John is joined by Kae Tempest and Fraser T. Smith to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album “Self-Titled”.

Kae Tempest is an English recording artist and author. He began his career performing at open mic nights around London, quickly gaining a reputation for his powerful lyrical performances blending rap and spoken word poetry. Between 2008 and 2012 he toured internationally with his band Sound of Rum, launching a solo career with debut album ‘Everybody Down’ in 2014. It and second album ‘Let Them Eat Chaos’, released in 2015, were both nominated for the Mercury Prize. Kae has since released three further solo albums, including BRIT Award-nominated ‘The Line Is A Curve’. Kae is widely recognised as one of the UK alternative scene’s most essential voices, acclaimed for his exceptional lyricism and acute social commentary. Both are particularly evident on his fifth studio album, ‘Self Titled’, released earlier this year. ‘Self-Titled’ is Kae’s first collaboration with multi-award winning UK producer, songwriter and musician Fraser T. Smith.

The trio sit down at Fraser’s studio, Utopia, where the album was written and recorded, to discuss developing creative harmony working together for the first time, the process of building a song using ProTools, the influence of drum textures and bass sounds on the record, how one creative choice can completely change the direction of a track and much more.

Tracks discussed: Statue In The Square, Forever, Till Morning

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 

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MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Self Titled’ here - Self Titled by Kae Tempest

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

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

GEAR MENTIONS

Ableton Live

Avid Pro Tools

Soundtoys Phase Mistress

Valhalla reverb

XLN RC-20 Retro Colour

Akai MPC4000

Akai MPC-X

Steven Slate Trigger

Oeksound Soothe 2

Soundtoys FilterFreak

AMS RMX16

Roland SH-101

Boss RE-202 Space Echo Pedal

Moog Voyager

Soundtoys Decapitator

Pultec EQP-1A

Mellotron

Shure SM7B

Manley Gold microphone

Tubetech CL 1B

Undertone Audio Unfairchild

Eventide H3000 Harmoniser

Eventide MicroPitch

Undertone Audio MPDI-4

Waves H-Delay

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 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Patreon: Tape Notes

Discord: Tape Notes

To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, message us on Patreon, 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 Hayley Williams and producer Daniel James to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’. 

Hayley Williams is an American pop-punk and rock musician. She began writing songs in her early teens, signing a deal with Atlantic Records at just 15 years old. The label wanted her to be a solo artist, but Hayley had other ideas, instead forming the band Paramore with three school friends. Paramore released their first album ‘All We Know Is Falling’ when Hayley was still only 16. They quickly built a loyal fanbase as audiences resonated with the energy and passion in their music. The band went on to release five more albums and win numerous awards including three Grammys. In 2020 Hayley released her first, highly acclaimed solo album ‘Petals for Armor’. Sophomore album ‘FLOWERS for VASES/descansos’ followed in 2021 to further critical praise. ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’, released in August this year on Hayley’s own label Post Atlantic, is her third collaboration with musician, producer and longtime friend Daniel James.

In this episode, Hayley and Daniel sit down with John at Platoon Studios to discuss how it felt setting out to record songs without an album in mind, how writing solo music differs from writing for Paramore for Hayley, the record’s diverse influences, the vocal recording techniques they used and much more. 

Tracks discussed: Kill Me, Love Me Different, Parachute

TAPE IT

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LANDR 

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MUSIVERSAL

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LISTEN to ‘Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party’ here: Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Portal - granular synthesis engine

Apple Logic Pro

Apple Logic Pro Retrosynth (stock plugin)

Arturia Mellotron

Stellar Echo SD-201

Valhalla VintageVerb

UAD Capitol Chambers

Soundtoys Phase Mistress

Remo drums

Output Arcade

Soundtoys Microshift

Neural DSP

Shure SM7 mic

Neumann U67 mic

Avid Pro Tools Studio

Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar

Gibson Les Paul Junior 1959

Thermal by Output

Fender Rhodes electric piano plugin

Teletone

Roland Juno 106

Akai MPC 3000

Splice sample library

Astra by Splice

E-Bow for guitar

Neve 1073LB

UAD Urei 1176

Korg MS20

Sequential Circuits Prophet 5

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 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

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To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, slide into our DMs, message us on Patreon, 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 The Favors, a duo composed of producer/singer-songwriter FINNEAS and singer-songwriter Ashe, to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘The Dream’. 

FINNEAS is a Grammy Award-winning producer best known for his longtime collaboration with his younger sister, Billie Eilish. As her primary producer, songwriter and touring partner, FINNEAS has played a key role in shaping her sound, earning 10 Grammy Awards along the way. Beyond his work with Eilish, Finneas has established himself as a rising alt-pop artist. Ashe began her career singing demos in Nashville before gaining widespread recognition with her viral single ‘Moral of the Story’. Since then, she has released several acclaimed EPs and three studio albums. Having previously collaborated on a number of projects, FINNEAS and Ashe decided to form The Favors. They released the album ‘The Dream’ on 19th September 2025.

In this episode, FINNEAS and Ashe sit down with John to discuss their techniques for producing vocals, the essential plug-ins they used to create the album’s sound, how ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ influenced their lyric-writing, why devoting time to drum production really matters and some simple yet very effective production tips!

Tracks discussed: The Little Mess You Made, David’s Brother, Moonshine

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 

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MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘The Dream’ here - The Dream by The Favors, FINNEAS, Ashe

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

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

GEAR MENTIONS

Yamaha CP80

Ludwig Superbeat

Revelle Snare

Earthquaker Devices Delay

VOX AC30

Valhalla Room

Fabfilter Pro-Q 4

Waves Scheps Omni

Native Instruments Guitar Rig

Sphere Recording Console

Logic Pro

Ace Tone TOP-6

Soundtoys Decapitator

Earthworks sr314

Liquidsonics Lustrous Plates

Soundtoys Echo Boy Jr

Lindell API Channel

Fender Rhodes Piano Bass mk2

Native Instruments Kontakt

The Fiddle

Spectrasonics Keyscape Rhodes Piano Bass

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 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

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Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

Discord: 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! 

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John is joined by Pomplamoose - American indie-jazz duo Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn -  to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Photogénique’, released in July this year.

The two met while studying at Stanford University and began making music together in early 2008. They first gained widespread attention in late 2009 through their inventive covers of popular songs on YouTube and MySpace, achieving their first viral hit in 2010 with their rendition of Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’. Since then, Pomplamoose have released seven albums, including ‘Tribute to Famous People’ (2010) and ‘Hey, It’s Pomplamoose’ (2016), blending elements of indie pop, rock, and jazz.

In this episode, Jack and Nataly join remotely from their US studio to discuss the three-year process of writing and recording ‘Photogénique’, the ‘extreme self-honesty’ that led them to scrap and re-record much of the original album and their intricate vocal production processes. They also get into the influence of AI on their art, their top gear recommendations and advice they would give to newer artists. 

Tracks discussed: Tu Peux Pas Savoir, Julie

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 

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MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘Photogénique’ here, Pomplamoose Inc.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

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

GEAR MENTIONS

Ableton Live

Waves Smack Attack

Soundtoys Decapitator

Fabfilter Saturn 2

Waves The Kings Microphones

Goodhertz Megaverb

Roland JU-06A

Roland Juno-60

Roland Juno-106

Neumann TLM49

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 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Patreon: Tape Notes

Twitter: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

Discord: 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 Irish singer-songwriter CMAT and producer Oli Deakin, to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘EURO-COUNTRY’. 

CMAT, aka Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, is best known for her unique blend of country-infused pop music, which often incorporates humour and pop culture references. She released her debut album, ‘If My Wife New I'd Be Dead’, in 2022, produced by longtime friend Oli Deakin. Both it and second album ‘Crazymad, For Me’ were praised for their detailed lyricism. The latter was also nominated for the Mercury Prize and the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album. CMAT’s third album ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ was released on 29th August 2025, with Oli Deakin again on production. It has already garnered rave reviews and given CMAT her first viral Tiktok hit with ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’.

Sitting down at Platoon Studios in London, the trio discuss how the album was inspired by growing up in Ireland in the Noughties, why CMAT’s phone is her most important instrument, how online trolling inspired her viral hit ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’ and why a three-minute ‘perfect’ pop melody can be the most effective way to deliver a hard-hitting political message.

Tracks discussed: Billy Byrne From Ballybrack, The Leader of the Pigeon Convoy; EURO-COUNTRY; Take a Sexy Picture of Me; Iceberg

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.

Recorded at Platoon Studios

LANDR 

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MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘EURO-COUNTRY’ here: EURO-COUNTRY by CMAT, AWAL Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

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

GEAR MENTIONS

Omnichord

Mellotron

Casio Keyboard

AEA R88 microphone

Wurlitzer

Neumann M49 microphone

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: 

YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast

Patreon: Tape Notes

Instagram: @tapenotes 

Discord: Tape Notes

X: @tapenotes 

Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  

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 singer-songwriter and musician Laufey and producer Spencer Stewart to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘A Matter Of Time’.

Having performed on numerous national TV singing shows in her youth, Icelandic-Chinese artist Laufey released her first full-length album, ‘Everything I Know About Love’ in 2022. It was praised for seamlessly blending jazz influences with contemporary production. Her second album, ‘Bewitched’, continued this trend with its captivating jazz-pop ballads and earned her the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Laufey met producer Spencer Stewart when they were students at music college in the US and they have been collaborating ever since. Laufey’s much anticipated third album ‘A Matter of Time’ was released on 24th August 2025.

Sitting down at Strongroom Studios in London, the trio discuss how creativity often involves breaking formal rules, why the voice is an underrated instrument, the importance of not being a snob when it comes to technology and their belief that when it sounds wrong in the studio, it might just be because you’ve hit on something really original! 

Tracks discussed: Lover Girl; Tough Luck; Too Little, Too Late

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.

Recorded at ⁠Strongroom Studios⁠

LANDR 

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

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount⁠ HERE⁠

LISTEN to ⁠‘A Matter of Time’ here⁠ , Vingolf Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

⁠linktr.ee/tapenotes ⁠

⁠Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective⁠

GEAR MENTIONS

⁠Neumann TLM103

⁠Neumann U67 ⁠

⁠Shure SM7B ⁠

⁠Juno-60⁠

⁠iZotope Ozone⁠

⁠Echoplex⁠

⁠Plank of wood⁠

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 Piers and Kesi of seminal British dance act Rudimental, at Strongroom Studios in London to discuss how they wrote and recorded new album ‘RUDIM3NTAL’.

Rudimental’s three members - Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden and Leon Rolle - started as childhood friends. After releasing their debut album ‘Home’ in 2013, the trio quickly became one of the most influential dance acts of the 21st century. They have amassed billions of streams worldwide, toured extensively and released multiple chart-topping singles including ‘Feel the Love’, ‘Waiting All Night’ and ‘These Days’.

In this episode, the band discuss the evolution of Rudimental from their earliest days and how they keep things fresh and exciting five albums in. They talk about honing in on the drum and bass genre on this record and other changes they made to their process such as working with samples and collaborating with different producers. They also discuss their legendary talent for getting the best from featured vocalists and the influence their live shows have always had on their studio recordings.

Tracks discussed: Chop Dem Down, Thank You, Green & Gold

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 ‘RUDIM3NTAL’ here

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

Gear mentions:

VPS avenger

Xfer Serum

U-he diva

Apple Logic Pro

Izotope Music Rebalance (part of RX suite)

AKAI MPC

Melotron

Splice

Loopmasters

UAD Eden

Neve preamp

Manley ref-c mic

UA bock 251 mic

UA Urei 1176 compressor

Rode microphones

Shure sm57 mic

UAD interface

Korg m1 synth

Thermionic culture vulture

Solid State Logic SSL Fusion

Soundtoys Echoboy

UAD Dyntronics cyclosonic panner

Prophet 6 synth

Effectrix by Sugar Bytes

Nicky Romero kickstart plugin

Moog Voyager

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 Djo and producer Adam Thein to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘The Crux’.

Djo, aka Joe Keery, is an American musician and actor. His music career began back in 2014 as a guitarist and drummer in the Chicago psych-rock/garage band ‘Post Animal’. He left to launch a solo career as Djo, balancing music with a starring role in the Netflix global hit ‘Stranger Things’. His first album as Djo, ‘Twenty Twenty’, was released in 2019 and praised by critics for its blend of psychedelic rock and power pop influences. His second album ‘Decide’, followed in 2022. The single ‘End of Beginning’ from the album was a viral hit and was nominated for Brit and Billboard awards. ‘The Crux’, arrived in April this year to further critical acclaim, once again working with producer Adam Thein

In this episode, the pair discuss Joe’s collaborative approach to creating and what Adam sees as Joe’s particular gift for knowing what feedback to take on board and what to discard. Joe talks about the long process of making ‘The Crux’, juggling writing and recording with a demanding acting career, and how space and time actually aided his creative process. 

Tracks discussed: Delete Ya, Charlie’s Garden, Egg

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.

Recorded at Platoon Tileyard Studios

MUSIVERSAL

Skip the waitlist and get your discount HERE

LISTEN to ‘The Crux’ here

AWAL Recordings

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  

linktr.ee/tapenotes 

Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective

GEAR MENTIONS

Soundtoys Echoboy

Soundtoys Microshift

Soundtoys Little Alterboy

Soundtoys Devil Loc

Brainworx True Peak Limiter

Universal Audio Vox AC-30

Lexicon 224

Arturia East Piano

Sequential Prophet 6

EMU Planet Phatt

RCA R44

Brigade Chorus

E-Bow

Roland Alpha Juno

Fender P-Bass

Mellotron

UTA-D UnFairchild Plugin

Wurlitzer

Farfisa Synth

ARP Pro DGX Synth

Digitech Talker Vocoder

Guild Starfire Bass

Gibson J45

Magniton Amp

Boss CE-1

Fender Stratocaster

Neve Desk

Avid ProTools

Ableton Live

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 

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 sits down with Scottish artist, producer and DJ Josh Mainnie, at Baltic Studios, 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.

Recorded at Baltic Studios

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.

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