The Hardest Part

What do you do when you have five separate demos and no idea how they fit together? In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with NYC psych-pop collective Psymon Spine to unpack the twisting, turbulent process behind their song Wizard Acid. Written remotely during the pandemic and born from five conflicting demos, the track became one of their most ambitious—and hardest to finish. They break down how Wizard Acid evolved piece by piece: from early voice memos and lost choruses to Bowie-inspired edits and haunted house energy. Along the way, they reflect on collaboration, overthinking, and the surprising value of returning to the first idea. Artist: Psymon SpineSong: “Wizard Acid”Album: Head Body Connector Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Recording Engineers: Max WalkerCreative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Elles Bailey to unpack the long, personal, and painful process behind “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” a track that sat in her voice notes for over five years before she could face recording it. Originally written after an emotional phone call, the song felt too raw, too unresolved, to finish. Elles shares how she rewrote it again and again—changing verses, adjusting melodies, pulling back—trying to make it more manageable. But every version felt wrong. We also talk about: How trauma can freeze the creative process When you know a song is too close to touch—but too important to ignore Why voice notes can become emotional time capsules And the challenge of singing something you’re still going through The episode closes with a stripped-back performance of “Ballad of a Broken Dream,” recorded live at The Thin White Duke in Soho, London. Artist: Elles BaileySong: “Ballad of a Broken Dream”Album: Beneath the Neon Glow Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Recording Engineers: Max WalkerCreative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)Recording Studio: The Thin White Duke, London.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Adult Jazz to unpack the long and winding process behind “Earth of Worms,” one of the most technically complex and emotionally unruly songs on their album So Sorry So Slow. The song had been in progress for nearly seven years, and at one point, it was too clean—too correct. The band talks openly about how chasing technical polish nearly stripped the track of its emotional weight, and how they had to unlearn their habits in order to start again. The final version was built by embracing instinct, letting the form collapse, and trusting that songwriting didn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful. We talk about: Why they scrapped the original version after years of demos How harmony, rhythm, and “bad piano playing” helped reanimate the track What it means to write a song that’s falling apart by design How process panic, musical overthinking, and care can sometimes clash And why “Earth of Worms” had to be messy to make sense The episode ends with an exclusive stripped-back live performance of “Earth of Worms.” Artist: Adult JazzSong: “Earth of Worms”Album: So Sorry So Slow Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Recording Engineers: Max Walker & Chris GoldsmithCreative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography)Recording Location: Thin White Duke Studios, London.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Deep Sea Diver at Third Man Records in Soho to unpack the complicated road behind their track “Shovel.” It started out as the easiest song they’d ever written—and nearly became the one that didn’t make the record at all. The band explains how the song went through multiple versions, two cities, and nearly three scrapped attempts. They talk about trying to hold together wildly different ideas—from Nick Cave-inspired spoken word sections to a Kate Bush–style pop outro—and the challenge of making something cohesive out of sounds that didn’t seem to belong in the same world. We also talk about: The feeling of getting sick from your own song Creative burnout caused by high expectations How co-producer Andy Park helped salvage the track by remixing old material the band had abandoned Why some songs only work when you finally let go And in one of the episode’s most revealing moments, Jessica Dobson explains how a random writing exercise—based on the word “shovel”—led to some of the most vulnerable lyrics on the record, confronting her inner critic in a voice that was both joyful and aggressive. The result is a song that’s part destruction, part self-preservation. The episode closes with a stripped-back live performance of “Shovel,” recorded at Third Man Records in London. Artist: Deep Sea DiverSong: “Shovel”Album: Billboard Heart Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Engineers: Max Walker (Mix) and Grant Frampton (Recording)Creative Team: Callum BakerRecording Location: Third Man Records, LondonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Sophie Jamieson to explore the writing of “How Do You Want to Be Loved?”, a delicate and emotionally loaded song from her album I Still Want To Share. Unlike many of her songs, this one had a clear emotional target from the start — written for someone close to her, while navigating a mix of love, frustration, and grief. It wasn’t just a songwriting challenge. It was a personal risk: how do you tell the truth when the person it’s about might hear it? Sophie talks about the careful balance of being honest without being hurtful, and how that shaped every line — especially when deciding how much anger to let through. She also reflects on the power of the outro, a section she says redefined the entire track and gave meaning to the rest of the album.  We also talk about: Writing a song mid-album and knowing it had to be included When songwriting becomes emotional processing How to finish a song when the person it’s about still matters to you Why outros are where the truth often lands The episode ends with an intimate live performance of “How Do You Want to Be Loved?”, recorded exclusively for The Hardest Part. Artist: Sophie JamiesonSong: “How Do You Want to Be Loved?”Album: I Still Want To Share   Host and Executive Producer: Kieron Banerji Mix Engineer: Max Walker Recording Engineer: Chris Goldsmith Creative Team: Callum Baker (Photography), Giovanni Almonte (Videography) Recording Studio: Thin White Duke Studios, LondonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.