The Zach Show

This week, we sat down with Picture This (@bandpicturethis), a band hailing from Athy, Ireland comprised of members Ryan Hennesy, Jimmy Rainsford, Owen Cardiff, and Cliff Deane. Back in 2015, lead singer Ryan Hennessy posted the song ‘Take My Hand’ on Facebook which caught the attention of drummer and producer Jimmy Rainsford. “Take My hand reminded me of a summer romance and that song explained it properly,” says Jimmy. Ryan and Jimmy then reworked the song. Soon, the song took off immediately and the four-piece band Picture This formed. Picture This’ debut gig was held The Academy to over 800 people. It sold out in under 30 minutes. Things took off pretty quickly.

Since then they’ve supported The 1975 on tour, gained millions of fans, played 5 nights straight at the 3 Arena in Dublin which holds 15,000 people, and traveled across the world. I saw them a few weeks back at Irving Plaza in NYC and the performance was absolutely electric. I’ve never felt an energy like that. In this conversation, the band talks about launching their latest album MDRN LV from the top of the Empire State Building, the beginnings of Picture This, the difference between Irish and American fans, Good Craic, and more. And if you don’t know what “good craic” is beside the stuff you smoke, You know because there’s good craic, but then there’s also good crack, well then you’re about to find out. Hopefully, this conversation is good craic. Even if you haven’t yet discovered Picture This, there’s a lot of great learning moments and insight packed into this conversation. Whether you’re struggling to find meaning in life or you think you’ve found something, I think you’ll definitely get something of out this podcast. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Picture This.

Picture This (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2Mn0gKL

Picture This (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2ww9JF5

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Picture This (YouTube): https://bit.ly/2SccWCU

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Song: 'One Drink' by Picture This

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @bandpicturethis

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time, we sat down with real estate and media mogul, Ryan Serhant (@ryanserhant). We were lucky enough to get the opportunity to stop by The Serhant Team’s beautiful office in NYC. For the three of you who are unfamiliar with Ryan Serhant, he is the head of The Serhant Team, the #1 real estate sales team in NY and top five in the US. Ryan is also a best-selling author, and the star and producer of Bravo’s hit show Million Dollar Listing New York, and its spin-off Sell It Like Serhant. He is also a loving husband, a new father, and a guy who knows what it’s like to fail. NYC is a scary place, I can testify to that, and Ryan came here with dreams of becoming a successful actor. Things didn’t work out as planned, and Ryan found himself at rock-bottom in the real estate business after his credit card got declined to try to buy tofu and yogurt. Since then, Ryan Serhant has carved a massive lane for himself not only as the best real estate broker on the planet but also as a social media sensation. And if you don’t believe in the power of YouTube, Ryan’s team just sold a $13 million dollar property off of a vlog.

In this conversation, Ryan opens up about his ‘Balls in the Air’ approach from his book Sell It Like Serhant, vocal warmups, boarding a last-second plane to Paris to close a deal with Mr. X, intermittent fasting, and more. Even if you have no experience in real estate, or maybe you aren’t familiar with Ryan Serhant yet, I encourage you to listen to the entirety of this episode. Ryan’s been through it, and he can sell the crap out of anything. He also offers a lot of great insight that can be applied to any aspect of life, not just real estate. Whether you’re listening to this podcast and you have everything figured out, or maybe you have no idea what the hell you’re doing, there’s something in here for you. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with Ryan Serhant.

Sell It Like Serhant (Amazon): https://amzn.to/2PLGNAi

Ryan Serhant's Vlog: https://bit.ly/2Q9YVUo

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @ryanserhant

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

Welcome to another installment of the Heart Beats Series. This is a series we explore the stories of those making an impact outside of the music industry. I started this podcast in music, and while music artists will always be the foundation of Auxoro, I felt that I was watching fascinating stories outside of music pass me by. So, I created a space for these stories to exist called Heart Beats.

This time we are going to do things a little bit differently. But first, let me tell you about our guest this week, Sam Brunell who started a company called Little Sam’s Art (@littlesamsart). Sam draws vivid, colorful, and striking sketches of music artists, actors, cartoon characters, and others. He makes some of the best artwork I’ve seen, and I don’t say that lightly. These aren’t just portraits. Sam incorporates elements from each person’s life into the artwork. For example, in a recent sketch of Ariana Grande, Sam included a mini sketch of Mac Miller covering his face and peaking through one eye (from the Vulture profile, the last interview he did before he died). Sam also included an Eevee, one of Ariana’s most recent tattoos, in the portrait. He describes this style as “portraits within portraits.”

Sam, now 26, has been drawing since six years old. He’s done some epic collaborations, including one with Justin Bieber, and his drawings have even been featured on Will Smith’s Instagram.

As a kid, Sam endured multiple, serious surgeries to address spinal problems and extremity issues. On his website he says “life was a big struggle for me when growing up, undergoing many serious surgeries from a young age. Drawing and creating characters I wanted to be around seemed like an escape from it all. Ever since I remember putting pencil to paper, I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.”

I think Sam makes amazing art and I reached out to have a conversation with him on the podcast. He responded, saying “I’d love to do it, but I have really bad speaking anxiety. One of my worst fears is giving speeches. I broke down in college before I had to give a presentation, and ever since then I can’t do it.” Even though Sam felt uncomfortable speaking, I still wanted to have him on the podcast. So I sent him some questions over email, and he sent me back his answers so I will be reading them for Sam. Without further ado, here is our latest installment of the Heart Beats series with Sam Brunell.

Little Sam's Art: https://littlesamsart.com/

Zombie Boy: https://bit.ly/2QbPYeY

Mickey Mouse: https://bit.ly/2We6GQi

Ariana Grande: https://bit.ly/2YzeEAQ

Will Smith: https://bit.ly/30ykpRi

Song: 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' (Le Boeuf remix) by Will Smith

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @LittleSamsArt

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time, Bahari is taking over the podcast for another installment of Off The Record. For those of you who have never heard our Off The Record features before, these are usually shorter form, and the artists share experiences, tell stories, and answer questions about the moments that matter. In this episode, Ruby and Natalia of Bahari talk about the inspirations behind their latest song ‘Sad Face,’ written like the emoji [:( ]. Ruby and Natalia also speak on working though tough times in a relationship and why sometimes, love is not enough.

Bahari (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2EgxlBF

Bahari (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2HoUzHW

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: :( by Bahari

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @victoriamouraphoto

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time, we sat down with Chloe Lilac, a seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, NY, right in the heart of our stomping grounds. This conversation got deep, and part of me wasn’t expecting it to. Maybe that’s my fault for underestimating a seventeen-year-old. I’m 25 now, but when I was 17 I had a lot of insecurities and some harsh experiences, but I wasn’t nearly as comfortable or as able to talk about these things like Chloe. She seems very self-aware and not just for a teenager. In this conversation, Chloe speaks about sneaking out of parent’s apartment at 13 years old to busk in the streets of NYC, struggles with addiction, Childish Gambino, her latest project Manic Pixie Dream, and more.

Even if you aren’t an avid listener to music, or maybe you haven’t discovered Chloe Lilac yet, I encourage you to listen to the full extent of this conversation. We live in a landscape where the teenage perspective can resonate with anyone from 12 to 60 years old. And if you don’t believe me, just look at what Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas is doing. This conversation definitely changed my perspective on a few things, like creativity and Alcoholics anonymous, and I hope you can give yourself the same chance. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging, deep conversation with Chloe Lilac.

Chloe Lilac (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2JEpJMW

Chloe Lilac (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2JB6Nyu

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'Summer' by Chloe Lilac

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @chloelilac

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time, we sat down with James Hersey, a singer-songwriter from Vienna, Austria. As an artist who does not collaborate often, James made his first mainstream dent on the charts with an original song called ‘Coming Over.’ Kygo and Dillon Francis then hopped on the track, a collaboration with James that now has over 125 million streams on Spotify alone. He was able to replicate that success with the smash hit ‘Miss You,’ which was written, sung, and produced by James.

Starting as a kid on drums who played in punk bands with a mohawk, I respect the Mohawk, James evolved into a hell of a songwriter. Even if you haven’t put the face to the voice, you have no doubt driven in the car, drank at a bar, or worked out to one of James’ beautiful, infectious melodies. After seeing massive success on the track with Kygo and Dillon Francis, singing at festivals all over the world, James could have become a go-to vocalist for mainstream electronic producers, and there would have been nothing wrong with that. Many take that path. But for James, he stayed true to his own artistry, who he was, and made the music he wanted to make. As James’ Dad says, “Creativity allows you to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.”

In this conversation, we discuss the story behind ‘Coming Over’ with Kygo and Dillon Francis, a pivotal getaway experience in Austin, Texas, judgment on social media, the inspirations behind his latest project, Innerverse, and more. Even if you aren’t particularly passionate about music, or maybe you haven’t discovered James Hersey yet, I encourage you to listen to the full extent of this conversation. There are a lot of good takeaways that apply to many aspects of life outside of music. If you do anything creative, or maybe you’re at a crossroads and aren’t sure where to go, give this a listen. I’m not saying you’ll find the answer here, but you’ll be listening to a couple of people who share that uncertainty and work through it every day. So without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with James Hersey.

James Hersey (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/30bJK35

James Hersey (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2VaZOP7

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'Real for You' by James Hersey

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @gabrielhyden

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

Welcome to another installment of Off The Record where the artists themselves tell stories, share experiences and answer questions about the moments that matter. This time the absolute boss Naomi Wild talks about her fearless approach to making art, the last time she had a deep cry, feeling awkward in public, and a funny moment with Odesza and Wynne on live radio, or more accurately a live stream on live radio.

Naomi Wild (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2GTN4Z8

Naomi Wild (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2vz7qjO

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'LA LA LAND' by Naomi Wild

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Higher Ground (Live on KEXP): https://bit.ly/2qEhpSh

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @trippydana

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This week, we sat down with multi-instrumentalist and producer, filous. He hails from Vienna, Austria and started playing music at only 10 years old. On tour, he plays the harmonica, piano, acoustic and electric guitar, and even started learning an instrument called the “onde magnetique,” which is cassette taped based. Early on, he played in metal bands, got into jazz, and eventually tested his hand at electronic remixes. His remix for ‘Coming Over’ by James Hersey, has north of 50 million streams on Spotify. Filous continues to add to his repertoire with original tracks like ‘Bicycle’ and ‘All My Friends are Rich.’

In this conversation, we talk about a lot of things that are important, even outside of music, so I encourage you to listen to it in its entirety. We discuss Filous’ techno Grandma, what we would do with our ‘rich friends,’ getting too high, the collaborative process, Ted Talks, and more. Without further damage to your eardrums, here is our wide-ranging conversation with filous.

filous (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2L7oJ6e

filous (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2ZxtnxA

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'All My Friends Are Rich' by filous (feat. Louis III)

Waking Up by Sam Harris: https://wakingup.com/

Potatoes: https://bit.ly/2jpNZ5s

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @flomoshammer

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time, I sat down with a lovely group named Shaed. If you are a lover of good music or a fan of apple products you have definitely encountered their work. They have an EP called ‘Melt’ that was released in the fall of 2018, which you need to go check out, and their song ‘Trampoline’ off of the Melt EP was featured in Apple’s global campaign for the MacBook Air. That song now has over 50 million streams on Spotify alone.

Chelsea, Max, and Spencer of Shaed share an uncommon and intimate dynamic not often found in the music industry, or any industry for that matter. Spencer and Max are identical twins, and Chelsea and Spencer got married last October. All three live under the same roof and have for a while with no plans to change. While this may seem odd to people on the outside, it really isn’t, especially once you get to know them. Chelsea, Spencer, and Max have known each other for over a decade, and as a group, they were spending 99% of their time together anyway. Living in the same spot only strengthens that bond and makes the creative process readily accessible. When Spencer and Max have an idea at 2 in the morning, they can hop down to the studio in their boxers while Chelsea is fast asleep, because she’s not as much of a night owl. Then Chelsea can wake up the next morning and play around with what Max and Spencer have created.

In this conversation, we dive into what the creative process of Shaed looks like, how recharging by exploring nature can give you that extra boost of creativity, how Max came out to his brother Spencer, whipping up recipes in the instant pot, and more. Even if you aren’t an avid listener of music, or maybe you haven’t heard of Shaed, I encourage to listen to the full extent of this conversation. We talk about a lot of moments and lessons that can be applied to many areas of life, especially those outside of music. Also, they’re pretty cool and I had too much fun with this conversation. And Chelsea promised me pasta so I’ll definitely take her up on that. So maybe whip up a bowl of your own pasta, pour up a hefty glass of wine, and turn up this wide-ranging conversation with Shaed.

Shaed (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2Gw1ihk

Shaed (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2XyMXYs

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'Trampoline' by SHAED

Name of the Wind: https://amzn.to/2inUABd

Dolly Sods: https://bit.ly/2VZRBhP

Waking Up by Sam Harris: https://wakingup.com/

Instant Pot: https://amzn.to/2IAi1DW

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Episode Art: @shervinfoto

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

This time we sat down with Rob Abisi and Nick Shanholz, otherwise known as Lost Kings (@wearelostkings). They garnered early attention by producing unofficial remixes for Disclosure, Dirty South, and the Killers. Since then, Rob and Nick have been extremely active on tour and in the studio, releasing an official remix with Rihanna and making original smashes of their own. Shortly after New Years, the duo released an EP titled Paper crowns with features from Wiz Khalifa, Loren Gray, Social House, and more. This entire EP is an absolute banger for the house party, pregame, car ride, shower, doesn’t matter. I’ve been bumping Paper Crowns and sometimes that does involve me flexing the pipes in the shower. That’s the power of Paper Crowns.

In this conversation, Nick and Rob discuss building success in LA - the city where many dreams go to die, chasing those dreams while on the verge of giving up and moving back home, the weirdest jobs they’ve had to work, being baked on the set of the ‘Don’t Kill My High’ video shoot, what goes into planning a set for Ultra, and more. Even if you don’t make music, listen to electronic music, or maybe you haven’t heard of Lost Kings, this conversation is one you will want to listen to. If you do anything creative, whether it’s a side project or your main source of income, you need that relentless drive and something unique to offer, which Lost Kings has and then some. So get a little comfortable, maybe light up a j, pour up a drank, and stay tuned for a conversation that will definitely not Kill Your High.

Paper Crowns (Spotify): https://spoti.fi/2ImK2yw

Paper Crowns (Apple Music): https://apple.co/2UIyLPO

The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux

Song: 'Don't Kill My High' - Lost Kings feat. Wiz Khalifa & Social House

'Don't Kill My High' Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvsrMFb03I0

Episode Art: Nikko LaMere (@nikkolamere)

Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld

Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr

Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld

Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag