Ana Cristina Cash joins me to talk about her Cuban-American upbringing in Miami, recording at Cash Cabin, and why translating a song can be harder than writing one from scratch. We get into her English and Spanish versions of “How Do I Live,” the influence of Gloria Estefan and Selena, and the childhood memories behind The Sunshine State. I share what producing Spanish-language vocals taught me about my own ear, and we compare notes on finding time to create around marriage, kids, and everyday life.

Ana’s music and official links:

https://linktr.ee/anacristinacash

Ana’s website:

https://anacristinacash.com/

Singer-songwriter Lizzie Weber joins me in the studio to talk about her new album, Wraiths in the Wake, making music through grief, and the pressure

Lizzie is based in St. Louis, and her third album was co-produced with Nathan Yaccino, whose credits include Soundgarden and Brandi Carlile. We get into the loss and betrayal behind the record, her love of ’90s music, and how the right collaborators can take a song somewhere you couldn’t have gone alone.

We also talk about AI-generated music, social media becoming the music industry’s gatekeeper, and wanting to share your work without selling every part of yourself. I share how losing my mom led me to start this podcast, and we compare what we each get out of writing, recording, and performing.

Along the way: booking a tour of Japan through Twitter, opening for Ben Folds and The Swell Season, collaborating with Markéta Irglová, and a little music theory that somehow ends with The Lego Movie.

Listen to Wraiths in the Wake:
https://lizzieweber.bandcamp.com/album/wraiths-in-the-wake

Find Lizzie’s music, social accounts, and tour dates:
https://linktr.ee/lizzieweber

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Before a song ever makes it into the studio, there's a phase almost nobody gets to see.

Singer-songwriter Ruby Rae and I sit down with the original voice memos for her upcoming record and begin the pre-production process in real time. We listen through unfinished demos, talk about the stories behind the songs, explore possible arrangements, and figure out what this album wants to become before anyone presses record.