59. “My Gut Has Never Led Me Astray” – KĪ on Trusting Yourself as an Artist

60. The Band She Almost Never Started — Pearl Fontaine on Fear and Pop Punk

Ep.60: Pearl Fontaine dropped out of a lyric writing class in college because she wasn't ready to share herself. Years later, a bonfire in rural North Carolina changed everything. The lead singer of Post American Gothic grew up singing with her gospel-singing grandfather, chasing musical theater, and getting rejected from arts school… twice. After a stint at Berklee, a year in Brooklyn that ended with COVID, and a stretch of not making music at all, Pearl landed back in her small-town North Carolina roots with a new mission: start a band. What came out of that bonfire jam session with her now-husband Brandyn is a pop punk project with prog rock edges, hip-hop-influenced production, and a sound that defies every box Pearl spent years trying to fit into. IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE GET INTO: * Getting rejected from arts school twice and how it redirected her entire creative path * The COVID bonfire that accidentally launched Post American Gothic * Why self-consciousness is still the biggest thing holding her back — and how she's fighting it * Playing three-hour sets that are 80% originals in a town with no real music venues * The real meaning behind their single "Hello, Hello" — a letter to her younger self ABOUT PEARL FONTAINE: Pearl Fontaine is the lead singer of Post American Gothic, a pop punk band from Elizabeth City, North Carolina. With a background in musical theater, flute, and a year at Berklee College of Music, Pearl brings a classically trained voice to a band whose sound pulls from prog rock, emo, hip-hop production, and indie. She also works full-time at a local arts nonprofit where she teaches music to youth. CONNECT WITH PEARL FONTAINE / POST AMERICAN GOTHIC: * Instagram (Band): instagram.com/postamericangothic [http://instagram.com/postamericangothic] * Instagram (Pearl): instagram.com/pearl_fontaine [http://instagram.com/pearl_fontaine] * Linktree: linktr.ee/postamericangothic [http://linktr.ee/postamericangothic] * Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/2ueAojdjjzcLqGCmE6U4WX [http://open.spotify.com/artist/2ueAojdjjzcLqGCmE6U4WX] * Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/post-american-gothic/1654095587 [http://music.apple.com/us/artist/post-american-gothic/1654095587] * Listen to "Hello, Hello": open.spotify.com/track/6mlIAityeBZjoyu3ngttA3 [http://open.spotify.com/track/6mlIAityeBZjoyu3ngttA3] MORE RESOURCES: Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music:https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX [https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX] "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg] Check out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/ [https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/] Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/ [https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/] Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417 [https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417] Check out Julian's book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD [https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD] This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com [https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/] MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Songs: * "Hello, Hello" — Post American Gothic * "Take Your Medicine" — Post American Gothic * "Porcelain" — Post American Gothic * "Carried by Birds" — Post American Gothic Artists & Bands: * Post American Gothic * Paramore / Hayley Williams * Circa Survive * Bon Iver * Sweet Pill * Pool Kids * Dead Poets Society * Aziya * Magnolia Park * Firsun * The Warning * Sleep Token * Sara Bareilles * Ingrid Michaelson * Regina Spektor * Bloc Party * Led Zeppelin * The Eagles * Beck

59. “My Gut Has Never Led Me Astray” – KĪ on Trusting Yourself as an Artist

KĪ picked up a ukulele during COVID with no music background, posted a few covers, and a Nashville management team came calling. Now she writes, produces, and releases everything herself. The Seattle-based pop artist started her music journey backwards: Nashville songwriting sessions and LA recording studios before she ever learned to produce on her own. But out of necessity came self-reliance, and out of self-reliance came the truest version of her art. KĪ talks about surviving domestic violence, teaching herself production because she couldn't afford not to, the 16th-century word that inspired her breakout single, and why trusting her gut has been the only thing that's never steered her wrong. IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE GET INTO: * The 16th-century word "respare" and how it became her breakout single * Learning to self-produce out of financial necessity — and falling in love with it * Surviving domestic violence and finding music on the other side * Why trusting your gut is the most valuable lesson she's learned as an artist * The burnout trap: why "grind culture" is making indie artists miserable ABOUT KĪ: KĪ is a pop singer, songwriter, and producer from Seattle. She writes and produces her own music, blending accessible pop melodies with emotionally rich, hope-centered songwriting. Her singles include "Respare," "Loveless Sea," "Symphony of Sadness," and "The Cha CONNECT KĪ: * Linktree: linktr.ee/Ki_musicofficial [http://linktr.ee/Ki_musicofficial] * Instagram: instagram.com/ki_musicofficial [http://instagram.com/ki_musicofficial] * YouTube: youtube.com/@ki_music_theofficial [http://youtube.com/@ki_music_theofficial] * Threads: threads.net/@ki_musicofficial [http://threads.net/@ki_musicofficial] * Website: ki-musicofficial.com [http://ki-musicofficial.com/] * Bandcamp: ki-musicofficial.bandcamp.com [http://ki-musicofficial.bandcamp.com/] PAST EPISODES REFERENCED: * Ep 44: Why Most Artists Quit, and How to Survive the Silence with That Boy A.B.: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/44-why-most-artists-quit-and-how-to-survive-the/id1810336818?i=1000748365005 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/44-why-most-artists-quit-and-how-to-survive-the/id1810336818?i=1000748365005] * Ep 42: Making Positivity Cool & Redefining Success in Music with AMACULENT: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/42-making-positivity-cool-redefining-success-in-music/id1810336818?i=1000746200392 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/42-making-positivity-cool-redefining-success-in-music/id1810336818?i=1000746200392] MORE RESOURCES: Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrXhttps://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX [https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX] "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg] Check out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/ [https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/] Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/ [https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/] Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417 [https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417] Check out Julian’s book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDhttps://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD [https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD] This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com [https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/] MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Songs: * "Respare" — KĪ * "Loveless Sea" — KĪ * "Symphony of Sadness" — KĪ (co-written with Kyle Reynolds & Kaylian Lowe) * "The Chase" — KĪ Artists & Bands: * KĪ * Kyle Reynolds (songwriter/producer) * Kaylian Lowe (songwriter) * AB (artist referenced by Julian) * Ali Mac (previous guest, referenced by Julian) * Frank Sinatra * Nat King Cole * Cheetah Girls * Post Malone (referenced via Ali Mac)

58. What 25 Years of Writing Songs Taught Him About Success, with Kyle Blankenship of Flip The Mule

Kyle Blankenship drove past his childhood home one night and watched it burn to the ground. Ten minutes later, he'd written a song about it. The Nashville-area indie folk rock songwriter has been writing and playing music for over 25 years, but Flip the Mule is the project that finally feels like home. Alongside lifelong musical partner Tyler Bandy, Kyle is building a catalog rooted in rich storytelling, stacked harmonies, and a philosophy that success means finishing the art and putting it into the world. Kyle talks about why being a solo artist is easier but less fulfilling, what it takes to chase music without burning down everything else, and the phrase that changed his whole creative outlook. IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE GET INTO: * The night he watched his childhood home burn and wrote a song in 10 minutes * Why being a solo artist is easier but being in a band is worth it * Balancing music, family, and a full-time life without the "at all costs" mentality * The songwriting philosophy that changed everything: "If it matters at all, it matters" * How a 25-year creative partnership became Flip the Mule ABOUT KYLE BLANKENSHIP: Kyle Blankenship is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based just south of the Kentucky state line near Nashville, Tennessee. He's released two solo albums under Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 and previously played in The Good Side and Lines for Real. Flip the Mule is his current project with lifelong collaborator Tyler Bandy. CONNECT WITH FLIP THE MULE: * Linktree: linktr.ee/flipthemule [http://linktr.ee/flipthemule] * Instagram: instagram.com/flipthemule [http://instagram.com/flipthemule] * YouTube: youtube.com/@FlipTheMule [http://youtube.com/@FlipTheMule] * Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4hEGUA5fqZloOzkTg0XBJr [http://open.spotify.com/artist/4hEGUA5fqZloOzkTg0XBJr] * Bandcamp: flipthemule.bandcamp.com [http://flipthemule.bandcamp.com/] MORE RESOURCES: Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrXhttps://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX [https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX] "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg] Check out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/ [https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/] Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/ [https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/] Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417 [https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417] Check out Julian’s book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDhttps://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD [https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD] This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com [https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/] MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Songs: * "Cool" — Flip the Mule * "Our Old House" — Flip the Mule * "Mama's on a Moon Kick" — Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 * "Lucy Baby" — Kyle Blankenship * "100 Years From Now" — Theo Katzman Albums & Projects: * Nowhere to Be Found — Kyle Blankenship (2019) * Make It Through The Day — Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 (2022) * Modern Johnny Sings: Songs in the Age of Vibe — Theo Katzman (2019) Artists & Bands: * Kyle Blankenship / Kyle Blankenship & The Last 84 * Flip the Mule * Tyler Bandy * The Good Side * Lines for Real * Theo Katzman * Vulfpeck * Dawes * Fleet Foxes * My Morning Jacket * Band of Horses * Dan and Shay * Chris Stapleton * Elton John * Billy Joel * The Temptations * Rob Tait

57. Why Withholding Your Album From Streaming Might Be the Move, with Rob Tait

Ep.57: Rob Tait wrote a song about someone he loves, and didn't know who it was until he started crying. The Philly-based Americana singer-songwriter returns to “loves music” with his sophomore album Dear Lightkeeper, a record built on collaboration, community, and the audacity to withhold it from streaming entirely. Where his debut At the End of the World was an inward journal, this one reads like a love letter to the people who kept him going. Rob breaks down what happened when 250K streams didn't translate to real fans, what it means to write from a character's perspective for the first time, and why he's betting on vinyl over algorithms. IN THIS CONVERSATION, WE GET INTO: * The song that revealed itself as a letter to his unborn daughter, mid-recording * Writing from a character's perspective for the first time with "Nickels and Dimes" * Why 250K streams and a major playlist placement left him feeling empty * How collaboration became the thesis of the entire album * Redefining success as connection instead of metrics ABOUT ROB TAIT: Rob Tait is a singer-songwriter and drummer from the pine barrens of New Jersey, now based in the Philadelphia area. His Americana-folk style blends storytelling vocals with deep rhythmic roots. Dear Lightkeeper is his second solo album, following 2024's At the End of the World, and he also performs with the band Cordelia Blue. CONNECT WITH ROB: * Sign up for Rob's email list: robtait.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4519d999c374880b4ac830524&id=8596a3909b [http://robtait.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4519d999c374880b4ac830524&id=8596a3909b] * Instagram: instagram.com/robtaitmusic [http://instagram.com/robtaitmusic] * Streaming: https://ffm.bio/robtaitmusic [https://ffm.bio/robtaitmusic] * Listen to his previous episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/14-what-it-takes-to-make-timeless-music-with-rob-tait/id1810336818?i=1000716661229 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/14-what-it-takes-to-make-timeless-music-with-rob-tait/id1810336818?i=1000716661229] MORE RESOURCES: Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrXhttps://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX [https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX] "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg] Check out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/ [https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/] Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/ [https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/] Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417 [https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417] Check out Julian’s book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDhttps://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD [https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD] This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com [https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/] MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Songs: * "Nickels and Dimes" — Rob Tait * "All My Friends" — Rob Tait * "Postcard" — Rob Tait * "Lullaby for Roads" — Rob Tait * "Back to the Bottom" — Rob Tait * "You and I" — Rob Tait * "Have You Seen Me Out" — Rob Tait * "Chloe White" — Rob Tait (with Emily Drinker & Sarah Gross) * "Wishing Well" — Rob Tait * "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore" — Chris Stapleton Albums & Projects: * Dear Lightkeeper — Rob Tait (2025) * At the End of the World — Rob Tait (2024) * My Favourite Faded Fantasy — Damien Rice Artists & Bands: * Rob Tait * Cordelia Blue * Damien Rice * Chris Stapleton * Miles Davis * John Coltrane * Philly Joe Jones * Red Garland * Paul Chambers * Sturgill Simpson * Dave Matthews * Bob Marley * Chris Jacobs * Jeffrey Martin * Bob Beach (harmonica) * Todd McCoy / Cambridge Sound * Emily Drinker * Sarah Gross * Will Currier * Eric McGarry * Nicole Sophos * Adam Flicker

56. He Taught Himself to Produce, Mix, and Master: Julian Martinez of Midnight Spies

Julian Martinez taught himself to produce, mix, and master music from his bedroom, and now he's finishing a debut album that sounds like it came out of a professional studio. The guitarist, songwriter, and producer behind Houston-born duo Midnight Spies has spent the better part of the last half decade writing, tracking, mixing, and learning how to do it all himself. He and bassist Matt Newton started the project during the pandemic, taught themselves production from scratch, and now they’re finishing a debut album that spans new wave, synth pop, Brit pop, and funk, all without a label, a big budget, or a plan to slow down. Julian sat down with Julian Jones to talk about the grind behind the sound, what it’s like to chase a dream that doesn’t pay yet, and why playing White Oak Music Hall felt like arriving 10 years early. In this conversation, we get into: * How Midnight Spies blend The Cure, Bleachers, and Prince into one cohesive sound * Writing an album over five years and why the EP came out of it sideways * Learning to produce, mix, and master your own music from scratch * Why music moves in 25-year cycles and what that means for bands right now * The imposter syndrome that inspired their single “The Owl Sees All” About Julian Martinez / Midnight Spies: Midnight Spies is a new wave and synth pop duo from Houston (now Austin), TX, formed by guitarist/producer Julian Martinez and bassist/vocalist Matthew Newton. Their sound draws from The Police, Bleachers, 1975, and 80s Brit pop. Their debut album is expected later in 2026. Connect with Midnight Spies: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/midnightspieslinktr.ee/midnightspies [https://linktr.ee/midnightspies] Music Mentioned in this Episode: Songs: * If It’s Happening Again — Midnight Spies * Play It Like New York — Midnight Spies * In This House — Midnight Spies * The Owl Sees All — Midnight Spies * Sex on Fire — Kings of Leon * Get Better — Bleachers * Somebody Else — The 1975 * Sex — The 1975 * Chocolate — The 1975 * If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) — The 1975 * It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You) — The 1975 * Female Robbery — The Neighbourhood * My Love — Justin Timberlake * Toxic — Britney Spears * Espresso — Sabrina Carpenter * The Chain — Fleetwood Mac * Mr. Brightside — The Killers * Voodoo Child — Jimi Hendrix Albums & Projects: * Midnight Spies EP — Midnight Spies * Only by the Night — Kings of Leon * Carrie & Lowell — Sufjan Stevens * FutureSex/LoveSounds — Justin Timberlake * Master of Reality — Black Sabbath * Paranoid — Black Sabbath Artists & Bands: * Midnight Spies * Kings of Leon * Bleachers / Jack Antonoff * The 1975 * The Neighbourhood * The Cure * The Police * Blue Nile * Sufjan Stevens * Justin Timberlake * Kendrick Lamar * The Strokes * Queens of the Stone Age * Foo Fighters * Imagine Dragons * Fleetwood Mac * The Killers * My Chemical Romance * Primus * Black Sabbath * Rush * Jimi Hendrix * Stevie Ray Vaughan * Led Zeppelin * Prince * Madonna * Britney Spears * Tame Impala * Olivia Rodrigo * Sabrina Carpenter * Nelly * Pharrell / The Neptunes * Taylor Swift * Bruno Mars * Adele * Amy Winehouse * Logic * Magnolia Park * The Paradox * Junkyard Cat * New Shop * Daft Punk * Joy Wave * King Diamond * The Misfits * The Clash ------------- Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrXhttps://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX [https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX] "loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBghttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBg] Check out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/ [https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/] Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/ [https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/] Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417 [https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417] Check out Julian’s book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDhttps://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD [https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiD] This podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com [https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com/]