Reviews

This show is entertaining

Chris is my favorite

All my favorite bands

Just stumbled on this and I have hours of listening to cover.

Essential listening

… for anyone who loves music and anyone interested in songcraft. Chris is a great host because he guides the show along and lets his guests speak without making it all about himself. Very entertaining and informative.

Great mix of songwriting, production and stories

Just found it and love it already after about 5 episodes. Chris is so enthusiastic and great at drawing out details from the artists about production choices, lyrics and structure. If he’s covering a song you love (there are a lot here to choose from) and you geek out on this like I do, it’s a great podcast.

Love these deep dives

I listen to quite a few music podcasts, but none are like this. Chris interviews an artist extensively about one of their hits and then goes piece by piece through the song. I love hearing about how the songs came together and inside information about the band. It’s often quite a nostalgia trip because most of the bands are 90s pop punk and alt rock.

I’ve learned so much

So many great episodes and volumes to learn from it all. I’ve found songs that I have not been able to get out of my head, and gotten incredible insight into songs I already loved. A must for any songwriter. If you are at all thinking of listening, get ready for a deep deep dive.

Creative and Informative

I’ve been listening to Chris DeMakes a Podcast since episode 1. It scratches my itch for hearing any information on why and how my favorite artists write and record their songs, but it’s also helped me as a songwriter myself with song structure, lyrical inspiration, and just what the magic is to writing a good song. They cover a wide variety of genres as well so you get the best of all music, not just one subculture. Since starting this podcast I’ve now gotten the courage to write and record around 20 songs. DeMakes and producer/co-host Fafalios have enough personal connections to the guests to really get their raw responses. Love love love!

Great podcast

I’m probably familiar with 50% of the songs discussed and it doesn’t matter. Even the episodes where I’m clueless about the artist are entertaining. Highly recommended if you are at all interested in songwriting and popular, punk-leaning music. Some highlights if you’re just getting introduced to the podcast - Dee Snyder talking about “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and every episode involving a song from the Descendents/ALL camp (the Bill Stevenson episode is one of the most heart-wrenching things I’ve ever heard.)

Chris Demakes A Podcast!

Holy freaking cow!! How have I not listened to this yet??? I follow him on instagram and knew about this but never listened. I saw that he did “Santa Monica” with Art from Everlclear and then “In this Diary” with Kris Roe. Two minutes in I was hooked. Chris is such and incredible host and MAN does he bring it! It so obvious he has put a ton of thought, time, and effort into each song they talk about. It’s so fun to geek out and notice things I knew and stuff I didn’t know. If you like music and you like to really break down a song this podcast is for you. I am SOOOOOO impressed with his research and his knowledge. Couldn’t think of a better host or a better musical podcast. I’ve literally downloaded over half the episodes and don’t want to listen to anything else. The only thing I don’t like is that I wasn’t listening from the beginning

Great music podcast!

I immediately subscribed to this podcast as a Less Than Jake fan and it’s now my favourite podcast. I tune in every Monday, regardless of whether I know the song/band or not as it’s always an interesting conversation about music. I also love the “wrap” segment at the end where Chris and Chris chat about the episode. Highly recommend this podcast to any music lover.

Game changing podcast

This podcast has changed how I listen to music. I have been a musician for a long time, but I have never been one to dive into songs and the lyrics and the arrangement. I have been a big fan of both LTJ and Punchline and that helped me find this podcast, but it really covers all genres. They have definitely found their footing more and more as the show goes on. Sometimes Chris seems to talk over guests or not let them get their full thoughts out. Overall an incredibly great podcast.

The best songwriting and music podcast

This is the best songwriting, and possibly, best music podcast around. Chris takes a lot of time to research the songs and the subjects and has genuine enthusiasm for every song he covers, even if it’s not his style. It’s very refreshing to listen to, and it’s genuinely worth a listen (or a hundred).

Best music podcast!

I started listening because I love Less Than Jake, and I grew to seriously appreciate this show because of how Chris breaks down the lyrics of each song, talking to band members or song writers about the stories of how the songs came to be. So well-done and fascinating to hear from all of these artists. You can tell both Chrises love what they’re doing and each show just keeps getting better. You feel like you’re in the audience having fun with them. One of my favorite podcasts of all time!

LOVE THIS PODCAST!!

How did I not discover this sooner??!?! This is a genius idea and I’m having so much fun working my way through all the episodes. A must listen for any music fan.

Great podcast for music lovers!

Chris is a great interviewer! I love hearing him reminisce with other people about hit songs, tours, telling stories, and really digging into how/why/where the songs were written. I’m not a songwriter or artist, so I love getting a whole new perspective and background on songs!

Hooked

I came for the Cyrus Bolooki interview. I’ll be staying for everything else. Chris is every bit as personable here as onstage. Unsurprisingly.

Just keeps getting better

I’ve been a huge fan of the podcast from day one. I love the fact that Chris goes deeper than just “so how did you come up with the title?” Some of the stories behind the songs blow my mind, as well as the fact that so many hit songs were last minute additions or afterthoughts. As someone with an eclectic taste in music I also love the variety of guests Chris has. Five stars all day long!!!

My Favorite Podcast

I’ve been listening to this podcast for about 2 years now and it never gets old. If you grew up listening to punk or ska then you will immediately love this podcast. But you don’t have to just be a fan of punk/ska to enjoy it. People that love music in general will really appreciate hearing the song writing process and even learn new concepts about music and song writing.

Highly recommended!

Look forward to the new episode every week! Very informative and quite interesting finding out how these songs came to be directly from the artists who created them! Great Job Chris & Chris! Side note, join the supporting cast! The after-party is well worth the $!

For the Love Of Music

This is hands down my favorite podcast. Each episode is awesome. I discovered it during a time when I wasn’t playing music, and listening to music just didn’t hit like it used to…. It’s safe to say this podcast reignited my love of music and songwriting. Thanks Chris & Chris!

Awesome

I love listening to this podcast and hearing all the little things that go into songs that I never have noticed and the stories behind the songs. Chris is a great host to put it all together. Highly recommended.

Celine Dion Eating Trix for Breakfast

There are two incredible things in this world; listening to Chris DeMakes a Podcast and visualizing Celine Dion eating Trix for breakfast… The podcast showcases a wide array of musicians! If you’re into music and really wanna take a deep dive into a musicians brain, you really wanna listen to this. But also visualize Celine Dion eating Trix for breakfast. And just think about what it would be like to be that drop of milk that escapes the corner of her lips…

Great podcast.

For the Dave Pirner episode. Soul Asylum wasn’t on A&M when they put out Grave Dancers Union. They had been dropped and picked up my major label Colombia at that time.

Best podcast each week!

I can’t believe I haven’t rated this yet. Sorry Chris and Chris. I have always been a massive Less Than Jake fan and now I find myself totally enthralled with the world of songwriting thanks to Chris and his inquisitive detail driven interviews. It’s the first episode I listen to every Monday when it drops. Well done and rock on!

Great Music Podcast

Excellent podcast breaking down a different song each week in extreme detail. It’s great hearing all the stories behind the songs and getting that behind the scenes look into what went into making a hit. It’s amazing to someone who is not in the music industry how a song is actually out together from concept to release. Keep up the great work guys!

Great podcast!

Chris really dives deep into these songs. You can hear the musicians are having a good time and appreciate the time he has put into this.

Come for the LTJ, Stay for the GREAT podcast

I found this podcast because Chris happens to be the lead singer and guitarist of my favorite band, Less Than Jake. However, I've stuck with it because of how honestly great the interviews are. Chris doesn't just gush over the songs, but really gets into the songwriting process with his guests, often taking a deep dive into both the lyrics and music, not to mention teasing out some great stories along the way. Chris is a talented songwriter himself, and does a great job bonding with his guests over the process. The production is top notch, too. When a song is mentioned on the podcast, the producer (the other Chris) will often play a snippet of it. The tease is usually enough to make me want to listen to the tune after the episode. In fact, I have a whole playlist of "Chris Demakes a Podcast" inspired music that I listen to all the time. Definitely a random assortment, which really speaks to the great variety of guests. Edit: I’ve started back at the beginning and am listening through older episodes again. This podcast has really made me fall in love with music in a completely different way. I’ve always enjoyed music, but I never put any thought into the stories behind the songs. I had no clue how songs were made and, to be honest, never put any thought into it. Not only am I learning about the songs covered in the episodes, but I’ve found myself looking into the history of some of my other favorite songs, too. I feel I have a completely new appreciation for music!

Great pod about songwriting

I love that this pod takes different songwriters in different genres and breaks down the writing of either the guest’s biggest hit or fan favorite. The detail in the interview is amazing and great to know what people were thinking when they wrote their songs. It’s the first thing I listen to on Mondays and the bonus episodes are also a great touch.

Loved hearing Tom Higgenson's break down of Hey There Delilah. I didn't know that he borrowed from Onelife to write it and now they are signed to his label he created in 2017, Humans Were Here.

Tom higgenson

So cool! Really loved hearing about the break down of Hey There Delilah. I never knew Tom borrowed from One Life to write it. I’m so happy that he’s started Humans Were Here and excited to hear more about his solo project Million Miler.