MusicMusic Interviews

Find Your Frequency

un:hurd music

The podcast about building an audience from zero. Artists. Founders. Investors. One shared obsession. We dive deep into how you go from zero to being a success, that anyone in the music industry can learn from. Episodes released every Monday.

Play

Open in

17 episodes
weekly
Avg 46 min
English

Episodes 17

Newest Oldest Longest

All17 Unplayed17 In progress0 Played0

S1 · E17
Monday · 34 min
Breaking Nigerian Artist | "I Know the Names of My Fans Now" | EKENE
EKENE grew up in Lagos on gospel music and choir, moved through rap groups and poetry, and started sharing songs on Instagram because they needed somewhere to go. His debut EP Little Us is seven songs of genuinely honest writing, and this conversation catches him right at the start, which is the most interesting place to have it. He gets specific on why he measures progress by knowing his fans' names rather than his stream count, why honesty is the only growth strategy he trusts, and how he stays stubborn about his vision without shutting out good advice. He's also open about the vulnerable songs he hasn't released yet and why. If you're early in your own journey and building something real from nothing, this one's for you. Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod
S1 · E16
September 14 · 38 min
Openstage Founder | "Whether You've Got 5 Million Fans or 5 Fans" | ROB SEALY
Rob Sealy spent 30 years in insurance and financial services before he noticed something the music industry does that no other industry would tolerate: artists barely know who their fans are. So he co-founded Openstage to fix it, and now runs fan campaigns for some of the biggest artists alive. In this episode he gets specific on why your social reach has collapsed below 2%, why 10% of your fans drive 80% of your income, and why the tactics that work for a stadium act are exactly the same ones that work when you've got five fans. He's blunt about the mistake most artists make, leading with the ask instead of the relationship, and generous with what to do instead. If you're building a fanbase from scratch, this one hands you the playbook. Independent artists, this is the one to save. Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod
S1 · E15
September 7 · 49 min
Breaking Independent Artist | "It Looks Fast. It Took Six Years." | SISSY FORD
Sissy Ford moved to London on her own at seventeen and has spent six years turning bedroom recordings into a catalogue with millions of streams. She's breaking right now, and this conversation catches her mid-climb, which is exactly the most honest place to have it. She gets specific on why nothing in music happens quickly, why comparing your streams to everyone else's is a trap, why picking a single genre is a mistake, and why the aloof mysterious-artist act is finished. She also talks about building real connection with fans through weekly livestreams and treating supporters like friends rather than a follower count. If you're early in your own journey and wondering why it's taking so long, this one's for you. Try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod
S1 · E14
August 31 · 47 min
Community App Founder | "50,000 Followers Is Not a Community" | NICOLA GUNBY
Nicola Gunby is a two-time founder who built and sold a beauty marketplace before she turned thirty, then set out to fix a problem she couldn't shake... how hard it is to actually meet people and build real community in a city full of strangers. That became Cliq. In this episode she gets specific on why your fifty thousand followers aren't a community, why most people quit building one right before it works, and why the smaller and more niche you go, the stronger the connection. She also breaks down the difference between an audience that scrolls past you and a community that actually turns up. If you're an artist trying to turn passive listeners into a fanbase that sticks, this one's for you. Try un:hurd at www.unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E13
August 24 · 49 min
Ex-YouTube Music Lead | "A Million Followers Won't Save You" | KATIE DEBRAH
Katie Debrah started exactly where a lot of you are now. Making music, uploading it, hoping someone on the other side of a screen would care. She ended up on the inside, spending years at Google and YouTube shaping creative strategy for some of the biggest artists in the world, before walking away to build tools for independent artists instead. In this episode she gets specific on why a million followers can still mean ten thousand streams, why chopping up your music video won't save you, and why your social audience is rented rather than owned. She also breaks down the thing most platforms won't tell you... that their "best practice" is built for their business, not yours. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and still not converting, this one's for you.
S1 · E12
August 17 · 1 hr 3 min
Ex-Spotify, Sony & EMI | "The Industry Is Rigged Against You" | KEITH JOPLING
Keith Jopling has spent 25 years inside the music industry: IFPI, Sony, EMI, Spotify, MIDiA Research, sitting in the boardrooms and reading the data. He's the host of The Art of Longevity (80 episodes and counting) and the author of a new book, Riding the Rollercoaster, built from those conversations. His argument is blunt: the business is built on artists' work but run largely for everyone else's benefit, and the artists who last are the ones who worked that out early. In this episode he breaks down why the metrics you're chasing were designed for someone else's success, why getting dropped is often the making of an artist, why you build your fanbase from day one now that a streaming hit only buys you six to twelve months, and what success actually looks like when you're not in the charts. He's been inside the industry for 25 years, and he's on the artist's side, not theirs. If that's you, this one matters. Try un:hurd music for 7 days at www.unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E11
August 10 · 44 min
RoEx Founder | "You're Mixing Your Music Too Loud" | DAVID RONAN
David Ronan is the founder of RoEx, which builds tools that give artists the confidence to release their music: corrective mixing, mastering and audio cleanup that clears the technical hurdles so you can focus on the creative part. He's got a PhD in music tech, was head of research at AI Music (the company Apple later acquired), and RoEx has now processed over 6 million tracks. In this episode he breaks down the loudness mistake almost every independent artist makes, how to use AI on your music without crossing into the creative, and why an AI artist will never really have fans. Alex and David also get into the budget trap that leaves great music stuck at 100 listeners, why people still seek out authenticity, and the milestone that changed everything for RoEx (hitting break-even). If you're an independent artist trying to get your music sounding right and actually heard, this one's for you. You can try un:hurd music here: https://go.unhurd.co.uk/spotifypod Lump by James Holden - https://open.spotify.com/track/7udc4e7om5HGUT8Cguto31?si=bad55a017deb4c2c
S1 · E10
August 3 · 55 min
Live Events Founder | "Artists Can Earn 40% More From Live" | MAX BUSIN
Max Busin is the founder of GoToBeat, the live music company on track for half a million tickets this year across 16 European countries. His pitch to artists is a simple one: tour with us and earn around 40% more than you would with a traditional promoter. In this episode he breaks down how that number works (lower costs, smarter data, the right rooms), why most artists quietly lose money on tour, and why owning your audience matters more than raw scale, a lesson he learned the hard way after a media business he'd built to the 45th biggest website in the world vanished overnight when one platform changed its algorithm. Alex and Max also get into AI as a tool rather than a threat, why one clear metric beats chasing followers, and the case for just putting the work out instead of overthinking it. If you're an independent artist trying to build something that lasts, this one's for you. Try un:hurd music with a 7 day trial at app.unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E9
July 27 · 39 min
Creative Director | "I Like Making Spaces For Weird People To Feel Good" | MARIA STAVROU
Maria Stavrou has been an optical engineer, a circus aerialist on three world tours, a therapist, and a festival producer. She's visited 52 countries and built everything from cabaret shows to 15,000-person events. The thread through all of it? Creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be themselves. In this episode, Maria talks about how growing up in foster care pushed her to map out a 20-year life plan at 16, why the people you work with at 22 will still be around at 32 (so treat them accordingly), a 70-year Harvard study that proves feeling understood is the single biggest factor in living a long, healthy life, and why building community to tick boxes will always fall apart. She also shares the simplest advice for managing pressure that nobody follows: check the facts, don't check the feelings. New episodes every Monday. un:hurd music gives every independent artist a fair chance of success. Start now: https://unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E8
July 20 · 47 min
Touring Indie Artist | "It's Not A Product. It Should Be A Feeling." | LIZZIE ESAU
Lizzie Esau has gone from open mics in the Northeast to Radio One's Big Weekend and Glastonbury. No label. No viral moment. No shortcut. Just great music, relentless live shows, and zero-hour jobs to keep it all going. In this episode, Lizzie talks about why she built her career on stage rather than on a screen (and why most of her community found her through live, not social), the preparation ritual that keeps her nerves in check before every show, what she learned from playing to two people and a dog in Middlesbrough, and why she stands at the merch table after every single gig. She also shares the mindset shift every artist chasing numbers needs to hear: stop treating your music like a product. It should be a feeling you give someone. Then it becomes something people experience, not just buy. New episodes every Monday. un:hurd music gives every independent artist a fair chance of success. Start now: https://unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E7
July 13 · 49 min
Culture Platform Founder & Artist | "You Can't Be An Artist In 2026 And Not Understand The Business" | IBRAHIM KAMARA
Ibrahim Kamara gave Nines, Brent Faiyaz, and J Hus their first ever magazine covers. He built Guap, one of the UK's most influential creative platforms, from a camera and a student overdraft. It took six years before the business made any money. Now, 11 years in, he's going back to his first love: making music independently. In this episode, Ibrahim breaks down the independent artist model he thinks actually works (drop music, build products and experiences around it, tour, repeat), why community depth matters more than community size, what entrepreneurship actually costs that nobody talks about, and why you can't call yourself an artist in 2026 if you don't understand publishing, PRS, and the business side of your own craft. He also shares the line that every artist needs to hear: if you're not treating music like a business, you just want an expensive hobby. New episodes every Monday. un:hurd music gives every independent artist a fair chance of success. Start here: https://unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E6
July 6 · 48 min
Spice Girls & Five Manager | "Most Artists Ask Me The Wrong Question" | CHRIS HERBERT
Chris Herbert put together the Spice Girls when everyone around him was telling him to make another boy band. He looked at the market, saw it was saturated, and went the other direction. He cast them like a TV show (Friends, specifically), giving each member an individual identity so the audience had someone to identify with. It became one of the biggest bets in music history. In this episode, Chris talks about how he spotted the gap nobody else could see, what he looks for in an artist now versus the 90s (and why "I can sing, what are you going to do for me?" is the wrong question), why the UK has stopped developing artists while America still does it brilliantly, and why authenticity isn't optional anymore because the public sees through everything in a nanosecond. If you're an independent artist trying to figure out what makes you different, Chris has one answer: find your identity first. Everything else follows. New episodes every Monday. un:hurd music gives every independent artist a fair chance of success. Start free for 7 days: https://unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E5
June 29 · 11 min
un:hurd Founder | "Playlisting Is Not Your Answer" | ALEX BREES Q&A
Alex Brees has watched 200,000 artists sign up to un:hurd. He's seen what the ones who grow do differently from the ones who stay invisible. In this episode, he gets out of the interviewer's chair and answers questions directly from the community. Alex breaks down why playlisting is only part of the strategy and what artists should be doing alongside it, the three things that separate artists who grow from artists who stay invisible (creativity, consistency, resilience), why most artists are chasing the wrong goal and the difference between optimising for a million streams versus £30,000, why where you're based doesn't matter as much as you think and how artists in developing markets actually have a hidden advantage, and why the journey taking 5 to 10 years is a feature, not a bug. Questions from Oisin Murphy (17 years old), BECKO, Luke (In Pools), Hway (Adrian), TheEnough, and The K.I.J Experience. If you've ever wondered what the founder of a music platform would tell you if he had nothing to sell, this is the episode. Find Antzlive here: https://www.instagram.com/antslive/?hl=en New episodes every Monday. un:hurd music gives every independent artist a fair chance of success. Start now: https://unhurdmusic.com
S1 · E4
June 22 · 48 min
$5bn Music Investor | "Most Artists Are Leaving 20% of Their Money on the Table" | MATT SPETZLER
Matt Spetzler has closed over $5bn of music deals including Kobalt and Native Instruments. He now runs his own fund backing independent music companies. He's seen how the money flows from every angle, and he says most artists are missing it. In this episode, Matt breaks down exactly where independent artists are losing money they don't know about (publishing alone is an extra 20%), why chasing a million streams is the wrong goal when 100,000 loyal fans spending $100 each is worth $10 million, why you should never split your rights even when someone offers you a deal, what investors actually look for before they back a music business, and why he thinks AI is making it both easier and scarier to be an independent artist in 2026. He also answers community questions from CJ Snaii on building a career investors would believe in and Max Skalla on the biggest AI red flag in music right now. If you're an independent artist who's never understood how the money side of music actually works, this episode will change that. New episodes every Monday.
S1 · E3
June 15 · 51 min
1M+ Follower Presenter | "You Can Hook Someone in 3 Seconds. You Don't Need a Following." | JOSH DENZEL
Josh Denzel went from a recruitment job he hated to presenting for the BBC, Sky, Amazon, and Netflix with over a million followers. He started by filming on Snapchat for seven people. Nobody handed him a microphone. He just picked up his phone. In this episode, Josh talks to Alex Brees about why consistency is the hardest part and he still struggles with it, the Nike video that hit a million views in three hours and opened every door after, how he earned his way into rooms with Neville, Keane, and Carragher by just being himself, why Love Island was a huge catalyst but actually hindered his sports career for years, the worst piece of advice he ever received ("it might not be for you"), and why it's all personality driven no matter what you do. He also answers questions from the f:nd your frequency community, including how to find what gains traction early on and how to transition from successful producer to a brand people want to partner with. If you're trying to build an audience from nothing and wondering where to start, Josh's answer is simple: hook them in three seconds. You don't need a following. The algorithm will do the rest. New episodes every Monday.
S1 · E2
June 8 · 50 min
Grammy-Winning Producer | "I've Been on Stage at the Grammys. Nothing Changed." | FRASER T. SMITH
Fraser T. Smith has produced some of the most important records in British music. Gang Signs and Prayer with Stormzy. Set Fire to the Rain with Adele. Psychodrama with Dave. Black at the Brits. A Grammy, multiple Ivor Novellos, and a career that spans from Craig David to Kano to Celine Dion. In this special episode recorded live at SXSW London, Fraser talks to Alex Brees about what every great artist he's ever worked with has in common, why the 13th hour after a 12-hour shift washing dishes is where musicians are really made, how he created the safe space that got the best out of Adele, Stormzy, and Dave, why AI has actually been positive for the creative community, and what it felt like to play piano on stage at the Brits having never performed in public before. He also opens up about Future Utopia, his own artist project, being five years in and still in the trenches, and why being uncomfortable is now one of his core values. If you're an independent artist wondering how long the journey takes, Fraser has one answer: Ray released her first music in 2014 and broke through globally in 2024. That's 10 years to become an overnight success. Thanks to SXSW London for hosting us at their Podcast Studio, and Kieron Banerji and Callum Baker who were the onsite producers. New episodes every Monday.
S1 · E1
June 1 · 56 min
Tomorrowland DJ | "My Dream Still Isn't Enough to Sustain Me" | ANNABEL STOP IT
ANNABEL STOP IT had already tried to make it in music once. Community radio in Brixton. A show on Radar Radio. She gave it everything, couldn't pay her rent, and walked away. Took a 9-to-5. Put the DJ dream in a drawer. Then during lockdown, she set up a Twitch stream in the corner of a shop with no plan and started playing for whoever would listen. Six-hour sets. Chat room regulars. No strategy. Four years later: 6.5 million views on a single house party set, Leeds Festival to a crowd of 20,000, a Tomorrowland debut, an Adidas partnership, and a Twitch community that shows up every two weeks like clockwork. In this episode, Annabel talks to Alex Brees (un:hurd music) about why you have to be bad to start with, the house party set she almost didn't go to that changed everything, what it felt like to come off stage at Leeds and cry with her sister, why her dream still isn't enough to sustain her financially even while playing Tomorrowland, and how she manages a community of thousands by remembering their names and staying in the DMs. She also answers questions from the find your frequency community, including how to maintain your underground identity as you grow, how to navigate putting yourself out there with no luck, and what made her try again after giving up. If you're an independent artist wondering whether it's too late, whether there's a way back in, or whether the grind is actually going somewhere, this is the episode. New episodes every Monday. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Showing 1–17 of 17 episodes