John catches up with English rock band The Libertines to discuss how they wrote and recorded their latest album ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’. The Libertines formed in 1997 and shot to fame with their debut album, 'Up the Bracket,' becoming pillars of the British indie/alternative resurgence of the early 2000s. Thirty years after their careers started, they have unveiled their fourth studio album, 'All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade,' primarily recorded at their studio, The Albion Rooms, in Margate, with producer Dimitri Tikovoï. Sitting down with frontmen Carl Barat and Peter Doherty ..read more

John catches up with producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff of Bleachers to discuss how he wrote, recorded, and produced the band’s latest album ‘Bleachers’. Having grown up performing, song writing, and producing bands throughout his teenage years, Jack first saw mainstream success as part of the band Fun, and their global hit track ‘We Are Young’. Since then, he has gone on to co-write and produce records for some of the biggest artists of the past decade, including Lorde, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, and Taylor Swift. Among his numerous awards and accolades, he was named ..read more

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. This selection is our conversation with Alt-J’s Joe and Gus, along with producer Charlie Andrew, recorded back in February 2019. EPISODE NOTES In this episode John is joined by Gus Unger-Hamilton and Joe Newman from Alt-J, and producer Charlie Andrew to talk about how they recorded and produced the album 'RELAXER'.  The trio give a fascinating account of the thought processes and production techniques used in the recording of RELAXER.  Hear how a ..read more

In this episode, John sits down with singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier, delving into the creative process behind his album ‘Djesse Vol. 4,’ the concluding instalment in his four-part ‘Djesse’ album series. Jacob first shot to fame in 2013 when videos of his complex vocal arrangements went viral on YouTube. Three years later, he released his debut album ‘In My Room’, written and recorded entirely from his family home. In 2018, Jacob set to work on Djesse, a four-volume, 50-song, album series featuring collaborations with artists around the world, which to date has earned him 6 Gra ..read more

John catches up with Declan McKenna to talk about his latest album ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ Declan McKenna first saw mainstream success in 2015 following the release of his debut single ‘Brazil’ and winning Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent prize. While blending topics of politics and social issues with his indie-pop sound through his first two albums, ‘What Happened To The Beach?’ introduces us to a new world, this time looking inward and drawing on Declan’s personal growth as a musician. As well as opening up his hugely varied bag of demos, musical sketches, and jam sessions, Dec ..read more

We’ve been having a look back through the Tape Notes archive to bring back some of our favourite early episodes that you may have missed. The first selection is our chat with Dave Bayley (Glass Animals) from summer 2018.   EPISODE NOTES John ventures up to Dave Bayley’s new home studio in London Fields to talk about how Glass Animals’ debut album ZABA was recorded and produced.  We hear how Dave conjured up the band’s unique style through many late night sessions in his bedroom when he should’ve been studying for medical school. He reveals his producer hero’s and an insatiable ..read more

John links up with hyper-pop royalty, Laura Les and Dylan Brady, aka 100 gecs, to talk about their latest album ‘10,000 gecs’. 100 gecs first broke onto the scene with their debut album ‘1000 gecs’ in 2019. Capturing attention online and amongst music fans, the innovative record was described as ‘one of the year's most fascinating, exhilarating experimental pop albums’. Their second studio album ‘10,000 gecs’, released in 2023, sees them maintain their status as hyper-pop trailblazers, this time blending pop-punk and ska in with their signature maximalist sound. Reflecting on their writing p ..read more

John links up with hyper-pop royalty, Laura Les and Dylan Brady, aka 100 gecs, to talk about their latest album ‘10,000 Gecs’. 100 gecs first broke onto the scene with their debut album ‘1000 Gecs’ in 2019. Capturing attention online and amongst music fans, the innovative record was described as ‘one of the year's most fascinating, exhilarating experimental pop albums’. Their second studio album ‘10,000 Gecs’, released in 2023, sees them maintain their status as hyper-pop trailblazers, this time blending pop-punk and ska in with their signature maximalist sound. Reflecting on their writing p ..read more

John ventures into the depths of Kent to catch up with Matthew Herbert and discuss his latest work ‘The Horse’. Renowned for his innovative sound exploration, Matthew gained recognition under various names, including Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, and Herbert. He's produced for artists such as Bjork and Róisín Murphy, composed for stage and screen, and earned international acclaim for his records. His latest collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra resulted in 'The Horse.' Alongside a full album playback, the conversation covers the thought process behind the sounds, collaborators ..read more

John links up pop-rock band Fall Out Boy, and producer Neal Avron, to talk about their latest studio album ‘So Much (For) Stardust’.  Emerging from Chicago’s hardcore punk scene in the early 2000’s, Fall Out Boy rose to fame with hits including ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ and 'Thnks fr th Mmrs’. Constantly innovating, their eight studio albums have seen them embrace all sides of music, including R&B, and electro-pop. For their latest record ‘So Much (For) Stardust’, they return to their roots, working with producer Neal Avron.  Chatting with Patrick and Neal, the conversation cove ..read more