180. Brian Koppelman on Bruce Springsteen ‘Nebraska’ (1982)

Filmmaker (Rounders, Ocean’s 13, Solitary Man), showrunner (Billions) and podcaster (The Moment) Brian Koppelman returns for his fourth appearance on the show, to open up Bruce Springsteen’s devastating classic Nebraska (1982).

We talk about how Brian turned to the album during a period of personal pain as a young man, how the stories resonate in the age of Trump and point to some of the factors behind his election, the hope Springsteen finds amongst the devastation of his characters, how he stands as an aspiration and relatable figure to his audience, whether it’s a good idea to turn Bruce’s songs into movies and the empathy that is key to the Boss’s music.

My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music.

Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.