Sometimes you finish an interview not quite sure how things went.

Other times you just know. With Sarah Assbring, it was pretty clear from the first seconds, when she belted out a song when asked to do a soundcheck. With all she’s been through in her life, the driving force behind El Perro Del Mar clearly sees no point in holding back. Assbring’s new record KoKoro, which dropped last week, is the sound of an artist bursting at the seams with creative inspiration. As she notes during the interview, she rented out a music room in a children’s museum to experiment with international instruments in an attempt to capture her feelings about a world in turmoil following the birth of her son. But music didn’t always come easily. During this conversation recorded prior to an intimate performance in New York City, we discuss battles with depression and the slog of existential thought that have gripped her life and stifled the process at various points. It’s one of the most candid and frank conversations with had in this show’s nearly 200 episode history and a fascinating insight into a singularly creative musical voice.