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Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen have launched a podcast

Spotify-Obama & Springsteen
Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Sam Obama
Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen
Posted at 1:50 PM, Feb 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-22 13:54:37-05

NEW YORK — Spotify says former President Barack Obama and iconic rocker Bruce Springsteen are making an eight-episode podcast of conversations recorded at Springsteen's home studio in New Jersey.

They talk about their upbringings, racism, fatherhood and even recall a White House singalong around a piano.

The podcast is called "Renegades: Born in the USA" and is produced by Obama's production company, Higher Ground.

Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama, Sam Obama
FILE - This Nov. 2, 2008 file photo shows musician Bruce Springsteen, left, with then Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at a rally at the Cleveland Mall in Cleveland, Ohio. Springsteen posted a message on his website Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, endorsing Obama's re-election. Springsteen is making his debut Thursday on the 2012 campaign trail with Bill Clinton at events in Cleveland and Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

Obama said they both felt like outsiders growing up, and turned to their chosen fields to find their voices.

The two met when Springsteen did fundraising concerts during Obama's presidential campaigns.

Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen
President Barack Obama and singer Bruce Springsteen wave to the crowd at a campaign event, Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, in downtown Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

As president, Obama gave Springsteen the Medal of Freedom in 2016 in a ceremony where almost two dozen people were honored.

Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen
President Barack Obama, right, hugs Singer Songwriter Bruce Springsteen, center left, before presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to him during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016, in Washington. Obama is recognizing 21 Americans with the nation's highest civilian award, including giants of the entertainment industry, sports legends, activists and innovators. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"It is a personal, in-depth discussion between two friends exploring their pasts, their beliefs, and the country that they love — as it was, as it is, and as it ought to be going forward," Spotify said in a written statement, adding the two men "have formed a deep friendship since they first met on the campaign trail in 2008."

Spotify made the first two podcast episodes available on Monday.

The audio streaming service has gotten heavily into podcast and announced other deals on Monday, including a “Batman Unburied” series produced with DC Comics.