The If Ever You’re Listening Podcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.comSingers bring so much joy into our lives through their songs and performances, but who takes care of singers? Who tends to their voices?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.comK-pop music has taken the world by storm over the last decade and a half, like very few regional genres have. Its emphasis on visuals and passionate fandoms is the cause for thousands of discussions and think pieces across cultures. One of the expert minds and voices on K-pop music and its relation to Korean culture is the renowned ethnomusicologist Dr.…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.comHow does a singer from one of the most isolated parts of the world become an internationally recognized singer-songwriter by her mid-20s? That artist is Stella Donnelly. For Stella Donnelly, the journey was a mixture of serendipity, talent, and hard work, involving many years of playing covers in bars, releasing a locally distributed EP, and writing a single about sexual abuse at the start of a social reckoning.

Welcome to the Ririverse. Born in Russia and currently based in Germany, Rita is taking listeners along for the ride on Substack as she makes her first album. Her work is authentic, funny, and beautifully vulnerable. Rita first started making music during the pandemic. During this time, she dove headfirst into the music-making process despite her fears of tarnishing this precious art form. For the last 5 years, she’s been creating songs, networking with others in the industry, and more recently, sharing her music story on Substack.In our conversation, we dive into her first single, KTGB, the making of it, how she overcame her fear of making music, her Substack, collaborations, and a lot more. Rita is an awesome mix of self-aware content creator meets innovative musician. Her music is just as invigorating and entertaining as her posts, so if you’re not on the Riri bandwagon yet, hop on. There’s space.YOU CAN READ HER SUBSTACK HEREYOU CAN LISTEN TO HER SINGLE KTGB HEREFor more music conversations like this, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Briana Marela is back, ladies and gentlemen. Coming off a 2-month tour throughout the entire United States, the experimental artist has graced audiences with several live arrangements of her latest project, Inner Rest.The Oakland-based artist has dropped three projects since our last conversation. The first was Teardrop Star, a hazy and atmospheric alternative pop album that touches on Briana’s challenges with patience and long-term planning. Next was her full-length project Inner Rest, a far more meditative experience, where Briana was ruminating on themes of self-doubt, grief, and her identity as an artist. The third and final new project was actually a reissue, the 10 year anniversary of her stellar sophomore project, All Around Us.WATCH OUR FIRST INTERVIEW HEREListen to her latest album Inner Rest HereTo get more conversations like this one, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

The future of jazz is in good hands thanks to the talent and output of Anaïs Reno. Following the release of her sophomore album, Lady of the Lavender Mist, Anaïs has been touring and promoting an incredible project where she brings a mature and humorous approach to jazz standards by Benny Carter, Joseph Kosma, Duke Ellington, and many more.In adolescence, Anaïs won many prestigious music awards, including those from the American Songbook Association and the Mabel Mercer Foundation Competition for her mastery of the American Songbook.Anaïs’s mezzo soprano vocals bring a remarkable warmth and texture to the songs she covers. Focused on the lyrics of the music, Anaïs dives headfirst into timeless standards and brings them to life to modern audiences. Her vocal phrasing is compelling and wonderfully captures the essence of many jazz standards. She’s a true showman.I had the privilege of watching her debut headline show at Dizzy’s Club in New York City. Her stage presence was enthralling, and her command of the stage made the hour-long performance feel like a moment. The crowd was obsessed with her, and who wouldn’t be? She entertained us with marvelous jazz classics, tunes from Lady of the Lavender Mist, and even some of her own originals. Learn more about Anaïs by checking out her website here.Listen to Lady Of The Lavender Mist here.To receive more great conversations like this, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

There aren’t many cultural ambassadors from the East with the pedigree and communication skills of Akari Mochizuki. Nicknamed Mochi, the enka and minyoo singer has shared the music and culture of her home country, Japan, with British audiences for nearly 2 decades. In addition to her UK-based performances, she also performs Minyoo songs with Shamisen master Hibiki Ichikawa. The two of them have performed in approximately 20 countries worldwide since joining forces to educate audiences about the beauty, richness, and sounds of traditional Japanese folk music.In my conversation with Mochi, we discussed her early years, when she was trained by her father in singing and performance. We also talked about the education/professional training she received in Cambridge and London, as well as several placements her music has secured, including the massively successful video game Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which was released early this year.Learn more about Mochi’s career here. Watch her perform here.Listen to her on Spotify here.For more conversations like this, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Miki Hellerbach is a journalist’s journalist. From podcasting to producing his own show and getting bylines in top-tier music publications like Complex and MTV News, Miki has excelled tremendously in the field.He’s as humble as they come, despite his accomplishments, which makes this conversation so necessary and so special. I loved giving Miki his flowers during our discussion, but I also loved being able to help share his perspective on a number of important issues.In our talk, we dive deep into the necessity of producer/engineer spotlighting in the music industry. The discrepancies between women’s contributions to songs and the credit they're given is another subject we break down in our talk. We also discuss men’s health in the music industry and conversations happening around it.It’s enriching, it's funny, it’s illuminating. All of these touch points were made because that’s the type of music journalist Miki is. He’s conscientious without being performative. He’s analytical while still being accessible. He’s also a remarkable human and helps bring that honestly flawed nature in people’s existence to the forefront in an authentic and relieving way.Check out some key links to learn more about Miki and the work he does below: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Back in 2021, a Georgia-based indie folk artist released a spectacular debut EP called Emerald City. Glowing with dreamy chords and soothing vocals, Emerald City captured the hearts of listeners who wanted to make sense of the transition from the teenage years to adulthood. That Georgia-based artist was Mary Margaret Cozart.Since Emerald City, Mary Margarate has played local shows and expanded her indie folk sound to incorporate elements of rock music. Dropping singles like Interior Design and more recently “Maggie’s World,” Mary Margaret has evolved into a profound and dynamic artist in today’s age.In our conversation, we unpack her musical journey, from the early days in Atlanta to her musician training at the University of Georgia, and new music. We even get exclusive details about her upcoming full-length album.WATCH THE MV FOR MARY MARGARET’S LATEST SINGLE, “MAGGIE’S WORLD“ HEREIf you want to receive updates to your inbox for my next podcast episodes, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Yes, you’re reading your inbox right. You are receiving TWO pieces this week. :) Here I am finally unveiling my favorite music of 2025 thus far. This is a recording of the live session I held for my paid subscribers earlier this summer. Dancing happenedLaughs happenedAnd great music was played. Listen or watch this recording on your commutes home from work this week!If ever you’re listening, StanleyIf you want to get invited to my next live session, upgrade your subscription to paid today This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

House music in the 1980s and 90s was a liberating and niche genre percolating through nightclubs and warehouses. Radio talking heads, disc jockeys, and fans help establish its roots in every corner of the city during this period. One of the key individuals responsible for house music’s accessibility and rise was DJ Discliple. Growing up in the city and cutting his teeth at college radio DJ Disciple became known for his soulful house playlists, lively personality, and ability to build others up.He was one of the earliest DJs to include female DJs on his radio shows. Also, when he moved to the UK, he helped introduce house music to many UK listeners and contributed to the foundation of garage music. By the early 2000s, DJ Discliple was a Grammy-nominated, world-renowned DJ with a US Billboard Hot Dance Club #1 song.Our conversations dive deep into his early days in house music, tours around the world, residencies, his memoir, and the amazing dancers, DJs, managers, and club promoters that made house grow along the way. You can find his memoire The Beat, the Scene, the Sound Is More Than a DJ Memoir—It’s a Cultural Testimony for the Streaming Era herePlease follow DJ Disciple on all the socials at your earliest convenience. You can find her information below: If you want to receive updates to your inbox for my next podcast episodes, subscribe today! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

For years, Nikki Silva has supported others' entertainment visions through various roles, from acting to producing, directing, and even singing in a band. Now it’s time for Nikki to be the focus, to be at the center of the stage. Dropping her debut album, ty places in May 2025, the multihyphenate is putting music first, for now.In our conversation, we explore Nikki’s wondrous dynamic career, from her captivating dramatic acting in the short film Eve, to being in the reggae band The Big Happy, and much more. It was also great to hear how passionate Nikki is about her acting career and long-term goals of being a top-tier actress. For ty places she collaborated with veteran producer Teddy Kumpel to create an eclectic swirl of pop punk, hip-hop, and R&B music. Nikki does a fantastic job taking the listener into the places she’s been and equipping them with the resiliency to persevere.Follow Nikki today on all the socials through her Linktree! Listen to her incredible genre-bending debut album, ty places today:To receive updates to your inbox for my next podcast episode, subscribe today! :D This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Nielly is a rising star in the independent music journalism space. Based in California, she creates music-related content for her supporters with a very clear three-pronged mission in mind.First, for the listeners to learn more about music.Second, For listeners to learn more about themselvesThird, For listeners to be informed and empowered citizens of the world.She accomplishes this mission through a series of different written posts on Substack, and videos/clips on TikTok and YouTube. On Substack, you will find her specific Substack page, Music As Literature, separated into three sections. One, Now Playing, covers music playlists. Two, Show & Tell, details her concert experiences. Three, Music As Literature, includes a deep dive into the overlap between music and culture in a variety of ways. Nielly’s writing is sharp, colored with rich historical context, witty, and deliciously entertaining. If you want to read high-quality music articles that will leave you feeling enlightened and purposeful, then you need to start following Nielly today.I had the best time discussing Nielly’s budding music journalism career and look forward to reading all of the great essays and videos she has coming up.Please follow Nielly on all the socials at your earliest convenience. You can find her information below: If you want to receive updates to your inbox for my next podcast episode, subscribe today! :D This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Starting her rock group Why Bonnie in the music city of Austin, Blair Howerton stood out quickly amongst a pool of tough local competition. In the 2010s they made a name for themselves with a series of EPs that contained great hazy guitars and were soaked in majestic nostalgic stories of past loves and childhood experiences.Not before long, after feeling stasis creatively, Blair moved the band to the northeast to resettle in New York City. With a new label to their name and a more aggressive tone to their music they rebirthed as a folk rock group with their debut album, 90 in November. With the project they captured the vocal twang and yawning chords of their roots all while reminiscing on the southern traditions that made them who they are.After their debut, they continued to extensively tour around the country and built a solid following that loved their forward-thinking indie rock style and clear-eyed look on the world and personal pasts. In 2024, they released their critically acclaimed sophomore project Wish On The Bone. On it, the band’s style of rock is a bit more punchier, and Blairs vocals soar even more prominently above the dynamic production.During our chat, Blair and I talk about those early years in Austin, the transition of the band's sound, moving to New York, recent tour experiences, the early stages of songwriting their third album, and much more!To Learn more about Why Bonnie, check out the band’s website HEREIf you want to receive updates to your inbox for my next podcast episode, subscribe today! :D This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

For Lucy Clearwater, music is a way to connect to people of different cultures and build community with the artists around you. Known for her Laurel Canyon-style music gatherings and infectious house show performances, Clearwater is a breath of fresh air in the singer-songwriter community.Since her debut EP in 2020 she has brought a maturity and emotional responsibility to the indie scene that far exceeds her years. Clearwater is also much more than a singer-songwriter. Back in 2023 she taught herself German and released a German-language EP written and produced herself called Augenlieder.Since then Clearwater has toured Europe as well as the United States and gained a strong global following. Just last year, she gave her excited and grateful fans her latest country-tinged EP, April to rave reviews. With these diaristic and delicate roots-based songs Clearwater has stepped deeper into the music of her upbringing, creating a sound that is more aligned with her full artistic identity.The only thing missing from her incredible career this far has been the highly anticipated debut album. Scheduled to come out sometime in 2025, Clearwater’s debut album is high on her supporter's minds since she has opened up a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its development and promotion. Like a lot of you listening I too cannot wait to hear what Clearwater has in store, and if her past is any indicator, it’s going to be timeless tunes we’ll be sharing with our children.YOU CAN HEAR LUCY’S LATEST EP, APRIL HEREIF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE FUNDING FOR LUCY’S DEBUT ALBUM, FEEL FREE TO VENMO HER HERE. Thank you kindly for watching! If you liked this piece, want access to all of my music conversations, and want to contribute to the newsletter, you can start by becoming a paid subscriber to If Ever You’re Listening by clicking the link below. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Pictoria Vark is familiar with the If Ever You’re Listening Substack and is officially our first guest to appear twice. Our first conversation dates back to early 2024 and it was a written interview. I’ll add a link to that conversation in the description.Vark was also our first guest ever on the If Ever You’re Listening Substack and holds a special place in our community. For those unfamiliar with Vark, back in 2022, she gained critical acclaim for her dreamy indie rock debut, The Parts I Dread. In that foundational project Vark was exploring change and the uncomfortable journey to accepting its permanence in her life.The album allowed her to tour around the country with coveted alternative, emo, and hardcore rock acts like La Dispute, Sweet Pill, and Tegan and Sara. Vark is known for her emotive bass playing and revealing songwriting, where she tends to focus on self-analysis and how her environment affects her sense of self.Our conversation today focuses on her upcoming album, Nothing Sticks, which drops on Friday, March 21st. I had the pleasure of hearing the album and had so much fun diving deep into the album’s themes, song arrangements, songwriting process, and so much more.CHECK OUT HER LATEST TWO SINGLES BELOW:* SAN DIEGO* MAKE ME A SWORDIF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PICTORIA VARK, CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE HERE. YOU COULD READ OUR FIRST CONVERSATION HERE This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

Judy Cantor-Navas’s career spans over 3 decades and touches every corner of the industry, from local newspapers to Billboard, Disney, and now, Substack. Starting as a writer at the Associated Press, Judy was passionate about long-form articles and finding the next riveting story.Music journalism came to her first as an assignment from her editor at the Associated Press. While it wasn’t something she was particularly fond of or seen as a focus for her career at the time, soon after, it became the defining theme of her work.Thanks to a fellowship to write in Argentina, Judy began a fantastic career as a music journalist, which led her to dozens of countries in Latin America. She also had a consultant job that would land her clients at the highest levels of the journalistic hierarchy. I don’t want to spoil too much from the interview, but I will say if you like Encanto, then you’ll love hearing about Judy’s work on it.Judy is disciplined, fabulously open-minded, and has a wealth of knowledge to share about the field of music journalism, writing in general, and Latin American music. Her Substack, Cuba on Record, is centered around the story of Panart Records, the first independent Cuban record company. Explore the pages of her substack to unlock eyebrow-raising history about the impact and sounds from the record label. Each week, you’re in for a new discovery.Check out Judy’s Substack, Cuba On Record below hereRead more from Judy’s archive here. Thank you kindly for watching! If you liked this piece, want access to all of my music conversations, and want to contribute to the newsletter, you can start by becoming a paid subscriber to If Ever You’re Listening by clicking the link below. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

After counting your votes, I’m thrilled to share that the If Ever You’re Listening first live lecture event will be on Saturday, March 15, 3pm EST.The topic of discussion will be How Do Musicians Create Longevity?Come with curiosity and excitement over the subject. This is something I’ve written about before and look forward to expounding upon on in this lecture. In order to get the Zoom link for this event, please subscribe as soon as possible.See you there, Listeners! Tell your friends and any musicians you know to join us. All they need to do is become a paid subscriber! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe

In today’s era of East-West digital tensions, Jake Newby’s writing is more important than ever. The founder and author of the Substack, Concrete Avalanche, Jake discusses and shares alternative Chinese music with audiences around the world. Sustaining nearly 3,000 followers and being awarded the prestigious Substack Featured Publication badge Jake is successfully creating a bridge between massively different cultures.Jake’s writing accomplishments date back far before his time in Substack, however. In the early aughts, right out of college, he decided to move to China to teach English as part of a government program. From there he stayed in China and developed a reputation as a great team builder, effective editor, and exceptional Mandarin speaker. Not before long, he became editor of several local publications, including Radii and Time-Out Shanghai.Jake has also interviewed a number of A-list celebrities throughout his career, from Kanye West to Kieth Richards. I can’t wait for you to hear about his Kanye story. Jake’s work has also been in renowned publications like The Financial Times, Vogue, the Wire, and the Associated Press. In our enriching conversation, we break down some of the misunderstandings about music in China, what it’s like to build a writing career and gain legitimacy by large and small publications, and so much more! Jake was wonderful to talk to and exuded incredible modesty despite his enormous accomplishments. For any aspiring music journalist, this is a conversation you will not want to miss.CHECK OUT JAKE’S PICKS FOR HIS MOST UNDERRATED PIECES BELOW:* How TV show The Big Band became a surprise haven of expression in China* Jake Newby's interview with Hualun (Paywall)IF YOU’D LIKE TO FOLLOW JAKE, SUBSCRIBE TO HIS NEWSLETTER, CONCRETE AVALANCHE TODAYThank you kindly for watching! If you liked this piece and want to contribute to the newsletter you can start by becoming a paid subscriber to If Ever You’re Listening by clicking the link below. UPCOMING MARCH LIVE MUSIC LECTURE NOTICE: As a paid subscriber, you will also have the opportunity to attend my live music lecture in March! Stay tuned for upcoming notifications and updates regarding the live lecture + Q&A. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ifeveryourelistening.substack.com/subscribe