The J-Card Podcast

This week’s guest is Patrick McCarthy, Director of Marketing for A to Z Media Inc. and Solid Merch. In today’s episode, Patrick pulls back the curtain on the world of physical media. What actually goes into pressing a vinyl record? Why are there delays? What’s a lacquer? If you’ve ever wondered how your favorite albums go from audio files to physical objects, this is an episode you’ll love. Plus,...

Zeke Rudick of Young Elk joins The J-Card Podcast to talk about his band’s new album Calm Down , recorded in a remote house on the Puget Sound. We dig into the logistics of making a record in isolation, the patience required to press vinyl, and how Portland’s music scene has changed over the last decade. Zeke also shares his “Great Songs for Sad Sacks” mixtape, plus plays a Pacific Northwest editi...

Independent songwriter Leilani Patao is doing something bold: their new EP Daisy isn’t going to streaming platforms at all. In this episode, we explore why, and we talk about college radio, intentional listening, collecting physical media, and how the music industry treats different tiers of artists. We also debut a new game: Play, Pause, Stop! More on IG: @leilanijpatao http://instagram.com/leila...

Artist manager and A&R rep Benja Schick (Oddly Pacific) joins the show to unpack how artists actually build momentum in 2025, without chasing viral moments. Benja shares how he finds new talent, why visuals matter as much as songs, what managers do day-to-day, and how DIY artists can turn great art into lifelong fans. More on IG: @benjaschick https://www.instagram.com/benjaschick & @oddlypacific.c...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by writer, musician, and Spare Notes host Jonah Evans to talk about the unexpected overlap between DIY music and the literary world. Jonah shares what he’s learned from writing for Post-Trash, Atwood Magazine, and The Tonearm, and how gatekeeping, publishing, and self-promotion compare across creative fields. We also dive into his “Jimmy John’s M...

From radio DJ to publicist to talent booker, Mara Davis has done it all. In this conversation, she opens up about her career pivot after radio, her years booking Adult Swim’s FishCenter Live, and the behind-the-scenes hustle of working in publicity and booking today. Mara shares candid stories about the changing media landscape, offers practical advice for anyone breaking into PR or booking, and b...

Ryan Nicklas, host of the Fresh Finds Podcast and founder of the upcoming Fresh Fest, joins The J-Card Podcast to talk about how a bedroom project grew into a community event celebrating independent music. We get into how Fresh Finds started as a way to pad a résumé during lockdown and turned into a launchpad for emerging artists, the realities of booking guests, and the chaotic joy of DIY organiz...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by music writer Ted Davis; music editor at Merry-Go-Round Magazine, ambient columnist for Bandcamp Daily, and DJ under the alias DJ Stepdad. Ted’s words have appeared in Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Stereogum, Pitchfork, and more, and he currently works with both Fire Talk Records and Terrorbird Media. We talk about his path into the music world, th...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by Nathan, Jacob, & Sam from Oceanic to explore why their live performances might matter more than chasing virality. They dive into balancing social media with creativity, and building community through going live on TikTok. We also cover the highs and lows of touring, from packed Chicago shows to an infamous empty bar in Knoxville, and hear cand...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by designer Eric Castorena to talk about his creative journey as a designer, the intersection of design and music, the power of physical media, and what it means to craft a “visual personality” for a band. Eric shares personal stories from Houston's music scene, gives flowers to the bands who shaped his taste, and brings a heartfelt mixtape that...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by Weajue Mombo, one of the twin sister hosts behind Absent Sounds , a Canadian radio show devoted to spotlighting albums as an art form. We talk about falling in love with lyrics, why albums are better than singles, and how Absent Sounds is blending radio, visual art, and DIY ethos into something personal and powerful. We also dive into a chaoti...

Katie Callihan of the band Perish joins us for a deep-dive into how her new project came to life, from recording their debut EP in a whirlwind weekend to navigating the DIY music scene in NYC. We talk about forming a band through playing at a church, balancing creative control in the studio, and how Florida never really leaves you. Plus, we play Build The Bill! Perish's debut EP drops September 12...

Brainrot Radio is a live, fully remote, internet radio station with over 100 DJs across the U.S. — no pre-records. On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, Jackie and Spencer (the founders of Brainrot Radio) share how they turned a solo show into a sprawling community, the growing pains of DIY broadcasting, meme fatigue, mission statements, and then they build a joint mixtape featuring everything fr...

MKay (aka Michael Kelly) is a culture tech researcher (on Substack: mkay ), YouTuber , and the founder of Shelfy , a social app built for thoughtful sharing. In this episode of The J-Card Podcast, he talks with us about building an AI twin of himself, the slow death of music scenes, why modern YouTube feels broken, and how Discord servers might be the digital equivalent of DIY venues. We also dig...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, NYC-based photographer and director Jeremy Cohen (aka Jerm) joins us to talk about shooting festivals like Gov Ball and Treefort, his new Meet Cutes NYC photo book , and how he built a career by following curiosity over clout. We dig into his favorite music festivals to shoot (and why Treefort rules), how he got started as a photographer, building a meaningfu...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we sit down with Malia Delacruz — the artist behind Ciao Malz — to talk about what really happens after you release your first big project. Following the buzz of her Safe Then Sorry EP, Malia walks us through her first real press cycle: DIY promo, working with a label, running live sessions, and dealing with the chaos of social media. We talk about the weird...

Justin MacFayden is the creator behind Hope You Like It , a YouTube doc series that goes deep on the lives of working artists. In this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we talk about how the project started, why it resonates, and what it takes to tell real stories without burning out. We also dig into ethnomusicology, unearthing undiscovered music, and bummer jams. Plus, we play “Build the Bill,” whe...

On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we have Graham W. Bell. Graham is a photographer, writer, and musician. He’s the founder of Focus Group Photo , which is a photography collective geared towards creating access to shows for up-and-coming photographers. Graham also runs the Rue Defense label, where he has helped release music from Elly Swope, Simple Shapes, Committeemen, and more. The J-Card i...

Welcome to The J-Card! Join us every week as we chat with a guest (usually somehow connected to the world of music) about their career, their passions, and their influences. They'll also walk us through a personalized mixtape of stuff they love, and you'll get a chance to listen to it at the end of the show! The ad-free version of the show will be available to paid subscribers, but if you don’t mi...