David Byrne has long been a fixture of the New York music and art world, from the early days of the Downtown scene in the '70s, and all along the way has expressed a broad range of interests in his work, through whichever medium he happens to be focusing his talents.

The Wall Street Journal's jazz and pop critic Martin Johnson spoke with David for a feature article about a recent spate of projects to come from the polymath, including his latest Nonesuch release, The Knee Plays featuring New Orleans brass-band music; an exhibit focusing on the art of the chair; and his event at New York's Town Hall examining the use of bikes in the city. Asked whether there's any underlying theme connecting these projects, David tells Johnson: "There probably are, but I'm not really aware of them."

To read the complete article, visit online.wsj.com.