Hey y’all, this episode is part two of our first solo round episode.

Following up on Episode 8, where we unpacked the foundation of the Bilby + Ella Show, today we start with a quick call to our friend Eric Hangartner from the band Walden before diving into what this season of creating has been teaching us. From songwriting and collaboration to lessons learned in the studio, we talk through how our creative processes have changed and what it looks like to keep showing up and finishing the work.

This conversation is about momentum, trust, and building something with intention. We talk honestly about learning as we go, staying rooted in the process, and finding confidence not in having all the answers, but in knowing why we’re doing this in the first place.

If you’re a creative navigating your own next chapter, we hope this episode reminds you you’re not alone and meets you right where you are.

00:00 Intro and jumping into part two

01:10 Calling Eric Hangartner (Walden)

03:20 Making a full-length record in a singles world

05:05 Learning piano and keeping the process fun

07:45 Why making records the old way still matters

09:55 How our songwriting processes have evolved

12:10 Finding your voice as a creative

14:35 Lyrics first vs melody first

17:05 Writing from journals and real life

19:45 Finishing songs and trusting the feeling

22:30 Lessons learned from recent studio sessions

25:10 What we would do differently next time

28:00 The importance of the right collaborators

31:15 Process over outcomes

34:10 What finishing music has taught us

36:40 Creating without obsessing over release strategy

39:30 Writing for yourself vs the listener

42:15 Originality, influence, and finding your voice

45:00 What we wish we could unlearn creatively

48:20 Changing the music industry for songwriters

51:30 Looking ahead and what’s next for the show

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