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 band explains how the song went through multiple versions, two cities, and nearly three scrapped attempts. They talk about trying to hold together wildly different ideas—from Nick Cave-inspired spoken word sections to a Kate Bush–style pop outro—and the challenge of making something cohesive out of sounds that didn’t seem to belong in the same world.

We also talk about:


The feeling of getting sick from your own song


Creative burnout caused by high expectations


How co-producer Andy Park helped salvage the track by remixing old material the band had abandoned


Why some songs only work when you finally let go

And in one of the episode’s most revealing moments, Jessica Dobson explains how a random writing exercise—based on the word “shovel”—led to some of the most vulnerable lyrics on the record, confronting her inner critic in a voice that was both joyful and aggressive. The result is a song that’s part destruction, part self-preservation.

The episode closes with a stripped-back live performance of “Shovel,” recorded at Third Man Records in London.

Artist: Deep Sea Diver
Song: “Shovel”
Album: Billboard Heart

Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji


Engineers: Max Walker (Mix) and Grant Frampton (Recording)
Creative Team: Callum Baker
Recording Location: Third Man Records, London

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 &ldquo;Shovel.&rdquo;
It started out as the easiest song they&rsquo;d ever written&mdash;and nearly became the one that didn&rsquo;t make the record at all.
The band explains how the song went through multiple versions, two cities, and nearly three scrapped attempts. They talk about trying to hold together wildly different ideas&mdash;from Nick Cave-inspired spoken word sections to a Kate Bush&ndash;style pop outro&mdash;and the challenge of making something cohesive out of sounds that didn&rsquo;t seem to belong in the same world.
We also talk about:
<ul data-start="1012" data-end="1265">
<li data-start="1012" data-end="1060">
The feeling of getting sick from your own song
</li>
<li data-start="1061" data-end="1109">
Creative burnout caused by high expectations
</li>
<li data-start="1110" data-end="1212">
How co-producer Andy Park helped salvage the track by remixing old material the band had abandoned
</li>
<li data-start="1213" data-end="1265">
Why some songs only work when you finally let go
</li>
</ul>
And in one of the episode&rsquo;s most revealing moments, Jessica Dobson explains how a random writing exercise&mdash;based on the word &ldquo;shovel&rdquo;&mdash;led to some of the most vulnerable lyrics on the record, confronting her inner critic in a voice that was both joyful and aggressive. The result is a song that&rsquo;s part destruction, part self-preservation.
The episode closes with a stripped-back live performance of &ldquo;Shovel,&rdquo; recorded at Third Man Records in London.
Artist: Deep Sea Diver Song: &ldquo;Shovel&rdquo; Album: Billboard Heart
Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
 Engineers: Max Walker (Mix) and Grant Frampton (Recording) Creative Team: Callum Baker Recording Location: Third Man Records, London

Hosted by Kieron Banerji, The Hardest Part dives deep into the most challenging songs ever written. Every two weeks, an artist joins Kieron in the studio to break down the struggles, breakthroughs, and raw emotions behind their toughest songwriting experiences. From overcoming creative blocks to tapping into painful memories, these conversations reveal the delicate balance between self-expression and self-protection.

Each episode wraps with an exclusive live performance of the song—raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.

Follow the Hardest Part wherever you get your podcasts, and watch footage from the show on our YouTube and socials.

Hosted by Kieron Banerji,&nbsp;The Hardest Part dives deep into the most challenging songs ever written. Every two weeks, an artist joins Kieron in the studio to break down the struggles, breakthroughs, and raw emotions behind their toughest songwriting experiences. From overcoming creative blocks to tapping into painful memories, these conversations reveal the delicate balance between self-expression and self-protection.
Each episode wraps with an exclusive live performance of the song&mdash;raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.
Follow the Hardest Part wherever you get your podcasts, and watch footage from the show on our YouTube and socials.

The Hardest Part

Hosted by Kieron Banerji, The Hardest Part dives deep into the most challenging songs ever written. Every week, an artist joins Kieron in the studio to break down the struggles, breakthroughs, and raw emotions behind their toughest songwriting experiences. From overcoming creative blocks to tapping into painful memories, these conversations reveal the delicate balance between self-expression and self-protection.

Each episode wraps with an exclusive live performance of the song—raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.

Follow the Hardest Part wherever you get your podcasts, and watch footage from the show on our YouTube and socials.

Hosted by Kieron Banerji, The Hardest Part dives deep into the most challenging songs ever written. Every week, an artist joins Kieron in the studio to break down the struggles, breakthroughs, and raw emotions behind their toughest songwriting experiences. From overcoming creative blocks to tapping into painful memories, these conversations reveal the delicate balance between self-expression and self-protection.
Each episode wraps with an exclusive live performance of the song—raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.
Follow the Hardest Part wherever you get your podcasts, and watch footage from the show on our YouTube and socials.

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