The Apollo Audio Podcast

Martin and Billy discuss recording sessions, pre-production, band collaboration, studio creativity, live sound and Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life . How much preparation should a band do before recording, and how much should be left to develop in the studio? Billy shares his recent experience recording drums and bass for his band's new EP at Apollo Audio, including the value of demos,...

Martin and Billy discuss remote recording, production collaboration, AI tools, real musicians, the Apollo recording grant and Keo’s Put A Smile On For Me . This episode looks at where technology helps, and where music still needs people in the room, or at least properly involved in the process. Remote vocal recording can solve a practical problem. AI can help an artist hear a version of an idea. S...

Martin and Billy discuss running playlists, podcasts, vinyl buying, physical records, mastering for vinyl, artwork, sequencing and Björk’s Debut . This episode looks at what changes when music becomes a physical object. Vinyl brings its own practical demands: side length, sequencing, low end, loudness, high-frequency detail, artwork, bleed, metadata and the way a record is presented as something t...

Martin and Billy discuss live performance, mistakes, stagecraft, setlists, gear problems, rehearsal, audience connection and beabadoobee’s Pylon . This episode looks at what happens when songs leave the rehearsal room and have to work in front of an audience. A live set is not just a list of songs. It is the order, the gaps, the mistakes, the recovery, the tuning, the talking, the gear choices, th...

Martin and Billy discuss Oasis, AI, streaming, Bandcamp, artist discovery, merch, QR codes and Gallows’ Grey Britain . This episode looks at how artists create attention, build connection and give audiences something to follow beyond one song, one stream or one gig. Oasis’ continuing reunion story raises questions about music as event culture, nostalgia, generational identity and what it means whe...

Martin and Billy are back on The Apollo Audio Podcast, talking coffee, court, pedalboards, live setups, analogue gear, Reading Festival, Fontaine’s D.C., Charli XCX, Geese and DOMi & JD BECK’s WHO ASKED? The episode starts with Billy’s newly built pedalboard and a wider discussion about why physical gear, live setup, tap tempo, amp sounds, modulation, delay and stage performance all affect the...

Martin and Billy are back for another episode of The Apollo Audio Podcast, talking PRS, set lists, songwriting royalties, Dolly Parton, Mr. Brightside, demos, Madonna and the difference between singles and albums. The conversation starts with how songs earn money when they are performed live, why venues need PRS licences, and why independent artists should understand metadata, publishing and the m...

Martin and Billy are back in one of Apollo Audio’s newly refurbished rehearsal rooms, talking studio upgrades, vinyl, cassettes, music scenes, AI, physical gear, festivals and Phoebe Bridgers’ new album Lost Weekend . The conversation starts with the changes happening around the studio, including the newly updated rehearsal rooms and plans for more music production, recording and releases at Apoll...

Martin and Billy are joined by Josh Dean, MP for Hertford and Stortford, for a conversation about music, local culture, grassroots venues and why spaces like Apollo Audio matter. Josh talks about growing up in Hertford, spending time around friends in bands, discovering Bob Dylan through his granddad, and his more recent love of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Local music, business rates, rehears...

Martin and Billy are back for another episode of The Apollo Audio Podcast, AI, copyright, mixing, live performance, chart records and Loathe’s new album A Stranger To You . The conversation starts with recent discussion around support for grassroots music and the challenge of protecting artists from AI scraping, stem separation and the unauthorised reuse of creative work. AI tools may have their u...

Martin and Billy are back for another filmed episode of The Apollo Audio Podcast, starting with the latest Apollo Audio studio gig featuring Conor Bond, Wire Bugs and High Society. That leads into a wider conversation about small venues, DIY shows and why intimate gigs still matter. Stadium shows can be huge events, but smaller rooms give artists something different: atmosphere, connection, audien...

Martin and Billy are back on camera for another filmed episode of The Apollo Audio Podcast, talking studio upgrades, summer gigs, live shows, festival season and why performance still matters whether you are on stage or in the studio. The conversation starts with recent shows from Metallica, My Chemical Romance, Wolf Alice, System of a Down and others, leading into a wider discussion about what ma...

For the 100th released episode of The Apollo Audio Podcast, Martin and Billy do something slightly different. For the first time, the episode was filmed as well as recorded, with the video version available on YouTube and Spotify. The milestone also lands almost exactly five years after Martin began working with Apollo Audio, so this episode looks back at the studio, the podcast, and a selection o...

Martin and Billy are back in the studio talking football disappointment, unreleased Deftones material, music leaks, chart data, country music, streaming algorithms and a reassessment of Olivia Rodrigo’s latest album. The main album discussion focuses on Bag O’ Bones and their new album Lift Off , recorded at Apollo Audio with production, engineering, mixing and mastering by Martin Lumsden. Martin...

Martin and Billy are back in the studio talking about the World Cup, Berlin, Download Festival, ticket prices, festival lineups and the strange question of where different artists belong. The conversation moves from Linkin Park headlining Download with a female lead singer into a wider discussion about genre, audience expectations and whether artists always know who their music is really for. They...

Martin and Billy are back in the studio talking about leaks, ticket prices, remote recording, AI copyright, streaming royalties and the strange economics of being an independent artist in 2026. The conversation moves from the practical reality of studio work into a wider discussion about how artists actually build momentum. Making a good song matters, but releasing it without a plan can feel like...

Martin and Billy are back in the studio after another sold-out Apollo Audio gig, talking about young bands, live performance, and why getting out in front of an audience still matters. The conversation moves into streaming culture, album sales and what it means when an album has billions of streams. They discuss why streaming figures are not the same as people buying records, how modern release ha...

Martin and Billy are back in the studio, covering everything from live music during a half marathon to Eurovision, persistence, and why enjoying the process still matters if you want to keep making music. The main album discussion focuses on Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill , looking at why the record still feels powerful decades later. They talk about the sound of the album, its mix of rock...

Martin is joined by Elliot Stout from Bag O’ Bones to talk about the band’s new album Lift Off , recorded at Apollo Audio with production, engineering and mixing by Martin Lumsden. The conversation covers the history of the band, Elliot’s move from Southbound into Bag O’ Bones, and how the three-piece developed its blues-grunge sound. Elliot talks about writing in bursts, finding the right band dy...

Martin and Billy discuss how artists keep momentum between releases, from regular single campaigns to the longer process of building a full album. The episode starts with two very different projects recently completed through Apollo Audio: Dan Thomas’ layered album release, developed over many months, and Bag O' Bones recording an entire album live in a single day. They also talk about BODY’s rele...

This week’s episode moves between live performance, studio thinking and the changing nature of how music is made and consumed. Martin reflects on running a live theatre production and the pressures of real-time sound, where there is no opportunity to stop and fix mistakes. Billy shares recent gig experiences, including the importance of preparation and what happens when things go wrong on stage. T...

This week’s episode starts in the rehearsal room with a sold-out hardcore night at Apollo Audio and a wider look at why live music and young bands are still thriving. From there, the conversation moves into the fundamentals that separate average recordings from great ones. Martin and Billy discuss common mistakes bands make in the studio and on stage, including preparation, tone choices, gear deci...

In this special episode, Martin is joined by artist Dan Thomas to discuss the making of his debut album This Is Where You’ll Find Me , released April 27. The conversation covers the shift from solo acoustic artist to full-band sound, the reality of long-term project development, and how artistic identity evolves over time. Dan explains how songs written across nearly two decades came together into...

This week’s episode moves from the studio floor into the bigger picture of how records actually get made. We compare two very different recording approaches. One is a live in-studio session where a band captures performance and energy in the room. The other is a more detailed production process, building a track step by step from a simple guitar and vocal demo. There is also a wider discussion aro...

A special episode featuring a conversation with Luke James Williams ahead of the release of his second album Limes Hotel . We talk about the songwriting and recording process, how albums come together over time, and why the album format still matters. Luke shares the story behind the record, including the personal experiences that shaped its themes and direction. We also discuss audience building...