Talking Heads have sat down for a reunion, and taken part in a Q&A hosted by Este Haim to help launch a new SiriusXM station.
The appearance marked one of the rare occasions in recent years where all four members have sat down with one another, and saw them dig into what makes their sound so distinctive, as well as look back at the time making their first two albums.
The launch of the new station, Talking Heads Radio, comes as the iconic band are celebrating over 50 years since they first formed. It is launching today (Thursday October 1) and will feature music and exclusive true stories from David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth – including deep cuts from their catalogue and some of their personal favourite songs.
There will also be curated guest DJ sets from the likes of U2’s Adam Clayton, Foo Fighters’ Nate Mendel, The Linda Lindas, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Phish’s Trey Anastasio and more, as well as the latest on the band’s upcoming projects.
In the recent Q&A with Este Haim, the band were asked if they now see their early music differently to how they did when they were first working on it, to which keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison replied: “Every time we made something, it was like we wanted to progress, to change.”
He continued: “I think one of our most important things [was that] we always set out to create new challenges. We always create, particularly on the first four records, every record had a different process And we recognised, and maybe this came from the art world, that if you want it to be different, don’t do it exactly the same way as you did the last thing.”
David Byrne chimed in: “I try not to look back too much, but I’m very proud of everything we did. It’s kind of surprising how this stuff has kind of stood the test of time, that it keeps
finding a new audience.”
As for what set the band apart from others at the time, bassist Tina Weymouth shared it was their “sense of humour”, while drummer Chris Frantz said it was because they has “an undeniably really interesting chemistry”.
He continued: “Yes, David was the primary lyricist and, I guess you could say, composer, but we all worked really hard on those songs. We didn’t just come in and play them easily. We always tried to go for the artistic thing.
“When you’re in a rock and roll band, the idea is to get out there and make some money.
And we weren’t opposed to making money, but we really always put the artistic thing first. And I think that’s why we’re so unique.”
The full conversation with Este Haim will air on SiriusXM’s Talking Heads Radio today (Thursday October 1) at 12pm ET, and is available now on the SiriusXM app.
The Q&A event comes after the members of Talking Heads made their first public appearance together in over 20 years in 2023. They came together at the Toronto International Film Festival that September to celebrate the anniversary of their iconic concert film Stop Making Sense, and when asked then about the potential to perform together again, Weymouth said the group were “just savouring the moment”.
Speaking to NME in 2022 about a potential reunion, Frantz said: “I did try it a couple of times and the last time was about 20 years ago, and after that, David just said: ‘I never want you to ask me that question again. I’m not going to address that matter.’ It’s a shame and it is what it is.”
Speaking to The Times last year about the prospect, Byrne seemed to be unmoved in his opinion, saying: “On a practical level, trying to recreate the feeling that people had when they were in their early 20s? The time that they first heard that music? That’s a fool’s errand. And besides, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing.”
David Byrne has also been busy with his own career – releasing his latest solo album in September 2025, which was his first studio record since 2018’s ‘American Utopia‘. It featured contributions from Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile‘s Tom Skinner.
To mark its one year anniversary, Byrne recently shared an expanded version featuring four bonus tracks including new single ‘My Madness’, which you can listen to below and previous single ‘¿Cuál Es La Razón?’
The singer is also set to release his new book Sleeping Beauties, on October 8 (pre-order it here), and the following month will see him embark on a book tour in the UK. You can find all the dates here and purchase tickets here.
