Sonic Bytes

Hello and welcome to Sonic Bytes, the freewheeling conversation and interview series for the eclectic music lover.

We’ve reached the end of Season 1 of the podcast - thank you to everyone that’s taken the time to listen to any of our episodes so far. We truly appreciate every minute that you’ve spent with us and hope it’s been a nice musical companion throughout this tumultuous year.

For this final week, we’re taking a look back at the rollercoaster of 2020 to reflect on our journeys as musicians the past year, as well as our experience making the podcast over the past 6 months.

We’re looking forward to returning in 2021 with a new series of interviews and discussions for Season 2, so stay tuned for updates coming early next year!

If you’ve enjoyed the podcast so far, follow Sonic Bytes on Spotify, Apple or Stitcher, or like the video and subscribe to the channel on YouTube, as it really helps support the show. We hope you enjoy the episode.

This week we have our very good friend Bethany Graves on the podcast to discuss her up-coming feature film ‘The Book of Laws.’ She composes the music to the film (which we were ecstatic to be asked to play on the soundtrack) and wrote and produced the film among a team of very talented creatives.

We had a chance to view the film early as part of creating the film and were blown away with the concept, storyline and performances, as well as the production quality, and it was awesome to have a chance to discuss the making of the film in-depth with her. We also chat about the creative process and how to approach composing music on a more general level as well.

If you’d like to keep up with when the film releases and other behind the scenes footage, make sure to follow The Book of Laws on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@book_of_laws_film).

If you’re enjoying the podcast, follow Sonic Bytes on Spotify, Apple or Stitcher, or like the video and subscribe to the channel on YouTube, as it really helps support the show. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Perle is a singer, songwriter and voice actor currently living in Corsica and performing across Europe. Born to a musical family, Perle was exposed to everything from Mozart to Michael Jackson from a very young age, being carried from theatre to theatre as a child, studying music from the age of 6 and singing at the age of 13.

However despite her musical lineage, Perle initially shied away from a career in music, choosing instead to study biology, but it wasn’t long before the family bug took hold and she began to develop an interest in musical theatre; studying and gaining experience in Paris, London and New York while writing her own music on the side.

I first met Perle back in 2015 as part of the musical cabaret “Got A Problem,” organised by current Hairspray West End lead Lizzie Bea, and was completely floored by the sheer breadth of technique, power, control, tone and emotion in Perle’s voice.

We stayed in touch over the next couple of years, sharing music and recording medleys together when she asked me if I’d like to work on some of her original material and record her debut EP with her in Paris. An offer I absolutely couldn’t refuse.

Recording “Just A Matter Of Time” was one of the best musical experiences of my playing career, not only because of the amazing songs that we were able to bring to life, but also because of the wonderfully welcoming atmosphere and infectious energy that Perle creates every time she enters a room. She is an amazing friend, musician and human being and an absolute joy to have on the podcast.

In this episode we discuss Perle’s new EP ‘Just a Matter Of Time’, learning how to sing and singing techniques, writing music in different languages, live looping vocals and more!

Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

Alex is a guitarist, composer, session musician and teacher from the UK. After completing a masters degree in biology, Alex has pursued a wide-ranging music career, performing with a bunch of professional groups in London and the South East and recording as a session musician for multiple projects.

Alex formed the band Crouton Cannon in 2018, which brought together like-minded musicians in singer Louise O’Connor, keyboardist Daniel Marks and drummer Ben Swan to record an album in 2019 aboard London’s Soup Studios, a recording studio on a converted lightship boat. They’ve since released 5 singles, Credit, Expressing, Find The One, Boogie Blight, and their newest single ‘Share’.

In this episode, we discuss the subject matter of new single ‘Share’ in detail, and talk about what it’s like to work with a producer, how that affects songwriting, how he founded Crouton Cannon and his journey as a guitarist so far.

If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple or Stitcher and leave a review wherever you can, or like the video and subscribe to the channel on YouTube, as it really helps support the show. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

This week, we’re thrilled to introduce our 5th musical guest, Ned Stranger. Ned is a singer, songwriter and guitarist born and raised in Sussex currently living and performing across the UK. After finishing a law degree at Cambridge University, Ned moved to London and formed the Indie Folk band August and After with close friend Vedantha Kumar, resulting in a wildly successful career including over 2 million streams on Spotify, performances at London Live and numerous BBC radio stations and a tour of Europe. Ned regularly travels around Europe to write, record and produce new music - his latest releases “Berlin in the Spring” and “Forever Lost” were recorded in Paris with producer Jonathan Lefevre-Reich and he has just returned from a writing session in Oxfordshire with producer Patch Boschell. His latest single “Gentle Words” was released on October 23rd. He is also an author of short stories and runs a successful YouTube channel documenting his songwriting experiences. In this episode we discuss Ned’s songwriting process, online streaming success, co-writing vs. writing solo, how to finish unfinished songs and more. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

Our fourth guest on the podcast - Adam Haddour! Adam is a singer and songwriter born and raised and now performing in London and across the UK. A regular feature in both bands and musicals throughout his time at school, Adam started writing his own music while at university. We first met Adam as part of UCL’s famous Live Music Society as he released his first single “As I” in 2018 and were lucky enough to be invited to play on the bill for the launch of his debut EP “The Unknown” a year later. His iconic voice combined with uniquely insightful lyrics, powerful choruses and memorable refrains had us hooked immediately and once he started playing with his live band of Charlie Zhu, Charlie Rolfe, Spencer Charlton and Louis Shaw, we became even bigger fans. In this episode we discuss Adam’s latest release “Was It Love,” as well as his songwriting process, life on the London music scene, writing solo vs writing with a band, music promotion and release strategy and much much more. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

This week, we have Part 1 of a 2-part conversation with a very special guest: violinist, violist and close friend, Min Seo. From reflecting on the significance of music exams and grades, to revelling in the expression and virtuosity that can be achieved on violin and viola, we compare what it’s like to learn and enjoy music from a classical perspective as opposed to more contemporary styles and genres. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

For Episode 8, we're jumping forward to the new wave sound of the 80s with Song From the Big Chair by Bath-based synthpop bastions Tears For Fears. From the unmistakable instrumental virtuosity of “Head Over Heels” and “The Working Hour,” to the iconic drum loops, synth lines and production of “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule The World,” we discuss politics, the 80s sound and the amount of music per square inch in various genres. We also explore the “Second Invasion” of British artists into the American charts and whether a third invasion is imminent, somewhere down the road, or may have already happened. We also pay our tributes to the wonderful talents of Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away after a long battle with cancer the morning we filmed this episode. If you're enjoying the podcast, follow us on Spotify, Apple or Stitcher or subscribe to us on YouTube, as it really helps support the show. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

In Episode 6,  we’re discussing our favourite covers, why artists cover songs and what makes a good cover. From “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston to “Mrs Robinson” by Lemonhead, we pick out the best of the best and the worst of the worst and uncover the surprising importance of covering music over time. If you're enjoying the podcast, follow us on Spotify, Apple or Stitcher, or subscribe to us on YouTube, as it goes a long way to supporting the show and helping us make more freewheeling content. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

This week we talk about when artists go outside the box and defy the expectations of what was previously thought of as conventional. From the complex harmony of Jacob Collier and the obscure lyrics of Oasis to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and a hypothetical Nickelback reggaeton album, we discuss the limitations of musical styles and whether it is possible to go too far when pushing their boundaries. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

In Episode 2, we discuss what makes the perfect function band song, creating function band sets and repertoire, and the role of function music. From Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison to Mr. Brightside by the Killers, we try to work out what it is that brings a song out of the airwaves and into the function band canon. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.

In our first episode, we discuss a question posed by artist Jordan Rakei on whether there is a band or artist who has had a 30 year career where their most recent albums are still relevant. We discuss the pros and cons of staying relevant in music today and some of the artists that we’d like to see stay relevant in years to come. Watch this episode with video on YouTube channel 'LeoKellyGeeMusic', write to us at sonicbytespod@gmail.com, and follow us at Instagram @sonicbytes and Twitter @sonicbytespod for bonus content.