The Sonical.ly Podcast

Elmo Chong

A podcast where music creators educate music creators.

  1. Oct 21

    Jessie Mazin Reveals the EMOTIONS Behind New EP ‘let the feeling die’ ❤️

    Jessie Mazin boarded a plane… and landed to find her music had reached a MILLION views. 🤯🎸 What happens when a simple performance with just your voice and a guitar introduces your music to millions of people? Rising alternative folk-pop singer-songwriter Jessie Mazin joins Gina Choi (G.NA) on the Sonical.ly Podcast to talk about her viral Medium Sized Backyard performance, the emotional stories behind her new EP let the feeling die, and her journey from writing songs as a child to finding her audience online. Jessie shares how Taylor Swift inspired her to start songwriting, why she left music school and moved back to Los Angeles, and what it felt like to suddenly have people around the world discovering her music. But this conversation goes much deeper than viral success. Jessie takes us inside the songwriting and creative decisions behind her music, including: 🎸 “The Man with Money in His Hands” — Turning anger, frustration, and feelings of political powerlessness into a protest song. 💔 “The Precipice” — Exploring infatuation, unrequited love, and the emotional intensity of wanting someone you can't have. ❤️ “Love Make Me a Believer” — Why guilt and shame can be some of our most painful emotions, and how love and forgiveness become part of the struggle. 🧠 “Every Thought I've Ever Had” — Capturing anxious thoughts, emotional chaos, and the freedom of creating without overthinking. 🎹 “Cognitive Dissonance” — How Jessie uses beautiful but uncomfortable chords to represent the conflict between what your heart wants and what your brain knows. 🥀 “let the feeling die” — Why we sometimes become comfortable in sadness, and why moving on can feel scarier than staying where we are. Jessie also shares advice for aspiring artists: Don't let the fear of failure stop you from trying, and don't be afraid to put your most vulnerable feelings into your music. Whether you're a songwriter, producer, independent artist, or simply someone who connects deeply with music, this conversation is about finding your voice, trusting your creative instincts, and making art that means something. 🎙️ Host: Gina Choi (G.NA)🎤 Guest: Jessie Mazin💿 Featured EP: let the feeling die ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Why Jessie Makes Music Sound Beautiful but Uncomfortable00:24 — Introducing Jessie Mazin01:28 — Growing Up With Music & Musical Theater02:39 — How Taylor Swift Inspired Jessie to Write Songs03:16 — Writing Her First Song at 8 Years Old04:11 — Discovering Her Passion During the Pandemic04:52 — The Medium Sized Backyard Performance That Went Viral05:10 — Boarding a Plane and Landing to 1 Million Views06:22 — Gina's Emotional Reaction to Jessie's Voice07:05 — The Story Behind “The Man with Money in His Hands”09:48 — The Meaning Behind “The Precipice”10:56 — Writing With Cole Smith & Creating Emotional Stories12:04 — The Journey Behind let the feeling die12:28 — Leaving Music School & Moving Back to LA13:39 — “Love Make Me a Believer”: Guilt, Shame & Forgiveness15:25 — “Every Thought I've Ever Had”: Anxiety & Overthinking17:27 — “Cognitive Dissonance”: When Your Heart & Brain Disagree18:24 — Using Dissonant Chords to Create Emotional Tension19:43 — Why She Named the EP let the feeling die21:09 — Why Letting Go of Sadness Can Be So Difficult21:54 — Jessie's Advice for Aspiring Artists22:28 — Don't Let Fear of Failure Stop You23:09 — Why Artists Should Be Vulnerable in Their Music23:54 — What's Next for Jessie Mazin? 🎮 TRAIN YOUR EARS WITH MIX MASTER Want to develop the listening skills that make great music possible? Mix Master turns ear training into a game, helping aspiring producers learn to hear and balance the different elements of a mix. 🎧 Train your ears. Improve your mixes. Level up your production. 👉 Download Mix Master: https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial #JessieMazin #LetTheFeelingDie #SonicallyPodcast #GinaChoi #Songwriting #MusicProduction #MixMasterApp

  2. Oct 5

    Kardinal Offishall on Firestarter Vol. 2, Black Thought, Boi-1da & His Idris Elba Album

    Kardinal Offishall spent nearly 10 years trying to make the right beat for Black Thought. When Black Thought finally heard “40 Acres and a Ferrari,” his response was simple: “That’s the one.” In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Kardinal Offishall takes us inside more than three decades of music creation — from helping shape Toronto hip-hop and recognizing future stars early, to producing most of his new album, Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes…. Kardinal breaks down the creative process behind “40 Acres and a Ferrari,” why Black Thought is his personal benchmark above even Jay-Z and Eminem, recognizing Boi-1da’s talent when he was still a teenager producing on a beat-up laptop, and how his approach to songwriting and production has changed over the years. He also reveals how “Top 3” with Buju Banton and Idris Elba came together — and shares that he and Idris have recorded an entire album together. We go deeper into the personal side of Firestarter Vol. 2, including “Kiss Me When I,” the meaning behind “Everyday, Sometimes,” and why Kardinal wanted this album to reflect who he actually is today as an artist, husband and father. And for the next generation of music creators, Kardinal shares his perspective on AI, creativity and why new technology shouldn't stop artists, producers and songwriters from creating something genuinely original. 🎧 STREAM FIRESTARTER VOL. 2: EVERYDAY, SOMETIMES… https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/0rszwh4GagQKMoWRr5e1kX?si=I_qttJWpTHubzjjeWS9mwA&utm_source=oembed 🎮 THINK YOU HAVE A PRODUCER’S EAR? Kardinal knew Boi-1da's beats were special before the world did. Test your own ears in Mix Master → https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial CHAPTERS 00:00 The Beat Kardinal Spent 10 Years Making 00:15 Meet Kardinal Offishall 01:06 Growing Up Surrounded by Music 02:12 Sacrificing Lunch Money to Record 05:57 The Story Behind “Ol’ Time Killin’” 08:16 Why Firestarter Vol. 2 Came Now 13:01 What Kardinal Is Still Hungry For 15:51 The 10-Year Black Thought Collaboration 19:35 Sean Paul & Recognizing Talent Early 21:19 Discovering Boi-1da’s Talent 23:32 How “Top 3” Came Together 25:34 Kardinal & Idris Elba Made an Album?! 27:22 The Story Behind “Kiss Me When I” 31:46 Why “Everyday, Sometimes” Became the Title 34:58 Kardinal’s Advice to Music Creators 35:13 AI, Creativity & the Future of Music 38:54 What’s Next for Kardinal Offishall #KardinalOffishall #BlackThought #HipHop

  3. Sep 24

    BIJI: Finding Home Through Kurdish Music | The Story Behind ‘Legends’

    BIJI’s Robin Nazari and Maceo Frost join the Sonical.ly Podcast to break down the story behind their debut album, Legends — a project shaped by Kurdish identity, hip-hop, family, poetry, filmmaking, and modern music production. Robin and Maceo talk about how a seven-year-old unanswered Facebook message eventually helped bring them together, how an emotional collaboration involving a poem about Robin’s late father became the spark for BIJI, and why the project ultimately became a place where they could create without compromising who they are. They also break down the production behind Legends: finding unusual samples, combining Kurdish musical influences with contemporary sounds, collaborating with Robin’s mother on lyrics, and learning when an imperfect performance carries more emotion than a polished studio recording. One of the most powerful stories comes from Sarah’s Poem. After Sarah recorded the original poem on an iPhone, the team repeatedly tried to recreate it in the studio — but the cleaner versions lost the feeling of the original. That eventually led to a simple creative realization: listeners don’t have to understand everything the first time, and sometimes the imperfections are exactly what make something special. Later in the conversation, Robin explains why BIJI feels like “coming home” — reconnecting with Kurdistan, family, language, and parts of his identity he couldn’t fully express through his earlier music. Maceo also talks about walking away from commercially successful filmmaking work to pursue projects that gave him a sense of purpose and creative energy. Robin and Maceo also discuss growing up around hip-hop and Kurdish music, why Maceo was forbidden to quantize as a kid, Robin teaching himself to become a stronger rapper, how BIJI searches for rare samples, Kurdish musical influences, creative instinct, staying authentic in the music industry, and the question every artist eventually has to answer: Why are you making music? 00:00 The 7-Year-Old Facebook Message That Connected BIJI 00:16 Meet BIJI: Robin Nazari & Maceo Frost 01:28 Growing Up Around Hip-Hop & Kurdish Music 03:16 Why Maceo Was Forbidden to Quantize 04:33 How Robin Taught Himself to Become a Better Rapper 05:44 How Robin & Maceo Finally Met 09:07 Maceo’s Filmmaking Burnout 09:48 The Emotional Song That Started BIJI 12:50 How BIJI Was Born 14:27 What Makes Music Sound Kurdish? 16:27 How Robin’s Mom Helped Write ‘Legends’ 18:43 What Does It Mean to Be a “Legend”? 21:14 The Story Behind Sarah’s Poem 24:56 Why They Kept the Imperfect Voice Memo 26:11 The Kurdish Vocal Recorded Over the Phone 28:25 How BIJI Finds & Flips Rare Samples 32:54 Bringing Kurdish Culture to a Global Audience 35:50 Why BIJI Feels Like “Coming Home” 38:54 Staying Authentic When the Industry Wants You to Conform 42:00 The Question Every Artist Should Ask 44:54 What’s Next for BIJI? #BIJI #KurdishMusic #MusicProduction #Legends #HipHop #MusicIndustry #Songwriting #MusicPodcast #ArtistDevelopment

  4. Sep 16

    Zoe Wrenn Made a 30M-Stream Hit With Her Own Software — Then Raised $5M to Build Tamber 🤯

    Zoe Wrenn wrote a song that went on to surpass 30 MILLION streams — using an early version of software she built herself. Then that experiment turned into a company that has raised $5 million. 🤯 In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, we sit down with artist, songwriter, producer, software engineer and Tamber founder Zoe Wrenn to explore one of the most unusual journeys at the intersection of music and technology. Zoe grew up surrounded by music — her father was a musical director for Cher, her mother was a touring dancer, and Zoe spent much of her childhood on tour. Hearing Joni Mitchell on vinyl helped spark her desire to make music herself. Years later, her song “Hailey” would surpass 30 million streams. But there's another part to the story. Zoe says she wrote “Hailey” in roughly 15 minutes while using an early version of the software she'd been developing as a creative “sparring partner.” Rather than generating the song for her, the software helped her explore creative decisions while she wrote with her acoustic guitar. She remembers putting the guitar down and immediately thinking: “That's a hit.” That experiment eventually evolved into Tamber. Zoe's philosophy is very different from the idea of typing a prompt and having AI generate finished songs. As she puts it: “I want AI to do the dishes for me, not write a song.” Her goal is technology that removes friction from music creation without removing the musician from the creative process. We also dive into Zoe's remarkable founder journey. She taught herself to code, started building tools around problems she saw musicians experiencing firsthand, and eventually found herself pitching investors. It wasn't easy. Zoe says she heard 98 NOs before getting her first YES. One early investor even interrupted her pitch and told her: “I think you'll be fine because people love to watch a blonde talk.” The experience ultimately contributed to Zoe dyeing her hair blue and embracing standing out rather than trying to fit someone else's idea of what a tech founder should look like. Today, Tamber has raised $5 million, with backing discussed in the episode including Adobe Ventures, and Zoe is building toward a very different vision for the future of music technology. And in the second half of the episode, Zoe actually shows us Tamber in action. We see tools designed to search enormous sample libraries using creative descriptions, integrate into existing DAW workflows, use voice and gesture controls, and help musicians find sounds without replacing the creative decisions they're making themselves. Most importantly, we ask Zoe the bigger question: Zoe doesn't believe the future of music has to be artists being replaced by prompts. Her vision is technology that elevates human creativity instead of removing it. 🎵 From touring musician🔥 To a 30M+ stream song💻 To self-taught software engineer🚀 To startup founder❌ Through 98 investor rejections💰 To $5M raised🤖 And now fighting for a more human future for music creation This is a conversation about much more than AI. It's about what technology should actually do for creative people. 🎧 Want to develop the part of music creation AI can't replace — your ears? Train them with Mix Master, the game that turns ear training into interactive mixing challenges. 👇 Download Mix Master:https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial Subscribe to Sonical.ly for more conversations where music creators educate music creators. What happens to musicians if AI keeps getting better?

  5. Sep 8

    No Love for the Middle Child: MGK Producer’s 10-Minute Beat Challenge Goes Wrong

    What happens when you give a producer who’s worked with MGK, TXT, Willow and more just 10 MINUTES to make a beat from a mystery sample? 👀🔥 We put No Love for the Middle Child to the test. But before the clock starts, No Love takes us inside the creative journey that took him from playing cello and making beats on Logic 9 to producing, writing and performing alongside some of the biggest artists in music. He reveals how meeting Mod Sun eventually led him into MGK’s circle, why their creative relationship turned into a genuine friendship, and breaks down the production choices behind MGK’s “Cliché” — including why one tiny idea became a huge moment when they started performing the song live. We also get into: 🎸 How No Love went from classical cello and jazz piano to producing hip-hop 🇰🇷 The crazy story behind writing for TXT’s “0X1=LOVESONG” — and finding out after the fact that multiple writers had been competing on the same track 🎛️ Why “less is more” when producing — and why finding the right sounds can be more powerful than creating a wall of sound 📱 Why young producers shouldn't obsess over the algorithm — because your social media page is also your résumé 🤖 Why he believes the rise of AI could actually create a resurgence in real musicianship and learning instruments ❤️ Why making more music isn't necessarily better — because one great song can change your life And then it's time for WHAT THE FLIP. No Love hears three mystery loops, chooses one, and gets exactly 10 minutes to turn it into a beat. No preparation. No second attempt. And midway through... THE COMPUTER CRASHES. 💀 He keeps going anyway. Afterward, he breaks down exactly how he flipped the sample, resampled and chopped it, built A and B sections, chose his drums and created space for an artist — giving you a look at how a professional producer makes creative decisions under pressure. 00:00 No Love’s Beat Challenge Goes WRONG 😱 00:12 How No Love Met MGK 01:26 How MOD SUN Connected Him With MGK 03:06 How MGK’s “Cliché” Was Produced 04:17 Why “Less Is More” in Production 05:02 The Story Behind TXT’s “0X1=LOVESONG” 06:34 From Classical Cello to Hip-Hop Producer 09:00 Moving to LA & Breaking Into the Industry 10:14 How Producers Get Studio Sessions 11:04 Why Your Social Media Is Your Resume 12:00 The Story Behind “Ash on the Floor” 12:52 Working on MGK’s Lost Americana 14:02 No Love’s Songwriting Process 15:57 Will AI Replace Musicians? 17:03 His Advice for Young Producers 18:23 10-Minute Beat Challenge 🔥 19:31 The Clock Starts ⏱️ 21:38 THE COMPUTER CRASHES 💀 22:40 The Finished Beat 23:25 Breaking Down the Beat 25:19 What’s Next for No Love? 🎧 Think you have a producer's ear? Prove it. Train your ears with Mix Master — the game that turns ear training into interactive mixing challenges. 👇 Download Mix Master: https://linktr.ee/mixmasterofficial Subscribe to Sonical.ly for more conversations where music creators educate music creators. #NoLoveForTheMiddleChild #MGK #MusicProduction #BeatMaking #Producer #MGKProducer #MusicProducer #Songwriting #TXT #KPop #HipHopProduction #Mixing #SonicallyPodcast #MixMaster

  6. Aug 28

    The Linda Lindas: Going Viral, Growing Up & Making ‘Gotta Get Out’

    How do four young artists develop their own voices while learning to create as one band? In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, The Linda Lindas — Bela Salazar, Eloise Wong, Lucia de la Garza and Mila de la Garza — share how they grew from an unexpected young punk band into internationally touring artists, and take us inside the songwriting and music production behind their third album, Gotta Get Out. The Linda Lindas reveal how their creative process has evolved as they've grown as musicians and songwriters, why Gotta Get Out became their most collaborative album yet, and how they learned to trust each other's musical instincts. They also discuss the challenges of growing up inside the music industry while their friends followed more traditional paths through school and college. We revisit the story behind “Racist, Sexist Boy,” the experience with anti-Asian racism that inspired it, and how a song originally fueled by anger evolved into a source of community and hope. The band also discusses how they use their music and platform to speak about issues that matter to them. Then we dive into the music and lyrics behind Gotta Get Out, including “Burning Out,” “Blood on Our Hands,” and “Closer.” The band opens up about growing older, anxiety about the future, finding their identities as artists, and turning those experiences into songs. The Linda Lindas also reveal how their relationship with Paramore's Hayley Williams led to her contributing vocals and songwriting to “Closer,” and what they learned from creating together in the studio. On the music production and sound engineering side, the band explains why they wanted Gotta Get Out to preserve the raw energy of their original demos, how they recreated sounds they loved from those recordings, and why elements of the actual demos ultimately made it onto the finished album. Whether you're a songwriter, producer, musician, or independent artist, this conversation offers practical insights into artist development, music production, sound engineering, collaboration, and navigating the music industry while staying true to your creative instincts. In this episode: 🎸 How The Linda Lindas accidentally became a band ✍️ How four songwriters create music together 🌱 Growing up and developing their identities as artists 🔥 The story and impact of “Racist, Sexist Boy” 🎵 The songwriting and music production behind Gotta Get Out 😮‍💨 Growing up and the story behind “Burning Out” 🩸 The meaning behind “Blood on Our Hands” ⏳ Anxiety, adulthood and the themes behind “Closer” 🎤 Working with Hayley Williams of Paramore 🎚️ Preserving the raw energy of demos in the final production 💡 Advice for young artists navigating the music industry Hosted by Elmo Chong & G.NAFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music Creators.

  7. Aug 21

    Noah Hill (Parcels): The Breakup Behind His Debut Solo Album 'OK OK NOW'

    How do you find your own artistic identity after years inside a successful band? In this episode of the Sonical.ly Podcast, Noah Hill of Parcels shares the deeply personal journey behind his debut solo album Ok ok now, revealing how songs written across nearly a decade kept circling back to the same relationship, its ending, and the memories that remained. Noah opens up about stepping outside the collaborative world of Parcels, returning to the folk and acoustic music that first inspired him, and learning to trust the music that felt most authentic to him. He also breaks down the stories behind “Bye Baby” and “It’s All in My Head,” including the emotional experiences that shaped the lyrics. We also dive into Noah’s songwriting, music production, recording and mixing process—from writing on acoustic guitar and working in Logic Pro to mixing the entire album himself and learning how to maintain perspective after spending months inside the same songs. Whether you're a songwriter, producer, musician, or independent artist, this conversation offers practical insights into creativity, artist development, finding your own voice, and making music that feels genuinely yours. In this episode: 🎵 Growing up with music and discovering songwriting 🎸 Finding an artistic identity outside of Parcels ❤️ The relationship behind Ok ok now 🧠 The story behind “It’s All in My Head” 👋 Writing “Bye Baby” and learning to let go 🎚️ Producing, recording and mixing his own album 🎛️ EQ, compression, vocal production and learning to trust your ears 💡 Advice for the next generation of music creators Hosted by Elmo ChongFounder of Sonical.ly | Juno Award-winning Music ProducerMusic Creators Educating Music Creators.

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A podcast where music creators educate music creators.