Elise Hu

Yeah, the writing style of these songs on this album is direct.

It's personal.

You had said previously in an interview with NPR that your writing style has evolved because you used to love layers of allegory and metaphor.

Why did you make this shift to something more direct?

Yeah, and I think there's a paradox that exists, really, in that when I experience storytelling or artistry that gets really highly specific, it almost feels more universal as they get more specific.

After hearing hundreds of artists and speaking with hundreds of artists who have been extremely open on your show, did it help you be more vulnerable?

Was it easier for you as an artist as you were putting out your own music to be more open about your own personal experiences?

Yeah.

Yeah.

You have talked about how you started Song Exploder during a period of writer's block for you and that the show actually made it harder for you to write for a little bit because interviewing all these greats can trigger feelings of self-doubt.

But at some point, something must have shifted.

So what is the hardest part about songwriting for you now?

And how has your own creativity and writing changed shape?

You mentioned the initial DNA of a song, which is a perfect opportunity to seg into our mini song exploder section of this conversation.

We'd love for you to take us inside the song, Things Change Even Now, from your new album, which you co-wrote with Laetitia Tomko of Vagabond.

This song is about a lot of things.

Set it up for us.

In the liner notes, you write about the memory of some of the sounds of the machines in your dad's hospital room, which you then explore in a steady piano part that you can hear throughout the song.

Tell us a little bit more about this choice.

You mentioned we.