In this episode John catches up with Benny Sings and producer Kenny Beats to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘Young Hearts’.Linking in from their studios in Amsterdam and LA, Benny and Kenny look back on their time spent writing and how each environment had an impact on the music. From experiencing the ‘Kenny Beats Thing’ in LA along with his wealth of collaborators, to spending a solitary week writing in Amsterdam locked in the studio with Covid.As well as sharing the voice notes that initially inspired Kenny to become involved in the project, the duo dig deep into the lessons they’ve picked up over the years. We’re treated to some tips and tricks behind effortless lyric writing, stock plugin gold, along with a deep dive into mixing and balancing drums and bass.Listen to find out how to create definition between yourself and a character within a song, how to efficiently keep track of all your sessions, and what the definitive definition of ‘slap’ is.Tracks discussed: Young Hearts, Pyjamas, DistanceLINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES  linktr.ee/tapenotes Listen to ‘Young Hearts’ here.Stones Throw RecordsIntro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective   GEAR MENTIONSFab Filter Pro Q3Oek Sound SootheValhalla ChorusGoodhertz MidsideGoodhertz Vulf CompressorEventide Instant Phaser PluginEventide Instant Phaser OutboardOliver Samples PacksBeyerdynamic M500 MicAltec Outboard MixerRoland TR-55 Rhythm King Drum MachineYamaha CP-70Hofner Club 50StylophoneWhurlitzerAbletonAbleton Drum Buss - Stock PluginSpliceOUR GEARhttps://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgearHELP SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) DonateOr you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns.KEEP UP TO DATEFor behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on: Instagram: @tapenotes Twitter: @tapenotes Facebook: @tapenotespodcast  YouTube: Tape Notes PodcastDiscord: Tape NotesPatreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear! Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.ukHELP SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :) DonateTAPE NOTES TEAMWill Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & EditorTim Adam-Smith - Executive ProducerWill Lyons - EditorGuy Nicholls - Production Assistant