John Kennedy reunites artists and their producers to rebuild one song, plugin by plugin.
Tape Notes follows music makers into the practical details behind specific songs and albums. Recent episodes move from voice notes and roof jams to Logic sessions, MIDI brass, vocal layers, plug-ins, and the moment a track finally feels ready.
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Tape Notes is a long-form interview show, with episodes typically running 85 to 110 minutes. Host John Kennedy records his side from South London and brings together an artist and their producer to discuss one song or album in detail, rather than covering a career broadly. Recurring subject matter includes sample-based songwriting, vocal layering and comping technique, DAW workflows in Logic and Ableton, and specific outboard gear and plugins such as the 1176 compressor, Neumann TLM-49, and iZotope stem-separation tools. Many episodes center on a single named track, walking through its demo stage, instrumentation choices, and final mix. Guests featured in recent episodes include Fred again.., Imogen Heap, Parcels, Rudimental, Pomplamoose, and Holly Humberstone with producer Rob Milton, who has appeared on the show multiple times. The producer's perspective is treated as equally important as the artist's, and episodes often include anecdotes about how a specific idea was captured or nearly discarded. Early demo versions and original session stems are played during the conversation to illustrate the points being discussed. The show benefits listeners with hands-on production knowledge already in hand: musicians, producers, mixers, and audio engineering students looking at how specific commercial records were actually built. It is less suited to listeners wanting general artist profiles or career-spanning interviews, since the focus stays tight on process and technique. Episodes are sponsored by music-technology and education partners, including a recording app and a conservatoire's songwriting program, mentioned briefly mid-episode.
Made for: Musicians, producers, mixers, and audio engineering students interested in how specific commercial recordings were technically constructed.
What sets it apart: Each episode pairs the artist with the actual producer they worked with to reconstruct one song's decisions together, rather than interviewing the artist alone.
Tape Notes is a podcast about the art and craft of music production. Hosted by John Kennedy, each episode reunites an artist and producer to talk about the highlights of their collaboration in the studio. Their conversations lift the lid on every stage of the creative process, from kindling the first spark of a song idea, through decisions on style and instrumentation, to finessing the final product. Full of fascinating anecdotes, the conversations also feature early demo versions and stems from the original session recordings. The result is a unique insight into the working methods of some of the most...
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Tape Notes turns demos, session files and isolated parts into a clear account of how collaborators build finished songs.
Tape Notes follows songs back through the decisions that made them, with John Kennedy guiding artists and producers through demos, session files and works in progress.
A voice memo enters; five vocal layers and a MIDI-brass intervention leave with it.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A warm, process-led Tape Notes episode on how Holly Humberstone and Rob Milton shaped Cruel World from fragments into finished songs.
Holly Humberstone and Rob Milton make the making of Cruel World feel tactile, starting with early voice notes and rooftop jams before moving into vocal layering and studio decisions.
A focused, craft-led Enter Shikari episode about uneasy brass sketches, live players, and turning odd ideas into finished drama.
Tape Notes' reissue with Raoul Reynolds, frontman and producer of Enter Shikari, works because it keeps the conversation close to the desk: what was written, what was sketched, what had to be played for real.
Imogen Heap turns I Am into a searching account of sound, surrender, and the charged edge before chaos.
Imogen Heap's Tape Notes episode circles her recent EP, I Am, from inside the studio: process, inspiration, Ableton fragments, and the stories behind particular sounds.
Fred again.. turns USB into a close study of rhythm, instinct, and when a song's bones are ready for someone else.
Fred again.. returns to Tape Notes for a close, living-room pass through USB, and the episode is strongest when it lets tiny production choices carry emotional weight.
Parcels turn nylon guitars, headphone bleed, and Logic quantizing into a sharp lesson in how Loved gets its texture.
Tape Notes' Parcels episode gets closest to the workbench when it settles into "If You Call," using Loved to show how a finished track can keep the rough edges that first gave it life.
A close studio listen on Pomplamoose's layered vocals and the small choices that make a pop mix move.
Tape Notes brings Pomplamoose into the studio as a conversation about how much pop detail can sit inside a vocal arrangement. The strongest passage has Natalie explaining her private, meticulous recording routine: hours alone with the same Neumann mic, half a day on the lead…
Rudimental's studio instincts come through in a grounded conversation about vocals, samples, and momentum.
Tape Notes catches Rudimental's Piers and Kezi in the most useful part of the studio story: the point where taste, instinct, and a loose idea begin to gather shape.
Songwriters from Jeff Barry to BTS's 'Butter' co-writers explain how hit songs get made.
Chicago critics DeRogatis and Kot pair new-album reviews with deep dives into records like Rumours.
Billboard's Keith Caulfield and Katie Atkinson break down the week's Hot 100 and 200 charts.
Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson trace viral internet stories from Reddit threads to courtrooms.
Holly Humberstone and Rob Milton arrive at Baltic Studios.
A brass detour.
Imogen Heap works at the edge.
Fred again returns to Tape Notes at his house in Southampton, London, to break down USB and tracks including "Lights Burn Dimmer" with Jamie T and "Solo" with Blanco.
This episode features an interview with Mumford & Sons and producer Aaron Dessner discussing their new album 'Prizefighter' and their music production process.
This episode features an interview with Danny L Harle, who deeply analyzes the sound design, arrangement, and production decisions behind his new album Cerulean.
This episode features an in-depth interview with musical polymath Emma-Jean Thackray, discussing her album and her ability to play multiple instruments.
This episode features an interview with artist Artemis and producer Toby Daintree discussing the writing, recording, and production of the album Lovercore.
A reissue episode where host John Kennedy interviews Rina Sawayama and producer Clarence Clarity about the making of her debut album Sawayama, discussing their creative process and collaboration.
Host John Kennedy interviews Adam Buxton and Joe Mount about the making of their album Buckle Up, discussing songwriting, recording, and production techniques.
Host John Kennedy interviews Haim and producer Rostam Batmanglij about the making of their album 'I Quit', discussing songwriting, recording, and production techniques.
The music comes after the sponsorship reads.
Host John Kennedy interviews musician Sam Gellaitry about writing, recording, and producing his album Anywhere Here Is Perfect.
Host John Kennedy introduces an episode with Kay Tempest and producer Fraser T.
This episode features an interview with musician Hayley Williams and producer Daniel James discussing their collaboration on the album 'Ego Death' and the creative process behind it.
This episode features an interview with the duo The Favors, discussing their collaboration on the album 'The Dream' and exploring the creative and technical aspects of music production.
Pomplamoose build texture from tiny vocal choices.
This episode features an interview with Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey and producer Spencer Stewart discussing how they wrote, recorded, and produced the album 'A Matter of Time'.
Rudimental start with space.
This episode features an interview with musician Joe Keery (Djo) and producer Adam Thein discussing the writing, recording, and production of the album 'The Crux'.
Host John Kennedy interviews artist Barry Can't Swim about writing, recording, and producing his album Loner.
Host John Kennedy interviews Lorde and producer Jimmy Stack about the making of her album Virgin, discussing their creative process and studio collaboration.
Host John Kennedy interviews Jamie XX about writing, recording, and producing his album In Waves, discussing the creative process and studio collaboration.
A reissue episode where host John Kennedy interviews Dan Snaith (Caribou) about the making of his album Suddenly, featuring demo versions and track breakdowns.
Host John Kennedy interviews Air's Nico Godin about the writing, recording, and production of their debut album Moon Safari.
Host John Kennedy interviews Jeff Goldblum and his producers about recording the album Still Blooming, discussing the creative process and music production techniques.
A live conversation between host John Kennedy and comedian/musician Adam Buxton about radio, music, and the Tape Notes podcast.
John Kennedy interviews Clean Bandit about their music production process, discussing tracks and studio techniques.
This episode features a conversation with Floating Points about his album Crush, exploring his creative process and use of synths.
A reissue episode featuring Matt Healy and George Daniel of The 1975 discussing their songwriting and production process.
Host John Kennedy interviews St.
Host John Kennedy interviews the Libertines about the writing, recording, and production of their album All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade.
Host John Kennedy interviews Jacob Collier about writing, recording, and producing his album Jesse, Volume 4.
A reissue episode featuring Dave Bailey of Glass Animals discussing the making of their debut album Zaba.
Host John Kennedy interviews the duo 100 gecs about the writing, recording, and production of their album 10,000 Gecs.