In our final episode of a monumental Season 6, Dan interviews American singer, songwriter and producer Chelsea Cutler. Known for her emotional pop and electronic music, Cutler gained popularity through her debut EP "Snow in October" in 2017 which led to collaborations with artists like Kasbo and Louis the Child.    Since then she has performed on the Today Show and Late night with Seth Meyers. She was slated to perform at Coachella 2020 prior to the event’s Covid cancellation. Despite the world pausing, Cutler's introspective lyrics and captivating performances have garnered her a dedicated fan base that continues to rack up millions of views on YouTube.   In this episode Dan and Chelsea talk New York, Soundcloud and the overwhelming task of discovering new music and artists in the Spotify-era.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

As we barrel towards the closing of our sixth season, Dan catches up with Finnish DJ and producer Darude.   The stage name of Ville Virtanen, Darude gained worldwide recognition in the late 1990s with his hit single "Sandstorm," which became an EDM anthem. Known for his progressive and uplifting sound, Darude has continued to release music and perform at festivals around the globe. With his innovative approach to trance and electronic music, he remains a prominent figure in the EDM scene, inspiring generations of music enthusiasts and leaving a lasting influence on the genre.   Darude and Dan chat about the changing landscape of EDM with the development of technology and accessibility, decision anxiety in the creative process and the impact of “Sandstorm.”   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

In this week's episode Dan is joined by Mathieu Jaton, the CEO of Montreux Jazz Festival, where they discuss Mathieu’s childhood admiration of the festival, how he got his foot in the door and his own philosophy of the festival experience.   The Montreux Jazz Festival is a legendary music event held annually on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It has earned a stellar reputation for its exceptional lineup of artists and breathtaking performances. From jazz and blues to rock and pop, the festival showcases a diverse range of musical genres, attracting music enthusiasts from around the world. With its picturesque setting and a history dating back to 1967, the Montreux Festival remains an iconic and unforgettable experience for both artists and fans alike.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Join Dan this week as he chats with Tord Øverland Knudsen and Dan Haggis of indie heavyweights The Wombats.   The Wombats are a dynamic indie rock band hailing from Liverpool. Known for their infectious energy and witty lyrics, the trio has captivated audiences worldwide with their acclaimed hits such as "Let's Dance to Joy Division" and "Greek Tragedy.” With their distinctive sound and undeniable charisma, The Wombats continue to cement their status as a powerhouse in the indie rock scene.   Listen to this episode for their orchestral childhoods, their time at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts as well as their struggle and sacrifices in the beginning of their career.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Sit down with Dan and Ed Motta in this episode and deep dive into Brazilian culture, record collecting cataloguing, Steely Dan and the joy of staying home.   Ed Motta, a celebrated vocalist and composer, is known for his diverse musical range that includes funk, soul, yacht rock, and jazz. He is the nephew of Tim Maia, and his international success has earned him platinum and gold record status as well as awards for film soundtracks. Motta has collaborated with a range of renowned musicians, such as Roy Ayers, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Bo Diddley. His albums, including Aystelum, Dwitza, and AOR, demonstrate his versatility and have earned him a devoted following across the globe.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

In this week’s episode of the 212 Podcast, Dan is joined by Steve Diggle: guitarist and now frontman of Manchester punk band Buzzcocks.    Formed in 1976, the Buzzcocks quickly gained a reputation for their energetic, fast-paced music and catchy hooks. They are considered one of the most important and influential bands of the punk rock era, releasing several genre-defining albums and singles, including "Ever Fallen in Love" and "What Do I Get?"   Listen in as Steve takes us through his mod-influences, the career-changing show opening for the Sex Pistols, and taking the reigns as the band’s frontman after the passing of Pete Shelley.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Listen in this week as we join Dan and legendary musician, composer, and producer Brian Jackson.    Jackson gained fame in the 1970s as a collaborator with Gil Scott-Heron, creating ten socially conscious albums over the course of a decade including "Winter in America" and "The First Minute of a New Day." Jackson would go on to work with other artists Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and Gwen Guthrie. His contributions to the world of jazz, soul and funk have made him a legend in the industry.   In this episode, Brian takes us through his childhood in the culture cradle of Brooklyn, being raised in a racially segregated system and how he found a political and creative comrade in Gil Scott Heron.   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

The highly-anticipated Season Six of the 212 Podcast is here! To kick us off, Dan sits down with renowned percussionist and drummer Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill.   During their conversation, Dan and Eric discuss the crucial role that fans play in the music industry and the responsibility of the artist to respect them. Eric also shares insights into his diverse range of influences, which have shaped his unique style and approach to music.   Throughout his career, Eric has been a highly respected figure in the industry, known for his dynamic and energetic performances. He began playing drums at the young age of five with his Latin-legend father Willie Bobo. He joined the Beastie Boys in 1992 contributing to the albums  "Ill Communication" and "Hello Nasty,” while also playing percussion for Cypress Hill during their world tours, and eventually joining them full-time in 1994.   Bobo has collaborated with many other notable musicians, including The Black Crowes, Rage Against the Machine and Fort Minor.   Don't miss this first engaging episode in a stacked line up of music industry heavy-weights coming your way across the next eight weeks!   Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/iczz4 Spotify: https://rb.gy/83tdl   https://www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast  

This week, Dan leads us to our Season Five finale via a conversation with the tranquil-voiced José González. Born and based in Gothenburg, Sweden to Argentinian parents, González is an indie folk singer-songwriter known for his signature sound of classical guitar picking and soothing vocals. To date he has released four studio albums as a solo artist as well as two further albums with folk-rock band Junip.   He has made several TV appearances, performing Late Night with Conan O’Brien twice, Later… with Jools Holland and Jimmy Kimmel Live. His cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats” was featured in an iconic commercial for Sony BRAVIA. On top of all this, he was in a PHD program for biochemistry prior to his music career taking off.   Don’t miss this chat with this fascinating man.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week listen in to meet the Founder and Director of Primavera Sound: Pablo Soler. One of Europe’s elite festivals, Primavera has hosted the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Neil Young, Nine Inch Nails and Wu-Tang Clan. Pablo was the founder of the festival that started small in 2001 with 8,000 attendees on a one-day show and has now built the festival to 200,000 people attending over two weekends. Pablo chats with Dan about his transition from law to festivals, the changing landscape of the Barcelona music scene, their mission to showcase Latin-speaking bands and how to stay relevant by keeping up with the music of newer generations.   After a two-year break due to the pandemic, Primavera Sound returns next month on the 2nd June as well as four new editions set to take place this year in Los Angeles, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Nitin Sawhney is a British musician, producer and composer with a truly impressive list of awards and credits. Pulling from a wide range of influences, his music is known for combining aspects from traditional Asian music, electronica, jazz and hip hop. He has also collaborated with the likes of Paul McCartney, the London Symphony Orchestra, Brian Eno, Cirque du Soleil, Sinead O’Connor and Nelson Mandela to name just a few. Sawhney is a recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award and rejected an OBE in 2007 only to later accept a CBE in 2019 in honour of his father. He has received Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Kent, Sussex, Roehampton, Staffordshire and Goldsmiths College. Listen in to hear Nitin chat with Dan about his wide range of musical influences, his impressive career and the importance of the newer generations having accessibility to a wide range of genres and artists in the information age.  Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week Dan chats to the legendary Macy Gray, American R&B and Soul singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Known for her instantly recognisable raspy voice, Gray has released ten studio albums, received five Grammy Award Nominations and went on to win Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her smash-hit “I Try” in 2001.  After studying script writing before her music career kicked off, Gray has gone on to appear in a number of films including Training Day, Spider-man, Scary Movie 3 and The Paperboy. In 2005 she opened the Macy Gray Music Academy and in 2020 co-founded the non-profit MyGood.org. She has collaborated with a number of artists, including Erykah Badu, Ariana Grande and Dolly Parton as well as performed the theme song for Nickelodeon animated show As Told By Ginger. Tune in to hear her chat about her rise in the industry and the effect of fame, working with the likes of Erykah Badu, Rick Rubin and Fatboy Slim and her support of the families affected by police brutality through her non-profit MyGood.org. Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Tune in this week as Dan chats with Rou Reynolds, frontman of electronic-post-hardcore band Enter Shikari. Debuting in 2007 with Take to the Skies, Enter Shikari have gone on to release six studio albums, each dripping with experimentation making them one of the world’s leading alternative bands. The list of accolades and nominations is massive, including six Kerrang Awards won (Best Live Band, Best Single, Best Album), two NME Awards won and two AIM awards won to name a few. The band also has their own record label, Ambush Reality. On top of all this, Reynolds has explored side projects including a clothing label Step Up and has written and published three books as companions for his music, Dear Future Historians, The Spark and A Treatise on Possibility. In this episode, Rou and Dan unpack this impressive career as well as maintain consistency, creativity and connecting with fans in the pandemic era.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

Award-winning record producer and mixing engineer Catherine Marks talks at length with Dan this week about what it’s like to work your way to the top in the music industry.   From the benefits of leaving her home country, Australia, persistence in attaining her foot in the door with legendary producer Flood, and patience as she gained momentum and recognition, Marks’ perseverance has paid off, making her one of the biggest names in indie production.   A magician of audio architecture, Marks has worked with staples of the industry and upcoming artists including Foals, The Killers, Local Natives and Wolf Alice. She won the Music Producers Guild’s Breakthrough Producer of the Year in 2016 and went on to win their Producer of the Year award in 2018. In 2020 she won the Heavy Music Awards Best Producer.    As a role model and wellspring of advice and experience, this episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to make a career in the music industry.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week Dan chats with Thai singer-producer Pyra. Self-describing her music as “dystopian-pop,” Pyra blends hip-hop, alternative pop and Thai traditional instrumentation as the backbone for lyrics exploring socio-political issues. Coupling her sound with an experimental visual and performance style, she has quickly become a festival favourite. She has made appearances at Burning Man, The Great Escape, Garden Beats and Forest Jam, just to name a few.   Listen in to hear Pyra explaining the Thai pop industry compared to the rest of the world, the fashion influence on her music and the rise of censorship laws in the East attempting to block her artistic activism. Congratulations go out to Pyra, who recently won 'Best Solo Act From Asia' & 'Best Song By An Asian Artist' at the NME Awards 2022 as the winner in the all-new Asia categories. She'll be performing at Coachella in no time. One to watch.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast   --

It's been our pleasure to reach this milestone in season 5 of our podcast this year, navigating our way through the best in business in the industry we love. We wanted to bring a 'Special' guest to the latest season this week and share his ‘message to you'. It’s a great honour to welcome legendary bassist Horace Panter, also known as Sir Horace Gentleman, from the biggest British 2 Tone ska band in the world, The Specials. Horace delves back in time with Dan to discuss his involvement in creating the punk-ska hybrid that became known as '2-Tone and describes his experiences since the band's creation. Enjoy yourself! Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

In our Series Four Finale, Dan speaks with Colombian producer and sound engineer Felipe Alvarez. He is the founder of Polen Records, an independent music label created in 2006 based in Bogota, Colombia.  Polen Records and Felipe Alvarez are a predominant force in the South American music scene, producing and releasing some of the most important acts, working with artists such as Shakira and Calle13. In 2011, Felipe received two Latin Grammy Awards for Best Song of The Year and Record of the Year with Calle13’s “Latinoamerica” as a sound engineer. Polen Records have also been nominated for two Latin Grammys with Bomba Estereo’s album “Elegancia Tropical” for Best Alternative Music Album in 2013. With acclaim such as these under his belt, be sure not to miss this chat.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week Dan talks with Black Joe Lewis an Austin, Texas-based musician continuing the blues, funk and soul legacies of Howlin’ Wolf and James Brown.    First picking up a guitar while working in an Austin pawn shop, Joe Lewis has gone on to release six studio albums, performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and Splendour in the Grass as well as TV appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman and Austin City Limits.   Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears were listed as one of the “Ten Bands Set to Break Out at 2009’s SXSW Festival” by Esquire Magazine.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week sees Dan chatting with Fruzsina Szép, Hungarian born festival director. Starting off as a band and tour manager at the age of 18, Fruzsina has gone on to work on major festivals as Program Director for Sziget Festival in Hungary and Festival Director for Lollapalooza Berlin.   These days, she is the Managing Director and Festival Director of SUPERBLOOM, the new festival within Goodlive. She also founded the Hungarian Music Export Office and is a board member of Yourope, the European Festival Association. Fruzsina Szép lives and breathes festivals, and we can’t wait to hear what stories she has to share.   Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast

This week Dan chats with Phil Vinall, a British music producer with over 30 years in the game. Having worked with the likes of Placebo, Pulp and Radiohead, Phil is a legend in production for Alternative music. For several years now, Phil has been travelling to Mexico to work with bands like Zoé with whom in 2018 he won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for “Aztlán.” Apple Podcasts: https://t.ly/212Podcast Spotify: https://t.ly/212PodcastSpotify   www.212musicgroup.com/the212podcast