John is joined by Hollywood royalty and Jazz sensation Jeff Goldblum along with producers Alex Frank and Scott Gilman to talk about how they recorded and produced ‘ Still Blooming ’. A lifelong pianist, Jeff formed The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra in the 1990s, performing in and around LA for over 20 years. The band’s fourth album released in May 2025, ‘ Still Blooming ’, blends Broadway classics and tracks from the great American Songbook with guest vocals from Scarlett Johansson, Maiya Sykes, and...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 16 min
John sits down with electronic producer and DJ Porter Robinson, to discuss how he wrote and recorded his third album ‘SMILE! :D’ Having begun self-producing at just twelve years old, Porter Robinson has since risen to become one of the most acclaimed artists within the EDM world, performing alongside artists such as Skrillex and Tiësto. His work has seen him tour extensively around the world and has even earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording, back in 2019. In this episode, Port...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 52 min
We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation from Summer 2020, with Josh Davis, better know as DJ Shadow. EPISODE NOTES In this episode, John ventures over to Wendy House Studios to catch up with hip-hip royalty Josh Davis AKA DJ Shadow, to talk through how he recorded and produced his latest album ‘Our Pathetic Age’ and his chart-topping album ‘The Mountain Will Fall’....
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 39 min
John is joined by Olly Alexander and producer Danny L Harle, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced ‘Polari’ Olly Alexander is an English singer, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist, best known as the frontman of Years & Years. The band found global success in the mid 2010’s with the hit ‘King’ and released two UK #1 albums before Olly transitioned to a solo career. As well as representing the UK at Eurovision in 2024 with ‘Dizzy’, Olly has collaborated with numerous pop icons including ...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 53 min
This week, John is joined by electronic music duo Maribou State to discuss the making of their third studio album, ‘ Hallucinating Love’ . Maribou State first gained traction after releasing a string of EPs back in 2011, but truly broke through with their debut album, ‘Portraits’, propelling the duo to international recognition. Since then, they’ve become a staple of the global dance music scene, selling out tours across the UK, Europe, and North America. Sitting down at Strongroom Studios, the ...
Feb 05, 2025•2 hr 3 min
John sits down with indie-dance trio RÜFÜS DU SOL to discuss how they wrote, recorded and produced their most recent album ‘Inhale / Exhale ’. Hailing from Sydney, Rüfüs Du Sol—comprised of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt—joined together in 2010 through a shared passion for electronic music. Since their formation, they have evolved from local talents to global dance music icons, through their immersive blend of melodic and atmospheric sounds. With five chart-topping albums to their ...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 47 min
Welcome to this bonus episode! Back in Summer 2023 John sat down with podcasting legend Adam Buxton, live at the Podcast Festival for a two part chat into their respective careers, and Adam’s new music. In this, part one, Adam takes the reins as host, turning the spotlight on John’s incredible career in radio. The conversation digs into John’s journey from the early days of Xfm to Radio X, the creation of the legendary X-Posure show, which introduced artists like Adele, The XX, and Scroobious Pi...
Dec 27, 2024•38 min
John links up with Snarky Puppy founder and band leader Michael League to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest record ‘Empire Central’, as well as works from Varijashree Venugopal and a new project, Ellipsis. Michael League is an American producer, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of jazz fusion ensemble Snarky Puppy. Now with a reputation as one of the most innovative bands of the 21st century, constantly pushing the boundaries of improvisation and the styles they ...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 48 min
John is joined by Oli Sykes and Lee Malia of Bring Me The Horizon, as well as producer Dan Lancaster, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘POST HUMAN: NeX GEn’. Bring Me the Horizon, formed in 2004 in Sheffield, evolved from deathcore to genre-blending innovators, incorporating electronics, classical, and pop influences. With seven studio albums, over 5 million records sold, and electrifying live shows, they’ve built a global fanbase and earned multiple Gr...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 42 min
John is joined by Lizzy McAlpine, and co-producer Mason Stoops and co-writer Taylor Mackall, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘ Older (and Wiser) ’. Lizzy McAlpine is a singer-songwriter and producer who first gained popularity by sharing covers on SoundCloud and YouTube. Her debut album, ‘ Give Me a Minute’ , arrived in 2020, however, it was her second album, ‘ Five Seconds Flat’ , that solidified her as a rising force, with the platinum-selling single ‘ceilings’ be...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 58 min
John is joined by Pixies, Charles Thompson (aka Black Francis), and producer Tom Dalgety, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s latest album ‘The Night The Zombies Came’. The Pixies are an American alternative rock band widely acclaimed as one of the pioneers of the late 1980s rock movement. Their first three albums - Surfer Rosa (1988), Dolittle (1989) and Bossanova (1990) - defined an era as well as earning the band much critical success. The Pixies have influenced num...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 49 min
John is back with Jack Patterson and Grace Chatto of Clean Bandit, for part two of their conversation, this time, talking about how they wrote, recorded, and produced some of their more recent hits. Clean Bandit are an English electronic group formed in 2008, known for blending classical music with electronics and pop. While they gained early attention with the track ‘Mozart’s House,’ their 2014 hit ‘Rather Be,’ featuring Jess Glynne, won a Grammy and earned the band global recognition. Now pop ...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 5 min
John sits down with English musician, producer, and DJ Simon Green, better known as Bonobo, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced works from across his back catalogue. Bonobo first caught attention with his 1999 debut. Over the years, his evolving sound, often including elements of world music, nu-jazz and electronica, have earned him a devoted following. This popularity surged with the release of critically acclaimed albums including 'Black Sands' and 'The North Borders ', released ...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 47 min
John sits down with Rex Orange County and producers Jim Reed and Teo Halm, to talk about how he wrote and recorded his latest album ‘ The Alexander Technique ’. Alex O'Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Teaching himself music production at 16 years old, within a year he released his debut album ‘ Bcos U Will Never B Free’ . Since then, Alex has been consistently releasing successful music, including his fourth album, ‘Who Cares?’...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 45 min
John is joined by Jack Patterson and Grace Chatto of Clean Bandit to talk about how they wrote, recorded, and produced some of their early hits. Clean Bandit are an English electronic group formed in 2008, known for blending classical music with electronics and pop. While they gained early attention with the track ‘Mozart’s House,’ their 2014 hit ‘Rather Be,’ featuring Jess Glynne, won a Grammy and earned the band global recognition. Now pop mainstays, they have released numerous chart-topping c...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 34 min
John is joined by Alex Cook, better known as A. G. Cook, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Britpop’ . A. G. Cook, is a London-based artist and producer. After studying at Goldsmiths University, he founded PC Music, a label shaping hyper pop with artists including Hannah Diamond and Danny L Harle. His debut solo albums, ‘7G’ and ‘Apple’, arrived in 2020. In addition to his own music, Alex has shared his production talents with numerous pop icons, including Jonsi, Madonn...
Aug 06, 2024•2 hr 1 min
We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation from November 2019, with Sam Shepard, Floating Points. EPISODE NOTES In this episode John heads to EMS4 studios in Shoreditch to chat with Floating Points a.k.a Sam Shepherd, about how he recorded and produced his latest release, Crush. Talking from deep within Sam’s musical laboratory, we peer behind the curtain and find out...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 22 min
John is joined by Kieran Hebden, better known as Four Tet, to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Three’ , along with a selection of his other work. Following his start in music writing and recording as part of post-rock band ‘Fridge’, Kieran released his debut solo album as Four Tet ‘Dialogue’ in 1999. Since then, his constant experimentation and blend of hip-hop, jazz, krautrock, electronica, dance, and folk have seen him become one of the most innovative producers of tod...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 56 min
John joins Kasabian producer, songwriter, and frontman Serge Pizzorno to discuss the band’s latest record, ‘ Happenings’. Kasabian, an English rock band formed in the late 1990s, burst onto the scene in the early 2000s with iconic anthems like ‘LSF’ and ‘Club Foot’. Since then, they have released eight albums, earning multiple NME Awards and a Brit Award for Best British Group in 2010. Sitting down with guitarist and co-founder Serge Pizzorno, the conversation dives into his production journey—f...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 36 min
John is joined by singer, songwriter, and producer Charli XCX, as well as producers A.G. Cook and George Daniel, to discuss how they wrote and recorded the album ‘Brat’. Charli XCX first saw success collaborating on Icona Pop's 2012 smash hit ‘ I Love It ’ and Iggy Azalea's chart-topping single ‘Fancy’ . Since releasing her debut album in 2013, she has continued to innovate and energise the music scene, earning a Global Impact Award in recognition of her contributions to pop. More recently, Char...
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 34 min
John is joined by IDLES' Bowen, along with producer Kenny Beats, and producer and engineer Mikko Gordon, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘TANGK’ . Idles are a British post-punk band who gained recognition with their 2017 debut album ‘Brutalism’ . Known for their gritty, powerful sound and explosive live shows, their five albums to date have earned them nominations for the Mercury Prize, BRIT & Grammy Awards. Their latest record, ‘TANGK’ , sees the band team up w...
May 30, 2024•1 hr 50 min
We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Matty and George of The 1975, recorded back in March 2019. EPISODE NOTES John ventures up to Spitfire Audio to meet with Matty and George from The 1975 to talk about how the album 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships' was recorded and produced. Somewhat bleary eyed after a massive night at the Brits (scooping two a...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 27 min
John sits down with American singer and guitarist Annie Clark, aka St Vincent, to talk about her latest album ‘ All Born Screaming ’. Immersed in music since childhood, after studying at Berklee College of Music, Annie toured with acts including The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens. Adopting the name 'St. Vincent', in 2006 she released her debut EP ' Paris Is Burning ', and released her debut album ' Marry Me ' the following year. As well as having collaborated with artists including David By...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 13 min
John catches up with Bob Vylan and producer Jonny Breakwell to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the ‘ Humble As The Sun ’. Bob Vylan, are a grime and punk rock duo who emerged in 2017. Despite facing resistance for their provocative themes on racism and inequality, they gained a loyal following. Their albums, 2020’s ‘ We Live Here ’ and 2022’s ‘ Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life ’ earned critical acclaim, and saw the duo win Best Alternative Act at the MOBO Awards. Their lates...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 45 min
John catches up with English rock band The Libertines to discuss how they wrote and recorded their latest album ‘ All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade ’. The Libertines formed in 1997 and shot to fame with their debut album, 'Up the Bracket,' becoming pillars of the British indie/alternative resurgence of the early 2000s. Thirty years after their careers started, they have unveiled their fourth studio album, 'All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade,' primarily recorded at their studio, The Albion Rooms...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 13 min
John catches up with producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff of Bleachers to discuss how he wrote, recorded, and produced the band’s latest album ‘Bleachers’. Having grown up performing, song writing, and producing bands throughout his teenage years, Jack first saw mainstream success as part of the band Fun, and their global hit track ‘We Are Young’. Since then, he has gone on to co-write and produce records for some of the biggest artists of the past decade, including Lord...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 34 min
We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Alt-J’s Joe and Gus, along with producer Charlie Andrew, recorded back in February 2019. EPISODE NOTES In this episode John is joined by Gus Unger-Hamilton and Joe Newman from Alt-J, and producer Charlie Andrew to talk about how they recorded and produced the album 'RELAXER'. The trio give a fascinating account of the th...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 43 min
In this episode, John sits down with singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, delving into the creative process behind his album ‘Djesse Vol. 4,’ the concluding instalment in his four-part ‘Djesse’ album series. Jacob first shot to fame in 2013 when videos of his complex vocal arrangements went viral on YouTube. Three years later, he released his debut album ‘ In My Room ’, written and recorded entirely from his family home. In 2018, Jacob set to work on Djesse, a four-volume, 50-song, al...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 18 min
John catches up with Declan McKenna to talk about his latest album ‘What Happened To The Beach? ’ Declan McKenna first saw mainstream success in 2015 following the release of his debut single ‘Brazil’ and winning Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent prize. While blending topics of politics and social issues with his indie-pop sound through his first two albums, ‘ What Happened To The Beach? ’ introduces us to a new world, this time looking inward and drawing on Declan’s personal growth as a mu...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 38 min
We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. The first selection is our chat with Dave Bayley (Glass Animals) from summer 2018. EPISODE NOTES John ventures up to Dave Bayley’s new home studio in London Fields to talk about how Glass Animals’ debut album ZABA was recorded and produced. We hear how Dave conjured up the band’s unique style through many late night sessions in his bedroom when he should’ve be...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 20 min
