Talking Heads Assemble For SiriusXM Channel Launch

Talking Heads are getting back together — at least long enough to talk about their music. The new wave pioneers will launch Talking Heads Radio, a SiriusXM pop-up channel celebrating more than five decades of music from David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth, including a rare conversation featuring all four members.

The channel launches Oct. 1, offering hits, deep cuts, exclusive stories, guest DJ sets and commentary through Oct. 22 in subscribers’ cars on Channel 145 and through Oct. 31 on the SiriusXM app. The full four-member conversation will air on launch day at noon ET.

The appearance marks another public gathering for the quartet after the long period in which they largely stayed apart. The band reunited publicly in 2023 to promote the 40th-anniversary restoration of Stop Making Sense, appearing together at the Toronto International Film Festival for a screening and Q&A moderated by Spike Lee. That marked their first public appearance together since their 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, aside from a 1999 promotional appearance tied to the concert film’s 15th anniversary.

This time, the occasion is radio rather than a stage. The members will sit down before a live audience at SiriusXM’s New York studios on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. ET for a Front Row Q&A hosted by musician Este Haim. Fans can submit video or voice messages about their favorite Talking Heads songs, the band’s impact and questions for the group through SiriusXM’s interactive submission page. Subscribers can also enter for a chance to attend the New York event in person through Sept. 22. No purchase is necessary.

Beyond the classic cuts, the channel promises updates on upcoming projects — which, in Byrne’s case, is a particularly busy category. Earlier this week, he dropped a surprise expanded edition of his latest solo album, Who Is the Sky?, with four bonus tracks, and his acclaimed tour in support of the project concludes Saturday (Sept. 19) in New York. He’s also preparing for the Oct. 6 release of his next book, Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up, and supporting events in North America and the U.K.