Episode 006 – Brandon O’Neill | MAKE // BREAK
Brandon O’Neill is the founder, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist behind Wine & Warpaint, the Richmond-based indie rock project whose debut album Disassociate earned recognition as one of the year’s standout independent releases. O’Neill has built Wine & Warpaint into a self-sustaining project that thrives at the intersection of DIY ethos and professional polish. In this episode of MAKE // BREAK, he joins host Lance Marwood to discuss recording with producer Kyle Black (Paramore, Pierce the Veil), the mental shifts that come with travelling for art, and the push-pull between algorithms, AI, and authenticity. O’Neill offers a grounded, thoughtful look at what it means to create meaningful work in today’s music business.
👀 What you’ll hear
• How Wine & Warpaint built momentum with their debut album Disassociate and a fiercely DIY approach
• What Brandon learned working with producer Kyle Black and why meticulousness matters
• Debate the rise of AI tools, social media burnout, and whether content creation helps or hurts real artistry
• How algorithms reward rage and novelty instead of genuine music discovery
• Why local community, collaboration, and micro-level choices are how artists can break out of toxic systems
• How artists can stay humble, experiment, and keep making the work they believe in
🕰️ Chapters
00:00 Intro and welcome with Brandon O’Neill
02:00 Flying cross-country to record with Kyle Black
05:00 Shifting headspace and finding inspiration in LA
09:00 Discovering meticulous creativity in the studio
13:00 Lessons from producers vs DIY recording
18:00 Fast workflows, Pro Tools shortcuts, and setup hacks
20:00 Debating AI tools, artistry, and the algorithm
26:00 Social media, content grind, and why he deleted Instagram
32:00 How algorithms gatekeep discovery and reward rage
40:00 Community, DIY ethos, and breaking the system locally
50:00 Responsibility, regulation, and cultural shifts
01:06:00 Generosity, art, and finding meaning through action
01:11:00 What’s next for Wine & Warpaint and upcoming music
🔗 Guest Links
https://www.instagram.com/wineandwarpaint
https://www.youtube.com/c/winewarpaint
https://wineandwarpaint.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IDDdNItHvj6aRkZ2LnCRe
🔗 MAKE // BREAK & Host Links
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/makebreak
https://instagram.com/lowkeyhellish
https://tiktok.com/@lowkeyhellish
🔗 V13 Media Links
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