Signal Path

Episode 69 – Steel Beans Apr 26, 2024

Jeremy is DeBardi is the creative force behind Steel Beans, a project that shot to fame with viral clips of him simultaneously playing drums and guitar while singing. Marc Young spoke with a sparkly DeBardi at this year's noisy music industry trade show NAMM to discuss his musical origins, his meteoric rise after breaking the internet, and what's next after opening for bands like Tool and Tenacious D.

Episode 68 – BAYBE Mar 05, 2024

Despite being based in the country music capital of Nashville, BAYBE melds metal, hip-hop and pop elements into her own carefully crafted artistic vision. In this special episode of Signal Path, she spoke with Marc Young at the Shure booth of this year’s (rather noisy) NAMM music industry trade show. They discussed her wide-ranging musical influences, her meticulous attention to her spooky aesthetic, and why Nashville isn’t just for country music anymore.

Episode 67 – Hannah V Nov 08, 2023

Hannah V is a London-based producer, pianist and songwriter known for her collaborations with the likes of Rihanna, Stormzy, Yola and JP Cooper. Marc Young met up with her at the London Podcast Show to discuss how her multicultural upbringing in Germany and India influenced her early musical education, her transition from classically trained pianist to key member of Rihanna’s backing band, and how she once composed a track for Netflix’s Bridgerton series in just a matter of hours. This episode was recorded at the Shure booth of the very loud trade show with the SM7B microphone and it was produced by Andrew Anderson.

Episode 66 – International Anthem Sep 21, 2023

Famous for its holistic approach, the record label International Anthem has put out more than 60 albums over the last 10 years. Working out of Chicago, they’ve focused on progressive jazz as well as experimental genres, creating tactile products that look as good as they sound. Thomas Banks from Shure speaks with Dave Allen and David Trainor about how they recorded an entire album by Brandee Younger and Dezron Douglas remotely using just one mic at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Episode 65 – Nita Strauss Jun 26, 2023

Nita Strauss is an LA guitar hero who has shredded for Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and many more big stars over the years. In this episode, Laura Davidson speaks with Nita about her origins in the Los Angeles music scene, taking her mom backstage to meet Alice at the Hollywood Bowl, and how the Shure GLX-D+ wireless system for guitarists makes her wild performances possible.

Episode 64: The SM58 May 08, 2023

Is the SM58 the most popular microphone of all time? Quite possibly, yes. This stage stalwart can truly handle anything thrown its way: from Mitski's drama to Frank Carter's screams and Run-DMC's rhymes. Listen to a special edition of Signal Path as part of the Shure Iconic Mic Celebration this month to discover how the SM58 has set the industry standard for live performance for more than half a century.

Episode 63 – School of Rock Apr 05, 2023

Rob Price is the CEO of School of Rock, a wildly successful chain of hundreds of music schools around the globe. In this episode of Signal Path, he joins from his RV 'Barry Vanilow' while on the road after SXSW. Price discusses the School of Rock's novel method of teaching kids how to play their instruments through group performance, how the music community has become vital in post pandemic times, and a new initiative to support young songwriters.

Episode 62 – Circuit des Yeux Mar 15, 2023

Under the moniker Circuit des Yeux, Chicago-based artist Haley Fohr creates avant-garde music that defies easy categories. She speaks with Andrew Anderson about her operatic vocal style, comparing microphones to paintbrushes and her acclaimed album -io. Known for her impressive four-octave range, Haley also offers a few tips for singers.

Episode 61 – Emma-Jean Thackray Jan 03, 2023

Bandleader and trumpet player Emma-Jean Thackray has quickly become a crucial part of the UK's contemporary jazz scene. Zakia Sewell speaks to her about her early musical inspirations and producing the tracks on her dazzling debut album Yellow.

Episode 60 – Coby Sey Nov 07, 2022

London-based producer, vocalist and DJ Coby Sey has developed a distinctive presence with his shifting, post-genre vision of club music. Zakia Sewell speaks to him about his debut 'Conduit' and how he's at the forefront of a groundbreaking DIY movement.

Episode 59 – Colin Stetson Oct 18, 2022

For the latest episode of Signal Path, Zakia Sewell speaks with Colin Stetson, a multi-instrumentalist composer best known for his radical, full-body approach to playing the saxophone with Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Laurie Anderson and Bon Iver, as well as his eerie scores for films like Hereditary and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Episode 58 – Jeff Mills Aug 23, 2022

A titan of electronic music, DJ and producer Jeff Mills helped shape the rise of techno like few others. Zakia Sewell speaks to the audio trailblazer about his early days in the Detroit Underground Resistance, his residency at the world famous Tresor club in Berlin, and his most recent forays into electro-jazz fusion.

Episode 57 – George Clinton Jul 21, 2022

Listen to a very special episode of Signal Path with George Clinton. Zakia Sewell speaks with the funk legend behind the groundbreaking musical groups Parliament and Funkadelic to explore his extraterrestrial impact on planet Earth.

Episode 56 – Gazelle Twin Jun 14, 2022

Under her guise Gazelle Twin, England’s Elizabeth Bernholz explores the boundaries of art and music. Zakia Sewell speaks with her to find out how she deftly weaves unsettling electronics, ethereal vocals, folk horror and social commentary into such a potent audiovisual package.

Episode 55 – Japanese Breakfast Apr 25, 2022

For the latest episode of Signal Path, Zakia Sewell speaks with Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner. Known for her artfully experimental, deeply intimate brand of indie pop, the vocalist and guitarist more recently wrote the bestselling memoir ‘Crying in H Mart’, a thought-proving exploration of growing up as a Korean-American and dealing with the grief of losing her mother.

Episode 54 – Suzanne Ciani Apr 04, 2022

Welcome to a refreshed Signal Path! Our new host is Zakia Sewell, an award-winning broadcaster and DJ who has appeared on the BBC, NTS, Tate and Boiler Room. Welcoming a new batch of sonic innovators, she will explore those defining moments that influenced how they think about sound. For our inaugural reboot episode, Zakia chats with modular synth legend Suzanne Ciani. Among the few women on the frontline of electronic music in the 1970s, she went on to become one of the most celebrated artists in her field for her ethereal and future-facing compositions. Over the course of her career, Ciani has earned five Grammy nominations and infiltrated the mainstream through TV ads, Hollywood soundtracks, and pinball machines; paving the way for the new generation of electronic experimenters that followed.

Episode 53 – FINNEAS Jan 10, 2022

The multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter FINNEAS is the creative mastermind behind some of the biggest hits by Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello and many more. In the podcast, he explains the difference between producing his own songs and those of his superstar little sister, why he likes to incorporate random audio samples into many tracks, and the Grammy nomination for his first solo album, ‘Optimist’. This episode was recorded remotely with the Shure SM7B and MV7 microphones.

Episode 52 – Martina Topley-Bird Nov 03, 2021

At the vanguard of Bristol's pioneering trip-hop scene in the mid-1990s, English singer Martina Topley-Bird has built a rich career from creative collaboration. In the podcast, she discusses how her approach to songwriting has evolved over the years, her recording tips for vocalists, and her brand new album 'Forever I Wait'.

Episode 51 – Jax Anderson Sep 04, 2021

Jax Anderson is an alt pop chameleon refusing to be pinned down. In the podcast, she discusses her genre agnostic approach to making music, how she tackles universal themes as a queer artist on her new concept album, and the creative inspiration she found while on a cross-country musical road trip. This episode was recorded remotely with the MV7 Podcast Microphone.

Episode 50 – Emily Wolfe Jul 04, 2021

Known for her blistering blues-rock chops, the Texan guitarist Emily Wolfe is branching out with her new album 'Outlier' to incorporate more pop sensibilities. In the podcast, Wolfe discusses the new creative direction she's taken, an upcoming tour supporting Joan Jett, and how a mean guitar teacher inadvertently helped her become a multi-instrumentalist.

Episode 49 – Alexander Hacke Jun 02, 2021

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hacke.org

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Episode 48 – Casey Driessen Apr 21, 2021

www.caseydriessen.com/otherlands

Episode 47 – Bully's Alicia Bognanno Feb 23, 2021

Alicia Bognanno is the creative force behind the indie rock band Bully. In the podcast, she discusses her background in audio engineering, how having that expertise has influenced her approach to making music and what it was like to drop her latest album "Sugaregg" in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Episode 46 – Institute for Sound and Music Jan 05, 2021

Nick Meehan is the director of the Institute for Sound and Music (ISM), a non-profit initiative based in Berlin dedicated to sound, immersive art and electronic music. In the podcast, he discusses his earliest audiovisual adventures in Boston, the ISM's plans for a cultural center in the German capital and what it's like to watch Brian Eno create ambient music on the fly.

Episode 45 – Kyoka Nov 23, 2020

In a special Signal Path episode, Kieran Yates speaks with Kyoka, a producer, sound artist and field recorder nominated by Yuri Suzuki to be an inaugural member of Shure24 – a platform celebrating audio culture innovators. In the podcast the Japanese artist discusses drawing inspiration from her surroundings and the impact living in Berlin has had on her music.

Episode 44 – Hannah Brodrick Nov 02, 2020

In a special Signal Path episode, Kieran Yates speaks with Hannah Brodrick, a sound engineer nominated by James Lavelle to be an inaugural member of Shure24 – a platform celebrating audio culture innovators. In the podcast she discusses prepping kits for Iron Maiden and Robbie Williams, working in a male-dominated music industry, as well as the organization she helped establish, Women in Live Music.

Episode 43 – Choker Oct 13, 2020

In a special Signal Path episode, Kieran Yates speaks with Choker, an innovative singer and producer blurring the lines between R&B, hip-hop and indie music. Originally from Michigan, the artist also known as Chris Lloyd was nominated by Santigold to be an inaugural member of Shure24 – a platform celebrating audio culture innovators. In the podcast, Choker discusses growing up isolated in Detroit, his decision to commit himself completely to music and how moving to LA changed his sound.

Episode 42 – Debit Sep 28, 2020

In this special Signal Path episode, Kieran Yates speaks with Delia Beatriz, a New York-based producer and DJ going by the name Debit. Known for mixing Mexican club rhythms and industrial sounds to create avant-garde techno, she was nominated by Holly Herndon to be an inaugural member of Shure24 – a platform celebrating audio culture innovators. In the podcast, Debit discusses how moving from Mexico to the United States influenced her tastes, the impact of technology on music and what it was like being named a Shure24 Audience Choice winner.

Episode 41 – Paul Leonard-Morgan Sep 14, 2020

After working with bands like Simple Minds and Belle and Sebastian, the Scottish composer Paul Leonard-Morgan went on to write the soundtracks for Limitless, Dredd and the TV series Spooks (MI-5). More recently, he's collaborated on projects with two of the biggest names in the business: documentarian Errol Morris and composer Philip Glass. In the podcast, he tells Andrew Anderson about embracing mistakes, getting over imposter syndrome and the creative opportunities of being on lockdown.

Episode 40 – Black Pumas Aug 28, 2020

Episode 39 – Bootsy Collins Aug 10, 2020

Having played bass for James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, the funk legend Bootsy Collins needs no introduction. We spoke with him about his new charity single for musicians facing tough times during the coronavirus crisis, his new album dropping this fall and what life lessons he learned from the Godfather of Soul.

Episode 38 – Mikey Young Jul 13, 2020

We caught up with Mikey Young, alternative music’s ultimate multitasker. After making waves with garage rock heroes Eddy Current Suppression Ring and synth-punk outfit Total Control, the Australian has forged a second career as the mixing and mastering guru for a slew of cutting-edge bands. In the podcast, he discusses and how he managed the transition from stage to studio, his novel approach to recording, and how he overcame his addiction to vintage gear.

Episode 37 – Mary Spender Jun 16, 2020

Mary Spender is an English singer-songwriter with a bluesy guitar style and a massive online following. We spoke with her about how she built her hugely successful YouTube channel, how musicians can get the most out of social media these days and why she recently did a 24-hour live streaming event.

Episode 36 – Noah Pred May 25, 2020

Noah Pred is a Canadian producer, DJ and music educator. We caught up with him just before he was to discuss keeping a creative flow in the studio at Ableton’s now postponed Loop festival. However, his topic seems more relevant than ever to these times of lockdown and quarantine. In the podcast, he talks about his early transition to electronic music, explains how he ended up teaching and offers his tips on how to keep those creative juices flowing.

Episode 35 – Chicago Children’s Choir May 04, 2020

Josephine Lee is the president and creative director of the Chicago Children’s Choir. Before the COVID-19 crisis hit, she brought some of the kids to Shure's For Those Who Tour house for a special microphone workshop. Mark Brunner asked Lee about her classical music training, how she eventually joined CCC and the choir's important role in the city's cultural landscape.

Episode 33 – Hannah Trigwell Mar 23, 2020

Singer-songwriter Hannah Trigwell is a self-taught guitarist who started out busking the streets of her northern English hometown Leeds. A music pioneer on YouTube, she has found legions of fans all over the world online. We spoke with her about being an independent artist in the age of social media, how that affects her creativity and what it’s like interacting with her fans via the internet.

Episode 32 – Leo Moracchioli Feb 27, 2020

Leo Moracchioli is the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist and producer behind the popular Frog Leap Studios channel on YouTube. With over three million subscribers, he’s racked up more than 700 million views by doing his own brand of metal covers. In the podcast, he talks about the pressures of making a fully produced track and video every single week, what his studio setup is like and how taking his show on the road is changing his music.

Episode 31 – Ash Soan Jan 31, 2020

England's Ash Soan is one of the world's leading sessions drummers. He's worked with everyone from Squeeze to Adele and even performed during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. We spoke with him at Metropolis Studios while he was leading a workshop for the winner of Shure's Drum Mastery contest.

Episode 30 – Rachel K. Collier Jan 13, 2020

Rachel K. Collier is an electronic music producer from Wales who likes to give her fans a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process. Mary Spender caught up with her at the Montreux Jazz Festival to ask her why she likes to breakdown her songwriting on her YouTube channel and how she's taking her music from the studio to the stage.

Episode 29 – Velvet Negroni Dec 16, 2019

After dabbling in several projects spanning multiple genres, the Minneapolis-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Nutzman seems to have finally found his groove as Velvet Negroni. His the future-forward R&B has attracted the attention of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Tame Impala and Kanye West. In the podcast, he talks about how his access to pop music was restricted growing up, what it's like to be nominated by Santigold for the new platform Shure24 and how he describes his sound to Uber drivers.

Episode 28 – Paul Davids Nov 25, 2019

The Dutch guitarist Paul Davids operates a YouTube channel with more than one million followers. In the podcast, he talks about how he started playing music, why he has conflicted feeling about being considered a YouTuber and his approach to his instructional videos.

Episode 27 – Victor Van Vugt Nov 05, 2019

Victor Van Vugt is an Australian producer known for his work with Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and Beth Orton. In the podcast, he tells how he blagged his professional mixing gig, how a magical phone call led to a tour with The Fall and why Berlin can be a creative black hole for some artists.

Episode 26 – Blossoms Oct 24, 2019

Blossoms are an indie pop band hailing from the greater Manchester area. Tom Ogden and Josh Dewhurst discuss their creative path since their debut album was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize and Brits Awards in 2017.

Episode 25 – Paula Salvatore Sep 30, 2019

Paula Salvatore is the manager of the illustrious Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. Over the years, she's seen just about every big name in the business come through the doors. Let her take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of this legendary recording studio.

Episode 24 – Jacob Collier Sep 23, 2019

The English singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier might still be young, but he's already had a prolific musical career. Known for both his ingenuity and eclecticism, he spoke with us about his ambitious four-album project Djesse, working with living-legend Quincy Jones and what winning a Grammy award means to him.

Episode 23 – Paul Ripke Sep 18, 2019

The photographer, filmmaker and podcaster Paul Ripke is a busy man. He's known for the innovative content he creates for rock stars, soccer clubs and the Mercedes Formula One team. We got him to take a short break at this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival to discuss his roots in the German hip hop scene, his philosophy on music photography and what he considers makes a good podcast.

Episode 22 – John Grant Aug 23, 2019

Nearly abandoning his musical career following the breakup of his band the Czars, the US singer-songwriter John Grant went on to find solo success by distilling personal adversity into songs that can be unsparing, poignant and witty – quite often all at the same time. We caught up with him in London fresh off a UK tour for his latest album Love Is Magic. In the podcast, John discusses why he nearly crashed out of music, how he found his creative bearings again and how learning several foreign languages has affected his songwriting.

Episode 21 – Steve Albini Aug 01, 2019

Steve Albini is a Chicago-based engineer known for his rigorous approach to recording music and his work with Nirvana, the Pixies and many more. For this episode, Thomas Banks heads down to Albini's studio Electrical Audio to wax nostalgic about a special gig from 1986 and to discuss the joys of creating one's own creative community.

Episode 21 – Kelela Apr 23, 2019

Kelela is an American singer/songwriter. After six years in the making, her debut album was released on Warp Records in 2017. In this episode, she talks about her early musical inspiration, the advantages of getting a late start as a professional singer and how she blends traditional R&B with more experimental electronic elements.

This episode was recorded at LOOP in LA, in late 2018.

Episode 19 – Tim Kinsella Feb 18, 2019

Tim Kinsella is a musician, author, and film director from Chicago. He has been a member of many influential bands, including Cap’n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Make Believe & Owls.

In this episode, he talks about his creative life, process and commitment.

Episode 18 – dodie Feb 04, 2019

dodie is an English singer-songwriter, author, and YouTube personality. She has toured the world extensively, and has amassed over 1.7 million subscribers to her channel.

In this episode dodie talks about everything from diary entries, to embarrassing moments on stage, while offering some advice to musicians on YouTube.

Episode 17 – Tarik Barri Nov 08, 2018

Tarik Barri is a Dutch artist, composer and programmer creating immersive audiovisual installations and performances. We spoke to him about his collaboration with Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke for the Hexadome – a 360-degree structure that completely surrounds an audience with sights and sounds.

Episode 16 – Sylvia Massy Nov 07, 2018

Sylvia Massy is an American producer and engineer known for her work with Johnny Cash, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tool, as well as her unorthodox recording techniques. We invited her to The Famous Gold Watch studio in Berlin to talk about her unique experiences, which include recording in an abandoned nuclear cooling tower and using vegetables or cheese to filter audio signals.

Episode 15 – Paul Cheese Sep 17, 2018

Paul Cheese is an artist, sound recordist and cyclist. In today’s episode, Paul talks about his epic cycle rides (his last album was recorded during a 6000km cycle ride), turning the sound of a moped into a violin, creating a track with 700 samples, and making a drum beat from throwing a deck chair down a flight of stairs.

This episode was recorded using two MOTIV MV51 microphones.

Episode 14 – Steve Hogarth Aug 29, 2018

Steve Hogarth is the lead singer of British rock band Marillion. Despite selling over 15 million albums since forming way back in the early 80’s, they will likely be best remembered for one decision the band made in 1997. Short of money and wanting to embark on a North American Tour, the band turned to their loyal fans to fund their trip, raising the £39,000 required, and unintentionally becoming the pioneers of what we know today as crowdfunding.

Episode 13 – Andrew Huang Jul 23, 2018

Andrew Huang is a Canadian musician, video producer, and YouTube personality. The incredibly entertaining videos he’s created, taking viewers behind the scenes of his original music, coupled with his prolific output (over 2000 tracks to date), has led to well over 1.3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.

In this episode Andrew Huang talks about everything from his early music education and how he made viral videos before YouTube existed, to overcoming perfectionism.

Episode 12 – Omar Al Marzooqi Jul 10, 2018

Omar Al Marzooqi is an Emirati singer and songwriter. In 2015, after several years of performing, he quit his job (without telling any of his family), spent a year recording his debut album, and in turn signed a professional recording contract. In this interview, Omar speaks with Lucas Dirty & Myers about everything from khaleeji music & career milestones, to why he refuses to be pigeon-holed.

Episode 11 – Steph Marziano Jun 28, 2018

Steph Marziano is a record producer, mixer, writer & engineer. Since graduating from LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) in 2013 she has worked in various capacities for the likes of The Prodigy, Sam Smith, FKA Twigs & Kasabian. In 2018 she was shortlisted in the ‘Breakthrough Engineer of The Year’ category at The Music Producers Guild Awards.

In this interview Steph talks about following her dreams, her definition of various studio roles, turning elephant sounds into a drum kit, & studio jokes.

Episode 10 – JBTV Jun 12, 2018

Jerry Bryant, namesake of Chicago music TV institution JBTV, has captured thousands of performances from both emerging and established artists, since founding the show in 1984.

In this interview Jerry talks about the early days, and how he has managed to keep it going all these years, while constantly adjusting to changes in technology and format.

Episode 9 – Poster Children May 29, 2018

US based pioneering rockers talk about the various stages of their 30 year-long career, their DIY ethic, & returning to analogue for the most recent album, recorded with Steve Albini.

Episode 8 – Pixie Lott May 15, 2018

Pixie’s debut single ‘Mama Do’ went straight to number 1 in the UK charts, and just 5 months later she had another UK number 1, before selling 1.5 million copies of her debut album.

Today’s chat covers everything from working with Stevie Wonder & John Legend to her education.

Episode 7 – Chris Jojo May 01, 2018

Chris Jojo has a job many people would envy. As the ‘Senior Sound Designer & Principle Sound Recording Engineer’ for Codemasters Games, he typically spends his time at race tracks all over the world recording cars ranging from the super rare, to F1 & rally cars.

Episode 6 – Johann Scheerer Apr 17, 2018

Johann Scheerer is a producer and the founder of Clouds Hill studio in Hamburg, Germany. He’s known for working with artists like James Johnston (Gallon Drunk, Nick Cave), Pete Doherty and Omar Rodriguez Lopez (At the Drive-In, Bosnian Rainbows), as well as his impressive collection of vintage recording gear. Marc Young visited him to talk about the allure of tape and tubes.

Episode 5 – Spotify Studios Apr 03, 2018

Spotify Studios hosts some of the top recording artists of today in their beautiful studio in New York City. Here, they record Spotify Singles. Spotify Singles capture artists recording their original tracks, as well as a cover song. Producer Bryan Grone and engineer William Garrett sit down with us to discuss the operation.

Episode 4 – Marten Berger Mar 20, 2018

Marten Berger is on an epic road trip to find Europe’s best street musicians. The young producer has traveled in an ice cream truck converted into a mobile recording studio from Finland to Portugal seeking out talented buskers along the way. He now wants to record a double album unlike any other.

Episode 3 – Roger Lindsay Mar 06, 2018

Roger Lindsay has worked as a live front-of-house engineer for a wide range of artists including Prince, George Michael, Pink Floyd, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and many more. He is also a consultant for leading pro-audio manufacturers, F1 Racing teams, and the NFL.

Episode 2 – Matt Colton Feb 20, 2018

Matt Colton is an Award Winning Mastering Engineer. He has mastered records for the likes of Muse, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel & Gary Newman and also a plethora of electronic music artists and labels. In this episode he talks about mastering for vinyl vs. digital, half-speed mastering, best practices, the equipment he uses, and lots more.

Episode 1 – Lianne La Havas Feb 01, 2018

Lianne La Havas is a UK-based singer/songwriter. She is a former winner of the “iTunes Album of the Year” and has received both Grammy and Brit Award nominations. We talk about everything from food and songwriting to what a typical day off might look like.

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