In this encore episode of The Story Behind the Song, we hear from The Shins. One of the most renowned American indie rock bands, The Shins have carved a lasting legacy with their distinctive blend of folk, pop, and indie rock. Formed in 1996 by frontman James Mercer, a chance inclusion of “New Slang” in the indie movie classic Garden State helped to take their indie buzz mainstream just as their breakout sophomore album, Chutes Too Narrow, propelled them to indie stardom.

On this episode of The Story Behind the Song, Peter Csathy speaks with The Shins’ James Mercer just after the passing of former The Shins’ bassist Neal Langford to discuss how Neal helped push him to perform, the conception of “New Slang” and also the more recent “Phantom Limb.”

Make sure to follow The Story Behind the Song as Season 3 continues on, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts to show your support for the series.

Fans of The Story Behind the Song can also check out our new merch! Available now at the Consequence Shop, we have a killer new poster (framed and unframed) and a jigsaw puzzle (1,000 piece or 252 piece) featuring an original illustration referencing all the songs and artists from the first three years of the podcast. Grab yours now.

You can also follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media, and keep up with the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.