Creating A Universe

On this episode we are getting a real behind the scenes look at the development of the LovAnaverse TCG, with some exclusive previews of characters and cards, as well as fundamental information about the project not yet shared before this podcast.

Perhaps the most important of which is the unveiling of the 5 primary factions, which each represent a distinct philosophy regarding the supernatural power of music in our universe. From the musical magic of the Arcane faction, to the musical science of Cysis, all are introduced and explored during this episode - and we would love to know which resonate with you the most!

Today we're back with another very special episode! Following last week's announcement of our full scale rollout of LovAnaverse as a musical storytelling trading card game - this time around we’re continuing the momentum with a full demonstration on how to play the game.

That’s right - the TCG is already here and you will be able to play it for yourself via our digital simulation and voice channels on the Love Anarchy Discord server.

In keeping with last year's tradition of Collective Calls on the first Saturday of the month, the first playtesting event will be this Saturday, the 2nd of March, at 6pm UTC in our Discord.

So come by to be one of the first people to see the game in action, and possibly even get a chance to play it yourself.

It’ll also be a great opportunity to hang out and connect with others from the community and I’ll be there for a few hours to chat and answer any questions about the project.

I must say there’s been an absolutely wonderful response to launching this, and I find it so inspirational to be getting such amazing feedback from you all, not to mention getting to collaborate with so many incredible members of our Collective on bringing their musical characters to life.

This is really what it’s all about and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to be doing this amazing work with you all.

There is actually still a very small amount of slots still available for creators to be featured in the first set, but you’ll have to be very fast if you want in, so be sure to get in touch asap if you’d like to be involved.

There is no cost to you as a creator, just a very limited number of slots. So the best thing to do is quickly fill out the form at https://loveanarchy.co/lovanaverse-creators - and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

But all that aside, we’re going to get a proper look at the game itself right now on this podcast.

Now I must disclaim that this is the Alpha version of the game. This means that there can still be drastic changes between now and its official release and it’s your feedback that’s going to help us get there.

The cards themselves are all still prototypes and the final design will be improved.

We have also tested many different versions of the game throughout the design process and depending on your feedback, we may still opt for alternative versions of key mechanics.

But for now, this is the version we wanted to bring to you and the early playtests of it have been a lot of fun.

So without further ado, let’s have a look at how to play the Alpha version of the LovAnaverse Trading Card Game.

WJR ❤️

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The most short and impactful episode yet, finally announcing the full roll-out of the LovAnaverse as a Musical Storytelling Trading Card Game!

Beyond the first couple of minutes, this 15 minute episode features a PowerPoint presentation that takes you through everything you need to know about the LovAnaverse, as well as how to get involved in it.

From explaining the base concept of musical magic, to the RPG nature of character creation, members of the Love Anarchy Collective can bring in their own music & storytelling to arenas across the multiverse.

This video also features a detailed view of exactly what the product & media will look like, from compilation albums & rock operas, to companion books inspired by comics, graphic novels & pulp fiction.

But at the centre of it all is something which has never been revealed before... And that is the LovAnaverse Trading Card Game - a unique TCG which allows players to form their own band and battle others in an epic showdown of musical magic.

We're so excited to finally be rolling this out and you can get a first look at the product, cards & game play during this presentation. We are aiming to roll out set 1 in the first half of this year and there are a very limited number of slots still available for members of the Love Anarchy Collective to be featured.

So if you're interested in getting involved as a creator, be sure to fill out the form asap at: https://loveanarchy.co/lovanaverse-creators - alternatively you can send us an email at info@loveanarchy.co.uk

This is a watershed moment and things will be ramping up a lot from here. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this episode!

WJR ❤️

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On this episode I am joined by guitarist/vocalist, PR agent & heavy metal doctor to be - Holly Frances Royle of Disconnected Souls.

Holly is a multi-talented individual with many facets to what she does, which made for a very interesting conversation indeed! We happened to catch her at an especially great time though, off the back of the debut album release from her band Disconnected Souls, Fragments of Consciousness - an emphatic Cinematic Metal record with elements of Industrial, Gothic & Modern Metal at it's core.

As well as delving into all things Disconnected Souls, we also got to chat about Holly's other projects, including her side project Sensory Enigma and her work in metal music PR with both C Squared & Deviate PR.

An especially intriguing topic is the PHD Holly is currently undertaking in Heavy Metal - with a fascinating angle studying the humanities of the culture, with a special focus on equality.

All of these great topics, alongside the usual bits about Holly's story & musical journey made for a thoroughly enjoyable conversation on my end. I hope you enjoy listening to it just as much!

WJR ❤️

~

On this episode I am joined by composer, solo artist & mastermind behind the Golden World Archive metal opera series, William Khan.

Will is a fantastic musician and storyteller from Vigo, in the north of Spain, working as a composer & producer especially adept in the field of orchestration.

As such, Will spends a lot of his time in the field of Soundtrack composing, for media such as film & video games. But as a metalhead at heart, he is naturally drawn to the grandiosity of Symphonic Metal.

Whether it be in his purely orchestral music, or his larger than life metal, a key theme that ties together his approach is an unrelenting passion for storytelling.

So naturally, inspired by the likes of Ayreon, Will chose the format of the Rock/Metal Opera for his magnum opus: Golden World Archive. A project with it's own rich universe of lore featuring a diverse cast of talented performers, including the likes of Pete Rawcliffe, Archie Caine & Laura Maz.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to delve deep into all of these topics with Will in the podcast and I hope you enjoy listening :)

WJR ❤️ 

~

On this episode I am joined by Frontman of the Fantasy Prog Band Azure, and newly published author, Mr. Chris Sampson - who joins me from Brighton, UK.

Chris is a phenomenally talented and creative individual who's band I have been following for many years now. Not only is he a virtuosic vocalist with an extraordinary mind for music, he is especially adept in the coveted craft of musical storytelling.

Nothing demonstrates this more than the release of his brand new novel - Path of the Azdinist: Lu - which expands upon a story told across two tracks from the last Azure album (Ameotoko I & II).

This story, and many others from the catalogue of Azure, are based in the fictional fantasy world of Kraj - which Chris and the band initially created for a few songs and has since become an integral worldbuilding project with an astounding level of depth.

Naturally, I enjoyed nothing more than the chance to get to delve into such depth with Chris here about perhaps my favourite thing of all, the art of musical storytelling. He gave us not only a wonderful insight into the lore of Azure, Lu & Kraj - but also practical advice, tools and insight to his process which would benefit anyone interested in the topic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this chat and hope that you do too!

WJR ❤️

~

On this episode I am joined once again by the enigmatic Mr. Ben Sebastian, extreme metal musician, reviewer & the newly found father of Face Ripper Records!

It's such a pleasure to have Ben as the first ever return guest on the podcast and my has he been busy since we last spoke on episode 9, with his passion and drive for providing a platform to support up and coming metal bands evolving all the way from a podcast into a record label.

Face Ripper Records has barely been alive a month at the time of recording and what Ben has managed to achieve in this time is truly extraordinary, with the label already boasting 17 artists on it's roster, momentum is well and truly on their side.

Ben's community centered ethos is the driving force behind the initiative, which operates more as a not-for-profit hub to support artists than it does a traditional record label. Artist's retain 100% ownership of their work and revenue and may come and go as they please.

It's been such an honor to be even just on the periphery of this, helping Ben build out his Face Ripper Records website/funnel ecosystem on our Love Anarchy Entrepreneur marketing platform. He's done phenomenally well with it in such a short amount of time, so naturally I encourage you to check out the website and sign up to get your free label sampler at faceripperrecords.com 🤘

In the meantime, check out the episode! We delved deep into the role of record labels in this day and age, but also, naturally a lot about the underlying philosophy and ethos of it all. Hopefully a lot there for you to find value in. Enjoy!

WJR ❤️

~

On this episode I am joined by multi-faceted metal maestro Mr. Tom De Wit - frontman of the Progressive Metal band Dreamwalkers Inc, head of the not-for-profit Record Label Layered Reality Productions, and a prolific solo artist under the moniker of TDW.

Tom joins us from his home studio in the Netherlands to delve deep into all manner of topics, not only in relation to his work, but throughout the music industry and beyond.

It's an exciting time to catch him, fresh off the back of the release of the brand new Dreamwalkers Inc album 'The First Tragedy of Klahera' - a huge double disc concept album with immense scale & phenomenal execution.

As such, I got to go deep with Tom about one of my favourite topics - musical storytelling - in which he really gave an absolute masterclass about how to approach it. Not only did he break down his frameworks for writing & producing such a record, he also spoke in great depth about how to collaborate with others, with a special focus on doing so remotely.

This was followed by fantastic discussions on music production, record labels, and of course Tom's musical journey. We finished off with a very moving section about self-reflection, mental health, lessons & philosophy.

An epic episode for sure, I personally got a lot of takeaways from this one, and I hope that you do too. Enjoy!

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the multi-talented Scottish musician Bryan Ramage, of the Progressive Metal band Ramage Inc 🤘

Bryan describes himself first and foremost as a producer, working out of his purpose built studio, recording, mixing & mastering everything himself. As well as being phenomenally skilled in this department, Bryan is also an exceptional vocalist, guitarist & songwriter.

The band, Ramage Inc, initially began as a solo project - releasing the debut album 'Universe' all the way back in 2004. After picking up some traction online, Bryan decided to form a proper line-up for the band, which has been definitive ever since - journeying through many albums, tours & notable appearances at the likes of ProgPower & Bloodstock Festival.

The latest addition to this immense catalogue is none other than the brand new studio album 'Humanity Has Failed' - in which the band have seriously kicked things up to a whole other level of dark, sophisticated & epic. Absolutely not to be missed by fans of Devin Townsend - who's pronounced influence blends with tones of alt-rock, as well as influences such as Soundgarden & Gojira. It's quite the sonic cocktail indeed!

Dealing with themes of Misanthropy, fueled by the cathartic purging of dark energy during the pandemic, Humanity Has Failed is a hard hitting record that will take you to the depths. But it is not without hope, & the duality makes for a truly special listening experience.

Check it out, alongside this podcast of course, and let us know what you think :)

WJR ❤️

~

On this episode I am joined by sullen alternative metallers Chase & Ben of The Lucidia Project, a highly emotive new metal band hailing from Fargo, North Dakota in the USA.

The title of this episode "Shining a Light on Darkness" reflects the bands key theme of duality, as they delve into the depths of the human condition, creating music as a therapeutic form of catharsis for both themselves and their listeners.

The heavy emotional topics largely center around dealing with trauma, in which the ultimate purpose of the music is healing - letting the listener know that it is okay to feel and process that emotion. This is music for the people that feel like nobody hears them, the outcasts and the misunderstood.

Musically this is reflected by a bittersweet sound, piano driven melodic metal blending Dark Metal influences such as Evanescence, Katatonia & Paradise Lost with 90's Singer-Songwriters such as Tori Amos. Alternative Rock & Metal has it's place in the mix too and both Chase & Ben interestingly come from Classical music backgrounds.

I loved getting to delve into these topics with the guys, alongside the usual bits about their writing & production process, musical journey's, and life in Fargo, North Dakota. All in all it made for a great episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

WJR ❤️

~

Welcome back to a very special episode of Creating A Universe - a rare solo episode designed to help the musicians, artists & creative entrepreneurs among us to revolutionise our creative careers!

This short, solo episode offers something of a crash course, teaching you the 5 key pillars you need to build & monetize a fan base online. And we're not just talking about the usual stuff either... I've really looked to go straight for the jugular here and focus on the most impactful aspect that no one is talking about:

Creating a marketing funnel which will nurture a highly targeted audience, introducing them to your work with a unique and personalised experience, then converting them into a paying customer and a loyal fan.

All on auto-pilot, no less!

This is the most cost effective, measurable & scalable approach out there - yet the majority of us creators seem to be missing a trick. So I put this together to share with you the most impactful strategy, alongside an overview of each of the most important aspects of your business.

Naturally I also couldn't help myself but get a little philosophical about the duality of Creative Entrepreneurship, and why I believe it represents the balance we all need in order to find success...

And of course the episode tops off with 2 major announcements!

1) The Free Course which goes into much more depth on this topic. I spent months working on this and really feel it's the best free resource out there!

2) The unveiling of our brand new branch: Love Anarchy Entrepreneur. A digital marketing agency offering a bespoke software service for musicians, artists & creative entrepreneurs. Providing all the tools, knowledge & support you need to succeed in your creative career.

You can check out both of these things by going to e.loveanarchy.co - or checking out the link in our bio. Be sure to check out the podcast for more info! Enjoy :)

WJR ❤️

~

On this episode I am joined by holistic guitar virtuoso Mr. Chris Johnson, instrumental guitarist under The Tiger Loves Jazz & host of the Toned and Toneful Podcast ❤️

Chris is a wonderful musician and all around human being hailing from sunny California. I must say that I'm personally a huge fan of his podcast Toned and Toneful, and as such this episode feels like a long time coming!

Chris has largely established himself in the world of boutique guitars, working for brands such as Mayones & Anderson, most prominently performing as an artist rep at a lot of the NAMM shows.

His solo music has been a long time coming, but for a taste of what Chris can do, I hugely encourage you to check out Silver Skin by Oceans In Silhouette - the video on YouTube is an especially wonderful showcase of the incredible musicality of Chris & his good friend Ben McSherry.

As well as being a top tier dynamic, emotive & passionate guitar player - Chris is an all round student of life, taking a special interest in topics such as health, spirituality & even body building!

His Toned and Toneful podcast provides a series of topical meditations covering holistic topics geared specifically towards musicians and creatives. From the likes of dealing with perfectionism to finding your tribe, telling your story to finding content and happiness in life.

On this episode I am joined by both Scarlette & Stanstle of the US Alternative Progressive Metal Band TimeScar 🤘

The dual fronted band hailing from Colorado boast a uniquely heavy & melodic sound, one which feels somewhat rooted in Alternative Metal, but with lots of Progressive elements - most notably the frequent use of odd time signatures.

There are also shades of Metalcore & Melodic Death Metal in there, reminiscent of bands like In Flames, sprinkled with a touch of the Gothic/Symphonic sensibility of Within Temptation & Lacuna Coil.

Overall it makes for a very compelling and interesting sound that they have made very much their own over an excellent handful of singles released so far - not to mention their fantastic green screen music videos which they make themselves!

What's most admirable to me from getting to chat with these guys is the absolutely wonderful sense of teamwork & comradery they have with each other. It's really like a family :)

Even outside of rehearsing 3 or 4 times a week, they're going to gigs together, or hitting the gym. These guys are seriously dedicated and the chemistry between them is so inspiring to see!

TimeScar are really championing a DIY approach and each member wears a lot of hats. I think there's a lot we can all take from these guys about how to approach being in a band, and it was such a pleasure to uncover some of that chatting with them in this episode. I hope you enjoy!

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the multi-faceted Canadian metalhead, Mr. Tom McKay - a vocalist multi-instrumentalist and host of The Metal Robot Podcast & Reviews.

Tom is a lively character and a natural comedian, such an entertaining guy to listen to and a master of cartoon worthy voices. It's no surprise that he has a career in Radio, which bleeds in lovingly to his bombastic production for both The Metal Robot Podcast & Reviews.

I've been following Tom for a while and absolutely love the work he does with The Metal Robot. He's also got to chat to a fair few of our guests from this show also, cut together with some really awesome segments, skits & radio style effects and jingles. It's awesome!

But as well as being a fantastic content creator and supporter of the metal community, Tom is an incredible vocalist and musician himself, most prominently releasing his solo EP 'Call to the Dæmon Sultan' in 2022.

The record features the likes of Nathan Gross & Lindsay Schoolcraft and is a sort of Blackened Symphonic Death Metal kind of sound with melodic sensibility - hugely recommended for fans of Opeth!

On this episode I am joined by both Charlotte and Matt of the US Symphonic Metal Band Terminal Dusk.

The band hail from Portland, Oregon and recently released their debut EP 'Marionette' following their first few singles released in 2022 - and with this effort have well and truly established themselves on the scene.

Terminal Dusk have a wonderfully accessible Symphonic Metal sound and a tight package. I wasn't surprised to find that the two primary co-creators here like to draw from both metal and pop.

Getting to sit down with both Charlotte and Matt was a wonderful experience, it's not often I speak to two people at once and it ended up making for quite a unique and interesting episode!

I loved seeing the stark contrast in some ways between the two of them, almost like the sun and the moon 😄

Matt taught me some very interesting things about music production and the tools out there on the market right now, we got to nerd out a bit there and he also shared his great love for the outdoors.

Charlotte on the other hand loves geek culture, preferring to stay in with anime & video games. She prefers a non-technical creative approach where she let's the lyrics and melody's flow.

Charlotte also shared with us a very unique musical journey that had her singing professionally from the age of 6!

Lot's of cool stuff to check out here. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did chatting with these guys :)

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the wonderful Laura Mazard, frontwoman of the French Progressive Symphonic Metal band Oïkoumen.

Laura is a truly cultured and creative individual with a great deal of fascinating knowledge to share.

This is reflected in the music of Oïkoumen, who released their debut album 'Dystopia' in 2022 - establishing their unique take on Symphonic Metal, one which is quirky, creative & somewhat dabbling in the avant garde.

In the episode Laura speaks of creating a 'broken' sound, which reflects the visceral themes of challenging and unstable emotions in their music. It's a fascinating perspective and I truly admire the bands artistic approach with it.

Laura also works as an art historian and tour guide in and around Paris, creating all kinds of unique experiences for a diverse range of clientele. A particular specialty of hers is ancient music (medieval, etc) where she also incorporates her singing voice.

All of this (and much more!) makes for a fascinating conversation which absolutely flew by for me! I certainly thoroughly enjoyed it myself and hope that you do listening to it too :)

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the wonderful & enigmatic Jonesy AKA Shred Rogers, a splendidly diverse and colourful solo artist & guitarist of the Cyber Metal band A Dark Halo.

Jonesy's music spans quite the spectrum - from dark and brooding to stupendously absurd. Now I don't know about you, but I have to admire that a lot!

Perhaps most prominently as a solo artist with Shred Rogers, Jonesy is known for his extreme metal renditions of nursery rhymes. Yes, you heard me right, nursery rhymes!! Including such classics as Baa Baa Black Sheep & Wheels on the Bus 😆

You have to hear these as they are really quite entertaining. However, he has quite a unique approach with it, more weaving the nursery rhymes into otherwise fantastic original metal tracks - fusing elements of death metal, black metal, thrash & prog.

This ties into Jonesy's wonderful cause to bring joy and lightness to the world, in which he approach's music very much as a gift to others. The nursery rhymes themselves reflect his devoted passion for being a foster father, which is testament to the kind and caring person that he is.

As well as these fun renditions, Shred Rogers also releases guitar driven instrumental music, which has a deep emotion to it. Something I really enjoyed hearing him talk about in the episode.

But the primary contrast is with his Cyber Metal band A Dark Halo - who comparatively have a very 'serious' style indeed. A kind of dark and heavy industrial metal style, the band released their first album Catalyst way back in 2006 - which took on a cult like status following the inclusion of 2 singles on the video game 'WWE Day of Reckoning 2'.

This made for a very unique and interesting story in the episode about how Jonesy had been practically oblivious to just how much of an impact this album had. Thus, after a long hiatus, Jonesy and co-founder Dave Lowmiller re-formed the band with a fresh line up.

They have since returned with a huge sound, boasting a line-up which revitalizes the band with a great deal of fresh energy. We've caught them at such an exciting time too, as their new album 'Omnibus One' has just dropped on July 14th '23. I urge you to go and check it out!

We also had a massive nerd-out about our favourite music & discographies! Overall it was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did :)

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the wonderful Judith Ehreke - a lyric mezzo soprano vocalist from Germany and front-woman of the Melodic Symphonic Metal band 'Unsoulicited'.

The band recently released their debut album 'Reflections' on March 31st 2023 - which features Judith's voice alongside other star performers such as Herbie Langhans.

It's a wonderful journey of an album, for the most part very melodic and accessible, often leaning more towards rock than metal. However it does have it's harsh & heavy moments, all in all making for a very nice dynamic on the album.

Judith's very pure and theatrical vocal takes centre stage and she really has such a wonderful tone to her voice! We spoke all about vocals, including the healing powers of singing, as well as her musical journey, the band & the fantastic singing community she is also a part of. All this and so much more!

It was a real pleasure to chat with Judith and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did :)

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the sensational Paraguayan metal star Mr. Adrian Benegas - fresh off the back of his latest release 'Arcanum', a mind blowing concept album featuring such powerhouse performers as Ronnie Romero & Timo Somers.

Adrian is a fascinating individual, a natural creative spirit with a wild imagination and flair for the dramatic. His immense capacity for conjuring musical worlds of grandeur and mythos manifests itself into truly some of the most compelling music throughout the landscape of modern metal.

Discussing Adrian's approach in this episode was a particularly enthralling experience, as he very much approaches creating as a conduit, entering a flow state where he shuts off his rational mind and purely channels the creative impulse that comes through him.

Of course later he can approach it more rationally in the crafting stage, as he refines the piece. But the initial idea comes from a trance like state in which he is completely detached. The moment can strike at any time and he lives in service to it.

We also discussed lots of other great topics, such as intertwining personal narratives in metaphorical storytelling, what it's like for Adrian to work with his hero's (and some of the biggest names in the space), what life and the metal scene is like in Paraguay, and of course Adrian's musical journey from beginning up until now. 

This was a truly enjoyable episode for me and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of listening.

Be sure to let us know what you think!

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by none other than the Power Metal Ranger - everyone's favourite YouTuber from the realm of Power Metal 🤘😁

Ranger is known for his passionate and honest reviews of everything Power/Symphonic & AOR adjacent - primarily through his first time reaction videos, which have become a beloved staple to the release campaign of bands in the scene, as well as of course the thriving community of fans who come to his channel to discover new music.

What's especially great is that Ranger goes out of his way to feature tonnes of new and upcoming artists, a real service to the scene. I myself have discovered many new bands through those featured on his channel and that's really a wonderful thing for everyone involved!

He also hosts a very similar series to this one on his channel called 'Ranger Talks', where he really does a fantastic job of creating an open space for an artist to express themselves. We share a lot of philosophy in this regard and it was such a pleasure to get to chat with him all about it.

Not only is he such a great champion for the wider community, he's also a deeply interesting character with a lot going on beneath the surface. To get a glimpse of that in this episode was a real treat, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording it :)

WJR ❤️

This episode I am joined by the sensational French maestro Adrien Djouadou, an incredible composer, producer & all around musical powerhouse.

He is the mastermind behind the music for Phoebus The Knight, a conceptual Symphonic Power Metal band set to the incredible world penned by the bands lead vocalist and lyricist Axel de Montalembert.

Throughout the bands discography and live performances, we follow Phoebus and The Knights of Heliopolis throughout a fantastical take on human history to confront an evil vampire lord known as 'The Beast'.

Such wonderful craft goes into the creation of Phoebus The Knight and it was such a pleasure to get the chance to sit down with Adrien to delve deep on his process.

Adrien is also one half of Power Metal Duo 'Hartlight' - alongside his wonderfully talented wife and Phoebus bass player Noémie Allet. Here he plays a Producer/Instrumentalist role, whilst Noémie takes centre stage as the Singer/Songwriter.

And if all that wasn't enough - Adrien's day job is as a bass opera singer! How amazing is that? I was lucky to get to chat with him about all of these topics and hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording it :)

WJR ❤️

On this episode I am joined by the wonderful Victoria of French Blackened Symphonic Metal Band ETWAS.

The band have a dark and infectious sound which has been described as 'Epica meets Cradle of Filth', with Victoria delivering fantastic dual vocals split between her angelic lyric soprano voice and her harsh blackened growls.

The band explore and present dark, gothic & occult themes, which perfectly merge with the music to create an enchanting experience.

Victoria also discusses what drew her to these themes and how she was also called a witch - although despite her attraction to everything dark, she is a warm and affectionate person, perhaps best portrayed by the adorable crochet baphomet's she produces by hand. You have to see them on the ETWAS socials!

I really enjoyed this one and hope you do too :)

WJR ❤️

In this episode I am joined by the multi-talented German metal musician & producer Mr. Danny Meyer - who joins me from his illustrious Sunway Studios to talk all things music, production & life. Danny is first and foremost a wonderful musician himself, as lead vocalist and guitarist of the 'Rebel Metal' band Oversense. As the principal songwriter and producer for the band since 2012, Danny has learned a great deal from his experiences and since extended his efforts towards producing and mentoring other metal bands from all around the world. What I especially like about Danny is that he puts a great deal of passion and effort into mentoring an artist on an individual basis - no cookie cut service here, he really goes above and beyond. What a guy to have on your team! It was such a pleasure to get to sit down and have this conversation with Danny, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ❤️

On this episode I am joined by Swedish Vocal Maestro David Åkesson, an esteemed music teacher both in academia and as a private mentor to many of Metal's greatest vocalists. He has also appeared on over 25 phenomenal metal albums, specializing in creating backing vocals and choir arrangements in which he is able to sing the entire range. David, therefore, has a great amount of wisdom and experience to share with us and I feel privileged to have gotten to sit down with him to discuss it all. There are so many inspirational take away's from this one, it's really an insightful and informative episode. If you're a vocalist yourself, then it's a must listen, as David shares some of his best knowledge and experience on the matter. He also takes us through his process for arranging and recording, which as a producer/composer was deeply insightful for me! We get deep at times, discussing mindset, legacy, & stoic philosophy. All in all it made for a rather impactful conversation that gave me a lot to think about. I hope it will provide you with a similar moving experience too ❤️

On this podcast episode I am joined by the viking Swede Mr. Gustaf Hammarin, hailing from Gothenburg with his Industrial Thrash Metal band 'Mindistry'. Gustaf is a great guy and a hell of a character that has already been making a meaningful impact on the Love Anarchy Community & Collective. As the sole member of Mindistry, Gustaf released his debut album 'Katastroftankar' in 2022 with Swedish lyrics. He is currently working on a re-release in English & has tonnes of material in pre-production for future albums. As well as his official releases, Gustaf posts many fun musical clips on social media, including metal versions of famous songs and theme tunes from movies and series. He's a super approachable guy and very fun to chat to, so I recommend giving Mindistry a follow on Instagram and sending him a message! In the meantime, check out this discussion, where we covered everything from Gustaf's music & process to pop culture, life, & experiences with mental health. Note that this warrior is not for the faint hearted - but beneath his tough exterior is a heart of gold! I hope you enjoy our chat ❤️

On this episode I am joined by Frontman of Canadian Power Metal Band Lycanthro, James Delbridge. James is a charismatic young man with a powerful voice, paired with killer guitar and songwriting abilities to boot. His rising presence in the grassroots metal community can be felt through the growth of his Wolven Metal band Lycanthro, who as well as releasing classic thrashy power metal anthems host a live-chat series on Instagram called 'Wolfpack Live'. The show takes on a rather similar format to this one and James makes for an engaging host, getting to meet and chat with a diverse range and talents from all across the metal scene. I find James' energy to be inspirational and am very confident in his ability to succeed. Therefore, it was an absolute pleasure to get to chat with him on this show, to unpack the different elements of all that he does and get some excellent advice on how to navigate your way through such a community. We also touch base on other projects James has been involved with, such as his work as a film composer & his appearance in Gideon Ricardo's Woods of Wonders The Metal Opera. This was a lot of fun and there is a lot of great nuggets to take away from this one. I hope you enjoy checking it out! ❤️

On this episode I am joined by classic metal head Spike Francis, a singer, songwriter & guitarist bringing to life all things metal in his animated musical web-series project: Spike's Guitar Camp. Spike gives us an extra special treat, sitting down with me in full face paint from the cockpit of his flying V spaceship. You certainly don't see that every day! We had such a fun conversation about all aspects of Spike's past, present & future - the former of which was spent as a legit rock star, playing guitar for the legendary Dee Snider in the 90s, as well as having his band managed by Nikki Sixx & Tommy Lee of Motley Crue. Spike's experience has taught him a lot about life & the music industry and it's given him a lot of unique perspectives on the world. It's a real pleasure to have Spike share that with us and this episode was a hell of a lot of fun to record! I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation just as much ❤️

On this episode I am joined by multi-talented minimalist Brit, Theo Watts, who joins me from his base in Brighton, on the South Coast of the UK. Theo is a fascinating individual who spends much of his time working as a session musician, performing functions & depping gigs across a wide range of instruments & genres. He also writes & produces his own original music, as well as taking a hands on role in the projects of others. Although, despite his phenomenal talent in music, it does not end there! Theo's first love was in film, where he's nurtured a passion for cinematography from a young age. He has a wonderful cinematic style to his content & applies this to the music community by producing wonderful videos for upcoming artists. Featured among the range of those Theo works with is Archie Caine, a fantastic Symphonic Metal singer who also featured in Gideon Ricardo's Woods of Wonders Opera. But today the focus is on Archie's multi-faceted drummer, Theo - who balances an ever growing stack of talents with a minimalistic approach to life. Does that sound like a paradox to you? You'll have to listen to find out how this rather intriguing individual works! And no doubt there will be some valuable takeaways for you. Enjoy ❤️

On this episode I am joined by experimental US metal trumpeter, Mr. John Heckathorn. John is a rather intriguing individual with interesting thoughts and philosophy. This is profoundly reflected in his somewhat avant garde musical style, which fuses Progressive Metal with Classical & Jazz Trumpet. It's safe to say that I certainly hadn't heard anything quite like John's music prior to listening to Antediluvian Projekt and I thoroughly recommend everyone to check it out - even if it's just to see what you think of this very unusual musical style! John has an album and an EP out with Antediluvian Projekt with plenty more to come. Here I got to chat with him all about it, from his background, to his process, to his philosophy - and so much more! I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I did having this conversation ❤️

On this episode I am joined metal maestro Oha Cade, mastermind behind the Valcata collective. Originally from Ireland, Oha now coordinates the creation of his Progressive Symphonic masterpieces from his home in New York, working remotely with an incredible cast of musicians and singers. We join Oha at an exciting time, straight off the back of the release of the new Valcata single 'Paralyzed', featuring Stefani Keogh & Marcos L. Peñate on dual vocal duties. This astonishing new track follows 2021 single 'Tower' & 2019 debut album 'Valcata' - a sci-fi metal opera in which fans of Ayreon will delight. I really enjoyed getting to sit down and chat with Oha, we got to talk lots of exciting topics, from musical theatre to the ins and outs of how he runs his project. I really hope you find something of value in this conversation, I know I did! ❤️

On this episode of the podcast I am joined by Vampyric Gothic Metal artist Laura Vargas, otherwise known as The Inferno Doll. Laura is wonderfully talented vocalist and performance artist originally from Chile, now based in Canada. Her love for all things dark and vampyric manifest creatively into her solo project The Inferno Doll, brought to life through her debut album Dollmination (2015), the EP Sacrifice (2020) and the music videos that accompany them. We get to hear from Laura at an exciting time, as the brand new single 'Renfield' from her upcoming album has just been released. This new material promises to be her most vampire inspired yet, based primarily on the definitive literature of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It was an absolute pleasure to get to chat with Laura about her fantastic music, her fascinating background, and of course... All things vampires! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did ❤️  

In this first episode of Creating A Universe, I give you an introduction to the Podcast, setting the precedent for what's to be expected on the show. Whilst we will usually be having guests on, I thought to kick things off with a solo episode that will give you more context about who I am and what we do at Love Anarchy. Mostly I am just telling you about my personal story & journey so far.