Wingspan: The Highs and Lows of Being a Musician

Hana Piranha

Have you ever played a gig to just the bar staff and sound engineer? Or found yourself alone carrying an amp through the streets at 2am? Have you ever had to busk for your next meal? Or do you find yourself awake at night, questioning your life choices? Have you ever asked yourself... why the fuck am I a musician? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and this is the podcast for you. Brand new podcast from Hana Piranha and Mishkin Fitzgerald talking about the ugly truth of sustaining a music career.

  1. Episode 40 - Zoom In, Zoom Out

    11 HR AGO

    Episode 40 - Zoom In, Zoom Out

    Welcome to Season 4 of our podcast and a slight rebrand! After a packed start to the year involving tours, music videos, prison teaching stints, and at least one birthday meltdown in France, we've been thinking a lot about how musicians actually work. This episode is about the two seasons every musician moves through: zoom in, where it's all about daily practice, routine, and sharpening the saw — and zoom out, where a big project takes over and the routine completely collapses. We talk about the traps in both, what the transition between them feels like, and why giving yourself permission to just be in one season at a time might be the most useful thing you can do for your career. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    59 min

  2. 17 MAR

    Episode 39 - Waterfalls, Rivers, and Lakes

    Singles, EPs, albums - how do you know what to release, and when? In this episode, Hana and Mishkin break down the case for each format using the only framework that matters: TLC. They cover why a single can get you pigeonholed before you've shown anyone the full picture, when an EP is worth the extra studio time, and why albums are still the most satisfying thing you can make even if they take three years and cost a small fortune. Plus: demo love, the mixed jury, and why staggering your mixing costs might save your sanity. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    48 min

  3. 3 MAR

    Episode 38 - The Starman with Jason Achilles (The King of LA)

    This week Hana and Mishkin are joined by Jason Achilles - LA producer, session musician to the likes of Dizzy Reed and Jerry Cantrell, and the man behind the microphone NASA sent to Mars on the Perseverance rover. Jason talks about building a music career through sheer nerve and well-timed lies and shares some very honest stories about the times he wanted to quit. Expect tour stories, food grievances, and a reminder that nobody really knows what they're doing. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    37 min

  4. 17 FEB

    Episode 37 - Rate & Hate Part 2: The Ten Worst Genres Of All Time

    Hana and Mishkin are back with another Rate and Hate, this time tackling the musical genres they'd least like to encounter in this life or the next. Ten genres, no mercy, one accidental jazz improvisation. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    32 min

  5. 20 JAN

    Episode 36 - Famous in Five Steps

    Ever wondered why some releases just work whilst others disappear into the void? It's not luck, it's having a system. In this episode, we break down our five-step campaign framework that you can use again and again: Song, Visuals, Promotion, Outreach, and Feedback.  We talk about writing songs that grab attention, creating visual content that actually serves your music, promotion that doesn't make you want to die inside, building real connections beyond social media, and the bit everyone skips - analysing what actually worked so you don't keep making the same mistakes.  Whether you're DIY or working with a team, whether you've got budget or you're doing it all in your bedroom, this framework will help you get your music heard without burning out.  We also share our favourite campaigns (including "F****d Up Feeling" and the gloriously sleazy "Temple") and remind you that you don't need to get famous overnight, you just need a system that works. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    1hr 11min

  6. 6 JAN

    Episode 35 - A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships

    In this special episode, all four artists from the upcoming Heart of Darkness tour gather in the Cotswolds to talk about what they're building together. Hana and Mishkin are joined by Catherine Elms and Taylor from Emberhoney for a conversation about female friendship in music, the power of community over competition, and why human-made art matters more than ever. They trace their connections back to the Indie Noir nights in 2015, discuss how supporting each other's work has shaped their creative lives, and share which songs from the group have been speaking to them lately. This is a conversation about what happens when artists choose collaboration over the industry's manufactured scarcity, and why that choice feels urgent right now. Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    40 min

  7. 23/12/2025

    Episode 34 - Rate & Hate Part 1: The 10 Worst Songs Of All Time

    Two musicians who have been forced to play the worst songs ever written at countless weddings finally unleash their rage. From Coldplay to Bruno Mars, we're breaking down exactly why these songs are crimes against music - and confessing which terrible tunes we secretly love. If you didn't already think Mish and Hana were horrible people, here's proof 😈 Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    42 min

  8. 02/12/2025

    Episode 33 - Staying Afloat

    Magnesium, manifestation, and getting violently shaken to sleep: 20 musician life hacks In this episode, Mish and Hana share the life hacks that have actually helped them survive the chaos of being working musicians - from making your bed for free dopamine hits to scheduling your entire fortnight to avoid burnout, cutting out alcohol to write better songs, and why breathwork creates the mental space that gives you your best ideas. Plus a bonus round of "what's in my handbag?" (spoiler: nail clippers. Always nail clippers). Do you have the best job in the world but also want to quit at least once a day? Are you always on the VIP list but somehow end up eating dinner by the bins? Do you ever play to a crowd and yet sometimes feel like the loneliest person in the room? Do you lie awake at night questioning your life choices? Well, you’re not alone.  Being a musician is hard at the best of times, and we’re here to help. Join Mishkin Fitzgerald and Hana Piranha as they talk about the highs and lows of being a musician.

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Have you ever played a gig to just the bar staff and sound engineer? Or found yourself alone carrying an amp through the streets at 2am? Have you ever had to busk for your next meal? Or do you find yourself awake at night, questioning your life choices? Have you ever asked yourself... why the fuck am I a musician? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and this is the podcast for you. Brand new podcast from Hana Piranha and Mishkin Fitzgerald talking about the ugly truth of sustaining a music career.

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