Afleveringen
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This week, I'm honored to be joined by all four members of one of my favorite bands of the past decade, Temples. The English rock band blends influences from the '60s and '70s with a modern psychedelic sound that's made them a standout act in today's music landscape.
Ahead of the release of their fifth studio album, BLISS, out June 26, we took a trip down memory lane to discuss the band's origins as a project between friends in 2012, their creative evolution over the last decade, and the journey that's brought them to this next chapter.
If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to check out Temples and pre-save BLISS using the link below. Thanks so much for listening. Don't forget to follow along on Instagram and TikTok @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Pre-save BLISS
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m thrilled to welcome Evan Cartwright, drummer of the post-punk band Cola from Montreal. We chat about the band’s new release, Cost of Living Adjustment, out now, and Evan takes us behind the scenes of how the band’s separate musical lives came together to form a sound that blends post-punk edge, minimalism, and intelligence.
Be sure to check out Cola’s music and upcoming tour dates below, and follow the pod on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod. Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.
Cola on IG: https://www.instagram.com/band_cola/
Listen to 'Cost of Living Adjustment': https://found.ee/colaband
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Welcome back to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg.
This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nashville-based soul artist Jonathan Plevyak. With vocals and a style that feel pulled straight from a vintage jukebox, Jonathan blends classic soul influences with timeless themes of love, belonging, and self-discovery. We talked about his evolving sound, the nostalgia woven throughout his music, and his upcoming releases, including his newest single, “Turn Me On.”
Be sure to check out the curated playlist Jonathan made to accompany this episode below, along with his socials and where you can find his music.
Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.
Jonathan’s Playlist
Jonathan’s IG
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. I’m so excited to share my interview with Jo, the frontwoman of the band JVK. They describe their sound as “pushing the boundaries of the rock genre through their empowering, retro glam-rock/dark-pop sound”, and their new album release, Pop Culture Affair, proves that to be true. It’s a super fun record that feels both nostalgic and futuristic, and it was so fun getting to talk to Jo about her songwriting process, what it’s like getting on stage, and all of the incredible things in store for JVK this year.
Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to check out JVK’s album Pop Culture Affair out now, everywhere. Jo has also curated a playlist alongside the episode, which you can find in the show notes. Catch you next time.
Stream Pop Culture Affair
Jo’s Playlist
JVK’s Instagram
Catch up on all YHTBT episodes
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Welcome back to You Had to Be There! While I'm frolicking in Coachella Valley this coming weekend, I'm happy to kick off this week's episode featuring Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Caroline Romano. Caroline started writing emotionally driven songs at just 13 years old, even performing at a college bar open mic with her parents’ support. Since then, she’s grown into a versatile artist who moves seamlessly between misty-eyed ballads and fiery alt-rock anthems.
If you’re drawn to the cinematic storytelling of artists like Gracie Abrams or Holly Humberstone, her new EP, It Took Me Falling, captures that same feeling: the vulnerability, the intensity, and those fleeting butterfly moments of meeting someone new.
Make sure to check out Caroline’s EP, which is out now everywhere, along with the playlist she curated to go with our conversation. Thanks so much for listening and I’ll catch you next time.
Stream It Took Me Falling
Caroline’s Playlist
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Imagine your favorite music festival just dropped its lineup. You pull up the poster, scanning the names, planning your weekend. Now imagine that same lineup, filtered by gender. Suddenly, whole sections start to disappear. Headliners shrink. Entire days feel emptier than they should.
That’s not hypothetical; it’s the reality Book More Women is working to change.
This week, I spoke with Abbey Carbonneau, the founder and executive director of Book More Women, an organization that holds music festivals accountable and drives real progress toward gender-balanced lineups.
Book More Women is in the final stretch of their crowdfunding campaign, raising funds to move from tracking the issues to actually building solutions through festival partnerships, data-driven research, and new initiatives that create real accountability across the industry.
You can learn more about Book More Women and learn how to support the incredible work they do, and check out Abbey’s curated playlist below.
Support Book More Women
Book More Women IG
Abbey's Playlist
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Outro music:
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Welcome back to another episode of You Had to Be There! This week, I’m so thrilled to share my interview with rising British soul musician, MT Jones. His sound pulls inspiration from the warmth of 60s and 70s classics with the texture of modern R&B and jazz. MT's sound is grounded in timeless songwriting, live instrumentation, and a voice that carries both vulnerability and power. We talk about how his career started, who inspires him, and what he’s learned along the way. His debut album, Joy, will be released March 20, and you won’t want to miss it.
In addition to his own music, be sure to check out MT’s curated playlist alongside this episode, as well as all of his music links, which you can find below. Thank you so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.
Presave Joy
MT Jones’ IG
MT Jones’ Playlist
Follow: @uhadtobetherepod
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Welcome to the season 3 finale of You Had to Be There! This week, I’m joined by Warner Bailey, who helped build one of the most honest, funny, and unexpectedly powerful platforms in entertainment.
Warner is the co-founder of Assistant Vs. Agents, the meme account turned media brand that spotlights the real experiences of assistants across the industry. We talk about the philosophy of “working your way up,” what actually makes a great assistant, and how humor can serve as both a coping mechanism and a catalyst for change.
Be sure to check out all of the incredible work AvA has been up to by following them at the links in the episode show notes, along with Warner’s curated playlist for this episode. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time for the start of season 4 of You Had to Be There.
Assistants vs. Agents Website
Warner's Playlist
You Had to Be There IG
(Outro music: Sunday - Sea Lemon)
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Welcome back to You Had to Be There! This week, I’m excited to welcome Alec Ellin, Co-Founder and CEO of Laylo.
Laylo is a CRM, or Customer Relationship Management drop platform, used by leading artists, promoters, and event teams, including Ariana Grande, John Summit, Sombr, and many more. Since 2021, Laylo has driven over $1 billion in sales across tickets, merch, and content, and launched ticketing partnerships, with more than 200,000 drops last year alone.
We talked about how Laylo got its start, where the company stands today, and the path ahead as it helps artists and live events grow their audiences and build momentum around every drop.
You can find Laylo in the episode show notes, along with a playlist Alec curated for this episode. And next time your favorite artist texts you about their tour, it might just be coming from Laylo. Thanks so much for listening; I’ll catch you next time.
Laylo
Laylo on Linkedin
Alec’s Playlist
Episode outro: Nervous Tics by Maribou State
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. I’m so excited to introduce my guest this week, Erin Singleton, the founder of Softside.
Softside connects music artists & creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise partnerships. Erin has created a legit digital home for fan-designed merch, with simplified licensing, artist approvals, and structured revenue sharing that actually supports the creative communities behind it. We also get into their recent merch drop with Geese, designed by fans, who you might recognize from their major breakout year and their performance as last week’s SNL musical guest...!
You can check out Softside in the episode show notes, along with Erin’s playlist she curated alongside this episode. Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to stay tuned for new episodes and announcements coming soon.
Softside Merch Website
Softside Merch IG
Erin’s Playlist
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m fangirling a bit because I got to speak with the iconic, blue-haired, and effortlessly cool Charlotte Sands. Charlotte is a pop punk artist who blends upbeat melodies with honest, self-reflective lyrics. Her upcoming album, Satellite, really encapsulates where she’s been (including opening for The Maine and Yungblud on tour), who she is, and where she’s headed in her career (her next album is out March 6!) You can pre-save her album and stream a handful of singles now, and be sure to check out Charlotte’s playlist she curated for this episode in the show notes. Thanks for listening, be sure to presave her album, and I’lll catch you next time.
Charlotte's IG
Charlotte's Playlist
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Welcome back to You Had to Be There! I’m so excited to end the year with a special episode featuring one of my all-time favorite bands, Twen. I’m joined by Jane and Ian to talk about their DIY approach in everything they do, from writing songs to touring across the country, and what it’s taken to find real success on their own terms.
Be sure to check out the playlist Jane and Ian curated below, alongside this episode in the show notes. You can also follow Twen at the links I’ve included. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you in 2026.
Twen's Playlist
Twen YouTube
Twen IG
You Had to Be There IG
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Welcome back! I’m so excited to introduce Erica Campbell as this week’s guest. Erica is a seasoned music editor and writer, and most recently the former Music Editor of PAPER. She has a way of seeing artists before the rest of the world catches on, and today we get to tap into that perspective: the culture she’s observing, the shifts she’s excited about, and the moments that remind her why this work matters.
You can find Erica’s curated music playlist alongside this episode in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening. Be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Follow Erica on IG
Erica’s Playlist
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast that dives deep into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Alany Rodriguez, festival and conference programmer for SXSW’s music initiatives. In her role, Alany helps bring to life everything from Keynote & Featured Speakers, artist demo listening sessions, and music conference content. She’s also a professional member of the Recording Academy and currently serves on the National Music Education & Professional Development Committee.
It’s clear that Alany truly loves what she does — and what stood out to me most is how she views the music industry as more than just business. For her, it’s about curating unforgettable experiences and creating moments that fans and artists carry with them long after the show ends.
After the episode, be sure to check out Alany’s curated playlist, linked in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.
Alany's Playlist
Alany's LinkedIn
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Welcome back to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m thrilled to be joined by Kristin Robinson. Kristin is a Senior Correspondent at Billboard and the host of On the Record, Billboard’s new podcast that unpacks the biggest stories at the crossroads of music, business, and technology. Over the course of her career, Kristin has become a leading voice on music publishing, tech, and the rise of AI in the music industry.
Kristin has written standout cover stories for Billboard on artists like Charli XCX’s Brat Summer, Mustard’s role in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” and Ghostwriter’s viral AI-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve” featuring ‘Fake Drake’—which we’ll be digging into in this episode.
Some other exciting news: you can now watch clips of the biggest moments from this interview over on You Had to Be There’s Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod. After the episode, be sure to check out Kristin’s curated playlist a which you can find in the episode show notes. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll catch you next time.
Kristin’s IG
Kristin’s Playlist
Billboard’s On The Record Podcast
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Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m excited to introduce Melanie Williamson as this week’s guest. Melanie is the founder and editor-in-chief of Music Scene Media, a digital music publication featuring all the facets of music: from artist interviews, social content, artist photography, and more. Plus, Melanie is a concert photographer and publicist herself, so she has undoubtedly experienced some unforgettable ‘you had to be there’ moments that have shaped her career today.
Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Melanie's IG
Melanie's Playlist
Music Scene Media's IG
Music Scene Media Website
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Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m so excited to introduce Sofia Gillani as my special guest. Sofia is a West London-based artist who has devoted herself to her music through writing, producing, self-promotion and directing music videos– all independently. Her single ‘Read My Mind’ has been featured as BBC’s Artist of the Week. Her authenticity is as undeniable as her talent, and she’s just getting started.
Be sure to check out Sofia’s upcoming single, “Vulnerability,” is out this Friday, available on all streaming platforms. So be sure to check that out, as well as her curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Follow Sofia on IG
Listen to Sofia’s Music
Sofia’s Playlist
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the behind-the-scenes of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I was lucky enough to get to sit down with Abby Jones, staff editor and writer for Stereogum. Her writing has also been featured in Pitchfork, Billboard, Consequence, NPR Music, SPIN, and more. We got to discuss the impressive trajectory of her career, trusting the process, and what it was like when she saw a photo of Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda wearing an excerpt from her article on his t-shirt, circulating on Twitter. Truly a “you had to be there” kind of moment.
Be sure to check out Abby’s curated playlist and socials, which you can find below. Appreciate you listening, and I’ll catch you next time!
Abby's Playlist
Abby's IG
Abby's Twitter
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Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. After a short summer hiatus, I’m super excited to be back and introduce my latest guest, Erica D’Aurora!
Erica is the powerhouse behind Gioia Communications, a PR agency for artists. The name gioia—Italian for “joy”—perfectly captures the passion for music she has carried throughout her entire life. She shares how she went from writing about music as a blogger to building a business that helps artists get their work heard. In this episode, Erica breaks down the steps, lessons, and mindset shifts that shaped her path in the music industry.
Be sure to check out Erica’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which feature some of the artists she works with, and some of her other favorites, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening! Be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Erica's IG
Erica’s Playlist
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Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. I'm so thrilled to introduce Katie Garcia as this week’s guest. Katie is the Co-Founder of Bayonet Records, an independent music label that she founded with her husband, Dustin Payseur, who also happens to front one of my favorite bands of all time: Beach Fossils.
Katie has been a major inspiration to me since the early days of my career. If I had to sum her up in one word, it would be cool—but that barely scratches the surface. As the Co-Founder of Bayonet, she’s not only built a successful, indie label from the ground up, but she’s also been instrumental in launching the careers of artists like Japanese Breakfast and Phoebe Bridgers. All of this while balancing motherhood and holding things together as her husband, Dustin, goes on the road with the Beach Fossils boys.
Be sure to check out Katie’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.
Bayonet Records IG
Katie’s Curated Playlist
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