that these technologies also help spreading their work. They've always made more money on live concerts than on vinyls or CDs. Actually, fun fact, the first musicians that saw their songs being played on vinyl thought they would lose in that deal because people wouldn't go to their concerts anymore, just buy a record and never again care to go watch them. Times are always changing. I'm glad streaming services and piracy exist because it's so much easier to discover new artists.

[@lidianepeixoto9431]

And I could barely breathe for seeing All the splintered light that leaked A fish is fleeting, launched in flight Unstaunched daylight, brightly bleeding Bleached the night with dawn deleting In that high sun after our good run

[@yaggayaggaya9918]

Lidiane Peixoto Leaving the City 😍

[@gardenparty9058]

And I could barely breathe, for seeing All the splintered light that leaked her fissures Fleeing, launched in flight: Unstaunched daylight, brightly bleeding Bleached the night with dawn, deleting not fish, lol

[@quantenmoi]

I know this is silly and completely based on my two-dimensional impression of her, but she is pretty much the perfect woman. Tremendously talented, smart and beautiful all in one person? Come on, the universe is not fair. Damn you Andy Samberg!!! ;-)

[@dafuzzymonster]

I'm so glad she exists.

[@brodftw]

God rest his soul but Larry didn't even research the Beatles before interviewing Paul McCartney, let alone Joanna Newsom who he just heard of 5 minutes ago. Dude was not good at his job

[@PinochleFrog]

comedic and informative goose/10

[@shelbyjuice]

20:46 "Angel Larry" should've been every obit pic, you can tell he is clearly hoping it will be.

[@mrawesome7175]

larry about to risk it all

[@gibberconfirm166]

8 wives. You know it.

[@rumademedoit]

i dont blame him 😭

[@Thrivinginthespotlight]

I want someone to interview larry king

[@sweetwillow]

When was this filmed? Because he asked her if she would like to be a parent one day, but I heard she did have a baby in August of 2017..?

[@devoutburrito]

three years ago.

[@46metube]

she's a poet. why the mystery? its as though he's talking to a builder. yeah - its Herman Melville and Kerouac - et al.

[@markiep8477]

Exactly. Her lyrics are fantastic and actually work on the page. She's a fine, fine poet.

[@sacredgeometry]

I think he has acclimatised to popular musicians being dullards.

[@celestikkah]

RIP Larry :(

[@loudrise217]

20:48 jjajajajajaja

[@DWKThedogbreaths]

As a poet, if someone asks what a certain piece means, which tbey do, i make up the answer dependent on my mood.

[@debracisneroshhp2827]

It's the classic question every creative/artist is asked, even though we all know that [their] works are meant to be interpreted by the one experiencing them at the moment__which, btw, may change over time, as the 'experiencee' grows through other experiences. 💖🙌😺

[@devinwemple344]

On the question of how Joanna thinks maybe she got “noticed”…well, how I discovered her honestly was because of the movie The Strangers. Anybody else discover her from that? I love that film because of The Sprout and the Bean. And lo and behold, I discovered Joanna.

[@debracisneroshhp2827]

Never heard of that movie, but will check it out. Just yesterday I listened to that song(along with video on YT) for the first time and now it is a sweet 'loop' in my mind. 😛😇🌱🌿🌻🐝🌳🌎💖🙌😺

[@lidianepeixoto9431]

I wonder if she teached andy how to play the harp

[@dafuzzymonster]

divers is incredible.

[@nimbledick9869]

"I can't write an Easy song", has a song called "Easy"

[@coolbluesman]

The angels are like "IM ADDICTED!!"

[@justinespeer4419]

This is like the gritty, pessimistic take on Beauty and The Beast.

[@Paulito-ym4qc]

he's like that old cop in a movie that blatantly ignores the evil the main character tells him about until said evil is literally destroying the town.

[@Thrivinginthespotlight]

Lmao 😂

[@fey0217]

why does every single larry king interview sound like an interrogation

[@tylerhaas14]

She has the most beautiful facial expressions and brain

[@bryan8191]

Where does she talk bout Kendrick Lamar

[@loudrise217]

23:33 jajajjajajajaj

[@amandaneese7813]

I identify with her 💘

[@LacedWithOreos]

Joanna Newsom? A very serious person? She uses a lot of play on words in her songs and even has a song about being bored at a baseball game and carving out a 'J' on one of the seats haha! This interview sort of hurt to watch....

[@WishIWasACloud]

She’s too good for you Larry