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Headliner Radio

Headliner

This is a music podcast which explores the creative process. We chat to artists of all levels, from aspiring and emerging talent to international stars, to find more about how they make their music. Check us out on Insta @emergingheadliner, FB and Twitter @headlinerhub and hashtag #headlinerradio

  • 20 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes20

  • Thursday · 38 min

    In The Box E31: Jason Graves: Scoring Directive 8020

    Two-time BAFTA Award-winning composer Jason Graves, whose work spans the hit games Dead Space, Tomb Raider, Until Dawn, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Still Wakes The Deep, delves into his score for Supermassive Games' latest cinematic survival horror adventure, Directive 8020. He explores his thinking behind the deceptively simple three-note motif at the heart of the soundtrack, crafting unsettling musical textures, and shares how Cubase helped bring the game's evolving sonic world to life.

  • Thursday · 36 min

    Headliner USA 214: Dave Hetrick: The future of Royer Labs and Undertone Audio

    Former drummer, songwriter, studio owner and self-described “cynical recording engineer,” Dave Hetrick has built his career trying to bridge the gap between engineering obsession and commercial reality, along the way helping brands such as Event Electronics, KRK and ADAM Audio grow, evolve and ultimately reach successful exits. Now, as president and chief revenue officer of Royer Labs and Undertone Audio, he is applying those lessons to two of the most respected names in high-end recording. In this candid conversation with Headliner, Hetrick reflects on the hard lessons learned from his time at KRK, why some boutique companies succeed while others fail, how to earn trust from sceptical engineers, his upmarket product plans for Royer Labs and Undertone Audio, his goal to “un-pigeonhole” Royer Labs, and he reveals his next brand acquisition plans.

  • July 20 · 31 min

    Emerging Headliner E53: ALANI: Somewhere Between Saying It

    Rising singer-songwriter ALANI delves into the making of her debut EP, Somewhere Between Saying It. The London-born singer-songwriter, whose French, Lebanese, and Brazilian roots inform her perspective, discusses overcoming writer’s block, what she learned by appearing on The Voice Kids UK, moving to New York to study at NYU’s Gallatin School, and why the new EP unfolds like a diary.

  • July 7 · 27 min

    Headliner USA 213: Alexandra Kay: From viral videos to the country charts

    US country music rising star Alexandra Kay joins Headliner while in the UK for her performance at BST Hyde Park. She discusses turning viral social media success into a loyal global fanbase, the momentum behind her album Second Wind, life on the road, and her rapid rise in country music.

  • July 7 · 40 min

    E463: Jon Onabowu: Making Now’s The Time

    Nigerian-British virtuoso jazz drummer and bandleader Jon Onabowu has become a key figure in the London jazz scene, and 2026 is the year he steps out and releases his debut album, Now’s The Time. He discusses blending modern UK jazz with funk, hip-hop, gospel, being the founder of the Cosmic Fusion residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and helping to shape a new generation of live-focused, groove-led jazz in the city.

  • June 22 · 34 min

    E462: Jordan Fish: Producing Evanescence’s ‘Sanctuary’

    After globe-trotting and touring as the keyboardist and producer of Bring Me The Horizon, Reading-born Jordan Fish is now working as a full-time producer for artists including Poppy, Architects, BABYMETAL, and Good Charlotte. He discusses his breakthrough projects with Poppy, his shared history with Amy Lee, how she opened up to co-writing with him after she wasn’t taken seriously as a songwriter in her early years of the band, and the VSTs, plugins, and DAW techniques he used to help create the sound of Evanescene’s new record, Sanctuary.

  • June 22 · 33 min

    Aspiring Headliner E91: AS Fanning: Take Me Back to Nowhere

    AS Fanning is an Irish singer-songwriter based in Berlin, formerly of the band The Last Tycoons. After releasing three critically acclaimed albums and being named Far Out’s Songwriter of the Year, Fanning is back with his fourth album, Take Me Back to Nowhere. He chats to Headliner about getting up at 4am to write lyrics with a broken wrist, recording the album in Sweden, and his upcoming EU and UK tour.

  • June 15 · 31 min

    E461: Scorcher: On nostalgia and new album, ADMD

    North London emcee and Top Boy actor Scorcher has been one of grime’s pioneers since the early ’00s, and had his talents and contributions recognised as Best Grime Act at the 2025 MOBO awards. His huge music resurgence from recent years continues with new single Comfy ft. K-Trap, followed by his new album, ADMD. He talks about always moving forwards and not getting too nostalgic for the early days of grime, working with the likes of Giggs on recent singles, and his new LP.

  • June 15 · 26 min

    Headliner USA 212: WHIPPED CREAM: The making of HOME WAS ALWAYS ME

    Toronto-born WHIPPED CREAM has always moved between worlds, from competitive figure skating to becoming one of electronic music’s most distinctive and emotionally driven producers, vocalists and DJs. She talks about her journey from the ice rink to the DJ booth, the making of her debut album, HOME WAS ALWAYS ME, writing her most personal songs yet, and the life lessons that shaped it all.

  • June 9 · 26 min

    Emerging Headliner 52: Conscious Pilot: Making Human Poultry

    In this world of short form TikTok content and AI-generated videos, Glaswegian band Conscious Pilot are a straight-up post-punk/indie rock act committed to recording songs to tape and shooting music videos on 16mm cameras. Frontman Joe Laycock talks about the band’s debut album, Human Poultry, a collection of songs about the grim world of employment, warehouse jobs, and fictional, chaotic film directors.

  • June 8 · 27 min

    Headliner USA 211: Evanescence: The making of Sanctuary

    After a five year wait, chart-topping, Grammy-winning alternative rockers Evanescence return with Sanctuary, their sixth studio album. Following the blistering single Who Will You Follow, the new LP features some of the band’s best work to date. Singer, songwriter, and founding member Amy Lee talks about Who Will You Follow’s blockbuster music video, working with producer Jordan Fish and their shared Bring Me The Horizon history, the album’s title track, and the band’s gargantuan 2026 world tour.

  • June 1 · 46 min

    E460: Kloyd: Making ‘New Love’

    If you amalgamate the names Kate and Lloyd, plus several genres of music, the end result is Kloyd, one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming talents making electronic music in the vein of Four Tet, Bonobo, and Sofia Kourtesis. While on tour supporting Art School Girlfriend, she talks to Headliner about her upcoming mixtape, New Love, her London release show and Green Man performances on the horizon, and how she creates her unique, organic sound.

  • June 1 · 31 min

    Aspiring Headliner E90: Jenny On Holiday: Quicksand Heart

    Jenny Hollingsworth is best known as one half of the acclaimed experimental pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma, with three albums and a Netflix score released so far. She discusses Jenny On Holiday, her new solo project which sees her take time away from the band, and her debut solo album Quicksand Heart, a joyous and uplifting collection of alt-pop songs.

  • May 11 · 25 min

    E459: Dapper: From African music mogul to solo artist

    Nigerian music mogul Dapper has conquered the business side of the music industry as founder and CEO of the Dapper Group, which owns an eight per cent market share of the industry across the entire African continent. Fresh from earning a Guinness World Record with Dapper Live for staging the largest-ever orchestral Afrobeats concert, he is now taking on a new challenge: stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist with the release of his third single, My Type.

  • May 5 · 49 min

    E458: John Newman: Life beyond Love Me Again

    Singer, songwriter, DJ and producer John Newman began his journey in 2012 when he lent his vocals to Rudimental’s UK Number One hit, Feel the Love. However, the real turning point came with the smash hit, Love Me Again. Debuting at number one on the UK Official Chart, the single soared into the top 10 in over 30 countries and has amassed 1.6 billion streams. Newman reflects on the enduring popularity of the song – which is having a second life on TikTok – and discusses his new remix EP, Love Me Again (Again), new single, Merry Go, and what to expect from his new album.

  • April 28 · 31 min

    Emerging Headliner E51: Girl Group: Little Sticky Pictures

    Anglo-Nordic band Girl Group introduce ‘brat-punk’to the world – a unique blend of hyperpop, electronic and indie sounds. After their hit performances at Reading and Leeds Festivals and gaining support from Elton John and BBC 6 Music, Girl Group spoke to Headliner about new songs, Rage Song and SuperDrug, from their new EP Little Sticky Pictures, and why only female acts ever get accused of being ‘industry plants.’

  • April 21 · 47 min

    In The Box E30: Jesse Zuretti: Scoring 2XKO

    Composer Jesse Zuretti dives into his metal-influenced score for Riot Games’ 2XKO – a fighting game set in the League of Legends Runeterra universe. Zuretti talks all things metal, working with Polyphia on the game’s main theme, continuing the League of Legends legacy, fans’ reactions to his soundtrack, misconceptions about heavy metal, creating the score in Cubase in his studio, and what to expect from him for the next iteration of the game.

  • April 15 · 44 min

    E456: Anthony Willis: Scoring Wuthering Heights

    After the huge success of Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, director Emerald Fennel called upon British-born, L.A.-based composer Anthony Willis to work with her a third time for her adaptation of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Willis speaks to Headliner about how he worked on the score alongside the Charli XCX album of new songs for the film, how he and Fennel approached this new adaptation, and *that* viral Sophie Ellis-Bextor moment in Saltburn.