Tape Notes Podcast
A podcast where artists and producers deconstruct their songs track-by-track using the original studio session files.
This is a forensic exploration of a single song, told by its creators. Each episode reunites an artist with their producer to literally take apart a track inside the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). They solo instrumentals, vocals, and effects, revealing the layers, happy accidents, and specific decisions that led to the final recording. It's less a traditional interview and more a collaborative 'show-and-tell' for music production nerds.
“Its defining feature is the use of the actual multitrack session as the conversational guide. Unlike other music podcasts, listeners hear isolated stems, raw vocal takes, and early demos, providing a tangible 'before and after' of the production process.”
Who hosts this show
Tape Notes is hosted by John Kennedy, a veteran British radio presenter and DJ renowned for his new music show 'X-Posure' on Radio X (formerly XFM). For over two decades, he has been credited with giving early radio play to artists like Adele, The xx, and Mumford & Sons. His deep musical knowledge and extensive interview experience make him the ideal facilitator for these technical and creative deep dives into music production.
Credentials & credits
- Host of 'X-Posure' on Radio X
- Radio Presenter & DJ
- Podcast Host
Other ventures
- X-Posure (Radio Show)
- X-Posure Daily (Radio Show)
- John Kennedy's X-Posure Podcast
- Compere for live music nights
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01"It's a song about my dad leaving, I don't need a 'Hey!'"Jun 28, 2026 · 34s
- 02"If you're not sidechaning your subs, what are you doing?"Jun 27, 2026 · 2 min
- 03
- 04Arlo Parks on Working with Sampha and Her Other "Black British Touchstone"Jun 17, 2026 · 11 min
- 05Arlo Parks "Senses" ft. Sampha Full Ableton Session BreakdownJun 10, 2026 · 12 min
- 06Jack Antonoff Answers Your Patreon QuestionsJun 2, 2026 · 11 min
- 07Jack Antonoff's Top 5 Production TricksMay 31, 2026 · 13 min
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01Arlo Parks & Baird on 'Impurities'
Features a great story about Arlo Parks writing a letter to collaborator Sampha and the deconstruction of their blended piano and vocal parts.
- 02Myles Smith & Peter Fenn on 'Stargazing'
A clear example of the show's format, breaking down how an acoustic idea was built into a pop hit, including the 'Myles Sauce' vocal technique.
- 03Foo Fighters on 'Your Favorite Toy'
Features rock legends Dave Grohl and Nate Mendel breaking down their process, showing the podcast's ability to attract top-tier guests.
What you'll be asked on this show
John Kennedy's interview style is that of an expert facilitator. He opens by introducing the song and guests, then immediately dives into the session, often asking which element to explore first. His primary probing technique is requesting to hear specific tracks isolated from the mix, such as a dry vocal or a single guitar part. He follows up with precise, curious questions about the sound's source ("Are these drums in the box?"), its processing ("Is there a particular processing chain for your vocals?"), and the performance itself ("Who is playing the guitar?"). Kennedy doesn't push back or create conflict; his role is to be an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, enabling the creators to tell the story of their work through the audio evidence itself. The conversation flows from one part of the song to the next until the key components have been satisfyingly deconstructed.
Host John Kennedy is a skilled facilitator who uses the song's multitrack session as the conversational roadmap. He prompts the guests—the artist and producer—to solo tracks, explain their origin, and reveal production techniques. This fosters a collaborative, technical deep-dive rather than a standard Q&A.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
11 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
process
6- Q.01
“Can we hear that [instrument/vocal] on its own?”
This is the show's core mechanic, used constantly to isolate a specific layer for discussion.
- Q.02
“What's the first element we should hear?”
Kennedy often uses this to kick off the deconstruction, letting the guests lead.
- Q.03
“Are these drums in the box, or was it a live kit?”
This question seeks to understand the source of the sounds, whether they are programmed or recorded live.
- Q.04
“Can we hear the vocal dry, and then build it up?”
A specific variation of his isolation technique, used to demonstrate the impact of vocal processing.
- Q.05
“What is that textural sound in the background?”
This question focuses on subtle, often overlooked sounds to uncover hidden layers or happy accidents.
- Q.06
“Would they sing and play at the same time?”
This question delves into the specifics of the performance and recording workflow in the studio.
craft
4- Q.01
“How are the [drum/vocal] tracks processed?”
This question opens the door to discussing specific plugins, effects chains, and mixing techniques.
- Q.02
“Who is playing the [instrument]?”
He asks this to clarify roles and give credit during the recording process.
- Q.03
“So are these all separate takes?”
Used to confirm the technique when listening to layered vocals or harmonies.
- Q.04
“How did you achieve that vocal sound, sitting it back in the mix?”
He asks this to connect an artistic goal with the specific technical execution used to achieve it.
backstory
1- Q.01
“How did [collaborator] get involved in the track?”
This moves the conversation from the technical 'how' to the narrative 'who' and 'why' of a feature.
Signature segments
- · Track-by-track song deconstruction
- · Isolating tracks from the DAW session
- · Playing early demo versions
- · A/B comparison of processed vs. unprocessed audio
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books critically acclaimed or commercially successful artists and their producers, primarily from indie, alternative, and pop. Guests like Arlo Parks, Jack Antonoff, and members of Foo Fighters are willing to open their digital audio workstation and share specific, often technical, details of their craft.
- Myles Smithon How To Turn An Acoustic Song Into A Stadium Banger | Myles Smith "Stargazing" Full Session Breakdown
- Peter Fennon How To Turn An Acoustic Song Into A Stadium Banger | Myles Smith "Stargazing" Full Session Breakdown
- Arlo Parkson Arlo Parks on Working with Sampha and Her Other "Black British Touchstone"
- Bairdon Arlo Parks "Senses" ft. Sampha Full Ableton Session Breakdown
- Jack Antonoffon Jack Antonoff Answers Your Patreon Questions
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast attracts sponsors of music production software, plugins, and services (e.g., Tape It, Musiversal), directly targeting its technically-savvy audience of musicians and audio professionals.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of Tape Notes?
- The host is John Kennedy, a veteran DJ and radio presenter from the UK's Radio X, known for his new music show 'X-Posure'.
- What is the format of the show?
- Each episode is a deep dive into a single song, where the host, artist, and producer listen to the original session files and deconstruct how the song was made, layer by layer.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast is actively releasing new episodes.
- Where can I listen to the full episodes?
- Full audio episodes are available on major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with full video episodes often available on Patreon.
- What kind of guests appear on the show?
- The show features artists and producers, often from the indie, alternative, and pop genres, such as Foo Fighters, Arlo Parks, and Jack Antonoff.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Tape Notes - Official Websitetapenotes.co.uk
- [02]John Kennedy (radio broadcaster) - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]About the Podcast - Tape Notestapenotes.co.uk
- [04]John Kennedy's Profile | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [05]Tape Notes - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [06]Interview with Radio X' John Kennedy | Upcoming Bandsupcoming-bands.co.uk
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