Music Life

Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Overmono's Ed Russell discuss how they make their music.Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn are the electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso. They’ve been nominated for a Grammy, played some of the world’s biggest festivals, and worked with the likes of TuneYards, Flock of Dimes, and Robert Glasper – all of whom have been on previous episode of Music Life.Alexis Taylor is the lead singer, keyboard player and guitarist in synthpop band Hot Chip. He’s also a solo artist in his own right, having released his latest record Silence earlier in the year. Ed Russell is one half of the most talked about electronic duos this year, Overmono. His love of electronic music came from eavesdropping on his older brother, who was mixing in his bedroom next door, and listening to his records that he’d “pinched”.Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is an ambient composer, performer, producer and sonic explorer. Last year, she released the LPThe Mosaic of Transformation, an “expression of love and appreciation for electricity”, and followed it with this year’s I Could Be Your Dog (Prequel), a collaborative project with LA composer Emile Mosseri.

Poté, Pierre Kwenders, TSHA and Heléna Star discuss what the 'look at me' gene actually is, why music is nothing without dancing, what they’ve learned about themselves through music, and the legacy of what they’d like to leave behind.St-Lucia-born artist Poté combines Caribbean percussion, electronic sounds, and emotive songwriting that caught the attention of Damon Albarn, who appeared on his latest album A Tenuous Tale of Her.Pierre Kwenders is a Congolese-Canadian musician known for dismantling the concept of genre with his indie-Afro-electro sound. He sings in Lingala, French, English, Tshiluba, and Kikongo, and explores themes in his lyrics such as homesickness, tormented farewells, and his love for his homeland and his brothers and sisters.One of the most exciting producers and DJs in London, TSHA (pronounced Tee-sha) blends house, synth lines, and psychedelic noise, and has remixed the likes of Foals, Prospa, Declan McKenna, and Lianne La Havas.Heléna Star is a regular radio presenter and DJ at some of London’s finest clubs, playing an eclectic mix of house and techno from around the world.

Four of the most exciting names in contemporary R&B - Kirby, Gallant, Baby Rose and Durand Bernarr - discuss the secrets of their craft, from being vulnerable enough to expose what they're going through in the writing room, to thinking of music as candle scents. Kirby started her career by setting herself the challenge of writing a song a day on YouTube - 302 days later she signed to Jay Z's label Roc Nation, and since then she has penned music for Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and she co-wrote the smash hit FourFiveSeconds with Kanye West, Rihanna, and Paul McCartney.Gallant is an LA-based artist who released his Grammy-nominated debut album in 2016. He's worked with former Music Life host Adrian Younge, 6LACK, and Jhene Aiko; his latest project, Neptune, marks his first release as an independent artist.Also joining the discussion are Baby Rose, an Atlanta-based singer-songwriter who has been tipped as "the new voice of R&B", and Durand Bernarr, one of the most in-demand artists and producers in the world of soul and R&B. He has worked with the likes of Anderson .Paak, The Internet, Thundercat and Kaytranada, and he dropped his full-length album DUR& in 2020.

Afro-rave and Afro-bass stars Rey Sapienz, Toya Delazy, Catu Diosis and Hagan discuss making the music faster so it feels like a workout, what traditional elements make their way into their music, and the importance of dancing while creating.Rey Sapienz is a producer from the DRC, who relocated to Kampala in Uganda during the Congolese civil war. He started rapping at the age 12, and was the first person ever to spit his lyrics over the traditional Congolese soukous, earning him the nickname El Rey Mago – the wise king. He released his debut album Na Zala Zala in collaboration with the Congo Techno Ensemble earlier this year. Toya Delazy is a London-based South African Afro-rave artist. Heavily influenced by her Zulu heritage, she blends contemporary electronic sounds with the deep percussion and energetic grooves that underpin Zulu culture.Ugandan DJ and producer Catu Diosis has been making waves across Kampala’s underground electronic scene since the age of 16. She blends everything from Afro-house to techno, gqom to kuduro, and is guaranteed to get everyone on the dancefloor.Hagan is a London-based Afro-bass artist known for his dark, energetic sound. His music is heavily rooted in Ghanaian culture, blending African rhythms and dynamic percussion with the gritty sounds of UK garage and grime.

Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry, US indie star Bartees Strange, Ellie Rowsell of Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice and London Grammar's Hannah Reid discuss writing routines, throwing laptops across the room, falling between musical worlds, why polarising art is the best, and the realities of touring.Lauren Mayberry fronts Scottish band Chvrches. Their glittering career has seen them release four albums, tour with Two Door Cinema Club, Depeche Mode and Passion Pit, and collaborate with the likes of Marshmello, The National, Paramore, Death Cab For Cutie, and The Cure’s Robert Smith. Ellie Rowsell is the vocalist and guitarist with British rock band Wolf Alice, whose 2017 album Visions of a Life won the Mercury Prize; their latest album Blue Weekend came out earlier this year. Hannah Reid is a singer and songwriter best known for her hypnotic vocals in pop band London Grammar. They released their debut album If You Wait in 2013, which turned them into one of the most popular bands in the UK. Bartees Strange is a producer and songwriter whose sound blurs genre and boundary. During the mid-2010s, he was a member of New York post-hardcore band Stay Inside, before embarking on a career as a solo artist in 2017 with the debut EP Magic Boy. He had his breakthrough moment in 2020 with the Say Goodbye To Pretty Boy EP, and he’s remixed tracks for the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Illuminati Hotties.

White Denim frontman James Petralli, Jeff Parker, Heba Kadry and Midlake's Eric Pulido and McKenzie Smith discuss using vintage equipment and “mid-life vintage purchases”, why the sound they make comes from their hands, and why being a musician mostly means reacting to your environment.James Petralli is aTexas-based musician and frontman of lo-fi noisemakers White Denim. Jeff Parker, is an LA-based multi-instrumentalist and composer who blends everything from jazz to rock via electronics. He’s also a member of the indie-rock group Tortoise, and has scored several documentaries, feature films, and video games. Eric Pulido and McKenzie Smith are members of the folk-rock band Midlake, and indie supergroup BNQT. Both from Texas, they’ve released four albums as Midlake, the last being 2013’s Antiphon, and they’re back next year with new material. And Heba Kadry is an Egyptian-born, Brooklyn-based mastering engineer who’s worked with Bjork, the Mars Volta, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and has mastered soundtracks for Midsommar and the Oscar-nominated Jackie. She tells us what mastering is, and why all musicians need it.

Julien Baker, mxmtoon, Thao Nguyen and Quinn Christopherson discuss how to separate work life and leisure time, learning to embrace being selfish, and failing at keeping your studio tidy,Julien Baker is one-third of the group boygenius, along with Grammy-nominated Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. She describes her music as “indie folk” and in it explores her relationship with faith, addiction, friends, and the human condition. Her third album, Little Oblivions, was released earlier this year.Joining her is California-born musician and vlogger Maia, also known as mxmtoon. Maia’s debut EP, Plum Blossom, had over 100 million streams, with her music blending pop, folk, emo, and hip-hop. Her latest project was translating her song Prom Dress into the fictional language of Simlish for computer game The Sims.Thao Nguyen is an American singer-songwriter based in San Francisco, who comes from a family of Vietnamese refugees. She’s released seven studio albums as a solo artist and as part of her group, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. In 2015, her band was invited to perform in Vietnam – the first time she’d visited the country, alongside her mother.Born and raised in Alaska, Athabaskan and Inupiaq singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson broke onto the scene in 2019 with Erase Me, which won him NPR’s coveted Tiny Desk Contest. His music is deeply personal; Erase Me explores his experiences as a transgender man.

Zara Larsson, Nina Nesbitt, Brian Higgins, Darin and Jörgen Elofsson discuss how important avoiding competition is, how getting dropped from a label affects your self-esteem and the creative process, and how difficult being both a fan of music and a musician can be.Darin is a Kurdish-Swedish vocalist. He started writing songs at 14 and signed his first record deal at 17. He’s co-written with pop icon Robyn, released 8 albums, set up his own record company, and is now the most played artist on Swedish radio.Swedish star Zara Larsson is one of the world's biggest pop singers, topping charts in multiple countries. Her third album, Poster Girl, was released back in March.Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt is known for her bubblegum Pop songs and viral TikTok videos. She’s worked with Ed Sheeran, written for Jessie Ware, and calls Taylor Swift a fan. Brian Higgins has written major hits for artists like Kylie, Pet Shop Boys, Bananarama and Girls Aloud. He co-wrote Cher’s Grammy-winning hit Believe in 1998, which sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, and won him three Ivor Novello Awards.And Grammy-nominated songwriter Jörgen Elofsson hass written for Celine Dion and Britney Spears, was behind Kelly Clarkson’s pop anthem Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) and Will Young’s Evergreen, which became the UK’s fastest selling debut single in its first week.

Jabu Morales, Luedji Luna, Céu and Sara Tavares discuss how chaotic composing can be, what’s it’s like to write music as a mother, singing in multiple languages, and recording with musical legends.Jabu Morales is a Brazillian vocalist and percussionist, and a member of the band Ayom, which blends “century old traditions with the black and rhythmical language of lusophone cultures”. Jabu also teaches percussion and studies Candomblé and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, as well as working as a solo artist.Brazilian singer Luedji Luna's latest album, Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D’Água (It’s Really Good to Be Underwater), has been described by many as the best Brazilian album of the year. It references the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomblé - imported and developed by slaves – as well as Black feminism, love, revenge and celebration, along with her views on Brazil’s social and political issues.Céu is a Latin Grammy and Grammy Award-nominated singer from São Paulo. She blends “post-Tropicalia samba, valsa, choro, soul, reggae, hip-hop, and jazz”. Her latest album is Acustico, released earlier this year, featuring stripped-back versions of her songs from various albums over the last 13 years.Portuguese singer, guitarist, and percussionist Sara Tavares released her debut Balancê in 1996. Her latest album was 2017’s Fitxadu, and she’s back with brand new material this year.

Anchorsong, Loraine James, Gold Panda and Sandunes discuss what song they'd make it they knew billions of people were going to listen to it, being guided by samples, the importance of keeping in the mistakes, and the art of making organic sounds.Masaaki Yoshida is better known as Anchorsong, an electronic musician and producer originally from Tokyo. He describes his music as being “borderless”, fusing dance music and samples with elements of rock, hip-hop and electronica. Sanaya Aredeshir, also known as Sandunes, is a composer, producer, and pianist from Mumbai, India who incorporates elements of dance and jazz to create something wholly unique. Derwin Schlecker, aka Gold Panda, is an electronic music producer and performer who creates “swirling electronic textures out of samples from pop, soul, hip-hop, or whatever happens to be lying around”. And finally, Loraine James is an experimental electronic adventurer and producer who’s breaking new ground with her sound, and is one of the most exciting talents coming out of London right now. Her latest album, Reflections, is her most critically acclaimed work to date.