Shows / The Hardest Part
The Hardest Part
Hosted by Kieron Banerji, The Hardest Part dives deep into the most challenging songs ever written. Every two weeks, an artist joins Kieron in the studio to break down the struggles, breakthroughs, and raw emotions behind their toughest songwriting experiences. From overcoming creative blocks to tapping into painful memories, these conversations reveal the delicate balance between self-expression and self-protection. Each episode wraps with an exclusive live performance of the song—raw…
Episodes
- The Hardest Part
HP #51: Jamie Webster: "Small Town Life"
Jamie Webster joins Kieron Banerji on The Hardest Part to break down the writing, meaning and performance of his song “Small Town Life.” Jamie…
- The Hardest Part
HP #50: Le Ren: "Die Inside"
Le Ren almost threw this song away. On this episode of The Hardest Part with Kieron Banerji, she opens up "Die Inside" from her album Don't Be Funny Without…
- The Hardest Part
HP #49: Rosa Walton: "Halfway Round The World"
Rosa Walton spent over 18 months getting one song right. On this episode of The Hardest Part, Rosa opens up "Halfway Around the World" from her album Tell Me…
- The Hardest Part
HP #48: Tenderness: "Playing Country Roads"
Tenderness didn't find "Playing Country Roads" hard to write, she found it almost impossible to hold. On this episode of The Hardest Part with Kieron Banerji…
- The Hardest Part
HP #47: Julia Cumming on the Song That Scared Her to Write
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Julia Cumming to discuss “Please Let Me Remember This,” one of the most personal…
- The Hardest Part
HP #46: Ava Joe on Songwriting and Nostalgia.
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Ava Joe to break down the making of “Am I a Dreamer”, a song inspired by one of…
- The Hardest Part
HP #45: Metric on the Song That Defined the Album
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Metric to break down the making of “Victim of Luck”, the opening track from…
- The Hardest Part
#HP 44: Will White of The Maccabees on Writing Through Discomfort
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Will White to break down the making of “6:30 AM”, a song that became the…
- The Hardest Part
#HP 43: Witch Fever on Christianity, misogyny, religious trauma, and making of “The Garden”
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Witch Fever break down the songwriting process and music production process behind “The Garden,” a song shaped…
- The Hardest Part
HP #42: Lily Moore Breaks Down Grown Up Girl Regrets.
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Lily Moore to break down the making of “Grown Up Girl Regrets” and why it became…
- The Hardest Part
HP #41: Young the Giant on Returning to the Spirit of Their Early Days
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Young the Giant break down the songwriting process and music production process behind “Different Kind of…
- The Hardest Part
HP #40: Westerman on isolation, injury, and writing “Mosquito.”
What happens when you can’t move, can’t escape, and a song is the only thing you can build. In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji…
- The Hardest Part
HP #39: Winter on the importance of finding the right tempo and key.
Sometimes the hardest part is not writing the song, it is making it feel right. In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Winter to…
- The Hardest Part
HP #38: The Overjoyed on Writing About Mental Health, Isolation, and Bittersweet Songs.
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Athens-based band The Overjoyed to go behind the scenes of their track “Party…
- The Hardest Part
HP #37: Tigercub on Balancing Instinct and Editing in Songwriting
In this episode of The Hardest Part podcast, Tigercub break down the songwriting and creative process behind their track, "Fall In Fall Out". The track sits at…
- The Hardest Part
HP #36: Madi Diaz on the songwriting process behind “Heavy Metal”
Sometimes the hardest part of songwriting is figuring out what you are actually feeling. In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with…
- The Hardest Part
HP #35: Sunflower Bean on writing “I Knew Love” in the studio.
What happens when you enter the studio with a song that is not finished and no time to figure it out? In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits…
- The Hardest Part
HP #34: Foy Vance Unpacks How Ego Affects Songwriters.
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Foy Vance to explore the realities of songwriting and the role ego plays in the creative…
- The Hardest Part
HP #33: The Moment Sam Fischer Realized He Had to Keep This Song
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Sam Fischer for a behind the scenes look at the songwriting and music production behind his…
- The Hardest Part
HP #32: Mariachi El Bronx on The Moment That Unlocked the Entire Album
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Matt from Mariachi El Bronx for a behind the scenes look at the songwriting and music…
- The Hardest Part
HP #31: Dream Nails on Using Free Writing to Finish Their Hardest Song.
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with Dream Nails to unpack the making of their track “The Information,” a song that…
- The Hardest Part
HP #30 : Ulrika Spacek on Combining Two Songs Into One
What happens when two ideas don't fit — until they finally do? What does that process actually look like? In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron…
- The Hardest Part
HP #29: Chartreuse Break Down a Song Born From Pain and Healing
How do you turn fear and anxiety into something creative? In this episode of The Hardest Part, Kieron Banerji sits down with UK band Chartreuse to unpack the…
- The Hardest Part
HP #028 | Song Exploder’s Hrishikesh Hirway Breaks Down His Own Song
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Hrishikesh Hirway — musician, composer, and creator of the iconic podcast Song…
- The Hardest Part
Psymon Spine: “Wizard Acid” — Turning Five Demos into One Song
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…
- The Hardest Part
Elles Bailey: “Ballad of a Broken Dream” — When a Song Feels Too Personal to Record
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…
- The Hardest Part
Adult Jazz: “Earth of Worms” — When Perfection Gets in the Way of Songwriting
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,&rdquo…
- The Hardest Part
Deep Sea Diver: “Shovel” — How to Rebuild a Song That’s Falling Apart
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…
- The Hardest Part
Sophie Jamieson: “How Do You Want to Be Loved?” — Songwriting and Honesty
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…
- The Hardest Part
Anna B Savage: “Donegal” — Writing Through Creative Block and Emotional Uncertainty
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Anna B Savage to unpack the long and winding process behind “Donegal,” a…
- The Hardest Part
Famous: “Leaving Tottenham” — The Technical Challenge of Confessional Writing and the Fear It Might Not Matter
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by London band Famous to unpack the writing of “Leaving Tottenham,” a climactic…
- The Hardest Part
Masma Dream World: “Please Come to Me” — Sound as Ritual, Trusting the Process, and Surviving the Threshold
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Devi Mambouka, the artist and music producer who performs as Masma Dream World, to…
- The Hardest Part
Folk Bitch Trio: “Sarah” — How to Bring a Song Back from the Brink — and the Importance of Brutal Honesty in Songwriting
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Australian group Folk Bitch Trio to reflect on the long, messy road to finishing…
- The Hardest Part
Bria Salmena: “Closer to You” — Creative Blocks, Remote Recordings, and a Chorus That Wouldn’t Land
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Bria Salmena to unpack the winding creative journey behind “Closer to You,” a…
- The Hardest Part
Jack Garratt: “Mara” — Making Peace with the Voice in Your Head
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by singer, songwriter, and producer Jack Garratt for a deeply introspective conversation…
- The Hardest Part
Efterklang: "Getting Reminders" — How a Mother’s Guitar and Lisbon’s River Shaped a Song
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down backstage at The Barbican with Casper Clausen of Danish band Efterklang to dive into the…
- The Hardest Part
Ashaine White: "Hotel" — Seeing Her Mother Clearly Through Song
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Ashaine White to explore the emotional and creative depths of her song…
- The Hardest Part
The Amazons: "Black Magic" & "Joe Bought a Gun" — Matt Thomson on The Amazons’ Songwriting Journey
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined in the studio by Matt Thomson of The Amazons to unpack the creative journey behind two…
- The Hardest Part
Ora Cogan: "Crickets"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined in the studio by musician Ora Cogan to explore the intricate journey behind her song…
- The Hardest Part
Amahla: "Apathy"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined in the studio by Amahla to explore the creation of her song "Apathy." The conversation…
- The Hardest Part
Canty: "hahaha"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Canty to explore the emotional depth behind his track "hahaha." Canty opens up about…
- The Hardest Part
Molly Payton: "You're On Your Own This Time, Again"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with singer-songwriter Molly Payton to explore the journey behind her song "You're On Your…
- The Hardest Part
Rosie Lowe: "Gratitudes"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Rosie Lowe to explore the story behind her song "Gratitudes." Rosie recounts the…
- The Hardest Part
Kiioto: "Wild Geese"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Rohan and Lou from the band Kiioto to discuss the challenges behind their song "Wild…
- The Hardest Part
Lexie Carroll: "laundry detergent"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with singer-songwriter Lexie Carroll to discuss her track "laundry detergent." Lexie opens…
- The Hardest Part
SOFY: "Pirates"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji welcomes singer-songwriter SOFY to discuss the personal journey behind her song "Pirates," featured on…
- The Hardest Part
Tim Atlas: "Out Cold"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji sits down with Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and producer Tim Atlas to delve into the story…
- The Hardest Part
Los Bitchos: "Don't Change"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by the multi-national band Los Bitchos to explore the evolution of their track "Don't…
- The Hardest Part
Our Girl: "Something About Me Being A Woman"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, host Kieron Banerji is joined by Soph Nathan from the band Our Girl to explore the creative process behind their powerful…
- The Hardest Part
Loren Kramar: "Hollywood Blvd"
In this episode of The Hardest Part, Loren Kramar joins host Kieron Banerji to explore the creative journey behind his music. The conversation focuses on the…
- The Hardest Part
Morgan Harper-Jones: "Main Character"
The inaugural episode of The Hardest Part featuring musician Morgan Harper Jones explores the story behind her challenging songwriting process, especially for…
- The Hardest Part
Introducing: The Hardest Part.
Welcome to "The Hardest Part," a new podcast from Palm Tree Island that’s all about peeling back the layers of some of the most challenging songs ever written…