Welcome to "The Hardest Part," a new podcast from Palm Tree Island that’s all about peeling back the layers of some of the most challenging songs ever written. 

In this show, host Kieron Banerji explores the challenges faced by artists in writing their most difficult songs. Each week features an artist who discusses and performs their hardest song to write, tackling themes like creative blocks, painful memories, and the courage to share their work.

Available on all major platforms. Subscribe today.

Welcome to "The Hardest Part," a new podcast from Palm Tree Island that’s all about peeling back the layers of some of the most challenging songs ever written. 
In this show, host Kieron Banerji explores the challenges faced by artists in writing their most difficult songs. Each week features an artist who discusses and performs their hardest song to write, tackling themes like creative blocks, painful memories, and the courage to share their work.
Available on all major platforms. Subscribe today.

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.

Introducing: The Hardest Part.

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 pandemic and born from five conflicting demos, the track became one of their most ambitious—and hardest to finish.

They break down how Wizard Acid evolved piece by piece: from early voice memos and lost choruses to Bowie-inspired edits and haunted house energy. Along the way, they reflect on collaboration, overthinking, and the surprising value of returning to the first idea.

Artist: Psymon Spine
Song: “Wizard Acid”
Album: Head Body Connector

Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji

Recording Engineers: Max Walker
Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)
Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.

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 pandemic and born from five conflicting demos, the track became one of their most ambitious&mdash;and hardest to finish.
They break down how Wizard Acid evolved piece by piece: from early voice memos and lost choruses to Bowie-inspired edits and haunted house energy. Along the way, they reflect on collaboration, overthinking, and the surprising value of returning to the first idea.
Artist: Psymon Spine Song: &ldquo;Wizard Acid&rdquo; Album: Head Body Connector
Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
Recording Engineers: Max Walker Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography) Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.

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

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 emotional phone call, the song felt too raw, too unresolved, to finish. Elles shares how she rewrote it again and again—changing verses, adjusting melodies, pulling back—trying to make it more manageable. But every version felt wrong.

We also talk about:


How trauma can freeze the creative process


When you know a song is too close to touch—but too important to ignore


Why voice notes can become emotional time capsules


And the challenge of singing something you’re still going through

The episode closes with a stripped-back performance of “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” recorded live at The Thin White Duke in Soho, London.

Artist: Elles Bailey
Song: “Ballad of a Broken Dream”
Album: Beneath the Neon Glow

Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji

Recording Engineers: Max Walker
Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)
Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Elles Bailey to unpack the long, personal, and painful process behind &ldquo;Ballad of a Broken Dream,&rdquo; a track that sat in her voice notes for over five years before she could face recording it.
Originally written after an emotional phone call, the song felt too raw, too unresolved, to finish. Elles shares how she rewrote it again and again&mdash;changing verses, adjusting melodies, pulling back&mdash;trying to make it more manageable. But every version felt wrong.
We also talk about:
<ul data-start="1003" data-end="1247">
<li data-start="1003" data-end="1049">
How trauma can freeze the creative process
</li>
<li data-start="1050" data-end="1124">
When you know a song is too close to touch&mdash;but too important to ignore
</li>
<li data-start="1125" data-end="1179">
Why voice notes can become emotional time capsules
</li>
<li data-start="1180" data-end="1247">
And the challenge of singing something you&rsquo;re still going through
</li>
</ul>
The episode closes with a stripped-back performance of &ldquo;Ballad of a Broken Dream,&rdquo; recorded live at The Thin White Duke in Soho, London.
Artist: Elles Bailey Song: &ldquo;Ballad of a Broken Dream&rdquo; Album: Beneath the Neon Glow
Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
Recording Engineers: Max Walker Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography) Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.

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

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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, and at one point, it was too clean—too correct. The band talks openly about how chasing technical polish nearly stripped the track of its emotional weight, and how they had to unlearn their habits in order to start again. The final version was built by embracing instinct, letting the form collapse, and trusting that songwriting didn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful.

We talk about:


Why they scrapped the original version after years of demos


How harmony, rhythm, and “bad piano playing” helped reanimate the track


What it means to write a song that’s falling apart by design


How process panic, musical overthinking, and care can sometimes clash


And why “Earth of Worms” had to be messy to make sense

The episode ends with an exclusive stripped-back live performance of “Earth of Worms.”

Artist: Adult Jazz
Song: “Earth of Worms”
Album: So Sorry So Slow

Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji


Recording Engineers: Max Walker & Chris Goldsmith
Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)
Recording Location: Thin White Duke Studios, London.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Adult Jazz to unpack the long and winding process behind &ldquo;Earth of Worms,&rdquo; 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, and at one point, it was too clean&mdash;too correct. The band talks openly about how chasing technical polish nearly stripped the track of its emotional weight, and how they had to unlearn their habits in order to start again. The final version was built by embracing instinct, letting the form collapse, and trusting that songwriting didn&rsquo;t need to be perfect to be meaningful.
We talk about:
<ul data-start="1052" data-end="1387">
<li data-start="1052" data-end="1115">
Why they scrapped the original version after years of demos
</li>
<li data-start="1116" data-end="1191">
How harmony, rhythm, and &ldquo;bad piano playing&rdquo; helped reanimate the track
</li>
<li data-start="1192" data-end="1256">
What it means to write a song that&rsquo;s falling apart by design
</li>
<li data-start="1257" data-end="1330">
How process panic, musical overthinking, and care can sometimes clash
</li>
<li data-start="1331" data-end="1387">
And why &ldquo;Earth of Worms&rdquo; had to be messy to make sense
</li>
</ul>
The episode ends with an exclusive stripped-back live performance of &ldquo;Earth of Worms.&rdquo;
Artist: Adult Jazz Song: &ldquo;Earth of Worms&rdquo; Album: So Sorry So Slow
Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji
 Recording Engineers: Max Walker &amp; Chris Goldsmith Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography) Recording Location: Thin White Duke Studios, London.

Introducing: The Hardest Part.

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