John sits down with Scottish artist, producer and DJ Josh Mainnie, better known as Barry Can’t Swim, and producer O’ Flynn to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Loner’.

Josh first began releasing under the alias Barry Can’t Swim in 2019, releasing a stream of singles that began attracting attention for their melodic, dance-driven style. In 2023, he released his first full-length album, ‘When Will We Land?’, which became a huge success, earning him nominations for the Mercury Prize and at the BRIT Awards. ‘Loner’ released in July 2025, sees him reflect on his newfound fame and place in the industry, whilst maintaining his signature high energy beats and captivating soundscapes.

Sitting down with Josh, and later with collaborator O’Flynn, the conversation dives into the album-making process. They explore Josh’s sampling techniques, the ideal mindset and headspace for creating great music, and the stories behind capturing sounds from unexpected places, like the toilets of an Indian restaurant, and turning them into tracks.

Tracks discussed: Still Riding, Wandering Mt. Moon, Kimpton

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Loner’ here

‘Ninja Tune’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Oek Sound Soothe 2

Cable Guys Snap Back

XLN Audio Life Plugin

Slate & Ash Cycles

Slate & Ash Auras

Arturia Mini V

Arturia Beatstep Pro

Arturia Prophet

Xfer Serum Synth

Spectrasonics Keyscape Double Felt

Valhalla Plugins 

Make Noise Morphogene

Korg Kaoss Pad

Prophet Synth

Korg MS-20

Korg M1

Splice

Ableton Prehistoric VHS (Wavetable Preset)

Ableton Granulator

Ableton EQ

Ableton Plugins

Ableton

Logic Pro X

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

John is joined by Lorde and producer Jim-E Stack to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Virgin’.

Lorde, is a singer-songwriter and producer from New Zealand who rose to fame in 2013 with the Grammy winning global hit track ‘Royals’. Her albums 2013’s ‘Pure Heroine’, 2017’s ‘Melodrama’, and 2012's ‘Solar Power’ all showcase her sharp, raw lyrics and sophisticated production . In June 2025, after collaborations with artists including Charli XCX, Lorde released ‘Virgin’. Produced by Jim-E Stack, the record reveals a bold new sound and explores themes of self-discovery and identity.

In this episode, the pair discuss the subtle changes made in the development of each track. As well as sharing numerous voice notes and demos, they talk through how the lyrics and production informed each other, the importance of muting and stripping songs back, with deep rooted percussion at the music’s core.

Tracks discussed: Favourite Daughter, GRWN, Shapeshifter

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Virgin’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/virgin/wuWmkwlQ 

‘Universal Music’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Decapiator

Soundtoys Devil-Loc

Soundtoys FilterFreak

FabFilter Pro Q

Decimort

Waves Soundshift

Waves RVox

Waves SSL Compressor

Kontakt Strings

OTT

Goodhertz Lossy

Korg PolySix

Shure SM7

Moog Rogue

Thermionic Culture Vulture

API 550 EQ

Neve 1073

Neumann U47

CL-1B Compressor

Roland Juno

AMS DMX Unit

Telefunken 251 Mic

CR 8000 Drum Machine

Roland VG-8

Teenage Engineering OP-1

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

John is joined by Jamie xx, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘In Waves’.

Jamie xx is an English musician, record producer, and DJ. He began his career as part of The xx, whose 2009 debut album ‘xx’ was instrumental in shaping the indie music scene of the 2010s. Jamie’s critically acclaimed solo debut, ‘In Colour’, arrived in 2015, earning both Mercury and Grammy nominations. In 2024, he released ‘In Waves’, a record that captures the emotional highs and hazy afterglow of a night out, blending bliss, heartbreak, and introspection through immersive dance music.

In this episode, Jamie reflects on the years-long journey of creating ‘In Waves’. As well as discussing where his initial moments of inspiration came from, he talks through his approach to sampling, how he balances analog synths with a Logic-based workflow, and the plugins that have become essential to crafting his distinctive sound.

Tracks discussed: Breather, Dafodil, Life

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘In Waves’ here

‘Young’

LISTEN to ‘Tina Moore - Never Gonna Let You Go’ here.

‘RCA Records, Sony’

LISTEN to ‘Cerrone - The House of the Rising Sun Revelacion Suite’ here.

‘Because’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective.

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Crystallizer

Zynaptiq Morph

Output Thermal

Roland TR-808

XLN Audio XO

Serum

Sonar Works Sound ID Reference

Roland Space Echo

Oberheim 8 Voice

Korg Delta

Isla Drum Machine

Akai MPC 1000

Tascam 8 Track

Logic ES 2

Logic Phaser

Logic Drum Sampler

Logic Pro X

Garageband

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Caribou, Dan Snaith, all the way back in Summer 2020.

EPISODE NOTES

In this episode John links up with Caribou a.k.a. Dan Snaith, to breakdown how Suddenly -  his first release in five years - was written, recorded and produced. 

Diving deep into his hard drive Dan treats us to a plethora of demo versions, track breakdowns and even plays us a few nuggets live. We get to hear the philosophy and stories behind creating his most personal album yet and discover how he reduced a monumental 900 ideas down to a single record. 

Listen to hear the results of when Dan was let loose in Floating Points' Studio, how leaving his internet browser open while recording provided a moment of compositional serendipity, and why the title of this podcast could well have been 'Things I learned from Timberland'. 

Songs Discussed: Magpie, Like I Love You, Sister 

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit ⁠tape.it/tapenotes⁠ or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at ⁠landr.com/tapenotes⁠

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about⁠ Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.⁠

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount⁠ HERE

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'Suddenly' here.

'Suddenly' - City Slang

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

API Lunchbox

Arp 2600

ARP Rhodes Chroma

Rhodes

Flea 47

Native Instruments Reaktor

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

Spectrasonics Trilian

Synthesis Technology - E370 Quad Morphing VCO

ToneBoosters Reelbus

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor

Waves MondoMod

Yamaha CS-70

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

John is joined by Nicolas Godin, one half of the French electronic duo Air, to explore how they wrote, recorded, and produced their iconic debut album, Moon Safari.

Formed in 1995 by Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Air rose to global fame with ‘Moon Safari’ in 1998, a critically acclaimed, genre-defining album that helped elevate French pop and inspired a generation of down-tempo electronic music. In 2025, the duo marked its 25th anniversary with Blue Moon Safari, a bold reinterpretation by British producer Vegyn.

In this episode, Nico shares the story behind ‘Moon Safari', sharing how each track came to life, the creative choices that shaped the album, and the instruments and techniques that defined the iconic Air sound.

Tracks discussed: Sexy Boy, La Femme d’argent, Talisman, Kelly Watch the Stars

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Moon Safari’ here - https://lynkify.in/album/moon-safari/xYXmfb0a 

‘Parlophone’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

AKG C414

Talk Box

Leslie Cabin

Moog Minimoog

Korg MS20

Fostex A80

Sequential Prophet 5

Roland Juno

Roland Jupiter-8

ARP 2600

Synton Syrinx

Peavey Classic 50

Ensoniq DP/4

Fender Rhodes

Whurlitzer

Spitfire Audio Instruments

Ableton

Cubase

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

John is joined by American singer and songwriter d4vd, to talk about how he wrote and recorded his debut album ‘Withered’. 

David Burke, aka d4vd, broke into music after beginning to produce tracks of his own to accompany Fortnite videos. Having taught himself how to make music on BandLab and uploading tracks online, he first saw success with the single ‘Romantic Homicide’, becoming a viral hit. He has since released multiple singles and two EPs ‘Petals to Thorns’, which charted on the Billboard 200, and ‘The Lost Petals’. 

In this episode, John and David dig into the creative process behind his debut album ‘Withered’ and chart David's journey from YouTuber to recording artist. They discuss the details of producing with BandLab on his phone, creating his own vocal chain presets from scratch, and the themes of vulnerability and emotion behind this new record.

Tracks discussed: Romantic Homicide, Crashing, You Left Me First

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Withered’ here.

‘Darkroom, Interscope Records’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Focusrite Interface

Apple Airpods

Shure BETA 58

BandLab

BandLab FX

BandLab EQ

BandLab Vintage Limiter

BandLab Univerb

Ableton

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

John is joined by Hollywood royalty and Jazz sensation Jeff Goldblum along with producers Alex Frank and Scott Gilman to talk about how they recorded and produced ‘Still Blooming’.

A lifelong pianist, Jeff formed The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra in the 1990s, performing in and around LA for over 20 years. The band’s fourth album released in May 2025, ‘Still Blooming’, blends Broadway classics and tracks from the great American Songbook with guest vocals from Scarlett Johansson, Maiya Sykes, and Jeff’s Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande, and Cynthia Erivo. The record was arranged, recorded and produced by band members Alex Frank and Scott Gillman.

In this episode, Jeff, Alex, and Scott walk us through each track’s creation, from spontaneous singing on set, to detailed musical arrangements and figuring out keys over the phone. They share the production tricks used to balance pop vocals with jazz recordings, the moments they all jammed together in the studio, and how they plan to bring it all to the stage.

Tracks discussed: I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do), We’ll Meet Again, The Best Is Yet To Come

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

LANDR 

Get 20% off LANDR Distribution and Studio at landr.com/tapenotes

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Still Blooming’ here.

‘Decca’

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

FabFilter Pro-Q 4

Steinway Pianos

Coles 4038

Neumann U67

Neumann U87

Logic

Pro Tools

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

Francis Hartgrove

John sits down with electronic producer and DJ Porter Robinson, to discuss how he wrote and recorded his third album ‘SMILE! :D’ 

Having begun self-producing at just twelve years old, Porter Robinson has since risen to become one of the most acclaimed artists within the EDM world, performing alongside artists such as Skrillex and Tiësto. His work has seen him tour extensively around the world and has even earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording, back in 2019.

In this episode, Porter dials in from North Carolina to chat about how he came up with his signature synth sounds, some of his favourite gear, including giving a guitar demo, and drawing inspiration from Coldplay tracks. 

Tracks discussed: Cheerleader, Is There Really No Happiness?, Russian Roulette

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount here

LISTEN to ‘SMILE! :D’ here.

'Mom+Pop'

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

U-He Diva

Polyverse Manipulator

D16 Tourverb

Soundtoys EchoBoy

Line 6 Helix Native

Kilohearts Trance Gate

FL Studio

FL Studio Sequencer 3X OSC

FL Studio Harmor

CLA Plugins

Warm Audio Mics

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

Evan Lawday

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation from Summer 2020, with Josh Davis, better know as DJ Shadow.

EPISODE NOTES

In this episode, John ventures over to Wendy House Studios to catch up with hip-hip royalty Josh Davis AKA DJ Shadow, to talk through how he recorded and produced his latest album ‘Our Pathetic Age’ and his chart-topping album ‘The Mountain Will Fall’.  

Josh gives us a full insight in to his largest most diverse project yet, breaking down his writing process from the moment he randomly dips in to his vast record collection for inspiration, to discovering unlikely source material such as an abandoned record collection rescued from a friend of his father's. We get to hear the original samples that form the basis of some of his biggest hits as well as the raw vocal stems of Nas and Pharoahe Monch rapping at each other from different studios.  

Listen to find out about Josh’s meticulous sample editing process, what mixing mistake meant he had to sneakily rerelease a track, and why he had to gate-crash a Run the Jewels gig. 

Tracks discussed: Nobody Speak, Rocket Fuel, Drone Warfare

TAPE IT

Thanks to our partners at TapeIt! Click here for 20% off TapeIt Pro.

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES 

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Listen to 'Our Pathetic Age' here.

Listen to 'The Mountain Will Fall' here.

'Our Pathetic Age' and 'The Mountain Will Fall' - Mass Appeal/Reconstruction Productions, Inc.

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective 

GEAR MENTIONS

Akai MPC Sampler

Pioneer PLX 1000

Sonos Speaker

Technics SL-1200

Technics SL-1210

ProTools

Ableton

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis

John is joined by Olly Alexander and producer Danny L Harle, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced ‘Polari’

Olly Alexander is an English singer, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist, best known as the frontman of Years & Years. The band found global success in the mid 2010’s with the hit ‘King’ and released two UK #1 albums before Olly transitioned to a solo career. As well as representing the UK at Eurovision in 2024 with ‘Dizzy’, Olly has collaborated with numerous pop icons including Elton John and Kylie Minogue. His 2025 album Polari was co-written and produced by Danny L Harle, a sought-after British producer known for his work on P.C. Music, and with artists including Charli XCX, and Caroline Polachek and many more.

Catching up at Strongroom Studios, where Olly recorded most of the album’s vocals, the conversation explores the stories and sounds behind each track. Along the way, they share early demos featuring Olly’s first vocal musings, while Danny discusses songwriting habits, optimising a producer’s workflow, and techniques for achieving a creative flow state.

Tracks discussed: Whisper In The Waves, Cupid’s Bow, Beautiful, Polari

TAPE IT

Thanks to our friends at Tape It for supporting the podcast.

Visit tape.it/tapenotes or use the promo code TAPENOTES in the app to get 20% off.

TRINITY LABAN 

Find out more about Trinity Laban's Songwriting MA here.

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Polari’ here.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective - https://lynkify.in/song/sunshine-buddy/YT47TLFI 

GEAR MENTIONS

Korg Triton

Rhizomatic Synthesis Plasmonic

Waves Tune

Valhalla Room

Tenor Viol

Korg MS-10

Yamaha RX5 Drum Machine

Roland GAIA

Audacity

Logic Varispeed

Logic

OUR GEAR

https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear

HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW

If you'd like to help support the show you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.

KEEP UP TO DATE

For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: 

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Discord: Tape Notes

Patreon: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! 

Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk

TAPE NOTES TEAM

John Kennedy

Will Brown 

Tim Adam-Smith 

Will Lyons 

Nico Varanese 

Guy Nicholls 

Jessica Clucas

Ali Lewis