Ever wonder who picks the music for the breaks you hear on All Things Considered? The show's directors! We talk to our show producers about the music they listened to the most this year — and why.

Transcript

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

If you have ever wondered who is behind the music breaks that you hear during our show, it's our directors. And as you know, they've got good taste. So as we wind down 2023, we're bringing some of them to this side of the microphone to talk about some of the music they listened to the most this year. Think about it as ALL THINGS CONSIDERED wrapped. Producer Brianna Scott joins us now to talk about her end-of-year playlist. Hey, Bri.

BRIANNA SCOTT, BYLINE: Hey.

DETROW: So when you were coming up with this segment, you wanted each producer to choose a theme.

SCOTT: Yeah.

DETROW: And your theme is nostalgia. Why is that?

SCOTT: Yeah, I like - I've been wrestling with a lot of my past and how it's shaped my current reality. And a lot of the music that I listened to this year, it's from my emo teenage years.

DETROW: I'm truly shocked you had an emo phase. I can't believe it.

SCOTT: All right. Is that sarcasm?

DETROW: Yes.

SCOTT: OK (laughter). I couldn't tell. Yes, I was an emo kid.

DETROW: You know, so let me pause to apply some eyeliner here and get my bangs down.

SCOTT: Very Green Day. Yes.

DETROW: But give me some specifics. What did you listen to this year to capture that moment in your life?

SCOTT: So I got back into Deftones this year.

(SOUNDBITE OF DEFTONES SONG, "BE QUIET AND DRIVE (FAR AWAY)")

SCOTT: Deftones makes me feel electric and transports me back to those teenage years and allows me to reflect on that time. Music was my refuge. I was that kid always walking around with headphones in their ears, drowning out the world.

DETROW: Yeah.

SCOTT: And music saved me in a lot of ways, which brings me to my next music choice, The Wonder Years.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I JUST WANT TO SELL OUT MY FUNERAL")

THE WONDER YEARS: (Singing) Clear the apartment. I plan on collapsing and I...

SCOTT: Half of The Wonder Years' albums would be on the soundtrack to my life - like, seriously. I got to see them live for the first time in 2022 and then again this year for their 10-year anniversary of their album, "The Greatest Generation." And it was an emotional show for me because I was listening to these older dudes as a teen. And now I'm at a time in my life where I can really relate to their songs...

DETROW: Yeah.

SCOTT: ...Growing up, trying to find your purpose, battling your internal demons. And I'm thinking that maybe my theme is nostalgia and hope because the last band I want to talk about is the embodiment of hope for me, and that's Explosions in the Sky.

(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY'S "FIRST BREATH AFTER COMA")

SCOTT: Oh, my God. I could cry right now (laughter).

DETROW: That's a lot. That's a big pedestal to put a band on. Tell me why.

SCOTT: When I listen to Explosions, their songs take me through every single human emotion that exist in the span of minutes. And I feel like for me, I get glimpses of my future when I listen to them. Like, I see my future and the life I want for myself. I saw them for the first time in October this year and it, no joke, changed my life. I remember when they came on stage and opened up with "First Breath After A Coma" (ph), which is probably one of my all-time favorite songs by them. I instantly burst into tears and pretty much the entire show, I couldn't stop crying.

(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY'S "FIRST BREATH AFTER COMA")

SCOTT: In one night, from one concert, one band, my life changed and my outlook on my life changed.

DETROW: And that's what music does.

SCOTT: It does do that. It makes us feel really good about ourselves.

DETROW: That is NPR producer and ALL THINGS CONSIDERED director Brianna Scott. Thank you so much for giving us this glimpse of your listens.

SCOTT: Absolutely. Happy to be here.

(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY'S "FIRST BREATH AFTER COMA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.