Tape Notes

In this episode, John joins Orla Gartland and producer Tom Stafford to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced Orla’s debut album ‘Woman on the Internet’. From the early stages of throwing musical ideas at the wall to the almost infinite list of recording secrets picked up from their time at Middle Farm Studios, Orla and Tom look back on trying to capture and emulate the original magic from their early sessions, along with bringing light and shade to the record as a whole. Unearthing old voice memos and opening up the original sessions, we hear stories of blind microphone testing, trying and failing to recreate cheap sounds with ‘posh’ synths, and introducing some of Tom’s modular madness to Orla’s folk-pop sound. Listen to find out how to get good results when recording with a kids karaoke machine, what making things sound orange and sparkly means, and how gigs at a cereal cafe may have been the start of numerous musical careers. Tracks discussed: You’re Not Special Babe, Over Your Head, More Like Y

In this episode, John links up with Lauren, Iain and Martin of CHVRCHES to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Screen Violence’. Largely working remotely from different parts of the world, the trio look back on how they adapted their writing process, discussing how the effects of the pandemic ended up shaping some of the themes and meanings within the album. Sharing some of their day one demos, we hear stories of forming entire songs around single elements, combining and blending vintage gear with modern recording techniques, and using creative production tricks to respond to and reinforce certain lyrics. Listen to find how powerful hidden live drums on an electronic beat can be, why you should always keep your day one demo in a session, and how to react when Robert Smith emails you saying “what do you want?”   Tracks discussed: How Not To Drown, He Said She Said, California Listen to ‘Screen Violence’ here. ‘Screen Violence’ - EMI, Virgin Records   Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel

In this episode, John ventures over to Baltic Studios to catch up with Frank and Dean of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes about how they wrote, recorded and produced their latest album ‘Sticky’. Unearthing demos and recordings from their time in a Norfolk holiday cabin, the pair look back on how their process has changed over the years, sharing thoughts on broadening their horizons and blurring the lines of writing and recording. As well as personal stories of self-sabotage, imposter syndrome and competition within music, the pair single out the ingredients that form their chaotic cacophony of sound, from homemade microphones and recycling unused material, to tuning gunshots from Call of Duty. Listen to find out why you should collaborate with people that make you feel lazy, how to react when Dave Grohl brings you a tray of shots mid set, and why Frank may soon be performing Moonlight Sonata.   Tracks discussed: Rat Race, Go Get A Tattoo, Take It To The Brink   Listen to ‘Sticky’ here. ‘Sticky’ - Internatio

In this episode, John catches up with Mr Jukes, aka Jack Steadman, and Barney Artist to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced their joint album ‘The Locket’. Breaking the elements down to their very beginnings, Jack talks us through his sampling process, from YouTube crate digging and detailed editing, to processing and pitching individual hits from his vault of free sample packs. As well as sharing their thoughts on privilege and ‘making it’ in the world of music, the pair reflect on their partnership, as friends and creatives, discussing some of the most fundamental elements that enabled its success. Listen to find out why Barney’s battered Peugeot 307 is on the album cover, why it’s not always best to tell a rapper you’ve been making beats, and how to turn a 70s jazz-fusion track into a football chant. Tracks discussed: Blowin Steam (Open Up Your Mind), The Locket, Vibrate   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘The Locket’ here. ‘The Locket’ - Locket Records,

In this episode, John heads over to Jungle’s West London HQ to catch up with Josh Lloyd-Watson about how the band wrote, recorded and produced their latest record ‘Loving in Stereo’. Having written a lot of the album in their shed over the last two years, Josh takes us all the way back to the almost 30-minute demos, talking through the process of cherry-picking the best parts and forming the tracks as we know them. As well as sharing his thoughts on originality, natural creative flow and knowing when to stop, we hear stories of building samples, constantly layering vocals, and blending synths, guitars and orchestral elements into a singular unified sound. Listen to find out how to get as close to the cheesy line as possible, what happens when you combine a Ron Burgundy flute solo with Baker Street sax, and how to do a great siren impression.  Tracks discussed: Keep Moving, All of the Time, Bonnie Hill   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘Loving In Stereo’ here. ‘Loving I

In this episode, John links up with Dan and Wayne of Imagine Dragons to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced their latest album 'Mercury - Act 1. Having spent almost three years writing almost 300 demos, Dan and Wayne look back on the process of whittling down the tracklist and forming the album, from capturing their ideas as quickly as possible, through to working with legendary producer Rick Rubin and deconstructing everything to its purest essence. As well as sharing their thoughts on creativity, songwriting and their life experiences in the world of music, the pair speak openly about the inspiration and meaning behind some of their most honest tracks to date, while also demonstrating how they let the subject of each song help define its production. Listen to find out why samples can sometimes work better than a live performance, how raw magic often is captured on a first take, and the wealth of instruments that Dan can create using only his mouth. Tracks discussed: Dull Knives, It’s Ok, Wrecke

Back in summer 2020, John headed over to The Church Studios to catch up with James Vincent McMorrow, Paul Epworth and Lil Silva to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced James’s album ‘Grapefruit Season’. Taking tracks from Dublin to London to LA and back, James talks us through the myriad of iterations the songs went through, exploring the different writing situations and how all of his collaborators had such varied musical impacts. Paul and TJ lend their producer expertise pulling out individual stems and breaking songs apart, as well as discussing their approaches towards bringing energy to the studio, and sharing thoughts on how production, sounds and songwriting are one and the same.  Listen to find out about the lyric James spent all of his life waiting for, why Paul was such a terrible studio assistant and how a serendipitous ‘adapter’ hunt led to the trio’s partnership. Tracks discussed: Headlights, Gone, Paradise   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to 'Gr

In this episode, John returns to Pixel studios to chat with Maisie Peters and producer Joe Rubel about how they wrote, recorded and produced Maisie’s debut album ‘You Signed Up For This’. Going through their WhatsApp log of voice notes and ideas, Maisie and Joe look back on the chaotic methods of bringing an album together over lockdown, pulling apart how they carefully married Maisie’s original acoustic sound with more produced elements. Alongside the wealth of Joe’s production goodness, Maisie sheds some light on her lyric writing process, from the internal rhyming patterns and carefully considered syllables in her writing, to the subtle nods hidden throughout each track. Listen to find out why Maisie wouldn’t play instruments on her own songs, how to proceed after deciding it’s time to write a banger, and which part of a song you will now have to try and clap along to. Tracks discussed: You Signed Up For This, I’m Trying (Not Friends), Love Him I Don’t   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/ta

In this episode we look back over Season 8 picking out a selection of highlights and some of the most memorable moments from the artists and producers we were lucky enough to speak to. If you haven’t heard every episode from the last season, this is a good way to introduce yourself to some of the guests we’ve had on and hear some of their top studio tips, writing processes and all-round philosophies towards creating a record.    You’ll hear highlights from:  Royal Blood Girl In Red and Matias Tellez Rostam Dodie and Joe Rubel Johnny Flynn and Charlie Andrew Fred Again.. Easy Life and Rob Milton   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to the albums featured this season with the links below. Royal Blood - ‘Typhoons’ Girl In Red and Matias Tellez - ‘if i could make it go quiet’ Rostam - ‘Changephobia’ Dodie and Joe Rubel - ‘Build a Problem’ Johnny Flynn and Charlie Andrew - ‘Lost in the Cedar Wood’ Fred Again.. - ‘Actual Life (April 14th – December 17th 20

In this episode, John is reunited with Murray Matravers from Easy Life and producer Rob Milton, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the band’s debut album ‘Life’s A Beach'. From recording in and around lockdowns, in basements, bedrooms and studios, Murray and Rob reflect on the writing process, singling out the sounds, ideas and samples that encapsulate the meaning within the songs. As well as thoughts on retaining fun in the music and creating joke ideas, we hear stories of intentionally not wanting things to sound good, along with the not very Easy Life elements that are crucial to an Easy Life track. Listen to find out what to do when you’re stuck in garage MC mode, how many times Rob recorded the word ‘Skeletons’, and which synth line made Murray cry (and still does). Tracks discussed: skeletons, ocean view, homesickness   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘Life’s A Beach’ here. ‘Life’s A Beach’ - Universal Music, Island Records Intro Music - Sunshine

In this episode, John catches up with Fred Gibson, better known as Fred Again.., to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Actual Life (April 14 - December 17 2020)’. Having written and produced almost all of the album outside of the studio, Fred talks us through his recording and sampling process, digging into the ways in which each new environment helped shape the individual sound of each track. Fred enlightens us on the best bits about recording on an iPhone and why it’s so key to his writing process. We’re treated to stories of recreating the voice notes compressor in Logic, jamming along with tracks in the club and playback sessions in the pub. Listen to find out how a small change in harmony can completely reframe emotion, why mixing will never solve any song problems, and the best ways to fill time when you're not feeling inspired. Tracks discussed: Sabrina (I Am A Party), Me (Heavy), Angie (I’ve Been Lost)   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘

In this episode, John ventures up to The Old Workshop Studio to catch up with Johnny Flynn and producer Charlie Andrew about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Lost in the Cedar Wood’. From the summer walks with co-writer Robert Macfarlane to tracking the bones of the album in a solar-powered woodland cottage, Johnny recalls shaping the world of the record, combining both timeless sonics and the ancient stories that are relatable even today.  Getting into the technical elements, Charlie pulls apart some of the detailed sounds and techniques used to enhance each song's energy. We hear stories of stairwell recording, unpredictable gear and creating rhythmic textures from everything except drums. Listen to find out why impatience in the studio is often a good thing, why Johnny had to make a last-minute Charango order, and the best way to shut your kids up when recording. Tracks discussed: Ferryman, Bonedigger, Ten Degrees of Strange   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    L

In this episode John heads over to Pixel Studios to chat with Dodie and producer Joe Rubel about how the album ‘Build A Problem’ was written, recorded and produced. Unearthing Dodie’s first phone recordings made in her bedroom, the pair dig into the ways in which they preserved and developed her DIY/scrapbook sound in the studio.  As well as lots of sumptuous album easter eggs, Joe indulges us in a multitude of audio tricks. We find out how they managed to flawlessly capture Dodie’s incredibly quiet, intimate vocals, as well as the sounds of windows, Tupperware, screaming and people's thighs. Listen to hear tales of mood-matching songs and lyrics (then the doing the opposite), how Dodie’s Instagram followers influenced a guitar tuning, and the effects of revisiting songs in different head spaces. Tracks discussed: Special Girl, Sorry, Before the Line   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘Build a Problem’ here.  ‘Build a Problem’ - doddleoddle, The Orchard   Intro Music -

In this episode, John catches up with Rostam to talk about how he wrote, recorded and produced his new album ‘Changephobia’. Giving us a full tour, Rostam talks us through his incredibly varied songwriting processes, from demoing beats on a Japanese bullet train and jamming with the TV, to improvising parts in the studio and simply writing without his brain.  Going in deep, we’re treated to beat constructions, reverb breakdowns and sax playing that is just all feel, all alongside the subtle sounds that completely transform the emotion in a track. Listen to find out which plugin changed the way he thinks about recording vocals, why clarity can sometimes completely destroy a vibe, and how to treat an addiction to groove. Tracks discussed: From The Back of a Cab, 4Runner, Starlight   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘Changephobia’ here.  'Changephobia’ - Matsor Projects Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective    GEAR MENTIONS Moog Voyager Korg Trident Solaris Synth

In this episode John links up with Marie Ulven, aka girl in red, and producer Matias Tellez, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced her debut album ‘if i could make it go quiet’. With Marie’s original bedroom recordings to hand, the pair take us through how they built on the framework of her demos, singling out the minuscule details in each track that you probably wouldn’t notice, but are completely responsible for the vibe.  Alongside stories of recording without reverb and taking energy from different genres, Marie discusses the sentiment behind her lyrics as well as the individual syllable and pronunciation changes that had such big impacts.  Listen to find out how to create an electronic beat from acoustic instruments, why you should always check things with a tremolo on, and what the appropriate response is when Taylor Swift posts about your album! Tracks discussed: Body And Mind, Did You Come?, Apartment 402   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘if i c

In this episode, John heads down to Royal Blood’s secret studio near Brighton to catch up with Mike and Ben about how they wrote, recorded and produced their chart-topping album ‘Typhoons’. Having written the majority of the record apart from each other in lockdown, the duo reflect on their creative process, from forming demos on the living room sofa to dipping their toes in musical moves they’ve never had the guts to do before. Incorporating the dance floor into their world for the first time, we hear how they combined disco influences with sounds from the depths of hell, as well as the inside details on song structuring, adapting drum parts, and tricks to help nail vocal writing.  Listen to find out how a looped mistake can become the basis of a hook, how a £30 amp from eBay helped form the majority of the record’s sound, and how Brad Pitt almost made a feature. Tracks discussed: Typhoons, Limbo, Mad Visions   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to ‘Typhoons’ here. ‘Typhoon

In this episode we pick out a selection of highlights from Season 7. If you haven’t heard every episode from the last season, this is a good way to introduce yourself to some of the artists and producers we’ve had on and hear some of their top studio tips, writing processes and all-round philosophies towards creating a record.    You’ll hear highlights from:  Bicep Idles with Nick Launay and Adam Greenspan King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Paul Weller with Stan Kybert and Charles Rees Adam Buxton Fontaines DC and Dan Carey Slowthai with Kwes Darko SG Lewis   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to the albums featured this season with the links below. Bicep - ‘Isles’ IDLES - ‘Ultra Mono’ King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - ‘K.G.’ & ‘L.W.’  Paul Weller - ‘On Sunset’ Fontaines D.C. - ‘Dogrel’ & ‘A Hero’s Death’ Slowthai - ‘TYRON’ S.G. Lewis - ‘Times’    OUR GEAR https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear   HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as

In this episode, John catches up with Sam Lewis AKA SG Lewis to get lost in the disco grooves of his album ‘Times’. Digging deep into the writing and production, Sam charts the development of the tracks right the way through from the demos and initial studio sessions, to recreating sounds and samples with disco legends. As well as treating us to unheard Chic versions and heaps of Nile Rodgers riffing, he reflects on learning to record his voice for the first time, along with the realisation that singing isn’t always about singing. Listen to find out about the hardest parts of recreating demo magic, how a healthy dose of sidechain compression can create the ultimate vocal bounce, and why sometimes all you need is an iPhone to record a piano. Tracks discussed: One More, Feed The Fire, Chemicals LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes   Listen to 'Times' here. 'Times' - A PMR/EMI release, under exclusive license to Universal Music Operations Limited Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collec

In this episode, John is joined by slowthai and producer Kwes Darko at Iguana Studios, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Tyron’. With voice messages, demos and stems in hand, Ty and Kwes lay out the development of each track, from the gear and technicalities of capturing vocals and making a beat that hits hard, to the smallest production details that often have the biggest emotional impact. Delving into the deep stuff, the pair discuss the philosophies and attitudes at the heart of their tight artist-producer relationship, as well as sharing wise words on creativity, development and some of the best forms of inspiration.  Listen to find out why Ty had to out rap a rapper on his own track, how they used Twitter as a creative tool, and the reason why you should always check a mix in the car.  Tracks discussed: MAZZA, PLAY WITH FIRE, adhd   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective  Listen to 'TYRON' here. 'TYRON' -

Catching up on some much-needed studio goodness, John returns to Mr Dan’s studio to chat with Conor and Tom of Fontaines D.C. and producer Dan Carey, about how they wrote, recorded and produced the albums 'Dogrel’ and ‘A Hero’s Death’. With rehearsal room and garden shed demos in hand, Conor, Tom and Dan give us a rundown of some of the key moments of the band’s career, from first meetings at a 20 person gig to recording an entire album in LA, and then redoing it in London. Digging into the recording process, we hear thoughts on the ultimate ways to capture the full experience of a live band, and Dan explains the ins and outs of getting things down on tape. Listen to find out what was achieved when the band built an amp castle, how a room became their new sixth member, and why so much skill is involved in playing one note bass lines. Tracks discussed: Too Real, A Hero’s Death, You Said   LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  https://linktr.ee/tapenotes    Listen to 'Dogrel' here. Listen to 'A Hero's Death' here. 'D