Key Change: Emma Straub

You're listening to Song Exploder, where musicians take apart their songs and piece by piece tell the story of how they were made. I'm Hrishikesh Hirway. Song Exploder is sponsored by Quince. They have so much great stuff on their website, from basics like socks and underwear to jeans and sweaters, all the way up to cashmere overcoats. Well, now that it's spring, I'm looking to get some stuff that feels appropriate for the weather, and so I just ordered a linen utility shirt. I'm very excited to get it. I know, because I have other Quince stuff, that it's gonna look sharp and be comfortable. Plus, I love that Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, responsible manufacturing practices. Refresh your every day with luxury that you're actually gonna use. Head to quince.com/songexploder for free shipping on your order and three hundred sixty-five day returns. It's now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash songexploder for free shipping and three hundred sixty-five day returns. Quince.com/songexploder. This is Key Change, where I talk to fascinating people about the music that changed their lives, and my guest today is the best-selling author Emma Straub. Her books include This Time Tomorrow, Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, and more. And with her husband, Michael Fusco, she co-owns the beautiful Brooklyn bookstore, Books Are Magic. I'm so thrilled to have her on because not only is she a wonderful writer, but Key Change is a series about music fandom and identity. And Emma's newest novel, American Fantasy, is also about music fandom and identity. That story is set on a cruise ship centered around a '90s boy band and their fans. But today, Emma's gonna tell me her story about her own relationship with the music of The Magnetic Fields. Steven Merritt from The Magnetic Fields was just named one of the greatest living American songwriters by The New York Times, and Emma's introduction to their music was the nineteen ninety-nine triple album Sixty Nine Love Songs. Thank you so much for being here, Emma.

I, I cannot believe it because I have listened to every episode. I am your number one fan.

Oh. [laughs]

And so it is very surreal for me to be here, and I am honored, and thank you.

Do you remember the first time that you heard The Magnetic Fields?

So I was a sophomore in college at Oberlin in nineteen ninety-nine, and more than I remember actually hearing them for the first time, I remember hearing their name. Like, you couldn't walk six steps in Oberlin, Ohio, in nineteen ninety-nine and not have someone talk about The Magnetic Fields. [laughs]

And what were people saying?

Uh, that they were, that they were amazing. They were incredible. Steven Merritt is a genius, et cetera, et cetera.

Are you the kind of person, when you hear hype like that-

[laughs]

... is your instinct to say, "I wanna know more about that. I wanna know what everybody's so excited about"? Or are you someone who's like, "Oh, everybody likes it? That means I'm probably going to actually make a little bit of an effort not to listen"?

Yes. I mean, particularly at the time. I think now, I'm forty-five, and I think if all my friends think something is terrific,