The Zach Show

This week, we sat down with machineheart, a band based out of LA with strong ties to Tacoma, Washington. They gained popularity with covers of Katy Perry and The 1975, eventually breaking into Spotify’s Viral with their original song ‘Circles’ featuring Vancouver-based electronic artist Vanic. On the heels of their debut album, People Change, we discuss how the band came together, the toxicity of social media, Post Malone, the creative process, and more. This episode was recorded backstage during soundcheck at The Gramercy Theatre in NYC, so my apologies for any annoying guitars, drums, and clanking going on in the background. Personally, I think all of the noise adds to the aesthetic of the podcast. Definitely planned it that way. Please go check out machineheart on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Their debut album, People Change, is out right now so go bump it. The links to their latest tracks are in the description of this podcast. And if you got a sec and are feeling frisky, go subscribe, comment, and rate us 5 stars on iTunes. This helps us reach more people which means that we can keep bringing dope conversations like this to you. Without further ado, here is our wide-ranging conversation with machineheart. machineheart (Spotify): https://tinyurl.com/y3vtsk8q machineheart (Apple Music): https://tinyurl.com/yyjtenl6 machineheart - Altar (official video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nX1GBJNZic The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux/ 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

This week, we sat down with Michael and Anthony Hannides, otherwise known as MakeYouKnowLove. They are brothers from the UK, multi-platinum songwriters, and practicers of martial arts. To give you a snapshot of their resume, Anthony and Michael co-wrote and produced Zayn’s smash hit Pillowtalk which went #1 in 75 countries, as well as many other songs on Zayn’s debut album Mind of Mine and Zayn’s follow up project Icarus Falls. They also co-wrote Kiss Me by Rita Ora which appeared on the Fifty Shades Darker Soundtrack, as well as worked with artists like Jay Sean, Alesha Dixon, Conor Maynard, and McLean. Back in 2005, Anthony and Michael sang in the group 4-Tune which made an impressive run to the finals on X-Factor, which we will get into more later. After touring for a couple years playing 4-Tune gigs, Anthony and Michael took that money to create their own makeshift studio. At first, they made music using a cupboard with curtains as the vocal booth. Working, eating, and sleeping out of the same place, they barely made any money for the first three years in the studio. As Michael and Anthony say, “A song’s success isn’t what makes us happy - writing the song itself, that’s the happiness.” With that mindset, the songs they’ve created have reached nearly 3 billion streams to date, and they have now released their own project called MakeYouKnowLove. I learned a lot from this conversation, including insights into fitness, meditation, and what it takes to make a living as a creator. Even if you have zero interest in music and songwriting, this conversation will broaden your perspective, and hopefully, leave you with some tools and messages that can apply to your everyday life. MakeYouKnowLove (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BoAV02g7AISyZXBAyu1hb?si=koVZulQsRNegCq5pjpgapQ MakeYouKnowLove (Apple Music): https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/makeyouknowlove/1099233511 MakeYouKnowLove - Vitamin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1JECsRtLc The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux/ Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr 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 is another installment of The Self Care series, started in honor of Mac Miller, to address topics concerning our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Something that hits on all three is the art of negotiation. Every week, we encounter dozens of negotiation opportunities, big and small, that require listening, communication, and confidence. This week, we sit down with expert negotiator Brandon Voss. He is the director of training & operations at The Black Swan Group, the premier company and source for learning negotiation techniques when compromise is not an option. Chris Voss, the founder of Black Swan and Brandon’s father, has a quarter century’s worth of FBI experience, was the FBI Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator, and authored the best selling book Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. As the Director of Training and Operations, Brandon has been instrumental in adapting FBI Hostage Negotiation Techniques to the Business World. In addition to Training Clients, Brandon has given talks at USC Marshall School of Business, Georgetown McDonough School of Business, and organizations like Policy Innovators of Education. On this episode, Brandon breaks down many key tenets from the book Never Split The Difference, including how to actively listen, asking calibrated questions to discover more information, the power of silence, and how to get anyone to respond to an email. Personally, I’ve read this book once and listened to the audiobook on a separate occasion. I use many of these tactics daily and have gotten many interviews with bigger artists using things I’ve learned from this book. Even if you aren’t closing fortune 500 deals at the big table, you will find plenty of value in this episode. Life is a negotiation, whether you realize it or not. From bargaining baggage fees at the airport to asking someone out on a date, these principles apply to situations we encounter every day. Negotiation is a practice and what better way to start than with someone who’s made negotiation their life mission. Without further ado, here is our conversation with Brandon Voss. Never Split The Difference (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended-ebook/dp/B014DUR7L2 The Black Swan Group: https://blackswanltd.com/ The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux/ Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

On this week’s episode of Auxoro: The Voice of Music, we sat down with Cautious Clay. He released his debut EP, Blood Type, in February of 2018, but the journey started long before. Cautious Clay grew up in Cleveland and was surrounded by the jazz community. He plays the flute and saxophone among other things, a true multi-instrumentalist. At George Washington University, he started making beats and posting remixes to SoundCloud. It was there, that Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, saw one of these remixes and reached out to Cautious Clay. Cautious Clay, Blackbear, and Astonomyy ended up being part of the first remix package of ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eilish back in 2015. Since then, Cautious Clay has made a lot of music, worked multiple day jobs, and recently quit those day jobs to pursue music full time. In October of 2018, NPR tapped Cautious Clay to perform for their coveted tiny desk concert series. Even if you don’t listen to Cautious Clay, or aren’t an avid music listener in general, this episode has a lot of insight into the overall process of creativity, the effect of religion on upbringing, competition, and other topics that span beyond music. Check out Cautious Clay's latest single 'Honest Enough,' his upcoming tour dates, and full catalog below: Cautious Clay (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/artist/6iWuBN32BqCJAeXW6o3nil?si=6Uey1WlxRoy7uxqC6eWOCQ Cautious Clay (Apple Music): https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cautious-clay/1064628701 Cautious Clay on Tour: https://www.cautiousclay.com/shows/ The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux/ Song: 'Cold War' by Cautious Clay Tiny Desk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VERVVrzLSuo Smoke deGrasse Tyson: https://vimeo.com/138219734 Episode Art: Brian Karlsson (@voyeur1) Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr 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 the legendary Jim Weider. Jim was born and raised in Woodstock, NY and from 1985-2000 he was the lead guitarist for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Band. His first ever show with The Band was a Crosby, Stills, and Nash reunion in Dallas Texas in front of over 30,000 people. Talk about baptism by fire. Throughout Jim’s career, he has jammed with Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Scotty Moore of Elvis Presley’s original band, played with The Grateful Dead at Soldier field and rocked the stage at The Berlin Wall Concert in front of over 300,000. No single concert has ever been bigger in attendance. In 2013, The Weight Band formed when two former members of The Band, Jim Weider and Randy Ciarlante, decided to continue The Band’s rich musical tradition. The Weight Band keeps the Woodstock spirit of The Band alive. In 2018, The Weight Band released an original album titled ‘World Gone Mad,’ a commentary on today’s divisive political climate and the hardship of American Life. In this conversation, Jim and I get into growing up in Woodstock, his time with The Band, jamming with Rock n Roll icons, the psychedelic culture, and more. Song: 'Deal' by The Weight Band The Weight Band (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rsPWmLY4b1IZXcKrpVYpb?si=FfC60adOSS-ZG9WxYuZnrA The Weight Band (Apple Music): https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-weight-band/1339688651 Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

In the latest episode of the Self Care Series, host Zach Grossfeld explores the recent controversy with Kevin Hart and The Oscars Committee, Hart's jokes on homosexuality, and the current state of comedy. We started the Self Care Series in honor of the late Mac Miller as a way to explore mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Comedy can be the ultimate cure for pulling through the darkest of times, and laughter combines all three aspects of Self Care: the physical, the mental, and the emotional. Should certain topics be off limits for comics? Who decides what we can and cannot find funny? How does laughter tie into morality? We are only one voice in a sea of opinions and we would love to hear your thoughts on a force that connects us all: comedy. Episode Art: Bogomil Mihaylov (fb.com/bogomilism) Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Music Produced by David Grossfeld (@grossfeld_drums) 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 the first installment of our Offstage Spotlight series where we speak to those in the music industry who make their living off of the main stage. These people include label executives, managers, booking agents, light technicians, and others who play essential roles in the music world. This week, we sat down with the founders of LVRN, a label and collective located in the heart of the city of Atlanta. LVRN has developed and signed multi-platinum artists like 6lack and D.R.A.M. while staying true to their creative visions. What started as an idea between five friends at Georgia State evolved into a collective powerhouse in the birthplace of the trap. On this episode, we discuss the origins of LVRN, sleeping in Uhauls, the Anti-Tour, partnering with Interscope Records, working with artists like 6lack and D.R.A.M., and more. If you love these conversations and want more people to find out about us, make sure you subscribe, rate, and leave a comment on iTunes. Support MusiCares: https://www.grammy.com/musicares LVRN main site: http://lvrn.com/ LVRN insta: https://www.instagram.com/lvrngram/ Song: 'PRBLMS' by 6lack Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

On this week's episode of Auxoro: The Voice Of Music, we sat down with R.LUM.R. A man of many influences, he has explored sounds from Porter Robinson and Linkin Park to Fleet Foxes and Anita Baker. As R.LUM.R says, “No one exists who is not the sum of all of their influences.” And the journey of his artistry and influences is apparent in the music that he makes. What started on six strings has evolved into a beautiful synergy of the organic, the electronic and the soul. In this episode, we discuss the power of empathy, the cloak of genre, Super Rich Kids, the isolation of tour life, and more. Going forward, Auxoro will be supporting various causes and foundations alongside the interviews that we release. This week, R.LUM.R and the Auxoro team are asking for your help in supporting two causes: The Ally Coalition, an organization that takes action for LGBTQ equality, and Music Cares, who provide a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. You can find links to support both of these causes in the episode description of this podcast. Thank you for making a difference. The Ally Coalition: http://www.theallycoalition.org/ MusiCares: https://www.grammy.com/musicares R.LUM.R (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/artist/7JBZN2pehWRUu3fX11lP2y?si=xdpgcx5yQqSX9YFVV5Ugow R.LUM.R (Apple Music): https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/r-lum-r/973587210 R.LUM.R on Tour: http://www.werlumr.com/tour Song: 'Frustrated' by R.LUM.R Episode Art: Nolan Knight (@nolanknight_) Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

In the latest episode of our Self Care Series, we explore the XXXTENTACION's legacy. We started the Self Care Series in honor of the late Mac Miller as a way to explore mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Struggling with his own inner demons, XXXTENTACION left behind a legacy or beauty, abuse, and violence. This episode was recorded the week after XXXTENTACION's murder and dives into the question of how he should be remembered. Host Zach Grossfeld addresses the not so black and white meaning of XXXTENTACION's life, death, and legacy. This is only one perspective and it is not meant to serve as a final answer, but rather ignite a discussion on how X should, and will be memorialized. Song: 'Changes' by XXXTENTACION Episode Art: Jack McKain (@jackmckain) Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr 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 shallou, an electronic producer located in LA, who’s originally from the Greater DC area. shallou is currently on tour until the beginning of January and puts on a show that transports you into his own creative world. His latest EP, Souls, showcases a powerful yet emotional blend of the organic and electronic. Icelandic adventures, inspiration from artists like Porter Robinson, childhood car rides with his Dad, and other elements have all shaped the world of shallou. In his own words, “I just want to make people’s lives more pleasant.” On this episode, we get into the inspiration behind Souls, the revolution of the music industry, the behind the scenes work necessary to produce a live show, and more. In light of the recent devastation from the California wildfires, shallou and The Auxoro team are asking for you to please donate to the American Red Cross Fund for wildfire relief. The link for donation will be in the description of this podcast. The minimum donation is $10. In the wake of this disaster, hundreds have been killed, hundreds more are missing, and thousands have lost their homes. Your donation will help shelter displaced families, serve meals, support emergency responders, deliver relief supplies, provide medical care, and create recovery plans. Giving what you can has the power to literally make a world of difference to the human beings devastated by this disaster. Thank you. American Red Cross Wildfire Relief: https://www.redcross.org/donate/disaster-relief.html/?donamt=0 shallou on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7C3Cbtr2PkH2l4tOGhtCsk?si=-Jews0_KQlCussyXTEDIlA shallou on Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shallou/940109730 shallou on Tour: http://shallou.com/tour Song: 'Lie' by shallou (feat. Riah) Episode Art: Rebekkah Cefai (@rebekkahcefai) Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag