While driving down an East Texas country road I spotted this scene. The autumn trees and the late afternoon sun made these golden bales of hay shine just a little bit more. Fortunately I had my camera with me. (c) James Q. Eddy Jr.

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The Shins' James Mercer on music and fatherhood

NPR | By Pien Huang,

Zephyr Weinreich, Janaya Williams, Gurjit Kaur

Published June 21, 2026 at 4:13 PM CDT

Many indie rock musicians who once sang about rebellion are now parents. The Shins front man James Mercer reflects on how fatherhood changed him.

NPR News

Pien Huang

Pien Huang is a health reporter on the Science desk. She was NPR's first Reflect America Fellow, working with shows, desks and podcasts to bring more diverse voices to air and online.

Zephyr Weinreich

Janaya Williams

Gurjit Kaur

Gurjit Kaur is a producer for NPR's All Things Considered. A pop culture nerd, her work primarily focuses on television, film and music.