We first met Sam Coveney at the Pioneer Club in St Albans when we interviewed some fantastic bands as part of our 'Soundchecks' mini Series. One such band was InTechnicolour, a band in which Sam plays drums. Within that conversation it became very apparent that Sam had managed to achieve something so many young producers and musicians dream of; building and running his own studio business. Along with a small collection of talented musicians, Sam founded Small Pond Studios in Brighton, which is the setting for this episode. Small Pond is an awesome set-up in the centre of Brighton, one of the UK's more vibrant and creative cities. Home to a beautiful studio alongside 6 gorgeous recently revamped rehearsal spaces with, honestly, some of the best equipment we have ever seen in a rehearsal space for hire. Better still it's a super vibey and friendly environment which wears its DIY beginnings on its sleeve with pride. As incredible as this is, we are more interested in how Sam got to where he is now and what else he wants to create going forward. Sam has truly carved out a career in the music industry, not only as a wicked producer but also writing, performing and touring as a musician and live sound engineer. It's abundantly clear that his success stems from hard work and an ethic to continue pursuing his passion with a desire to learn as much as possible along the way. Learn more: - Sams Website - Sams Instagram - Small Pond Instagram - ⁠About Small Pond Studios⁠ - Small Pond Home - InTechnicolour - Sams Band

So I (Will) have released my debut single - Duplicity - under the artist/project name STALVIA! In this episode, we go through the release process and how it got to this point. Tristan came equipped with a load of questions to help break down the journey and explore the highs and lows of the process. We also talk through the potential value of doing something like this as an instrumentalist and why it's been a worthwhile learning experience. Furthermore, Tristan gives us a peek into his own ambitious musical project, with a heavy emphasis on collaboration. It's a very different venture but definitely one to be excited about. Maybe more music coming soon!

This episode is really heavy... Kaspar 'Berry' Rapkin, Blues artist from the UK joins us once more, this time to talk through his most recent visit to New Orleans, the hub and home of Blues music. We discuss his amazing experience and the profound lessons and teachings he has brought back. Blues music comes from hardship and the most awful circumstances, but it is a part of history we must not forget. To find out more about Kaspar and KBR Blues you can check out our 2022 episode all about him and his music here - EP11. Kaspar Berry Rapkin: Blues Music is Folk Music >KBR Instagram<

Do you ever sit down to practice or write a song and feel so unconfident in your ability that you give up? Or maybe the relentless writer's block beats you down to the point of calling it a day. Yeah, us too!! If studying music taught us anything, it was that everyone struggles with the motivation to keep practising sometimes. It's hard, as you get better, so does everyone else around you, it can feel like a constant game of catch-up. In this episode, we chat through some of the many experiences and approaches we've had to tackle this horrible feeling. So if this is something you suffer from, as we do, maybe we can give you some tips and tricks to work through this process.

Having spoken to many people about finishing university, one thing is clear; Most people aren't where they expected to be. Be this financial, employment-wise, or where they are living, everyone has things going on they didn't expect. In this episode we take a look at the top things in our lives we didn't expect and are maybe struggling with or at least trying to work out. Simply deciding what kind of job to get is a real dilemma. Do you go for something fun, casual, relevant, high paying, good for the CV or just whatever you get first? Then, how long do you stay in that job, and when is the right time to move? comparison to others also seems to be a theme throughout all graduates, looking at what others have achieved to try and find a path to our own success.

In this episode, I sit down with Zac, the lead singer of the band El Moono, to talk about their experience navigating the music industry as a business and utilizing social media to grow their fanbase. We delve into the challenges they have faced as an independent band, including the struggles of booking gigs, promoting their music, and managing finances. Zac shares his insights on the importance of treating music as a business going forward, and how the band has found success through building genuine and authentic relationships with fans on social media. We also discuss the turning point where the music you are creating becomes the kind of music you yourself would listen to and the pride associated with that change in perspective.

From day one as a musician, many of us take enjoyment from playing with others. Collaboration in some ways is the heart of our industry, by constantly utilising others' specialisms and skills to bounce ideas around and create unique work. In our recent episodes, Live from the Pioneer Club, Will spoke to a range of musicians and the theme of collaboration seemed to be on everyone's mind. Openback Soundchecks have been a massive success and we are so glad you've all been enjoying the video format. (Promise we will do more!) but what exactly is Soundchecks, and what's the idea behind it...

Welcome to the second instalment of Openback Soundchecks; the miniseries where we take our own advice by going to gigs and networking with musicians and other industry professionals. In this episode, we chat with Ernie from the band, Bison Face. Bison Face in its current setup, is Ernie's project, he writes, records and organises the whole operation. Often pulling in other musicians to flesh out his live shows Ernie is working hard to grow his music career. Is seeing your musical project as a business a good thing, lets discuss!

Soundchecks is our new mini-series!! Over and over again we have said that networking is the name of the game. So, where better to find a bunch of musicians and industry professionals than at a gig? So after our industry guest episode with Alex Eales, promoter and manager at The Pioneer Club he invited us down to do some interviews with an incredible lineup of bands during their soundcheck. This is episode no.1 with Tobie and Sam from the amazing band InTechnicolour. Unfortunately, Tristan couldn't make it to this one so I was left to hold the fort on my own! Our Equipment: - Portable Interface: Zoom Podtrack P4 - Zoom Microphone kit - Headphones: Audio Technica M50x - XLR Cables

After the success of our podcast episode with Matt Kersey of Kersey Guitars, we thought we would take the time to backtrack and discuss what we learnt. Something which stood out to us was how so much of what Matt described could be applied to songwriting and other disciplines within the music industry. The idea of starting the creative process by designing something ugly, fascinated us. Furthermore, as a business owner, Matt has gone through the motions of starting something from scratch and he introduced us to some steps in this process, we haven't considered before. Also, his awareness of 'burnout' and mental health is something we were keen to discuss in more detail. Our Equipment: - Portable Interface: Zoom Podtrack P4  - ⁠Zoom Microphone kit ⁠ - Headphones: ⁠Audio Technica M50x ⁠ - ⁠XLR Cables ⁠