The Sonical.ly Podcast

Kardinal Offishall spent nearly 10 years trying to make the right beat for Black Thought. When Black Thought finally heard “40 Acres and a Ferrari,” his response was simple: “That’s the one.”

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Kardinal Offishall takes us inside more than three decades of music creation — from helping shape Toronto hip-hop and recognizing future stars early, to producing most of his new album, Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes….

Kardinal breaks down the creative process behind “40 Acres and a Ferrari,” why Black Thought is his personal benchmark above even Jay-Z and Eminem, recognizing Boi-1da’s talent when he was still a teenager producing on a beat-up laptop, and how his approach to songwriting and production has changed over the years.

He also reveals how “Top 3” with Buju Banton and Idris Elba came together — and shares that he and Idris have recorded an entire album together.

We go deeper into the personal side of Firestarter Vol. 2, including “Kiss Me When I,” the meaning behind “Everyday, Sometimes,” and why Kardinal wanted this album to reflect who he actually is today as an artist, husband and father.

And for the next generation of music creators, Kardinal shares his perspective on AI, creativity and why new technology shouldn't stop artists, producers and songwriters from creating something genuinely original.

🎧 STREAM FIRESTARTER VOL. 2: EVERYDAY, SOMETIMES…
https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0rszwh4GagQKMoWRr5e1kX?si=I_qttJWpTHubzjjeWS9mwA&utm_source=oembed

🎮 THINK YOU HAVE A PRODUCER’S EAR?
Kardinal knew Boi-1da's beats were special before the world did. Test your own ears in Mix Master → https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial

CHAPTERS
00:00 The Beat Kardinal Spent 10 Years Making
00:15 Meet Kardinal Offishall
01:06 Growing Up Surrounded by Music
02:12 Sacrificing Lunch Money to Record
05:57 The Story Behind “Ol’ Time Killin’”
08:16 Why Firestarter Vol. 2 Came Now
13:01 What Kardinal Is Still Hungry For
15:51 The 10-Year Black Thought Collaboration
19:35 Sean Paul & Recognizing Talent Early
21:19 Discovering Boi-1da’s Talent
23:32 How “Top 3” Came Together
25:34 Kardinal & Idris Elba Made an Album?!
27:22 The Story Behind “Kiss Me When I”
31:46 Why “Everyday, Sometimes” Became the Title
34:58 Kardinal’s Advice to Music Creators
35:13 AI, Creativity & the Future of Music
38:54 What’s Next for Kardinal Offishall

#KardinalOffishall #BlackThought #HipHop

BIJI’s Robin Nazari and Maceo Frost join the Sonical.ly Podcast to break down the story behind their debut album, Legends — a project shaped by Kurdish identity, hip-hop, family, poetry, filmmaking, and modern music production.

Robin and Maceo talk about how a seven-year-old unanswered Facebook message eventually helped bring them together, how an emotional collaboration involving a poem about Robin’s late father became the spark for BIJI, and why the project ultimately became a place where they could create without compromising who they are.

They also break down the production behind Legends: finding unusual samples, combining Kurdish musical influences with contemporary sounds, collaborating with Robin’s mother on lyrics, and learning when an imperfect performance carries more emotion than a polished studio recording.

One of the most powerful stories comes from Sarah’s Poem. After Sarah recorded the original poem on an iPhone, the team repeatedly tried to recreate it in the studio — but the cleaner versions lost the feeling of the original. That eventually led to a simple creative realization: listeners don’t have to understand everything the first time, and sometimes the imperfections are exactly what make something special.

Later in the conversation, Robin explains why BIJI feels like “coming home” — reconnecting with Kurdistan, family, language, and parts of his identity he couldn’t fully express through his earlier music. Maceo also talks about walking away from commercially successful filmmaking work to pursue projects that gave him a sense of purpose and creative energy.

Robin and Maceo also discuss growing up around hip-hop and Kurdish music, why Maceo was forbidden to quantize as a kid, Robin teaching himself to become a stronger rapper, how BIJI searches for rare samples, Kurdish musical influences, creative instinct, staying authentic in the music industry, and the question every artist eventually has to answer: Why are you making music?

00:00 The 7-Year-Old Facebook Message That Connected BIJI

00:16 Meet BIJI: Robin Nazari & Maceo Frost

01:28 Growing Up Around Hip-Hop & Kurdish Music

03:16 Why Maceo Was Forbidden to Quantize

04:33 How Robin Taught Himself to Become a Better Rapper

05:44 How Robin & Maceo Finally Met

09:07 Maceo’s Filmmaking Burnout

09:48 The Emotional Song That Started BIJI

12:50 How BIJI Was Born

14:27 What Makes Music Sound Kurdish?

16:27 How Robin’s Mom Helped Write ‘Legends’

18:43 What Does It Mean to Be a “Legend”?

21:14 The Story Behind Sarah’s Poem

24:56 Why They Kept the Imperfect Voice Memo

26:11 The Kurdish Vocal Recorded Over the Phone

28:25 How BIJI Finds & Flips Rare Samples

32:54 Bringing Kurdish Culture to a Global Audience

35:50 Why BIJI Feels Like “Coming Home”

38:54 Staying Authentic When the Industry Wants You to Conform

42:00 The Question Every Artist Should Ask

44:54 What’s Next for BIJI?

#BIJI #KurdishMusic #MusicProduction #Legends #HipHop #MusicIndustry #Songwriting #MusicPodcast #ArtistDevelopment

Zoe Wrenn wrote a song that went on to surpass 30 MILLION streams — using an early version of software she built herself. Then that experiment turned into a company that has raised $5 million. 🤯

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, we sit down with artist, songwriter, producer, software engineer and Tamber founder Zoe Wrenn to explore one of the most unusual journeys at the intersection of music and technology.

Zoe grew up surrounded by music — her father was a musical director for Cher, her mother was a touring dancer, and Zoe spent much of her childhood on tour. Hearing Joni Mitchell on vinyl helped spark her desire to make music herself.

Years later, her song “Hailey” would surpass 30 million streams.

But there's another part to the story.

Zoe says she wrote “Hailey” in roughly 15 minutes while using an early version of the software she'd been developing as a creative “sparring partner.” Rather than generating the song for her, the software helped her explore creative decisions while she wrote with her acoustic guitar. She remembers putting the guitar down and immediately thinking:

“That's a hit.”

That experiment eventually evolved into Tamber.

Zoe's philosophy is very different from the idea of typing a prompt and having AI generate finished songs.

As she puts it:

“I want AI to do the dishes for me, not write a song.”

Her goal is technology that removes friction from music creation without removing the musician from the creative process.

We also dive into Zoe's remarkable founder journey.

She taught herself to code, started building tools around problems she saw musicians experiencing firsthand, and eventually found herself pitching investors.

It wasn't easy.

Zoe says she heard 98 NOs before getting her first YES.

One early investor even interrupted her pitch and told her:

“I think you'll be fine because people love to watch a blonde talk.”

The experience ultimately contributed to Zoe dyeing her hair blue and embracing standing out rather than trying to fit someone else's idea of what a tech founder should look like.

Today, Tamber has raised $5 million, with backing discussed in the episode including Adobe Ventures, and Zoe is building toward a very different vision for the future of music technology.

And in the second half of the episode, Zoe actually shows us Tamber in action.

We see tools designed to search enormous sample libraries using creative descriptions, integrate into existing DAW workflows, use voice and gesture controls, and help musicians find sounds without replacing the creative decisions they're making themselves.

Most importantly, we ask Zoe the bigger question:

Zoe doesn't believe the future of music has to be artists being replaced by prompts.

Her vision is technology that elevates human creativity instead of removing it.

🎵 From touring musician
🔥 To a 30M+ stream song
💻 To self-taught software engineer
🚀 To startup founder
❌ Through 98 investor rejections
💰 To $5M raised
🤖 And now fighting for a more human future for music creation

This is a conversation about much more than AI.

It's about what technology should actually do for creative people.

🎧 Want to develop the part of music creation AI can't replace — your ears?

Train them with Mix Master, the game that turns ear training into interactive mixing challenges.

👇 Download Mix Master:
https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial

Subscribe to Sonical.ly for more conversations where music creators educate music creators.

What happens to musicians if AI keeps getting better?

What happens when you give a producer who’s worked with MGK, TXT, Willow and more just 10 MINUTES to make a beat from a mystery sample? 👀🔥

We put No Love for the Middle Child to the test.

But before the clock starts, No Love takes us inside the creative journey that took him from playing cello and making beats on Logic 9 to producing, writing and performing alongside some of the biggest artists in music.

He reveals how meeting Mod Sun eventually led him into MGK’s circle, why their creative relationship turned into a genuine friendship, and breaks down the production choices behind MGK’s “Cliché” — including why one tiny idea became a huge moment when they started performing the song live.

We also get into:

🎸 How No Love went from classical cello and jazz piano to producing hip-hop

🇰🇷 The crazy story behind writing for TXT’s “0X1=LOVESONG” — and finding out after the fact that multiple writers had been competing on the same track

🎛️ Why “less is more” when producing — and why finding the right sounds can be more powerful than creating a wall of sound

📱 Why young producers shouldn't obsess over the algorithm — because your social media page is also your résumé

🤖 Why he believes the rise of AI could actually create a resurgence in real musicianship and learning instruments

❤️ Why making more music isn't necessarily better — because one great song can change your life

And then it's time for WHAT THE FLIP.

No Love hears three mystery loops, chooses one, and gets exactly 10 minutes to turn it into a beat.

No preparation.
No second attempt.
And midway through...

THE COMPUTER CRASHES. 💀

He keeps going anyway.

Afterward, he breaks down exactly how he flipped the sample, resampled and chopped it, built A and B sections, chose his drums and created space for an artist — giving you a look at how a professional producer makes creative decisions under pressure.

00:00 No Love’s Beat Challenge Goes WRONG 😱

00:12 How No Love Met MGK

01:26 How MOD SUN Connected Him With MGK

03:06 How MGK’s “Cliché” Was Produced

04:17 Why “Less Is More” in Production

05:02 The Story Behind TXT’s “0X1=LOVESONG”

06:34 From Classical Cello to Hip-Hop Producer

09:00 Moving to LA & Breaking Into the Industry

10:14 How Producers Get Studio Sessions

11:04 Why Your Social Media Is Your Resume

12:00 The Story Behind “Ash on the Floor”

12:52 Working on MGK’s Lost Americana

14:02 No Love’s Songwriting Process

15:57 Will AI Replace Musicians?

17:03 His Advice for Young Producers

18:23 10-Minute Beat Challenge 🔥

19:31 The Clock Starts ⏱️

21:38 THE COMPUTER CRASHES 💀

22:40 The Finished Beat

23:25 Breaking Down the Beat

25:19 What’s Next for No Love?

🎧 Think you have a producer's ear? Prove it.

Train your ears with Mix Master — the game that turns ear training into interactive mixing challenges.

👇 Download Mix Master:
https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial

Subscribe to Sonical.ly for more conversations where music creators educate music creators.

#NoLoveForTheMiddleChild #MGK #MusicProduction #BeatMaking #Producer #MGKProducer #MusicProducer #Songwriting #TXT #KPop #HipHopProduction #Mixing #SonicallyPodcast #MixMaster

How do four young artists develop their own voices while learning to create as one band?

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, The Linda Lindas — Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza and Mila de la Garza — share how they grew from an unexpected young punk band into internationally touring artists, and take us inside the songwriting and music production behind their third album, Gotta Get Out.

The Linda Lindas reveal how their creative process has evolved as they've grown as musicians and songwriters, why Gotta Get Out became their most collaborative album yet, and how they learned to trust each other's musical instincts. They also discuss the challenges of growing up inside the music industry while their friends followed more traditional paths through school and college.

We revisit the story behind “Racist, Sexist Boy,” the experience with anti-Asian racism that inspired it, and how a song originally fueled by anger evolved into a source of community and hope. The band also discusses how they use their music and platform to speak about issues that matter to them.

Then we dive into the music and lyrics behind Gotta Get Out, including “Burning Out,” “Blood on Our Hands,” and “Closer.” The band opens up about growing older, anxiety about the future, finding their identities as artists, and turning those experiences into songs.

The Linda Lindas also reveal how their relationship with Paramore's Hayley Williams led to her contributing vocals and songwriting to “Closer,” and what they learned from creating together in the studio.

On the music production and sound engineering side, the band explains why they wanted Gotta Get Out to preserve the raw energy of their original demos, how they recreated sounds they loved from those recordings, and why elements of the actual demos ultimately made it onto the finished album.

Whether you're a songwriter, producer, musician, or independent artist, this conversation offers practical insights into artist development, music production, sound engineering, collaboration, and navigating the music industry while staying true to your creative instincts.

In this episode:

🎸 How The Linda Lindas accidentally became a band

✍️ How four songwriters create music together

🌱 Growing up and developing their identities as artists

🔥 The story and impact of “Racist, Sexist Boy”

🎵 The songwriting and music production behind Gotta Get Out

😮‍💨 Growing up and the story behind “Burning Out”

🩸 The meaning behind “Blood on Our Hands”

⏳ Anxiety, adulthood and the themes behind “Closer”

🎤 Working with Hayley Williams of Paramore

🎚️ Preserving the raw energy of demos in the final production

💡 Advice for young artists navigating the music industry

Hosted by Elmo Chong & G.NA
Founder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music Producer
Music Creators Educating Music Creators.

How do you find your own artistic identity after years inside a successful band?

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Noah Hill of Parcels shares the deeply personal journey behind his debut solo album Ok ok now, revealing how songs written across nearly a decade kept circling back to the same relationship, its ending, and the memories that remained.

Noah opens up about stepping outside the collaborative world of Parcels, returning to the folk and acoustic music that first inspired him, and learning to trust the music that felt most authentic to him. He also breaks down the stories behind “Bye Baby” and “It’s All in My Head,” including the emotional experiences that shaped the lyrics.

We also dive into Noah’s songwriting, music production, recording and mixing process—from writing on acoustic guitar and working in Logic Pro to mixing the entire album himself and learning how to maintain perspective after spending months inside the same songs.

Whether you're a songwriter, producer, musician, or independent artist, this conversation offers practical insights into creativity, artist development, finding your own voice, and making music that feels genuinely yours.

In this episode:

🎵 Growing up with music and discovering songwriting

🎸 Finding an artistic identity outside of Parcels

❤️ The relationship behind Ok ok now

🧠 The story behind “It’s All in My Head”

👋 Writing “Bye Baby” and learning to let go

🎚️ Producing, recording and mixing his own album

🎛️ EQ, compression, vocal production and learning to trust your ears

💡 Advice for the next generation of music creators

Hosted by Elmo ChongFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music Creators.

🎙️ Brooke Combe opens up about the reality of the music industry, why she walked away from a major record label, and how finding her authentic voice changed everything.

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Brooke shares the creative journey behind her award-winning debut album Dancing At The Edge Of The World, the challenges of protecting your artistry, and why staying true to yourself matters more than chasing success.

We also dive into:

🎵 Growing up in Scotland and discovering soul music🎤 Writing her very first song, "Are You With Me"

💔 The inspiration behind "How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More)" and "Guilt"

🎚️ Recording with a live band and embracing analogue production

🎙️ What really happened inside major label songwriting sessions

🎧 Why limitations can actually make you more creative

🎼 The importance of finding your own sound

‍

🎮 Brooke takes on the Off The Topline Songwriting Challenge and creates a brand-new topline in just 3 minutes!

Whether you're a songwriter, producer, artist, or simply love honest conversations about creativity, this episode is packed with insights that every music creator can learn from.

In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Natalie Layne joins us to talk about songwriting, faith, creativity, and her new album All Joy.

Interview by Elmo Chong

We dive into:

How Natalie developed her sound blending pop, worship, jazz & soul

The emotional story behind All Joy

Building an audience through TikTok and social media

Why joy and vulnerability can coexist

Her songwriting and production process

Creativity, burnout, faith, and staying groundedAdvice for aspiring music creators

Natalie also opens up about the deeper meaning behind her music and how she’s learned to create from a place of honesty instead of pressure.If you're a songwriter, artist, producer, or creative trying to stay inspired, this episode is packed with wisdom.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe for more conversations where music creators educate music creators.

• 0:00 Natalie Layne on the Bible Verse She “Hated” at First
• 0:14 Introducing Natalie Layne & the Story Behind All Joy

• 1:02 Growing Up in a Family of Musicians & Worship Leaders
• 2:46 From Classical Piano to Jazz Improvisation
• 4:59 Natalie’s First “Aha” Moment Creating Music
• 5:31 Writing Her First Songs Using Scripture
• 7:07 Why Natalie Chose Faith-Based Music Over Mainstream Themes
• 9:23 The Hardest Parts of Building a Music Career in Nashville
• 12:39 Leaning on Faith Through Doubt, Burnout & Pressure
• 13:56 How TikTok Changed Natalie Layne’s Career
• 15:06 Letting Fans Help Write Her Songs Online
• 17:55 The Meaning Behind the Album All Joy
• 19:18 “Joy Is Not a Fruit of Ourselves”
• 21:00 The Bible Verse That Inspired the Title Track All Joy
• 21:50 “Count It Joy” — The Scripture Natalie Struggled With Most
• 23:09 Fans Telling Natalie Her Music Helped Them Find Joy Again
• 24:21 The Emotional Story Behind “Fragile”
• 26:30 The Small Moment That Inspired “Amen”
• 28:57 Natalie Layne Opens Up About Being a “Church Kid”
• 30:03 Why Church Kids Have Powerful Testimonies Too
• 32:25 The Youth Conference That Changed Natalie’s Life Forever
• 35:25 Natalie Layne’s Dream for the Impact of Her Music
• 37:24 Natalie’s Honest Thoughts on AI Music & Fake AI Songs
• 38:28 Hearing AI Songs Made With Her Voice
• 39:32 “Human-Made Music” vs AI-Generated Music
• 41:20 Advice for Aspiring Artists & Songwriters
• 43:00 What’s Next for Natalie Layne?

#NatalieLayne #christianmusic #songwriter #musicpodcast #musiccreators #songwriting #nashvillemusic #indieartist #popmusic #worshipmusic

Jena Malone joins the Sonical.ly Podcast for a deeply honest conversation about creativity, love, and identity. Interview by Elmo Chong Co-edited by Carter KimKnown for her roles in films like Donnie Darko and The Hunger Games, Jena is now stepping into a new chapter with her upcoming Netflix series The Boroughs (from the Duffer Brothers) and her new album Flowers for Men.In this episode, we go beyond acting and into her world as a songwriter — unpacking how she writes, what inspires her lyrics, and how life experiences shape her music.We also get real about relationships, and how those experiences influenced her songwriting.🔑 What you’ll learn:• How Jena Malone writes deeply personal lyrics• The meaning behind her new album Flowers for Men• Why she started questioning traditional ideas of love and relationships• The emotional realities behind modern dating• How acting and music influence each other in her creative process• What it takes to stay authentic as an artist🎧 Listen if you’re:• A songwriter or artist• Navigating relationships and self-discovery• Interested in the creative process behind music and film• Trying to find your authentic voice

Interview by Elmo ChongOn this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Riley Clemmons opens up about doubt, grief, and the practice of making honest music. We discuss the origin of Broken Prayers, the empathy behind Jesus Cries, the process of building Church Pew in two months with Jeff Pardo & Blessing Offor, and the essential artist advice Riley lives by: “your art is part of you — not all of you.” If you’re a music creator or someone wrestling with faith and creativity, this conversation is for you.
0:00 – 1:04 — Opening + TeaserQuick emotional hook: Riley’s moment of questioning faith → show teaser soundbite to hook listeners.1:04 – 3:02 — Welcome & Musical UpbringingIntro, where Riley describes growing up in a music-filled home in Nashville and early influences.3:02 – 5:22 — Finding the ProcessHow she discovered songwriting, combining writing + music, “sponging” in studios, long learning curve.5:22 – 9:01 — Biggest Challenges: Comparison & PressureTalking about signing young, the pressure to repeat success, social media comparison, and staying present.9:01 – 11:01 — Getting Unstuck: Practical TipsWhat she does when blocked — scales, journaling, community, “fill your tank” advice.11:23 – 14:08 — “Broken Prayers” — Origin & VulnerabilityStory behind the breakthrough single, wrestling with faith at 18, invitation to the broken.14:15 – 16:33 — Industry Tradeoffs & Staying TrueThe tension: Christian music as an industry vs. ministry voice; learning to choose honesty over chasing trends.16:59 – 19:13 — Songwriting Growth & ConfidenceHow her process matured (titles, confidence to say yes/no in the room).19:20 – 22:20 — “Jesus Cries” — Empathy of JesusInspiration for the song, John 11:35, grief, and the image of a weeping Savior.22:26 – 25:07 — “Let Them Run Like a River” — Grief & SurrenderOn surrender, grieving, questioning faith, and how emotional release fuels art.26:00 – 27:44 — Fan Impact StoriesPowerful listener responses (e.g., school-shooting story) and why those moments matter.27:50 – 31:07 — “Church Pew” — Concept & Radical WelcomeWhy telling faith through a pew is powerful; the memoir-like, everyday holiness message.31:16 – 35:54 — “Faith Runs Deep” — Sonic Choices & ProductionHow title + collaborators (Jeff Pardo, Blessing Offor) shaped its Motown/gospel feel and production decisions.36:00 – 37:14 — Advice for Aspiring SongwritersCore advice: “Your art is a part of you, not all of you.” Practical, identity-centered guidance.37:22 – 38:17 — What’s Next / Tour & New ProjectRiley teases an upcoming thematic project and tour details.38:28 – 38:42 — Closing / OutroThanks, final encouragement, CTA.