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loves music

loves music

Written by: Julian Jones
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 "loves music" is a podcast, hosted by me, Julian Jones, that celebrates music and the moments that made us fall in love with it. It’s for music-lovers who, despite the demands of life, remain passionate about their beloved albums and artists and still seek to discover new talent, whether online, internationally, or within the sweaty crowded bars of your hometown. It’s in us! We don't know why we do it; we just do… and we refuse to grow out of it. Every Thursday, I interview artists past and present about making music: their inspiration, their challenges, and the moments they will never forget. If you love or even have a dysfunctional relationship with music, come along, and share this show with someone who loves music.Copyright 2026 Julian Jones Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Music Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 56. He Taught Himself to Produce, Mix, and Master: Julian Martinez of Midnight Spies

    56. He Taught Himself to Produce, Mix, and Master: Julian Martinez of Midnight Spies
    Apr 30 2026
    Julian Martinez taught himself to produce, mix, and master music from his bedroom, and now he's finishing a debut album that sounds like it came out of a professional studio.The guitarist, songwriter, and producer behind Houston-born duo Midnight Spies has spent the better part of the last half decade writing, tracking, mixing, and learning how to do it all himself. He and bassist Matt Newton started the project during the pandemic, taught themselves production from scratch, and now they’re finishing a debut album that spans new wave, synth pop, Brit pop, and funk, all without a label, a big budget, or a plan to slow down. Julian sat down with Julian Jones to talk about the grind behind the sound, what it’s like to chase a dream that doesn’t pay yet, and why playing White Oak Music Hall felt like arriving 10 years early.In this conversation, we get into:How Midnight Spies blend The Cure, Bleachers, and Prince into one cohesive soundWriting an album over five years and why the EP came out of it sidewaysLearning to produce, mix, and master your own music from scratchWhy music moves in 25-year cycles and what that means for bands right nowThe imposter syndrome that inspired their single “The Owl Sees All”About Julian Martinez / Midnight Spies:Midnight Spies is a new wave and synth pop duo from Houston (now Austin), TX, formed by guitarist/producer Julian Martinez and bassist/vocalist Matthew Newton. Their sound draws from The Police, Bleachers, 1975, and 80s Brit pop. Their debut album is expected later in 2026.Connect with Midnight Spies:Linktree: linktr.ee/midnightspiesMusic Mentioned in this Episode:Songs:If It’s Happening Again — Midnight SpiesPlay It Like New York — Midnight SpiesIn This House — Midnight SpiesThe Owl Sees All — Midnight SpiesSex on Fire — Kings of LeonGet Better — BleachersSomebody Else — The 1975Sex — The 1975Chocolate — The 1975If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) — The 1975It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You) — The 1975Female Robbery — The NeighbourhoodMy Love — Justin TimberlakeToxic — Britney SpearsEspresso — Sabrina CarpenterThe Chain — Fleetwood MacMr. Brightside — The KillersVoodoo Child — Jimi HendrixAlbums & Projects:Midnight Spies EP — Midnight SpiesOnly by the Night — Kings of LeonCarrie & Lowell — Sufjan StevensFutureSex/LoveSounds — Justin TimberlakeMaster of Reality — Black SabbathParanoid — Black SabbathArtists & Bands:Midnight SpiesKings of LeonBleachers / Jack AntonoffThe 1975The NeighbourhoodThe CureThe PoliceBlue NileSufjan StevensJustin TimberlakeKendrick LamarThe StrokesQueens of the Stone AgeFoo FightersImagine DragonsFleetwood MacThe KillersMy Chemical RomancePrimusBlack SabbathRushJimi HendrixStevie Ray VaughanLed ZeppelinPrinceMadonnaBritney SpearsTame ImpalaOlivia RodrigoSabrina CarpenterNellyPharrell / The NeptunesTaylor SwiftBruno MarsAdeleAmy WinehouseLogicMagnolia ParkThe ParadoxJunkyard CatNew ShopDaft PunkJoy WaveKing DiamondThe MisfitsThe Clash-------------Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX"loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBgCheck out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417Check out Julian’s book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDThis podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com
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    55 mins
  • 55. “Even Goddesses Have Insecurities” – Dareen on Her Debut Album

    55. “Even Goddesses Have Insecurities” – Dareen on Her Debut Album
    Apr 23 2026
    Dareen came back with a whole album and a completely different energy.She was Episode 2 — one of the very first guests on loves music — and back then she was just getting her feet wet again after a decade away from recording. Now she's returned with Goddess, a full-length debut that explores femininity, power, vulnerability, and self-doubt through dark, ethereal alternative pop. Julian and Dareen get into the making of the album, what it means to be a woman making music about womanhood without alienating anyone, and why the creation itself might matter more than the numbers.In this conversation, we get into:How an album she never planned to make became the most cohesive thing she's doneThe song she'd pitch to a label and why "Power" is the oneWhat men should take away from a feminist album that isn't anti-menWhy indie music culture lost its sense of discovery, and whether scenes still existThe advice she'd give artists battling post-release blues and self-doubtAbout Dareen:Dareen is a Polish/Lebanese/Gambian singer-songwriter based in Greece and the host of the Hymn of the Goddess podcast, a community platform amplifying independent female artists. After a 10-year hiatus, she released her debut album Goddess in 2025 — a conceptual project blending alternative pop, trap-soul, and dark electronic textures.Connect with Dareen:Instagram: instagram.com/dareen.mp3TikTok: tiktok.com/@xoxo_dareenSpotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7azOWyR2mZ7PSy71udacABThreads: threads.com/@dareen.mp3LinkTree: linktr.ee/darxxnMerch: dareen.printify.meMusic Mentioned in this Episode:Songs:Power — DareenCleopatra — DareenThe Villain — DareenGoddess — DareenGood Enough — Dareen (feat. Kaylee Wilson)What's Wrong With Me — DareenMisunderstanding — DareenIn Disguise — DareenSex on Fire — Kings of LeonFade — TinasheEspresso — Sabrina CarpenterAlbums & Projects:Goddess (album) — DareenDid You Miss Me? (EP) — DareenOnly by the Night — Kings of LeonBrat — Charli XCXArtists & Bands:DareenKaylee WilsonKings of LeonTinasheLana Del ReyMadonnaNessa BarrettMitskiBillie EilishThe WeekndCharli XCXSabrina CarpenterTate McRaeAddison RaeBritney SpearsJ LoWhitney HoustonMichael JacksonTaylor Swift---------------Follow the OFFICIAL "loves music" playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/library/playlist/p.4Y0J406i03DQrX"loves music" playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qE3kq89oyg3tFNbmRfHEO?si=vopaKQnNS8OHn0r2fFTVBgCheck out the "loves music" podcast website: https://www.podpage.com/loves-music/Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianjones417/Julian on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@julianjones417Check out Julian's book: https://a.co/d/0hzWNkiDThis podcast is managed by Wildwave Podcasting: https://www.wildwavepodcasting.com
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    55 mins
  • 54. She Sold 50,000 CDs Out of Her Living Room, with LauraLea

    54. She Sold 50,000 CDs Out of Her Living Room, with LauraLea
    Apr 16 2026

    Ep.54: She was being looked at by Warner Brothers, playing sold-out shows in New York… and then she got pregnant and walked away from all of it.

    LauraLea Taraskus has been a full-time working musician since 1997: 26 consecutive summers at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle City, six nights a week with her band Tripp Fabulous, and a catalog of original songs she's been playing live but hasn't recorded in over 20 years. Julian and LauraLea go way back — she sang on his album, performed at his wedding, and wrote one of his favorite songs of all time. Now she's heading back into the studio at 50, and her teenage daughter is writing the drum parts.

    In this conversation, we get into:

    • Her song "Cheers" and why Julian considers it one of the best songs ever written
    • Recording a raw, live album in Chicago on sake and gut instinct
    • Choosing motherhood over record deals and realizing it wasn't a sacrifice
    • Why she refuses to use backing tracks and what that means for a four-piece cover band
    • Going back to the studio at 50 with drum parts written by her teenage daughter

    About LauraLea:

    LauraLea Taraskus is a South Jersey-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has performed full-time for nearly 30 years. She fronts Tripp Fabulous, a four-piece cover band that tours the East Coast from Dewey Beach to Key West, and performs solo acoustic shows year-round. Her 2004 debut album is available on all streaming platforms.

    Connect with LauraLea:

    Website: trippfabulousband.com

    Instagram: instagram.com/lauralea_trippfabulous

    Facebook: facebook.com/trippfabulous

    Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/02AoKp0R0AUsWfo2Omg5Y5

    Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/lauralea-taraskus/251819215

    Music Mentioned in this Episode:

    Songs:

    • Cheers (LauraLea Taraskus)
    • Chemical Whore (LauraLea Taraskus)
    • This Is Mine (LauraLea Taraskus)
    • Perfect (LauraLea Taraskus)
    • Zombie (The Cranberries)
    • Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana)
    • When You Were Young (The Killers)
    • The Story (Brandi Carlile)
    • Gravity (Sara Bareilles)
    • Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton)
    • Mother (Danzig)
    • Angie (The Rolling Stones)
    • Good Luck Babe (Chappell Roan)
    • Red Wine Supernova (Chappell Roan)

    Albums & Projects:

    • Grace (Jeff Buckley)
    • LauraLea (LauraLea Taraskus, 2004)

    Artists & Bands:

    • LauraLea Taraskus
    • Tripp Fabulous
    • The Cranberries
    • Nirvana
    • The Killers
    • Brandi Carlile
    • Sara Bareilles
    • Jeff Buckley
    • Chris Stapleton
    • Marcus King
    • Chappell Roan
    • Taylor Swift
    • Sabrina Carpenter
    • Kings of Leon
    • Mumford & Sons
    • Tame Impala
    • Cage the Elephant
    • Dr. Dog
    • Gnarls Barkley
    • Four Non Blondes
    • Linda Perry
    • Joan Jett
    • Elton John
    • Sydney Irving
    • Primus
    • Tool
    • Danzig
    • The Rolling Stones
    • Pink
    • Sia
    • Rihanna
    • Phoebe Bridgers
    • Boy Genius
    • The Warning
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    55 mins
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