Hosted by Dirk Darmstaedter and Salim Nourallah, Write Record Release Repeat delves into what keeps us up at night—songwriting, recording, life, staying sane as an artist, and whatnot. Monthly transatlantic (Hamburg | Dallas) conversations across time zones, insights, stories, flotsam and musings—by musicians, for musicians.

In this episode, Salim and I dive deep into the messy, magical world of songwriting: why we started, how our process has changed, and what keeps us coming back to the blank page (or screen). We reflect on early influences—from legendary tales like the Stones being locked in a hotel room until they wrote a song—to our own struggles with procrastination, creative resistance, and the daunting joy of simply sitting down to write.

We explore questions like:– Does songwriting get easier over time?– Do we write fast or take our time?– What tools and rituals help us break through the block?– And why does everything in music begin with the song?

This is quite a long one, so buckle in.....whether you’re a seasoned songwriter or just starting out, we sure hope this conversation inspires you to write like no one’s listening. Because that’s where the real magic begins.

Hosted by Dirk Darmstaedter and Salim Nourallah, Write Record Release Repeat delves into what keeps us up at night—songwriting, recording, life, staying sane as an artist, and whatnot. Monthly transatlantic (Hamburg | Dallas) conversations across time zones, insights, stories, flotsam and musings—by musicians, for musicians.

Write Record Release Repeat – Episode 3: Indie, Major, or Me?

My co-host Salim Nourallah is a singer, songwriter, producer, and studio owner from Dallas, Texas. He's been releasing fantastic music since 2000, when his first album as Nourallah Brothers (with his brother Faris) came out on Western Vinyl. I discovered that record, along with his first solo album, in 2004 — and ended up signing him to my label, Tapete Records, in Hamburg, Germany. We released four of his albums and brought Salim over to tour Germany and Europe. That's when we finally met.

My name is Dirk Darmstaedter. I'm a singer, songwriter, and producer from Hamburg. I was part of The Jeremy Days back in the late '80s and '90s — we recorded five albums for Polydor/Universal and toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, and a bit in the US. Since 1996, I’ve been releasing solo albums and ran Tapete Records and Tapete Booking from 2002 to 2014.

Do artists still need record labels in 2025?

In this episode, We talk about where we are now — fully DIY — and reflect on our experiences with labels past and present. We break down what labels actually do, what’s gained (and lost) when you go it alone, and explore the evolving options between major label deals and complete independence.

🎙 Topics include:

– What record labels actually offer

– Playlist access, press, and PR power

– The workload of going DIY

– Hybrid models, artist services, and community-driven labels

– Who really needs a label today?

If you like the show please like, subscribe and leave us a - preferably glowing- review. We'd love to hear from you and it also makes it easier for other folks to find the show.So yeah...thanks for tuning in - and enjoy the show

🔗 More places to go:

🌐 Dirk's website: https://www.dirkdarmstaedter.com

🎧 Salim’s website: http://salimnourallah.com

📬 Dirk's Substack: https://dirkdarmstaedter.substack.com/

Hosted by Dirk Darmstaedter and Salim Nourallah, Write Record Release Repeat delves into what keeps us up at night—songwriting, recording, life, staying sane as an artist, and whatnot. Monthly transatlantic (Hamburg | Dallas) conversations across time zones, insights, stories, flotsam and musings—by musicians, for musicians.

Write Record Release Repeat – Episode 3: Indie, Major, or Me?

My co-host Salim Nourallah is a singer, songwriter, producer, and studio owner from Dallas, Texas. He's been releasing fantastic music since 2000, when his first album as Nourallah Brothers (with his brother Faris) came out on Western Vinyl. I discovered that record, along with his first solo album, in 2004 — and ended up signing him to my label, Tapete Records, in Hamburg, Germany. We released four of his albums and brought Salim over to tour Germany and Europe. That's when we finally met.

My name is Dirk Darmstaedter. I'm a singer, songwriter, and producer from Hamburg. I was part of The Jeremy Days back in the late '80s and '90s — we recorded five albums for Polydor/Universal and toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, and a bit in the US. Since 1996, I’ve been releasing solo albums and ran Tapete Records and Tapete Booking from 2002 to 2014.

Do artists still need record labels in 2025?

In this episode, We talk about where we are now — fully DIY — and reflect on our experiences with labels past and present. We break down what labels actually do, what’s gained (and lost) when you go it alone, and explore the evolving options between major label deals and complete independence.

🎙 Topics include:

– What record labels actually offer

– Playlist access, press, and PR power

– The workload of going DIY

– Hybrid models, artist services, and community-driven labels

– Who really needs a label today?

If you like the show please like, subscribe and leave us a - preferably glowing- review. We'd love to hear from you and it also makes it easier for other folks to find the show.So yeah...thanks for tuning in - and enjoy the show

🔗 More places to go:

🌐 Dirk's website: https://www.dirkdarmstaedter.com

🎧 Salim’s website: http://salimnourallah.com

📬 Dirk's Substack: https://dirkdarmstaedter.substack.com/

Write Record Release Repeat – Episode 2: Playing Live & Touring

Hi, hello, and welcome to Write Record Release Repeat — our little podcast about music, songwriting, recording, touring, life, and generally staying sane as an artist, past and present.

My co-host Salim Nourallah is a singer, songwriter, producer, and studio owner from Dallas, Texas. He's been releasing fantastic music since 2000, when his first album as Nourallah Brothers (with his brother Faris) came out on Western Vinyl. I discovered that record, along with his first solo album, in 2004 — and ended up signing him to my label, Tapete Records, in Hamburg, Germany. We released four of his albums and brought Salim over to tour Germany and Europe. That's when we finally met.

My name is Dirk Darmstaedter. I'm a singer, songwriter, and producer from Hamburg. I was part of The Jeremy Days back in the late '80s and '90s — we recorded five albums for Polydor/Universal and toured extensively throughout Europe, the UK, and a bit in the US. Since 1996, I’ve been releasing solo albums and ran Tapete Records and Tapete Booking from 2002 to 2014.

In Episode 2, Salim and I talk about playing live and touring. We cover quite a few bases here, — from booking indie tours through West Texas to playing Kulturklubs in Aachen, Germany. What's the motivation to keep doing this in pretty trying times?

If you like the show, please like, subscribe, and leave us a — preferably glowing — review.. ;-) We'd love to hear from you, and it also makes it easier for other people to find the show..

So yeah...thanks for tuning in - and enjoy this episode!

Episode 1

Hosted by Dirk Darmstaedter and Salim Nourallah, *Write Record Release Repeat* delves into what keeps us up at night—songwriting, recording, life, staying sane as an artist, and whatnot. Monthly transatlantic (Hamburg | Dallas) conversations across time zones, insights, stories, flotsam and musings—by musicians, for musicians.

In our very first episode, longtime friends Dirk (Hamburg) and Salim (Dallas) delve into the origins of our friendship, how we first connected through music, and what led us to start this podcast. We chat and touch on the (r)evolution of recording, touring life and how artists adapt to an ever-changing industry - all while trying to keep our heads together, stay creative and keep going.

From running labels to producing albums to surviving on the road, we reflect on what it means to make music in 2025. We look forward to delving deeper in future episodes.

But here's where we start. See you soon.

🔗 More places to go:

https://www.dirkdarmstaedter.com/ http://salimnourallah.com/