NHTE 634 Gigi Zimmer

The episode opens with host Bruce Wawrzyniak introducing Gigi Zimmer, highlighting her work with artists like Britney Broski and Elisheva Lilla, and her roles at Warner Music and Atlantic Records. Zimmer details co-writing and co-producing 'Lose It' with Jack Ritter and Alexa Villa, explaining how a spontaneous bass riff and vocal take shaped the song. She recounts moving from Phoenix to Los Angeles in 2021/2022 during the pandemic with minimal connections, working at a pizza shop, and feeling miserable before meeting someone who introduced her to Atlantic Records. Zimmer describes the miscommunication that led to a job rejection while visiting Arizona, followed by an immediate hire upon returning to LA. She discusses balancing technical engineering and creative production roles, emphasizing the need to 'move at the speed of creativity.' The conversation covers her band Control, formed with Anissa Rodriguez and Daniel Shapiro, which has 10-12 songs completed and played its first show in December. Zimmer shares industry lessons learned the hard way, including payment issues and self-doubt, and how finding guitars raffled and on the street encouraged her. She addresses the challenges of LA's expense and workload, her focus on production and songwriting that 'feels good,' and adapting mixes for different genres like rock versus hip-hop. Zimmer credits engineer Ryan Gladeau for teaching her about genre-specific mixing and the balance between technical and creative mindsets. She offers perspective on AI in music, noting its accessibility but valuing human connection, and advocates for reaching out to peers rather than only targeting big names. The episode concludes with advice on avoiding plugin rabbit holes by using presets, staying inspired through breaks to prevent burnout, and keeping DMs open for collaboration.

As heard by us

Gigi Zimmer's return to live music gives the interview its most grounded shape.

Gigi Zimmer's return to the stage gives the episode its clearest pull. A vocalist, songwriter, bass player, engineer, and producer, she talks with Bruce Wozniak about joining Control with Anissa and Daniel after their time in Los Angeles, and about the songs the band is…

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Why you'd press play

You want Gigi Zimmer's first-person account of getting back onstage after not playing live since right before COVID.

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