All Songs Considered

Interview: Mitski

March 21, 2026

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  • Mitski's new album, *Nothing's About To Happen To Me*, was inspired by Shirley Jackson's novel *We Have Always Lived in the Castle*, resonating with themes of isolation, distrust of groups, and the desire for an interior life. 
  • The initial musical intention for the album was a stripped-down rock band sound, but the songs ultimately 'said no,' demanding the inclusion of orchestral elements to fully express their themes. 
  • Mitski adopted the cat as the album's mascot because she sees cats as feminized creatures who are often demonized for not being obedient, reflecting themes of not conforming to expected female roles. 

Segments

Introduction and ‘Where’s My Phone?’
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(00:00:20)
  • Key Takeaway: The song ‘Where’s My Phone?’ originated from Mitski repeatedly saying the phrase while feeling overwhelmed and wanting to disassociate from her surroundings.
  • Summary: The episode of All Songs Considered features an interview with Mitski conducted by Raina Douris of World Cafe. The first song performed live was ‘Where’s My Phone?’. Mitski explained the song stemmed from her desire to disassociate when feeling overwhelmed, using the phrase ‘Where’s my phone?’ as a starting point for the melody.
Album Sound and Intentions
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(00:06:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Mitski initially aimed for a stripped-down, punk-influenced rock sound for the album, but the songs dictated a richer arrangement including orchestral elements.
  • Summary: The intentionally distorted guitars in ‘Where’s My Phone?’ were designed to express overwhelm. Mitski desired a return to basics, channeling the feeling of playing DIY punk shows with just guitar, bass, drums, and voice. However, the songs themselves revealed they needed more complex arrangements, leading to the inclusion of an orchestra.
Orchestra Influence on ‘In a Lake’
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(00:08:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The orchestral soundscape in ‘In a Lake’ illustrates the protagonist’s transition from a restrictive small town to the anonymity and noise of a big city.
  • Summary: The song ‘In a Lake’ began as a simple guitar-based song influenced by Americana and country music themes about small towns. The orchestra was added to sonically represent the protagonist entering a big city, symbolizing the noise and the positive feeling of being anonymous after being an outsider.
Shirley Jackson and Character Relatability
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(00:15:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Mitski strongly relates to Mary Katherine (Merricat) from We Have Always Lived in the Castle due to her rich interior life and compulsive rituals used to manage anxiety and protect her space from outsiders.
  • Summary: Mitski, a devoted Shirley Jackson fan, related to Merricat Blackwood’s character, who uses rituals to maintain control amid external suspicion. This reflects Mitski’s own struggles with anxiety and the difficulty of relinquishing control over life’s unpredictable elements.
Cats as Album Mascot
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(00:18:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Cats symbolize the album’s themes because they are feminized creatures often demonized for refusing obedience, contrasting with dogs who follow hierarchies.
  • Summary: Cats appear throughout the new album, serving as a mascot alongside the influence of We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Mitski notes that cats are often hated because they lack obedience and establish boundaries, unlike dogs. This symbolizes women who are demonized for not conforming to expectations of obedience.
‘If I Leave’ and Anxiety
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(00:21:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The song ‘If I Leave’ explores the anxiety of clinging tightly to a supportive person while simultaneously questioning if one’s own mental struggles make leaving them the better option.
  • Summary: The character in ‘If I Leave’ is grappling with intense anxiety stemming from feeling fundamentally flawed, despite having one person who accepts them. The song questions whether the relationship is equal or codependent and contemplates whether the supportive person would be better off without the narrator.
Public Self and Energy Expenditure
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(00:27:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Maintaining a public persona as an introvert requires significant energy, involving heightening certain aspects of the self to navigate the world, followed by intense unwinding.
  • Summary: The space between a personal and public self feels fragmented for public figures. Mitski describes the process as still being herself but heightening specific aspects to navigate being seen by the entire world. This requires a large expenditure of energy, leading to a need to completely unwind afterward.
Anger in ‘Dead Women’
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(00:29:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The song ‘Dead Women’ expresses a resigned anger over societal expectations that women must be dead inside, serving only as servants or being consumed posthumously.
  • Summary: Mitski wrote ‘Dead Women’ out of anger regarding the world’s desire for women to lack volition, dreams, or inner life, wanting them only to be ‘baby-making servants.’ She references the fetishization of dead women, citing how Sylvia Plath’s abusive husband controlled the posthumous curation of her work to erase negative aspects.
Tour Venue Philosophy
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(00:33:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The current tour aims to recreate the raw, connecting experience of early DIY punk shows by selecting unique venues like a high school auditorium.
  • Summary: Unlike the meticulously planned choreography of the previous tour, this tour seeks to recapture the feeling of raw connection found in early DIY shows. Mitski wanted venues that felt special and experiential, aiming to recreate the feeling of connecting with a few people in a room, even on a larger scale.
Wallowing in ‘I’ll Change For You’
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(00:36:04)
  • Key Takeaway: The song ‘I’ll Change For You’ celebrates the ‘deliciousness to wallowing’ and provides music for moments of self-pity, contrasting with songs that only encourage immediate recovery.
  • Summary: Mitski wrote ‘I’ll Change For You’ specifically for moments when she feels pitiful and needs a song that validates that terrible feeling, rather than one that demands immediate self-improvement. The bossa nova beat creates a woozy atmosphere, suggesting the enjoyment of wallowing in a nice bar setting.