Welcome to "loves music," a Podcast with Julian Jones!

Episodes

27. Creating From Rock Bottom: VLNTYN on Divorce, Discipline, & Darkness in Indie Rock
Oct. 9, 2025

27. Creating From Rock Bottom: VLNTYN on Divorce, Discipline, & Darkn…

Ep.027: What happens when the music gets personal… like really personal? In this episode, I sit down again with returning guest Jorge Vallentine, the force behind Milwaukee-based indie rock project VLNTYN, to talk about art t...

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Bringing Big Emotion to Indie Rock: Marc Ramos of Morning Wars
Oct. 2, 2025

Bringing Big Emotion to Indie Rock: Marc Ramos of Morning Wars

Ep.026: Marc Ramos didn’t wait for permission; he built Morning Wars from the ground up, chasing the kind of indie rock that hits like a memory and sticks like a bruise. In this conversation, I sit down with the mind behind M...

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How Hearing Loss Made Matt Fell a Better Musician
Sept. 25, 2025

How Hearing Loss Made Matt Fell a Better Musician

Ep.025: Some artists build their sound around what’s trendy. Others build it around what’s true . Matt Fell falls into the latter. A Philly-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Matt blends raw vulnerability with polish...

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The Artist’s Mindset: Self-Doubt, Delusion, and the Drive to Keep Creating with mcgwn
Sept. 18, 2025

The Artist’s Mindset: Self-Doubt, Delusion, and the Drive to Keep Cre…

Ep.024: In this episode, I chop it up with Maryland-based rapper and genre-blending artist mcgwn: someone who, at just 18, has already crafted a sound and visual identity that feels polished, intentional, and full of promise....

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Writing Music That Connects: Kevin McClure on Earnest Lyrics and Ambitious Sound
Sept. 11, 2025

Writing Music That Connects: Kevin McClure on Earnest Lyrics and Ambi…

Ep.023: Kevin McClure isn’t interested in chasing trends; he’s here to build something real. In this conversation, we get into the tension between commercial appeal and creative integrity, and how Kevin navigates that tightro...

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Making Powerful, Genre-Bending Music with Brookelyn Rose
Sept. 4, 2025

Making Powerful, Genre-Bending Music with Brookelyn Rose

Ep.022: From the moment I met Brookelyn Rose, I knew her voice had weight. It wasn’t just pretty, it meant something. In this episode, I reconnect with the powerhouse vocalist and songwriter whose voice first landed on one of...

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How IMVNI Blends Jazz, Rock & Soul into a Healing Soundscape
Aug. 28, 2025

How IMVNI Blends Jazz, Rock & Soul into a Healing Soundscape

Ep.021: There’s no one like IMVNI. Born on “Planet X” and raised in Louisiana, her music folds jazz, R&B, rock, and soul into a sonic experience that’s both otherworldly and deeply rooted. In this conversation, we break down ...

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The Art of Slow Growth and Earnest Music with RIMENY
Aug. 21, 2025

The Art of Slow Growth and Earnest Music with RIMENY

Ep.020: What happens when a film composer decides to stop playing it cool and finally puts his own name, and heart, into the music? In this episode, I talk with RIMENY, the alt-pop project of Zak Engel, who’s flipping the scr...

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Building a Podcast Brand and Finding Your Voice with Quia Morgan-Hill
Aug. 14, 2025

Building a Podcast Brand and Finding Your Voice with Quia Morgan-Hill

Quia Morgan-Hill knows how to make a brand stand out in a crowded media space, and she’s been doing it for over a decade. From her start in radio to building a full-service multimedia company, Quia has mastered the art of ble...

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The Business of Bars: Publishing, Branding & the Power of Consistency with Scholito
Aug. 7, 2025

The Business of Bars: Publishing, Branding & the Power of Consistency…

This one’s bigger than bars. In this episode, I reconnect with Philly artist, writer, and producer Scholito, a true force in the independent music world. We talk about everything from publishing deals to post-traumatic growth...

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How Wilhelm Duke Built a Genre-Defying Rap Career Without Industry Backing
July 31, 2025

How Wilhelm Duke Built a Genre-Defying Rap Career Without Industry Ba…

Wilhelm Duke has bars, bounce, and a catalog deeper than you might expect. In this episode, I catch up with the Swedish American rapper who’s been carving his sound from the streets of Chicago to viral moments on Facebook. We...

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Plans Change, So Make a Band: Adrienne Swiatocha’s Musical Rebirth
July 24, 2025

Plans Change, So Make a Band: Adrienne Swiatocha’s Musical Rebirth

Adrienne Swiatocha didn’t grow up playing in bands or chasing music dreams from the jump. She built a career, had a family, and then picked up a guitar… and thank God she did. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to ...

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Making Music in the Age of Algorithms, with Lina Cooper
July 17, 2025

Making Music in the Age of Algorithms, with Lina Cooper

From the first time I heard Lina Cooper, I knew she wasn’t just writing songs; she was writing scenes. The kind that feel like your life, but funnier, messier, louder, and somehow still tender as hell. In this episode, I catc...

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What It Takes to Make "Timeless" Music, with Rob Tait
July 10, 2025

What It Takes to Make "Timeless" Music, with Rob Tait

There are some artists who just keep getting better, and Rob Tait is one of them. In this episode, we dive into the making of At the End of the World , his gorgeously raw solo album, and his collaborative journey with the sou...

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Going Viral with Integrity: Mike Nappi (of NappiMusic) on Philly, Passion, and Persistence
July 3, 2025

Going Viral with Integrity: Mike Nappi (of NappiMusic) on Philly, Pas…

In this episode, I catch up with Philly artist and internet swiss-army knife Mike Nappi: someone who’s equal parts musician, comedian, and marketing mind. From writing soul-sample bangers to rapping with Logan Paul and droppi...

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How to Build an Artist Brand Without Losing Yourself, with Kirsten Izer
June 26, 2025

How to Build an Artist Brand Without Losing Yourself, with Kirsten Iz…

Kirsten Izer isn’t trying to find her sound; she’s already living in it. Her debut EP The Perfect Hire is a genre-blurring, emotionally precise collection that pulls just as much from ambient indie pop as it does from confess...

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The Joy and Struggle of Indie Music: Rebecca McCartney Gets Real About the Artist Life
June 19, 2025

The Joy and Struggle of Indie Music: Rebecca McCartney Gets Real Abou…

Some artists write music. Rebecca McCartney channels it. Her voice is warm, her lyrics cut deep, and her songs feel like pages from the journal you’ve been afraid to open. In this episode, we dive into how she turned a childh...

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From Funk Legend to Fatherhood: James Jones on Breakwater, Balance, and Musical Legacy
June 12, 2025

From Funk Legend to Fatherhood: James Jones on Breakwater, Balance, a…

In this special Father’s Day edition of “loves music,” I sit down with my dad—James Jones, drummer of the legendary Philly funk band Breakwater—for a conversation that’s part history lesson, part love letter to music, and par...

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How to Build a Brand That Moves with Your Music, with Lauren Tafoya (Laquela)
June 5, 2025

How to Build a Brand That Moves with Your Music, with Lauren Tafoya (…

This conversation opens the door to a side of music we don’t often talk about: the business beneath the art. Lauren Tafoya, also known as Laquela, has created a powerful framework for helping artists turn their message into s...

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Why You Don’t Need a Blueprint to Be a Musician Today, with Tony Oso
May 29, 2025

Why You Don’t Need a Blueprint to Be a Musician Today, with Tony Oso

In this episode, I get into it with Brooklyn-based artist Tony Oso; someone who’s built his music career from the ground up without chasing trends or compromising his sound. From working in music tech by day to playing late-n...

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Building a Purpose-Driven Media Platform as a One-Woman Show with Shameika Rhymes
May 22, 2025

Building a Purpose-Driven Media Platform as a One-Woman Show with Sha…

Shameika Rhymes wears many hats, but every one of them comes with heart. In this episode, I sit down with the award-winning journalist, producer, and creator behind Check the Rhymes TV , Solebration , and the Ladies Edition p...

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How Theo Smith Built a Platform With Nothing But a Phone and a Dream
May 15, 2025

How Theo Smith Built a Platform With Nothing But a Phone and a Dream

In this episode, I sit down with Theo Smith, the creative force behind the viral street interview series Please Don’t Irk Me . We talk about everything from growing up in a musical family and finding his voice in church, to b...

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Creating from the Dark: Art, Identity, and Embracing Your Own Path with Jorge Valentine
May 8, 2025

Creating from the Dark: Art, Identity, and Embracing Your Own Path wi…

In this episode, I sit down with Jorge Valentine, an indie alt-rock artist who’s reshaping his sound—and his story—through emotional honesty and creative evolution. We talk about his move from Mexico to Milwaukee, how music h...

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Finding Your Voice Again: Creativity, Mental Health, and Rebuilding Confidence with Katlyn Cook
May 1, 2025

Finding Your Voice Again: Creativity, Mental Health, and Rebuilding C…

In this episode, I sit down with Katlyn Cook, a creator whose journey through music, mental health, and entrepreneurship reveals the power of starting over. We talk about how losing—and reclaiming—her voice shaped her adult l...

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