Overview of How Long Gone Ep. 993 with Hovvdy
Chris Black and Jason Stewart kick off the episode with their usual fast, joke-heavy banter before welcoming indie duo Hovvdy — Will Taylor and Charlie Martin — to discuss their new album Big World, life in Nashville, touring with Wilco, and the everyday obsessions that have been following them around lately, from birding to baseball to gear and gadgets. The conversation is loose, funny, and surprisingly practical, with a lot of time spent on how the duo lives, works, and stays inspired.
Main Topics Discussed
Post-Labor Day energy and “back to work” mode
- The hosts joke that summer is over and everyone has to “lock in” again.
- They riff on the return of routines, emails, planning, and the general feeling that fall is the real new year.
Celebrity honesty, holidays, and the Bieber magazine kerfuffle
- Chris and Jason talk about a W youth issue featuring Justin and Hailey Bieber.
- They defend Justin naming the Bible as his favorite book and Hailey naming a children’s book and Thanksgiving as favorites.
- The bit turns into a bigger joke about honesty, image management, and when celebrities should probably just stay quiet.
Birding, cameras, and modern hobby tech
- The hosts and guests talk about birdwatching as a surprisingly common age-group hobby.
- Charlie says he’s become a “look out the window” kind of guy and now notices birds everywhere.
- They joke about high-tech bird feeders, Wi-Fi cameras, and parents/grandparents printing photos or using connected devices to capture life.
Sports talk: baseball, tennis, betting, and first pitches
- Baseball comes up repeatedly, especially the appeal of condensed games for people who love the sport but don’t want to spend six hours a day on it.
- They discuss the absurdity of sports betting narration in public.
- Jason recounts throwing out a first pitch, and the group jokes about “the yips” and the weird pressure of ceremonial sports moments.
Fashion, scooters, and Southland life
- The conversation drifts into beach style, hoodie-dress/sun-shade garments, and surfing-adjacent fashion.
- Chris and the guests joke about scooters in LA, helmet laws, pickup trucks, and what counts as “real” practical gear versus pure vibe.
- Nashville and Los Angeles both come up as cities where transportation and lifestyle shape what people wear and drive.
Interview with Hovvdy
New album and touring
- Hovvdy are on the road supporting Big World.
- They mention a North American tour starting in October.
- They’re playing Webster Hall in New York on November 4 and Sid the Cat in Los Angeles.
- They recently toured Europe with Wilco.
Living in Nashville
- The duo talks about living in Nashville, specifically the Donelson/East Nashville area.
- They joke about city growth, traffic, and how expensive housing has become.
- Despite being somewhat tucked away, they say they like the quieter home base.
Being on the road vs. staying home
- Hovvdy say they’re not especially social when they get home from touring.
- Home is for rest, recovery, and recharging.
- They mention modern comforts like a sauna, cold plunge, and having a setup that supports both work and downtime.
Making music and working as a duo
- The band explains how they divide creative work and bounce between spaces.
- They’ve often made records themselves, with Ben Littlejohn involved as a longtime collaborator/producer figure.
- Chris pushes the idea of being more “producer-driven” and making a hit in a structured, intentional way.
Recording, taste, and “hits”
- The guests discuss the strange modern meaning of a “hit” song — often not the obvious single, but the track the algorithm or audience unexpectedly loves.
- They acknowledge that songs can take on lives of their own once released, sometimes in ways the artists didn’t expect.
- The hosts and guests also touch on how trends in music, fashion, and internet culture often emerge simultaneously rather than by imitation alone.
Notable Takeaways
- Hovvdy feel grounded and low-drama, which fits the hosts’ affection for them.
- Their touring and home life are both built around routine, comfort, and practical creativity.
- The episode leans into a broader theme of modern authenticity: whether it’s celebrities answering questionnaires honestly, musicians making records on their own terms, or adults discovering birdwatching and baseball as new obsessions.
- The interview reinforces Hovvdy’s identity as a thoughtful, gently funny indie band with a strong sense of place and process.
Quick Links Mentioned in Conversation
- Hovvdy – Big World
- Webster Hall, New York — November 4
- Sid the Cat, Los Angeles
- European tour with Wilco