Signal Path

Jeremy is DeBardi is the creative force behind Steel Beans, a project that shot to fame with viral clips of him simultaneously playing drums and guitar while singing. Marc Young spoke with a sparkly DeBardi at this year's noisy music industry trade show NAMM to discuss his musical origins, his meteoric rise after breaking the internet, and what's next after opening for bands like Tool and Tenacious D.

Despite being based in the country music capital of Nashville, BAYBE melds metal, hip-hop and pop elements into her own carefully crafted artistic vision. In this special episode of Signal Path, she spoke with Marc Young at the Shure booth of this year’s (rather noisy) NAMM music industry trade show. They discussed her wide-ranging musical influences, her meticulous attention to her spooky aesthetic, and why Nashville isn’t just for country music anymore.

Hannah V is a London-based producer, pianist and songwriter known for her collaborations with the likes of Rihanna, Stormzy, Yola and JP Cooper. Marc Young met up with her at the London Podcast Show to discuss how her multicultural upbringing in Germany and India influenced her early musical education, her transition from classically trained pianist to key member of Rihanna’s backing band, and how she once composed a track for Netflix’s Bridgerton series in just a matter of hours. This episode was recorded at the Shure booth of the very loud trade show with the SM7B microphone and it was produced by Andrew Anderson.

Famous for its holistic approach, the record label International Anthem has put out more than 60 albums over the last 10 years. Working out of Chicago, they’ve focused on progressive jazz as well as experimental genres, creating tactile products that look as good as they sound. Thomas Banks from Shure speaks with Dave Allen and David Trainor about how they recorded an entire album by Brandee Younger and Dezron Douglas remotely using just one mic at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Nita Strauss is an LA guitar hero who has shredded for Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and many more big stars over the years. In this episode, Laura Davidson speaks with Nita about her origins in the Los Angeles music scene, taking her mom backstage to meet Alice at the Hollywood Bowl, and how the Shure GLX-D+ wireless system for guitarists makes her wild performances possible.

Is the SM58 the most popular microphone of all time? Quite possibly, yes. This stage stalwart can truly handle anything thrown its way: from Mitski's drama to Frank Carter's screams and Run-DMC's rhymes. Listen to a special edition of Signal Path as part of the Shure Iconic Mic Celebration this month to discover how the SM58 has set the industry standard for live performance for more than half a century.

Rob Price is the CEO of School of Rock, a wildly successful chain of hundreds of music schools around the globe. In this episode of Signal Path, he joins from his RV 'Barry Vanilow' while on the road after SXSW. Price discusses the School of Rock's novel method of teaching kids how to play their instruments through group performance, how the music community has become vital in post pandemic times, and a new initiative to support young songwriters.

Under the moniker Circuit des Yeux, Chicago-based artist Haley Fohr creates avant-garde music that defies easy categories. She speaks with Andrew Anderson about her operatic vocal style, comparing microphones to paintbrushes and her acclaimed album -io. Known for her impressive four-octave range, Haley also offers a few tips for singers.

Bandleader and trumpet player Emma-Jean Thackray has quickly become a crucial part of the UK's contemporary jazz scene. Zakia Sewell speaks to her about her early musical inspirations and producing the tracks on her dazzling debut album Yellow.

London-based producer, vocalist and DJ Coby Sey has developed a distinctive presence with his shifting, post-genre vision of club music. Zakia Sewell speaks to him about his debut 'Conduit' and how he's at the forefront of a groundbreaking DIY movement.

For the latest episode of Signal Path, Zakia Sewell speaks with Colin Stetson, a multi-instrumentalist composer best known for his radical, full-body approach to playing the saxophone with Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Laurie Anderson and Bon Iver, as well as his eerie scores for films like Hereditary and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

A titan of electronic music, DJ and producer Jeff Mills helped shape the rise of techno like few others. Zakia Sewell speaks to the audio trailblazer about his early days in the Detroit Underground Resistance, his residency at the world famous Tresor club in Berlin, and his most recent forays into electro-jazz fusion.

Listen to a very special episode of Signal Path with George Clinton. Zakia Sewell speaks with the funk legend behind the groundbreaking musical groups Parliament and Funkadelic to explore his extraterrestrial impact on planet Earth.

Under her guise Gazelle Twin, England’s Elizabeth Bernholz explores the boundaries of art and music. Zakia Sewell speaks with her to find out how she deftly weaves unsettling electronics, ethereal vocals, folk horror and social commentary into such a potent audiovisual package.

For the latest episode of Signal Path, Zakia Sewell speaks with Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner. Known for her artfully experimental, deeply intimate brand of indie pop, the vocalist and guitarist more recently wrote the bestselling memoir ‘Crying in H Mart’, a thought-proving exploration of growing up as a Korean-American and dealing with the grief of losing her mother.

Welcome to a refreshed Signal Path! Our new host is Zakia Sewell, an award-winning broadcaster and DJ who has appeared on the BBC, NTS, Tate and Boiler Room. Welcoming a new batch of sonic innovators, she will explore those defining moments that influenced how they think about sound. For our inaugural reboot episode, Zakia chats with modular synth legend Suzanne Ciani. Among the few women on the frontline of electronic music in the 1970s, she went on to become one of the most celebrated artists in her field for her ethereal and future-facing compositions. Over the course of her career, Ciani has earned five Grammy nominations and infiltrated the mainstream through TV ads, Hollywood soundtracks, and pinball machines; paving the way for the new generation of electronic experimenters that followed.

The multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter FINNEAS is the creative mastermind behind some of the biggest hits by Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, Camila Cabello and many more. In the podcast, he explains the difference between producing his own songs and those of his superstar little sister, why he likes to incorporate random audio samples into many tracks, and the Grammy nomination for his first solo album, ‘Optimist’. This episode was recorded remotely with the Shure SM7B and MV7 microphones.

At the vanguard of Bristol's pioneering trip-hop scene in the mid-1990s, English singer Martina Topley-Bird has built a rich career from creative collaboration. In the podcast, she discusses how her approach to songwriting has evolved over the years, her recording tips for vocalists, and her brand new album 'Forever I Wait'.

Jax Anderson is an alt pop chameleon refusing to be pinned down. In the podcast, she discusses her genre agnostic approach to making music, how she tackles universal themes as a queer artist on her new concept album, and the creative inspiration she found while on a cross-country musical road trip. This episode was recorded remotely with the MV7 Podcast Microphone.

Known for her blistering blues-rock chops, the Texan guitarist Emily Wolfe is branching out with her new album 'Outlier' to incorporate more pop sensibilities. In the podcast, Wolfe discusses the new creative direction she's taken, an upcoming tour supporting Joan Jett, and how a mean guitar teacher inadvertently helped her become a multi-instrumentalist.