She Creates Noise

Send us Fan Mail Every song you stream makes money. Just not necessarily for the person who wrote it. We’re joined by Emmy-winning songwriter and composer Michelle Lewis, whose credits span major pop cuts and television favorites, and who now leads one of the strongest songwriter advocacy efforts in the business as co-founder and CEO of Songwriters of North America (SONA). Streaming didn't ju...

Send us Fan Mail Millions of streams don't guarantee a living wage. Tiffany Red explains why—and what songwriters can do about it. Platinum selling, Grammy nominated songwriter Tiffany Red, is major spokesperson for songwriters rights. From writing poems at age 12 in her New Jersey home to landing major credits with artists like Zendaya and Jason Derulo, contributing to a Grammy-winning Jenni...

Send us Fan Mail 300 Million Streams Without a Major Label ! In this episode of She Creates Noise , indie-pop artist, songwriter, and producer Ella Vos shares the remarkable journey behind her breakout hit "White Noise" and the career she built independently—amassing more than 300 million streams while staying true to her creative vision. Ella takes us from her childhood as a classically...

Send us Fan Mail From recording the sounds of the Colombian forest as a child to producing music inside New York’s legendary Flux Studios, Caro built her career by trusting her instincts, ignoring gatekeepers, and never waiting for permission. Sitting with us at Flux in New York City, Caro shares how a childhood filled with music, curiosity, and experimentation evolved into a career in production,...

Send us Fan Mail May is Mental Health Awareness Month , and for this special episode of She Creates Noise , we bring together two powerful advocates for a conversation the music industry can’t afford to sideline. The same business that creates magic can also grind people down until “not okay” starts to feel normal.  Here, we explore that tension through two distinct perspectives: Cathy Applefeld O...

Send us Fan Mail You’ve sung these songs in your car, at weddings, and at the top of your lungs—now you can hear from the songwriter who wrote them. In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Grammy-nominated songwriter and pop artist Bonnie McKee, the songwriter behind many of Katy Perry’s biggest hits, as well as Taio Cruz, for a candid conversation about what pop success really...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when success comes fast—and you have to figure out who you are in real time? In this episode of She Creates Noise , singer-songwriter Toby Lightman reflects on the early breakthrough that launched her career—from a record deal just one year out of college to touring with Rob Thomas—and the long, deliberate path to creative reinvention. One year out of college, Toby Li...

Send us Fan Mail How do you write a song the whole world ends up singing?   We’re joined by Pam Sheyne, the multi-platinum songwriter behind Christina Aguilera’s breakout hit “Genie in a Bottle,” to talk about what actually happens in the room when a career-defining track comes together, why you can feel you wrote “a good song” and still never predict a smash, and how preparation separates pros fr...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode I sit down with Andrea Dresdale—a two-time Gracie Award winner and longtime ABC radio host who has interviewed everyone from Elton John to Madonna, Taylor Swift to Adele and Teddy Swims among many others. A voting member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame  —Andrea and I chat about the real levers of access, trust, and influence in today’s music media.   Andrea tra...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you write your first song in your sixties — and someone hears it instantly? In this episode of She Creates Noise , artist AC Scott and legendary A&R executive Kate Hyman explore an extraordinary second act in the music industry — from late-blooming creativity to the power of instinct, mentorship, and emotional truth in songwriting. A voice that waited decades...

Send us Fan Mail Who gets heard in the music industry—and who gets left out? In this episode of She Creates Noise , producer, engineer, and Gender Amplified founder Ebonie Smith shares how she’s building a more open, collaborative, and equitable future for music—from the studio to the systems behind it. Ebonie Smith discusses her production work and origin story. From Memphis, where hymns and call...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to help guide one of the most influential artists in the world—and turn that experience into lasting leadership in the music industry? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Caron Veazey to discuss her years managing Pharrell Williams, and how that chapter helped shape her perspective on women’s leadership, artist development, and real change...

Send us Fan Mail 24 years later, “Complicated” is still one of the defining songs of a generation. The woman who helped write it shares the story behind the hit—and the setbacks, reinventions, and hard-won lessons that shaped her career. In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Lauren Christy, songwriter, producer, and co-creator of The Matrix, for a candid conversation about re...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to make music—and who’s behind the moments we hear? After a debut season that landed in the top 80% of new podcasts and the top 98% of most shared shows, She Creates Noise returns with a bigger, bolder Season Two—continuing to explore how music gets made, and who makes it happen. If you care about songwriting craft, studio engineering, music production, ar...

Send us Fan Mail Where does creativity come from—and how do you stay open enough to receive it? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Grammy-nominated artist, songwriter, and poet Valerie June shares how everyday life becomes a creative channel, and how she protects the space where songs first arrive.  Valerie traces her roots to Tennessee and a childhood surrounded by music. We talk about her fa...

Send us Fan Mail What makes Nashville such a powerful engine for artist development—and how has it evolved alongside film, television, and the changing music industry? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Nashville-based music supervisor, consultant, and author Anastasia Brown shares how she helped shape the city’s growing role in film and television, while building a career grounded in instinct...

Send us Fan Mail What happened to the singer-songwriter era—and what does it take to survive as an artist now? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Rachael Yamagata reflects on her early days in the Hotel Café scene and the long road to building an independent creative life today.   That’s the invitation at the heart of our conversation with Rachael Yamagata, whose new record, Starlit Alchemy, u...

Send us Fan Mail   How are global hits discovered—and who spots greatness before everyone else does? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Kim Frankiewicz, winner of the Seymour Stein Global A&R Award and EVP of Worldwide A&R at Concord Music Publishing, to discuss how talent is discovered, developed, and sustained in today’s borderless music industry. From early root...

Send us Fan Mail In this engaging conversation, Divinity Roxx takes us through her remarkable journey from classical clarinet player to hip-hop artist, to Beyoncé's bassist and musical director, and ultimately, a creator of genre-defying music for all ages.    Divinity talks about her experience as musical director in Beyoncé's groundbreaking all-female band—a role that transformed perce...

Send us Fan Mail   What if some of the biggest moments in music history were shaped by someone most listeners have never heard of? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Annette Barrett, whose 40-year career in music publishing reveals the invisible architecture behind some of the industry’s most important creative successes. From an early opportunity at Carlin Music to global...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to be heard—and lead boldly—in a world that hasn’t always made space for women instrumentalists? In this episode of She Creates Noise , Sarah sits down with Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Syreeta Thompson, known as “New York’s Trumpet Lady,” to talk about the determination, discipline, and confidence that built her remarkable career. From her Chicago roots to sta...

Send us Fan Mail Sharon Tapper's journey provides a masterclass in resilience, advocacy, and community-building that every music professional should hear.    When Sharon told her parents she was postponing medical school to explore the music business, they never imagined this "gap year" would transform into a decades-long career spanning artist management, publishing, and advocacy....

Send us Fan Mail Sarah sits down with Samantha Cox, Vice President of Creative at BMI New York, to explore the vital role BMI plays in supporting songwriters and artists as well as her take on how women are reshaping the music industry. Sam's journey from small-town Texas to becoming an influential figure  in the industry serves as both inspiration and masterclass. With remarkable candor, she...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to discover Jeff Buckley when your boss says "he has no charisma"? How do you stand up to Tommy Mottola when he tries to intimidate you with an East River "walk and talk"? And what happens when Madonna becomes your roommate and starts throwing out all your "unhealthy" food? Kate Hyman knows.  As one of the first female A&R execut...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to truly change what the music industry looks like—and who gets to be seen and heard within it? In this episode of She Creates Noise , artist, author, and disability advocate Lachi shares how she’s reshaping the conversation around visibility, access, and inclusion in the music industry—on her own terms. Lachi a chart-topping Grammy nominated recording artist and...