Groundbreaking

How can songwriters and artists grow comfortable with not only sharing openly, but becoming comfortable monetizing their craft into a business? We're joined by Jillian Dawn to discuss the incredible year she's had, her new single "Fender Bender," and how she's learned to navigate intuition, building a business, and remaining genuine in relationships. Groundbreaking is a FRNDL...

Creating a community and creating as a community are slightly different, but Danny Ross has pioneered both. As the founder of the Anti Social Camp (and the camp!), an engineer, producer, and newly a professor at Berklee NYC, Danny isn't only proving the power of collaboration in New York's indie music community, he's making it impossible to deny it. With Hulu and Apple credits to his n...

Pride in being an independent artist has definitely grown recently, but alongside that has also developed a doubt and frustration with standard record label practice. Do artists today still need record labels? Are record labels really trying to trick artists? How do we even begin to look at a record deal? All of these questions are being discussed in this episode with Bucky Driedger, Label Manager...

The best working relationships in music have one thing in common: trust. However, it's not as easy to build it as you may think. An artist needs to trust their team often with difficult, personal decisions - and the best relationships are built on a mutual trust that takes time to develop. Today, we're meeting with Nashville-based artist manager Claire Sojka to discuss how she builds trust...

Playlist curators are the new "influencers" of music - so far how does that influence go? For artists, discoverability means being playlisted, so this week we're going right to one of today's most influential curators: Sam Weisband. With Jake, Sam discusses how curators are using TikTok as a tool of their own and the realities of now working as a bridge between musician and liste...

We all know it takes "a team" behind any show, and this weeks' guest Peter Fox knows that best. A producer, engineer, tour manager, and more, Peter works with all kinds of artists. With Jake, they discuss what it takes to build collaborative relationships on the road (and quickly!) and how everyone (no matter their role) can learn from the reality of tour managing. Groundbreaking is...

How does co-writing help you grow? What really goes on in a writing session? This week, Jake is joined by Nashville-based songwriter Tamara Laurel to dive into the headspace of a songwriter and discuss the realities of the evolving definition and pressures of songwriting, and the credit that sometimes those in the role don't receive. Groundbreaking is a FRNDLY original podcast highlighting cor...

Are your future "favorite songs" already picked? If they are, Kasey has them. This week, Jake is joined by the creator of Kaseys Playlist, Kasey Gelsomino, to explore how she built her brand as a music curator, what platforms and labels should and are doing in reaction to the rise of the new "influencers of music," and how she's already pushing the curator role into new are...

Sometimes, creativity can be isolating. But often, creativity is best enjoyed with community... so where does the balance exist? In an industry so crowded, why is it hard to find community? Are we looking in the right place, or does it just not exist? Today, we're sitting down with Lindsey Lerner, Host of Learning with Lerner and Founder of the Mobile Social Club, to discuss why people need co...

Groundbreaking is a FRNDLY original podcast celebrating and sharing the stories of young creatives across the music industry embarking on their own journeys in an effort to bring more aspects of music business to listeners. Each episode we feature a new up-and-comer, discuss their work, and make sure we leave you with a takeaway, too. New episodes air every Tuesday beginning August 1, 2023. Connec...

Meet Ama Appiah, podcast host and Marketing Director for FRNDLY Fest 2021, FRNDLY's ambitious approach to bringing back summer festival nostalgia while providing a global stage to discover the rising talent you'll soon be obsessed with. In today's episode, Jake and Ama discuss personal motivations when collaborating with others, how their marketing strategy has evolved alongside recent transitions...

Meet Tony Shu, a recent Harvard graduate and entrepreneur on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, who co-founded Breaktime, a Boston non-profit working to end young adult homelessness through transitional employment and financial empowerment. In today's episode, Jake and Tony discuss centering on a community-focused mission and the steps anyone can take to further their interest and education in prominent...

Meet Bea Reyes, a content creator and singer elevating her voice through elevating the voices of others. Through working with local businesses, she's accumulate a following of thousands while preaching positivity, creativity, and the pursuit of passion. In this episode, Jake and her chat all things self awareness and how influencership is often influenced by your own story. For more, follow Bea @h...

Meet Gilanares, the singer/songwriter known for her hit song “Good Person” and recent TikTok fame, is an up and coming artist embracing the faults and lessons of young artistry through writing about just that. Her lyrical structure, meaningful commentary, and strong presence have collaborated to accumulate the attention of hundreds of thousands of viewers. Her debut EP dropped this year, but she’s...

Meet Neelu Mohaghegh, co-founder and co-creative director of Channel Sounds, a think tank and creative group dedicated to empowering young artists through content creation, brand design, and unique approaches to tackle the music industry. She's also the Editor in Chief of DETOUR Live, a music blog where Neelu dives into the realities of young artistry through connecting with today's rising talent...

Meet Lauren Stikeleather, author of "A Mixing Pot of Poems for Thought," her debut poetry project hitting bookstores across the nation, sharing personal stories that she hopes will connect to audiences of all kinds. In the episode, Lauren talks to Jake about her writing process, becoming emotionally vulnerable through her work, and the process it takes to become comfortable with your creativity. T...

Meet Fiona Tran, San Francisco-based blogger and recent founder of FT the Label, a new clothing brand launching this week. Jake and Fiona reconnect over their entrepreneurial ambitions and discuss branding 101, the early stages of idea development, work/life balance, and how we can stay healthy while still giving things our all. FT the Label launches March 19 at ftthelabel.com . Follow @ftthelabel...

Meet Armand Manoukian and Carter Farnsworth, podcast hosts of fashion and culture show, Clout Chasing. With Jake, the duo discusses their entry into the podcast world, the inside of fashion blogging and what consumers may not know, and the remains of toxic masculinity in the industry and their perspectives on its resolution and their involvement in so. Listen to Clout Chasing wherever you're liste...

Meet Gigi Robinson, the in-high-demand and billboard-featured influencer re-defining modern digital creativity through social advocacy and powerful style integration that has attracted hundreds of thousands across social media. Today, Gigi joins Jake to discuss performative activism and how to authentically advocate in the digital space, her creative journey, college graduation, and how to stay mo...

Meet Bailee and Kenzie Eaglin, the sister-duo from Denton, Texas, making an ambitious and powerful first impression with “Vanilla,” a rock/pop summer anthem that deserves to be on repeat. They join Jake to discuss how making music has changed their relationship, how they’ve brought personal elements into their craft, and their approach to a musical first impression. Continue following Eaglin at @e...

Meet Eliot Lee, the LA-based up-and-coming music video director helping launch the careers of tomorrow's chart-topping artists. In today's episode, Jake and Eliot talk about variations across film media, how TikTok is not only revolutionizing the industry for artists, and how to handle imposter syndrome when things start working out. Continue following Eliot's work by following @imeliot on Instagr...

Meet Maddie Stephenson, the Chicago native and now Boston-based singer, songwriter, AND composer with a meticulous but ambitious approach through musical storytelling. In today’s episode, Jake and Maddie discuss the realities of being a young artist, how music fans can dissolve barriers to entry in the music industry, re-imagining the artistic path, and recognizing how creators are influenced. Con...

In the second season premiere, Jake is joined by Cassie Wilson, disability activist and founder of Half/Access, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to making live music more accessible in all venues. In today’s episode, they discuss social media activism, the history of oppression towards the disabled community, and how the entire music industry (from fans to artists) can become better adv...

Groundbreaking is back with more creators and more stories curated just for you. The FRNDLY original podcast brings you the creatives redefining what it means to create, and introducing you to the leaders of tomorrow, today. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, and follow us @FRNDLYmedia, for all the latest and new episodes every Tuesday, beginning February 2, 2021.

In the season finale, Jake calls his friend Josee Matela, Founder of First Gen Graduates and Matelamade, to discuss what motivates them, reflect on their friendship, and explain the foundations of both FRNDLY and Josee's projects. Jake also shares highlights from the season, and what brought him to create the show to inspire others. You can follow Josee at @joseematela and @matelamade. Continue su...