An incredible frontwoman. A very honest, open conversation about making a living doing what you love. This week we speak to Yonaka's Theresa.

She shares a lot of direct big sister energy about what it takes to turn this whole music thing into a career, touching on some of the big questions. Do you have to leave your hometown? How do you stop other people ruining your songs? How do you build a world for your fans.

YONAKA INSTA - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/weareyonaka/

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- Theresa drops the one “gut rule” she lives by when writing and it’ll either free you up instantly… or make you realise you’ve been letting other people ruin your songs.

- The most honest “enjoy the journey” reality check you’ll hear.

- A simple mindset shift that makes you play harder in a room of 10 than most people do in a room of 1,000.

- The wild early Yonaka graft stories (proper chaos) that’ll make you feel way better about where you’re at right now.

- She explains why they don’t write to briefs and how that approach keeps the music feeling real in 2026.

- How the “world” of Yonaka actually forms and why most artists accidentally confuse new fans without realising it.

- The Brighton “scene” conversation: what was organic, what was luck, and what you can copy even if you’re not in a cool city.

- A sneaky real-life networking hack Theresa used through normal jobs that literally changed the band’s path.

- The personal vs band socials balance: why she keeps hers normal, and what that does for fans without overthinking it.

- The straight-talking hometown show advice that every new band needs but nobody wants to hear.

- The “move away or stay put?” big sister answer for anyone stuck in a dead town trying to make music work.

- How she learned to be a proper frontperson and the exact moment touring with huge bands flipped a switch for her.

New episodes every Monday x

Like it or not - if you're planning 2026 as your year to smash the whole 'making a living from your music thing' - you gotta be thinking about your content and social media strategy.

So we are delighted to share a masterclass from one of the best in the biz - Liam James Ward - CEO of Something Something who have worked with (and this is just a snippet) - Alex Warren, Jennifer Lopez, Lewis Capaldi, Marshmello, Yungblud and more.

This episode is full of ways to get your music - your passion - your art - in front of as many people as possible.

Lock in baby!

LIAM INSTA - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/liamjameswrd/⁠

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- Liam’s top 3 social priorities for musicians in 2026 - why you need to nurture the fans you already have, stop copying everyone else, and spend money on making better content (not just boosting meh posts).

- A simple mindset shift: community works whether you’ve got 10 fans or 10 million, if you build a system that connects people properly.

- The “don’t copy and paste” warning: what worked for another artist won’t automatically work for you, so learn the principles, then adapt.

- Identity first, tactics second: if you don’t know who you are yet, you’re not ready for “growth hacks” or ad spend.

- Liam’s practical exercise: pay attention to what you naturally love online (not just other musicians) and use that to map your taste and your vibe.

- “Consume consciously”: notice what makes you scroll away, what makes you stay, and what actually grabs your attention.

- Platform strategy made simple: you can focus on one platform if that’s your bandwidth, but you should still exist on Instagram + TikTok as a minimum so people can find you.

- Nurturing fans in real life: examples of IRL moments that deepen community and create content at the same time (meetups, small fan experiences, travel-together ideas).

- Relatable case studies to watch: Glass Beams, Father Of Peace, South Arcade, and why their content feels like you’re “in on the lore.”

- The truth about “fan pages / burner accounts”: learn about it all, but do it in a genuine way (no fake accounts, no phone farms), and think multi-channel when it makes sense.

- January planning advice: start with the big peak of your year (single, tour, headline show), then work backwards into monthly and weekly moves.

- Tools and music picks: why direct-to-fan platforms and analytics matter (Substack, Chartmetric, Cobrand).

New episodes every Monday x

Right then - regardless of if we like it or not - sorting out your money and finances if key to being able to make a living as a musician - and being a happy human overall.

Today's guest Sarah Anderson - is basically a queen of money advice for musicians. Working with both huge superstars, plus new artists towards the start of their career. Smashing it on the serious badass corporate side, but also the real world music and culture side too.

We love her one liner 'helping musicians maximise their money' - cos that's what this show does. We cover everything you need to know to help get your ££ $$ (and yen) sorted for the year ahead.

SARAH INSTA - https://www.instagram.com/sarah_rose_anderson/

OUR INSTA - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/helpingmusicianspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode Features:

- The real difference between being PAYE and self-employed, explained without confusing jargon.

- Why the way you’re paid matters just as much as how much you’re paid.

- What PAYE actually means for musicians working bar jobs, venues, or casual side gigs.

- How self-employed income lets you offset music expenses like gear, travel, software, and promo.

- Why PAYE income usually can’t be “mixed in” with your freelance music income for tax purposes.

- A common trap: thinking all income just gets lumped together (it doesn’t).

- How choosing the wrong setup can mean paying more tax than you need to.

- What to check before taking a side job so it doesn’t mess up your tax situation.

- The difference between being a freelancer at a venue vs an employee of that venue.

- Why musicians juggling multiple income streams need to be extra clear on this stuff.

- How small decisions early in the year can have big effects at tax time.

- Sarah’s big takeaway: understanding your setup = keeping more of your money.

New episodes every Monday x