ARTIST TALK: BILL CALLAHAN

Bill Callahan got his start in the late 1980s turning out noisy, ultra-lo-fi home recordings as Smog. Then a funny thing happened: The erstwhile creator of scabrous mutant blues like “Polio Shimmy” morphed into one of America’s most engaging and insightful songwriters. Across a succession of beloved albums like Knock Knock, Apocalypse, and Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, Callahan – who began recording under his own name with 2007’s Woke on a Whaleheart – has created a rich body of work notable for its literary craft, generous spirit, and consistently surprising twists on rock, pop, and country idioms. In a live conversation with music critic Philip Sherburne, Callahan will discuss his artistic evolution, aversion to autobiography, approach to songwriting, and more.