logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
1h 36m

Serj Tankian

Rick Rubin
About this episode

Serj Tankian is a Grammy-award-winning artist best known for being the frontman of System Of A Down. His powerful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics helped the group achieve wild success, including over 40 million records sold worldwide, multiple platinum albums, more than a billion YouTube plays, and multiple Grammy nominations (winning Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B."). Beyond System Of A Down, Tankian has released five solo albums (Elect the Dead, Imperfect Harmonies, Harakiri, Orca, Jazz-Iz-Christ, and Elasticity), composed music for film and television (Body of Lies, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, among many more), and been a prominent activist for human rights, environmental issues, and causes related to his Armenian heritage (In 2011, he was awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal for his significant contributions to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide). His book Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)—which shares his extraordinary life story, from his childhood in war-torn Beirut and his family’s move to Los Angeles, to his decision to pursue music and his rise to fame as the lead singer of System—is out now!  


------

Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team:


Squarespace

https://squarespace.com/tetra

------

Lucy

https://lucy.co/tetra

------

LMNT Electrolytes

https://drinklmnt.com/tetra

------

House of Macadamias

https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/tetra

Up next
Yesterday
Chris Carter, X Files
Chris Carter is a television writer, producer, and director best known as the creator of science fiction series The X-Files. He began his screenwriting career at Walt Disney Studios in 1985 before moving to Twentieth Century Fox Television. There, he developed The X-Files, which ... Show More
1h 33m
Jul 2
Urs Fischer
Urs Fischer is a contemporary artist renowned for his experimental and highly unpredictable practice of sculpture, installation, painting, and photography. He often uses unconventional materials, such as wax, bread, and everyday objects, which he employs to explore themes of tran ... Show More
1h 43m
Jun 25
Tobias Lütke
Tobias Lütke is the founder and CEO of Shopify, an e-commerce platform that enables businesses to sell products online and in person. Channeling his background as a self-taught programmer, he built Shopify out of a need for e-commerce solutions while running an online snowboard s ... Show More
1h 47m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
Serj Tankian Talks Toxicity and Activism
System of a Down’s classic Rick Rubin-produced album, Toxicity, turns 20 this year. Released in 2001 one week before 9/11, the politically charged and wildly bizarre album provided the perfect soundtrack for a world descending into chaos. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System, ... Show More
58m 7s
Apr 2021
Serj Tankian: System of a Down frontman on activism and music
Serj Tankian is the frontman of world-renowned rock band System of a Down, but is also an arch advocate for his family’s homeland, Armenia. His passionate views on genocide, war and corrupt governance have won him millions of fans and numerous enemies. What matters more to him: t ... Show More
23m 25s
Mar 2015
System of a Down
In a wide-ranging interview, two members of multi-million-selling and Grammy-award-winning metal band System of a Down talk to 5 live’s Dotun Adebayo about their music, their political views, their personal lives and why the 1915 genocide of over one million Armenians is still su ... Show More
24m 37s
Jun 2022
Music is abstract, lyrics are concrete, with Elvis Costello, Marisa Monte, Jorge Drexler and Leo Sidran
Elvis Costello, Marisa Monte, Jorge Drexler and Leo Sidran discuss how to create emotional lyrics, shouting to make yourself heard, arriving at the idea of a song through its title, competing with the scale of music, and working in multiple languages.Elvis Costello is a singer, s ... Show More
41m 54s
Jan 2024
Omar Offendum & Hadi Eldebek at Habibi Fest 2023 | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub
We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on st ... Show More
27m 43s
Mar 2024
Jacob Collier unites the world
One of the most inventive and gifted musicians working today is none other than Jacob Collier. Maybe you know him from his YouTube videos, or co-writing SZA’s “Good Days,” or even performing alongside Joni Mitchell at this year’s Grammys. Jacob is a musician with thunderous chops ... Show More
1 h
May 2022
Jon Batiste on the art of pushing your limits
Jon Batiste has had a record year—he was the most nominated artist at the Grammys, winning five of his ELEVEN nominations across multiple categories, including Album of the Year. When he’s not making musical history, he’s a touring artist, late-night band leader, and Oscar-winnin ... Show More
28m 47s
Sep 2023
Chromeo: From Beirut to Planet Funk | P-Thugg
P-Thugg, one half of music duo Chromeo, shares the secrets to a successful and long-term musical collaboration. On set with us in Beirut, he talks about the experiences that led to his discovering funk and hip hop, growing up between Lebanon and Canada and his changing relationsh ... Show More
1h 3m
Dec 2023
Jon Batiste
Singer, songwriter, composer, and genuine music lover Jon Batiste serenades us with his harmonica-keyboard while reminiscing on the sounds of his childhood kitchen in New Orleans. He describes what it was like to grow up in a big, musical family of jazz legends, and shares some o ... Show More
42m 46s
Sep 2022
Oud With Two-time Grammy-nominated Iraqi Virtuoso | Rahim AlHaj
Rahim performed 3 pieces from his work and spoke about his work as a composer and musician.Rahim AlHaj has performed all over the world, on tour with Munir Bashir, his teacher, as well as solo and with his string quartet project, including numerous concerts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syri ... Show More
57m 25s