Jacob Collier Can Make Anyone Sing
The Sam Sanders Show
KCRW & Sam Sanders
4.9 • 707 Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today we’re sharing Sam’s recent collaboration with 'Switched On Pop.'
Jacob Collier is a rare musician. He’s been described as an ambassador of music, known for lushly orchestrated pieces with a myriad of collaborators. He’s also known for conducting the crowds of his live shows, turning the concert into a massive choir performance.
He did just that recently at On-Air Fest, with Charlie Harding, host of ‘Switched On Pop.’ Sam joined them both on stage to discuss the power of music, why we shouldn’t be afraid to sing, and the communal joy of harmonizing with others.
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The Sam Sanders Show is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey y'all, Sam here. Thank you so much for checking out my show with KCRW. |
| 0:10.0 | So a funny thing happened recently. I was at on-air fest in Brooklyn, this big festival all about art and storytelling and podcasts. |
| 0:19.2 | And I ran into a friend there, Charlie Harding. |
| 0:21.9 | He hosts one of my favorite music podcasts switched on pop. |
| 0:25.8 | Charlie was there at the festival to interview the very talented artist, Jacob Collier. |
| 0:31.0 | Jacob is something of a musical prodigy. |
| 0:33.4 | He's known for composing these huge, lushly orchestrated pieces. |
| 0:37.7 | He's also known for conducting his audiences during his live shows and turning them into a choir. |
| 0:43.9 | It is very magical, very beautiful, impressive. |
| 0:47.3 | So I was sitting there in the crowd, excited to hear this chat. |
| 0:50.5 | And then, like a few minutes before the event's supposed to start, Charlie asked me to join him and Jacob on stage and help out with the interview. |
| 1:00.1 | I couldn't say no. I said yes. So here's our conversation with Jacob Collier, me, Charlie, and Jacob. Enjoy. |
| 1:10.0 | I'm really excited for this conversation, Jacob, because so often as journalists, we often get to chat with musicians when they're just putting a project out. |
| 1:21.2 | And right now we get to catch you kind of in the middle of life. |
| 1:24.5 | And I think that's often the best place to catch somebody. |
| 1:27.4 | Things are processing. Obviously music is happening in the background. I want to... of life. And I think that's often the best place to catch somebody. |
| 1:27.6 | Things are processing. |
| 1:28.7 | Obviously music is happening in the background. |
| 1:31.4 | I want to have a conversation today about how you listen, what you hear, and how that inspires |
| 1:37.6 | you to make music. |
| 1:38.6 | I think you're one of the few people who is equally as virtuosic in your playing as you are and being able to describe to anybody |
| 1:46.7 | about how music works. So I want to start off with asking, just like right now, right here, |
... |
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