In Episode 26 of the Pirate Studios Podcast, we’re joined by Poli van Dam; musician, songwriter, and former member of The Bombpops, for a candid conversation that begins with a Pirate customer service mishap and unfolds into something far more meaningful.

Poli shares her origin story, from piano lessons at five and early dive bar gigs at 13 to growing up in Southern California’s punk and skate scene. She reflects on life after The Bombpops, the challenge of redefining herself as an artist, and what it really takes to sustain a creative career in 2025. We also talk about Warped Tour’s return, her experience hosting the live stream, experimenting with new sounds, and why growth often requires stepping outside your comfort zone.

The episode closes with Poli introducing a track from the unreleased Semi-Famous record, a nod to her roots while embracing what comes next.

Hayes Bradley joins us at Pirate Studios Silver Lake to talk about the weird, rewarding reality of scoring film and making music for yourself. We get into his early influences (The Prodigy, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin-adjacent chaos), how artists like Jon Hopkins helped reframe what “composer world” can look like, and the behind-the-scenes logistics of scoring — schedules, deadlines, feedback from non-musicians, and why collaboration is the whole point (even when it’s painful).

Hayes also opens up about the Palisades fires and what it taught him about letting go of anger, then rounds things out with touring highlights (Chicago forever), plus what he’s releasing next.

In this episode of the Pirate Studios Podcast, we sit down with indie pop artist Aleesha King to talk about DIY creation, van-life recording, and turning existential fear into deeply personal music.

Aleesha shares how she recorded her debut album in a self-built van, why albums still matter in a singles-driven world, and how themes like mental health, perfectionism, and mortality shape her upcoming project January Scaries. We also dive into visual world-building, creative discipline, and what it really means to make work that feels honest.

Featuring music from Aleesha King, including Written in Red. Plus a shout-out to collaborator GRVNT, who appears on an upcoming track.