Mariachi El Bronx on The Moment That Unlocked the Entire Album

In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Matt from Mariachi El Bronx for a behind the scenes look at the songwriting and music production process behind their track “Songbird.”  The conversation dives into studio life during the making of the band’s fourth Mariachi El Bro…

HP #31: Dream Nails on Using Free Writing to Finish Their Hardest Song.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Dream Nails to unpack the making of their track “The Information,” a song that went through multiple versions and nearly did not make the album. The band explain how the track began as free writing for a completely different idea b…

HP #30 : Ulrika Spacek on Combining Two Songs Into One

What happens when two ideas don't fit — until they finally do? What does that process actually look like? In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji is joined by Ulrika Spacek to break down the making of their track “Weights and Measures.” The song began as two completely separate pieces…

HP #29: Chartreuse Break Down a Song Born From Pain and Healing

How do you turn fear and anxiety into something creative? In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with UK band Chartreuse to unpack the story behind their song “I’m Losing It” — a deeply personal track written by vocalist Hattie following the news that she’d need major surgery…

HP #028 | Song Exploder’s Hrishikesh Hirway Breaks Down His Own Song

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Hrishikesh Hirway — musician, composer, and creator of the iconic podcast Song Exploder. Known for helping artists dissect their songs and uncover the stories behind them, Hrishikesh does something rare in this conversation: he …

Psymon Spine: “Wizard Acid” — Turning Five Demos into One Song

What do you do when you have five separate demos and no idea how they fit together? In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with NYC psych-pop collective Psymon Spine to unpack the twisting, turbulent process behind their song Wizard Acid. Written remotely during the pan…

Elles Bailey: “Ballad of a Broken Dream” — When a Song Feels Too Personal to Record

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Elles Bailey to unpack the long, personal, and painful process behind “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” a track that sat in her voice notes for over five years before she could face recording it. Originally written after an emotiona…

Adult Jazz: “Earth of Worms” — When Perfection Gets in the Way of Songwriting

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Adult Jazz to unpack the long and winding process behind “Earth of Worms,” one of the most technically complex and emotionally unruly songs on their album So Sorry So Slow. The song had been in progress for nearly seven years, a…

Deep Sea Diver: “Shovel” — How to Rebuild a Song That’s Falling Apart

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Deep Sea Diver at Third Man Records in Soho to unpack the complicated road behind their track “Shovel.” It started out as the easiest song they’d ever written—and nearly became the one that didn’t make the record at all. The …

Sophie Jamieson: “How Do You Want to Be Loved?” — Songwriting and Honesty

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Sophie Jamieson to explore the writing of “How Do You Want to Be Loved?”, a delicate and emotionally loaded song from her album I Still Want To Share. Unlike many of her songs, this one had a clear emotional target from the st…