Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri

Sufi-Inspired Indie Rock: Ammar Farooki On Finding His Voice in the NYC Music Scene

In this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Ammar Farooki to explore the gritty, unpolished realities of the indie music hustle. Leaving behind a secure, decade-long career in corporate banking and marketing in Pakistan, Ammar took a massive leap of faith and moved to New York City in 2019 to immerse himself in its vibrant, multi-venue indie culture. From working as a barista and a guitar store clerk to fund his home studio, to navigating the expensive reality of being an independent artist, Ammar shares exactly what it takes to self-fund, self-produce, and release his brand-new, 12-track debut album, Twelve. In this episode, we explore: * Two Different Musical Worlds: Ammar discusses the stark contrast between Pakistan's music scene, which he notes is heavily driven by big corporate brands and platforms like Coke Studio, and the intimate, live-performance indie scene he was desperately searching for in New York. * Sufi Philosophy and Universal Connection: Discover the profound Sufi inspirations behind his album, 12. Ammar shares why he actively asks listeners to leave their national and cultural identities at the door to fully connect with the universal messages in his music, which includes a beautiful translation of 17th-century poetry from Baba Bulleh Shah. * The Architecture of Songwriting: Ammar offers a brilliant metaphor for his creative process, comparing his songwriting to an architect building a "gray structure". He explains how he intentionally leaves enough open space within his music so the listener can act as a tenant, decorating the song with their own personal emotions and memories. * The "Rick Rubin" Approach to Self-Producing: For fellow indie musicians and music lovers, Ammar breaks down his evolution from his earlier EP (which earned co-signs from Rolling Stone and Forbes) to his new full-length album. Learn how he intentionally avoided stacking endless instruments, instead treating each song as its own universe and adopting the "Rick Rubin approach" of actively removing layers to reveal a track's true essence. If you are interested in the realities of independent art, deep storytelling, and finding human connection through music, be sure to check out the full episode!If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava [https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmediava/]

What Are Vertical Dramas? Decoding the 1-Minute Shows Taking Over Your Phones (ft. Actress, Delaney Hathaway)

Have you noticed those dramatic, minute-long shows flooding your social media feeds? They aren't just a niche internet trend - they are the foundation of a massive new "parallel economy" in Hollywood. In this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with actress, director, and producer Delaney Hathaway to unpack absolutely everything you need to know about vertical dramas (also known as micro-dramas). Having starred in projects across major vertical platforms like RealShort, Salty TV, and GoodShort, Delaney provides a firsthand look at the wild, fast-paced world of this rapidly booming industry. In this comprehensive breakdown, we cover: * What They Are & The $9B Boom: Discover how these minute-long series, which typically run 60 to 100 episode, are engineered to maximize retention. We also break down how this format has become a $9B global market, outpacing the biggest companies in the streaming era. * Who is Watching & Where: While they are marketed on TikTok, full series live behind paywalls on dedicated apps like Real Short, Good Short, Vigloo, and Gamma Time. Delaney explains how they skew towards Millennials and older generations, and how the format is expanding beyond steamy romances into true crime and thrillers. * Welcome to "Vertical Landia": A look inside the grueling, marathon-like production schedules where actors shoot 12 to 20 pages of script in a single 12-hour day, completing an entire series in just 7 to 11 days. Delaney shares her best advice for memorizing lines and why it's a highly profitable business for actors. * The Dark Side of AI & Contracts: With AI-generated vertical content jumping from 7% to nearly 40% of the market, Delaney warns about the gray areas of non-union contracts, including "in perpetuity" clauses that allow companies to use their "digital replicas." * Set Safety & The SAG-AFTRA Shift: Because many of these romance-heavy shows operate without union protections, there is a concerning lack of intimacy coordinators on set. However, we explore the hope on the horizon: SAG-AFTRA's new October 2025 vertical agreement. Whether you are an actor looking to break into the industry or just a curious viewer wondering why you can't stop watching these bite-sized soap operas, this episode is your ultimate guide! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava [https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmediava/]. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Too Many Miles: Advice from 150 Shows a Year as an Indie Artist (ft. Bobbo Byrnes)

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media deep-dive podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Bobbo Byrnes [https://bobbobyrnes.com/], an award-winning Americana singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and author based in Southern California. Known as a true "road warrior," Bobbo has spent over two decades in the music industry, releasing more than 20 albums and playing up to 150 shows a year across the globe. From his rootsy acoustic storytelling to his unexpected comedy writing, Bobbo shares the gritty realities of the indie touring circuit and his multi-hyphenated career. In this episode, we discuss: * The Firefly Connection: Bobbo shares how he and his wife Tracy formed the band The Fallen Stars and ended up writing an entire concept album based on every episode of the sci-fi TV show Firefly. This unexpected sci-fi pivot led them to perform at massive conventions like Comic-Con, WonderCon, and other fan events. * The "Goodwill Ambassador": We unpack the subtitle of Bobbo's book, Too Many Miles [https://www.amazon.com/Too-Many-Miles-Unofficial-Ambassador-ebook/dp/B0GSCJL6XN]. Bobbo explains how his 2016 European tours turned him into an unofficial "Goodwill Ambassador" trying to spread positivity and combat the "ugly American" stereotype. * European Audiences vs. US Sports Bars: Bobbo contrasts how Europeans and Americans treat performances differently. * The Two-Day October Album: The incredible story of Bobbo recording his solo October album in just two days while out on tour. He split the recording between the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin (where David Bowie recorded) and Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, carrying the entire unbacked-up album home on a single thumb drive. * Catching Lucinda Williams: Bobbo shares the funny encounter of physically catching rock legend Lucinda Williams when she lost her footing at an LA bar. This encounter inspired his song "Queen of the Party," and the accompanying music video features 17 different female musicians from his network. * Writing for Funny or Die: In a fun pivot into comedy, Bobbo reveals how he wrote a script that was produced by Funny or Die, albeit changed. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava [https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmediava/]. You can find Bobbo's music, including his ambient Music for Train Stations albums, and his book Too Many Miles on Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, or his website [https://bobbobyrnes.com/]. Thank you for listening!

ADHD Creatives: The Perfectionism Trap, Navigating Burnout, and Finding Support Systems (ft. ADHD & Creative Coach, Sarah DeGrave)

Welcome back to Let's Talk Media! In this episode of the media analysis podcast, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with Sarah Grave. Sarah is a theatre artist and ADHD Coach, passionate about helping fellow creatives (especially women, queer, and neurodivergent artists) clarify their goals, release shame and perfectionism, and build support systems that help them take action with more joy and ease. Her training includes courses with ADD Coach Academy, MentorCoach, Academy for Coaching Excellence, and more. In this episode, we discuss: * The Perfectionism Trap: We break down how perfectionism secretly stifles creativity in ADHD artists, stemming from rejection sensitivity and hyper-fixation on flaws. * The Candle Wick of Burnout: What does ADHD burnout actually look like? Sarah uses a brilliant "candle wick" analogy to explain how ADHD brains start with a shorter capacity that gets burned down rapidly. * Building Support Systems & Body Doubling: We discuss why flexible blocks of time are essential. Sarah also introduces "body doubling" - a virtual or in-person co-working strategy that provides gentle accountability. * AI Tools for Executive Function: A look at how AI can reduce the friction of planning. Listeners can find her at sarahdegravecoaching.com [https://www.sarahdegravecoaching.com/] or on Instagram @sarahdegravecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/sarahdegravecoaching/]. Her CTA link will take you to her free Build an ADHD-Friendly Creative Practice Workbook download. This PDF guides you through assessing the who, what, where, when, why, and how of your artistic work so that you can start building a creative practice that works best for you. If you enjoyed this episode, you can support the show by leaving a comment or a rating. You can subscribe wherever you're listening so you don't miss future episodes, and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava [https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmediava/] for updates and behind-the-scenes moments. Thank you for listening!

No Permission Needed: 50 Years of True Independence in the Music Industry (ft. Legendary Singer-Songwriter, Denise Marsa)

Imagine being the voice of a massive 1978 hit song and getting no credit... until fans asked the label put your name on the record. In this episode of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri sits down with music industry veteran Denise Marsa. Over a 50-year career, she has gone from performing in the gritty 1970s New York rock scene to currently charting multiple dance hits in the UK. If you want a masterclass in longevity, reclaiming your voice, and true artistic independence, you will not want to miss her story. In this episode, we discuss: * The Original "Mystery Lady": The story behind her initially uncredited vocals on Dean Friedman's 1978 hit Lucky Stars and how fan letters compelled the label to properly feature her name on the vinyl. Plus, she sets the record straight on providing the lead vocals for The Flirts' track Helpless (You Took My Love). * Surviving the '70s Rock Scene: Navigating the 1970s New York music scene as a fish out of water, avoiding the heavy drug culture, and playing theatrical rock on the same bills as Blondie and the Ramones. She also shares a memorable encounter with Elton John in London. * Complete Creative Control: Why she launched her own independent label, Key Media Group, in the late 90s. Denise explains why the greatest freedom as an artist is not needing anyone's permission to release music or to direct and edit her own music videos. * The Pass: Breaking down her one-woman show in London, The Pass, and keeping it honest with audiences about why she isn't a household name - proving that success is a mix of timing, luck, and personal choices. * A Modern Resurgence: How she is currently racking up eight Top 10 hits on the UK Music Week dance charts with ethereal remixes of Kiss Me in the Rain, Company of Women, and Hole from her recent albums Pivotal and Risk and Heal. You can stream Denise's music everywhere and find her online at denisemarsamusic.com [https://www.denisemarsamusic.com/], on Instagram @denisemarsa [https://www.instagram.com/denisemarsa/], or on YouTube at @denisemarsamusic [https://www.youtube.com/@denisemarsamusic/featured]. If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating to be notified of future episodes. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram @letstalkmediava [https://www.instagram.com/letstalkmediava/]. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Thursdays.