The history of the Dead is long and storied, and has inspired countless retellings. So when Sonos approached work x work to create a show about the living legacy of the Grateful Dead, we set out to create a new kind of audio series built around one central question: what can the Grateful Dead tell us… about us? 

The result is America‘s Dead, a ten episode series about how music has the power to transform identity and create community, all told through the lens of interviews with artists and hosted by Grammy-winning filmmaker and producer Emmett Malloy ((Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights). Interviews range from Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend), to Animal Collective, mycologist Paul Stamets, the Dead’s own rhythm guitarist Bob Weir plus Lila Downs, Margo Price and many more. 

work x work guided the entire process from concept to execution, including guest booking, scripting, and creative vision. We made this long, strange trip extra groovy by commissioning a bespoke soundtrack composed by Dead cover band, Richard Pictures, and collaborating with visual artist Andy J. Pizza to bring the show to life with colorful, exuberant show art. Each episode features stunning psychedelic portraits of our series guests. Listen below.