Podcast odd couple: Obama, Springsteen in Spotify series

By DAVID BAUDER

The first two episodes of “Renegades: Born in the USA,” a conversation recorded in Springsteen’s guitar-filled home studio in New Jersey, were made available on Monday.

Spotify has moved aggressively in podcasts over the past three years, and made other programming announcements Monday. The audio streaming service has already worked with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, and the former first lady’s podcast is the service’s most popular original.

The seemingly offbeat relationship between the former president and rock star began when Springsteen performed benefits for Obama during his presidential campaigns. But it has blossomed into deeper conversations since he left office, Obama said in the first episode.

“He’s a rock ‘n’ roll icon,” he said. “I’m a lawyer and politician. Not as cool. And as I like to remind Bruce every chance I get, he’s more than a decade older than me.”