You Had to Be There | Podcast on RSS.com

You Had to Be There

You Had to Be There

by Julia Gomberg

Music Commentary Music Interviews

Season 3

Temples on BLISS, Nostalgia, and Twelve Years of Musical Evolution

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 Follow Temples IG

Cola’s Evan Cartwright on Post-Punk, Minimalism, and the Band’s New Release

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

Musician Jonathan Plevyak on Vintage Soul, Nashville, and the Human Connection

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 Follow @uhadtobetherepod

JVK’s Jo Krieger on Songwriting, Performing, and Breaking Genre Rules

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

Caroline Romano on Turning Cinematic Alt-Pop Music into her Legacy

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 Follow YHTBT on IG

How Book More Women Is Changing Festival Lineups featuring Abbey Carbonneau

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 Follow the Pod Outro music:

MT Jones on Building a Soul Music Career From the Ground Up

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

What It’s Really Like to Work in Entertainment with Assistants vs Agents Founder, Warner Bailey

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)

How Artists Use Laylo to Sell Tickets, Merch, and Build Fanbases with CEO Alec Ellin

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

How Softside Is Turning Fans Into Designers for Music Merch with Founder, Erin Singleton

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

1 of 4