Jamie Webster joins Kieron Banerji on The Hardest Part to break down the writing, meaning and performance of his song “Small Town Life.”

Jamie explains how years spent touring through towns across the UK inspired him to write a song celebrating the people, characters and communities that exist beyond the country’s biggest cities, places that might look imperfect from the outside, but mean everything to the people who call them home.

Jamie takes us inside his songwriting process, from keeping fragments and ideas in his phone to beginning “Small Town Life” with a musical manifesto: make it anthemic, make the chorus immediate and write something people can sing together.

Jamie also discusses how growing up in Liverpool shaped him as both a person and songwriter, the passion and defiance he associates with his hometown, his working-class identity, and why speaking from the heart remains central to his music.

This episode also features an intimate live performance of “Small Town Life.”

Subscribe for more conversations and exclusive live sessions from The Hardest Part.

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00:00 Jamie Webster on Working-Class Life
01:16 The Story Behind ‘Small Town Life’
05:20 Turning Where You’re From Into a Strength
08:50 Jamie Webster’s Songwriting Process
09:36 Building the Perfect Chorus
11:12 Finding the Idea for ‘Small Town Life’
12:37 Don’t Play the Game, Change It
14:38 The Characters That Make a Town
15:12 A Wild Small-Town Pub Story
18:18 Liverpool, Football and Finding an Audience
21:15 How Liverpool Shaped Jamie’s Songwriting
24:30 Paddy Pimblett and the Scouse Mentality
25:27 Writing About Working-Class Life
28:18 The Hardest Part of ‘Small Town Life’
33:21 Why Jamie Won’t Comp His Vocals
34:06 ‘Small Town Life’ – Full Performance

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The Hardest Part dives deep into the most emotionally complex songs ever written. Every two weeks, host Kieron Banerji sits down with artists to unpack the creative process behind their hardest songs—exploring songwriting breakdowns, emotional storytelling, cultural influences, and moments of personal growth. Each episode ends with an intimate, stripped-back performance—raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.

Produced by Palm Tree Island, a London-based creative studio known for standout music documentaries and original voices.

Kieron Banerji is a seasoned producer and engineer based in London with extensive experience in music, media, and entertainment. He’s worked with Grammy and Academy Award winners, and has recorded sessions with Portugal. The Man, Jason Isbell, Katie Melua, Rae Morris, Jason Mraz, BROODS, Baio (Vampire Weekend), and more.

🎧 Follow the Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thehardestpart

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#jamiewebster #musicpodcast #smalltownlife

Jamie Webster joins Kieron Banerji on The Hardest Part to break down the writing, meaning and performance of his song &ldquo;Small Town Life.&rdquo;
Jamie explains how years spent touring through towns across the UK inspired him to write a song celebrating the people, characters and communities that exist beyond the country&rsquo;s biggest cities, places that might look imperfect from the outside, but mean everything to the people who call them home.
Jamie takes us inside his songwriting process, from keeping fragments and ideas in his phone to beginning &ldquo;Small Town Life&rdquo; with a musical manifesto: make it anthemic, make the chorus immediate and write something people can sing together.
Jamie also discusses how growing up in Liverpool shaped him as both a person and songwriter, the passion and defiance he associates with his hometown, his working-class identity, and why speaking from the heart remains central to his music.
This episode also features an intimate live performance of &ldquo;Small Town Life.&rdquo;
Subscribe for more conversations and exclusive live sessions from The Hardest Part.
-
00:00 Jamie Webster on Working-Class Life 01:16 The Story Behind &lsquo;Small Town Life&rsquo; 05:20 Turning Where You&rsquo;re From Into a Strength 08:50 Jamie Webster&rsquo;s Songwriting Process 09:36 Building the Perfect Chorus 11:12 Finding the Idea for &lsquo;Small Town Life&rsquo; 12:37 Don&rsquo;t Play the Game, Change It 14:38 The Characters That Make a Town 15:12 A Wild Small-Town Pub Story 18:18 Liverpool, Football and Finding an Audience 21:15 How Liverpool Shaped Jamie&rsquo;s Songwriting 24:30 Paddy Pimblett and the Scouse Mentality 25:27 Writing About Working-Class Life 28:18 The Hardest Part of &lsquo;Small Town Life&rsquo; 33:21 Why Jamie Won&rsquo;t Comp His Vocals 34:06 &lsquo;Small Town Life&rsquo; &ndash; Full Performance
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The Hardest Part dives deep into the most emotionally complex songs ever written. Every two weeks, host Kieron Banerji sits down with artists to unpack the creative process behind their hardest songs&mdash;exploring songwriting breakdowns, emotional storytelling, cultural influences, and moments of personal growth. Each episode ends with an intimate, stripped-back performance&mdash;raw, real, and sometimes heard this way for the first time.
Produced by Palm Tree Island, a London-based creative studio known for standout music documentaries and original voices.
Kieron Banerji is a seasoned producer and engineer based in London with extensive experience in music, media, and entertainment. He&rsquo;s worked with Grammy and Academy Award winners, and has recorded sessions with Portugal. The Man, Jason Isbell, Katie Melua, Rae Morris, Jason Mraz, BROODS, Baio (Vampire Weekend), and more.
🎧 Follow the Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thehardestpart
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#jamiewebster #musicpodcast #smalltownlife

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.