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Counter-Melodies: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jonathan Tilkin and Anthony Gargiula
Hosts Jonathan Tilkin and Anthony Gargiula, the duo behind the wildly popular “Kitchen Singing” social media series, have sung with some of the biggest names in the music industry, racking up hundreds of millions of views. Now, they're inviting listeners to join them for the candid conversations with their special guests that unfold during the recording process—diving into industry insights, upcoming projects, and sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes stories.
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- 1 weeks ago54 min
Calum Scott
Calum Scott is in the kitchen! Join Jonathan and Anthony as they sit down with the chart-topping British singer-songwriter whose soaring vocals and deeply emotional storytelling have made him a global favorite. Calum reflects on his journey from working a regular job in England and auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent to building an international career with massive hits like “Dancing On My Own,” “You Are The Reason,” and “Where Are You Now.” He opens up about the vulnerability behind his music, the pressure and gratitude that came with success, and how embracing honesty in both his songwriting and personal life transformed the way he connects with audiences around the world. Along the way, Calum shares stories from life on tour, collaborating with artists across genres, and finding balance between ambition, heartbreak, and joy while continuing to create music that feels timeless, intimate, and universally human.Episode Breakdown:00:00 - Intro and Catch-up Time05:00 - Theme song and The Best Intro Ever07:00 - X Factor and Maroon 5 Cover Band11:30 - The Push That Changed His Life14:30 - Britain’s Got Talent Experience16:45 - Finding His Footing Post-BGT19:45 - Fighting to Release “You Are The Reason”22:30 - Showing Up for Fans24:45 - Christina Perri’s “Wedding Band” Dream25:45 - Singing at Joe Jonas’ Wedding & More28:15 - The Avenoir tour37:30 - Who Calum Would Prank Call38:45 - Calum’s EDM Side42:00 - Spotify Billions Club45:00 - Opening for Ed Sheeran50:30 - What’s Next54:00 - Signing off!Catch Calum’s “Avenoir” Tour! Tickets available at Calumscott.com/TourSocials: Follow the hosts and stay connected!@AnthonyGargiula@JonathanTilkin@CalumScottListen and Watch: https://tinyurl.com/CounterMelodiesPodThe Team:Executive Producer/Showrunner/Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renee Colvert
- Jan 20, 202649 min
Faouzia
Faouzia is here! Join Anthony and Jonathan as they sit down with the extraordinary Moroccan-Canadian artist Faouzia — a powerhouse vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter whose journey spans from posting covers on YouTube as a teenager to collaborating with global stars like David Guetta and John Legend. Faouzia opens up about growing up in rural Manitoba, learning piano, violin, and guitar, and channeling her multicultural identity into her music, which blends pop, R&B, and cinematic intensity. She walks us through the breakthrough moments of her career — from getting signed to her first record deal and crafting emotive anthems like “Minefields” to working with Kelly Clarkson, competing on Singer and her putting out her ambitious debut album FILM NOIR — and shares the joys, challenges, and lessons of carving out a space that’s 100% her own in the industry. Episode Breakdown:00:00 - Intro and catch-up time06:45 - Theme song and the best intro ever08:30- Embarrassing singing stories10:30 - Faouzia’s early days16:30 - Career beginnings20:00 - Vocal training and influences23:30 - Songs/projects that changed her life26:00 - Working with Kelly Clarkson31:30 - Competing on Singer in China38:00 - Writing and creating FILM NOIR48:50 - Signing off!Stream Faouzia's new album, "FILM NOIR", now!Socials: Follow the hosts and stay connected!@AnthonyGargiula@JonathanTILKIN@FaouziaListen and Watch: https://tinyurl.com/CounterMelodiesPodThe Team:Exectuive Producer/Showrunner/Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renee Colvert
- Nov 11, 202530 min
Halle Bailey
In this episode, Anthony and Jonathan sit down with the unbelievably talented Halle Bailey—one half of the five-time GRAMMY-nominated duo Chloe x Halle, a Disney princess, and now a solo artist in her own right. Halle walks us through everything from being discovered by Beyoncé and growing up making music with her sister, to taking on the role of Ariel in Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, and pouring her heart into her debut album, Love?... Or Something Like It. She opens up about the pressure, the joy, the unexpected lessons along the way, and what it feels like to put something that’s 100% her own out into the world. It’s honest, inspiring, and full of those “wait—how is she this grounded??” moments.Episode Breakdown:00:00 - Intro and catch-up time06:30 - Theme song and the best intro ever08:00 - Jodi Benson and Halle’s relationship The Little Mermaid10:00 - Advice to young artists11:00 - YouTube origins12:15 - Beyoncé’s mentorship and advice14:00 - Halle’s relationship with social media16:30 - Disney + The Little Mermaid chat19:30 - Debut album! (Love? … Or Something like It)20:30 - Collaborating with Chloe22:00 - Album title meaning23:00 - “Bite Your Lip”24:00 - Inspiration behind the album25:00 - Nerves around putting out “Alone”25:45 - Halle’s relationship with H.E.R.28:00 - Halle’s involvement with writing/producing29:30 - Signing off!Stream Halle’s new album, “Love? … Or Something Like It”, now!Follow her @hallebaileySocials: Follow the hosts and stay connected! @AnthonyGargiula@JonathanTilkin@CounterMelodiesPodListen and Watch: https://tinyurl.com/CounterMelodiesPodThe Team: Executive Producer/Showrunner/Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renee Colvert
- Aug 26, 202558 min
Jodi Benson (Voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid)
Jodi Benson (aka the voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid) joins us in the kitchen today to celebrate Disney’s World Princess Week! From her early days on Broadway in Smile and Crazy For You to her iconic voice work in Disney’s The Little Mermaid and the Toy Story franchise - that’s right, she voiced the one-and-only Barbie - Jodi takes on a journey under the sea to explore all her favorite Disney memories. Stick around for an exciting conversation on her legacy, the importance of Disney Princesses, Broadway, and even some heart-wrenching stories of the late Howard Ashman and how Jodi is determined to keep his memory alive.Episode Breakdown:0:00 – Introduction 1:45 - Jodi Benson is here3:00 - Performing origins8:30 - Early broadway days12:00 - Auditioning for “The Little Mermaid”16:30 - Finding Ariel’s voice17:30 – Being coached by Howard Ashman18:30 - “Part of Your World” controversy21:30 - Creating Ariel and The Little Mermaid23:30 - Working with Howard Ashman and Alan Menken 25:00 - Howard Ashman’s passing and legacy31:30 - ”The Little Mermaid” live-action33:30 - Jodi and Hallee’s relationship35:00 – Jodi at the live-action premiere36:00 - How “The Little Mermaid” continues to live on41:00 - Favorite “Part of Your World” performances45:00 - Performing with her daughter47:00 – Voicing “Barbie” and other iconic voices49:00 - World Princess Week52:00 - Game time!56:00 - Final thoughts and goodbyesFollow Jodi Benson: Instagram: @jodibensonTikTok: @jodi.bensonFollow the hosts:@AnthonyGargiula @Jonathantilkin @CounterMelodiesShow Listen and Watch:https://pods.to/countermelodiesCredits:Executive Producer / Showrunner / Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renée Colvert
- Jul 2, 20251h 6m
Kyle Gordon
Kyle Gordon has arrived! From viral alter egos like DJ Crazy Times to his genre-bending comedy albums Kyle Gordon Is Great and Kyle Gordon Is Wonderful, Kyle takes us behind the wigs, accents, and absolute chaos to reveal the real artistry behind parody. We dive into the wild ride of going viral, crafting characters that stick, and what it really takes to write music that’s both hilarious and genuinely good. It’s a laugh-out-loud, unexpectedly heartfelt journey through comedy, creativity, and the beautiful absurdity of the internet.Episode Breakdown:0:00 - Intro & Catch Up4:20 - Welcome Kody Redwing!8:00 - Kody’s Childhood and family10:30 - Kody’s American Idol Experience13:00 - Comparisons to other “millennial” bands15:00 - Career Choices and their impact on family17:00 - Favorite versions of “Hallelujah”18:30 - What’s Next for Kyle20:00 - “Married in a Year in The Suburbs” collab22:10 - Welcome Kyle Gordon!23:00 - A Cappella Roots25:00 - Wardrobe Malfunction26:30 - Transitioning into Musical-Comedy27:45 - Music Background29:00 - Tiktok Beginnings33:00 - Kid Who’s No Fun36:00 - Brendan Abernathy Collab38:30 - Patterns of “Hate” on the Internet43:30 - DJ Crazy Times Controversy46:30 - Performing with the Jonas Brothers50:45 - Running into Joe Jonas in NYC53:00 - Jonathan and Paul McCartney54:30 - Kyle’s new album!1:00:20 - Game time!Follow Kyle Gordon:Listen to Kyle Gordon is Wonderful everywhere.Follow @kylegordonisgreat on social for all the sparkle.Follow the Hosts:@AnthonyGargiula@ JonathanTilkin@CounterMelodiesPod Listen and Watch:https://pods.to/countermelodiesCredits:Executive Producer / Showrunner / Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renée Colvert
- May 28, 20251h 5m
Dara Renée
Everybody welcome Dara Reneé! From her breakout role on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series to Descendants: The Rise of Red, Dara opens up about growing up on set, navigating mental health, and the journey to owning her power. It’s a hilarious, emotional, inspiring ride through Broadway dreams, Disney magic, and the deep inner work it takes to truly love yourself.Episode Breakdown:00:00 – Intro and catch up!04:00- Dara’s here!05:00 – Being homeschooled, raised by a single mom, and growing up backstage. Dara shares her early years of performing (and Beyoncé karaoke)8:30 - Early Broadway auditions10:15 – Auditioning for HSMTMTS with no agent, no reel, and no clue she was about to book her breakout role19:30 - One year later: Freaky Friday reboot and still no HSMTMTS20:45 - Working on “Black-ish”25:00 – Origins of HSMTMTS and auditioning for every role except Courtney27:45 - Callbacks with Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Sofia Wylie and booking the show!31:30 - Dara’s relationship with Olivia Rodrigo32:30 - Kylie Cantrall and wanting to be the best big sister in the business34:00 - OG High School musical lore36:30 - Overcoming anxiety both in real life and on-screen39:00 - Dara’s actual mom playing her mom on TV40:30 - How HSMTMTS evolved over the 4 seasons43:30 - Working on Descendants: The Rise of Red45:00 - The infamous Josh Colley fire alarm story48:30 - Favorite moments from Descendants52:00 - Dara’s acting process53:00 - Upcoming Descendants/Zombies tour!58:00 - Game time: blind ranking disney channel theme songs!Follow Dara Reneé:Watch Descendants: The Rise of Red and stream her music everywhere.Follow @dararenee on social for all the sparkle.Follow the Hosts:@AnthonyGargiula@ JonathanTilkin@CounterMelodiesPod Listen and Watch:https://pods.to/countermelodiesCredits:Executive Producer / Showrunner / Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renée Colvert
- May 8, 202556 min
Kevin Olusola (of Pentatonix)
He’s here! Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix is in the kitchen! From beatboxing in a dorm shower to winning three GRAMMYs with Pentatonix, Kevin shares his incredible journey of combining cello and beatboxing into a genre-bending career. He opens up about immigrant expectations, viral YouTube beginnings, how Yo-Yo Ma changed his life, and presenting Ed Sheeran with his Grammy-Award alongside Stevie Wonder. Plus, Kevin gives an exclusive peek into his upcoming solo album Dawn of a Misfit and competes in Anthony and Jonathan’s ultimate beatboxing challenge. Episode Breakdown: • 00:00 – Episode Trailer • 01:00 – Listener shoutouts! The hosts read glowing reviews from fans and reveal their Uber rating drama. • 05:00 – Welcome Kevin Olusola! The best intro ever (with a “crash out” pun), and Kevin returns the love. • 07:00 – Wikipedia connections. Kevin and Jonathan realize their paths crossed years ago at Quincy Jones’s office, and Jacob Collier’s wiki page gets a name-drop. • 09:00 – Musical beginnings. Piano at 4, cello at 6, saxophone at 10—and Carnegie Hall by college. • 11:00 – Discovering perfect pitch. Kevin plays “House of the Rising Sun” by ear at age 3, and his dad takes notice. • 13:00 – The birth of cello boxing. It all started with a Mandarin-speaking professor in Beijing. • 15:30 – The beatboxing origin story. From annoying his dad to an acapella discovery in a shared dorm shower. • 17:00 – The immigrant dilemma. Kevin explains how cultural expectations almost kept him from a music career. • 18:00 – Grammy joke of the year. After performing with Stevie Wonder, Kevin’s dad hits him with a savage comment. • 19:30 – YouTube beginnings. Kevin starts posting videos after getting support from Yo-Yo Ma and KRS-One. • 24:00 – Going viral with “Julie-O.” A year of perfecting one video leads to his Pentatonix discovery moment. • 25:30 – The Pentatonix call. Kevin gets a mysterious audition request... from Ben Bram and Scott Hoying. • 27:00 – The first rehearsal. Kevin meets the group, hits Roscoe’s, and sings “Telephone” for the first time. • 30:00 – Sing-Off champions, then dropped. The band wins big—only to be dropped by their label days later. • 31:00 – The YouTube strategy. Their manager pushes them to go all-in on YouTube—and he was right. • 32:45 – The Christmas pivot. “Little Drummer Boy” saves the day and leads to their RCA deal. • 34:00 – Collab favorites. Kevin names his favorite collaborators (Tori Kelly, Kelly Clarkson, Stevie Wonder) and shares why Tori’s vocals are impossible to comp. • 37:30 – The Stevie Wonder moment. Stevie hits a note so perfectly, Kevin literally stops singing. • 39:30 – Behind-the-scenes magic. Kevin talks about rehearsing with Matt Sallee and how their friendship powers the rhythm section. • **41:30 – Dawn of a Misfit. **Kevin opens up about his solo debut, what “misfit” means to him, and the intention behind the project. • 43:30 – His version of “Crazy.” Kevin breaks down his cinematic Gnarls Barkley cover and the emotional storytelling behind it. • 45:00 – Miss Rachel! The inside story on how Kevin landed a spot on Songs for Littles—and why it’s his daughter’s favorite credit. • 47:15 – Game time: Beatbox the Clock. Can Kevin recreate famous beats in under 10 seconds? From “Billie Jean” to “Shake It Off,” he brings the heat. • 53:00 – Anthony’s theme park beatbox fail. A very questionable “Crazy in Love” moment from Orlando. • 55:00 – Bonus beatbox tips. Kevin teaches the inward K-snare and reveals how he breathes through performances. • 56:00 – Final plug: Dawn of a Misfit. Kevin shares his hopes for the record and where to find it.Follow Kevin’s Journey:Pre-save Dawn of a Misfit (out May 9) and follow Kevin at @kolusola on all platforms.Socials: @AnthonyGargiula@JonathanTilkin@CounterMelodiesPod
- Apr 22, 202531 min
Damiano David
Damiano David is in the kitchen! From illegally busking in Rome with his band, Måneskin, to launching his powerful solo career, Damiano opens up about his emotional new record, the relationship between music and fashion, and his thoughts on that iconic “Rock and Roll never dies” moment at Eurovision. He shares stories about writing 72 songs for his debut album “Funny Little Fears’, working with Labrinth, and the differences in writing songs in English vs. Italian. Plus, he plays “Silver Lining Them Up,” a high-stakes elimination showdown where he chooses the next artist he’ll collaborate with.Episode Breakdown: • 00:00 - The hosts recap their week, including a Counter Melodies–inspired drink and singing with Rachel Zegler. • 02:00 - Welcome Damiano David! The hosts introduce the Grammy-nominated artist and his upcoming solo album. • 04:00 - Damiano shares his basketball-to-band pipeline and the origin of Måneskin. • 05:30 - Illegally busking in Rome. The police came 2–3 times a day, but the band just circled the block and kept playing. • 07:20 - Damiano’s Disney debut. He chats voicing “Jeffrey” in the Italian dub of Cruella and fills us in on his acting ambitions. • 08:45 - Old Hollywood inspiration. Damiano explains why he’s drawn to classic tailoring and crooner-era aesthetics. • 10:00 - Fashion and fast fashion. Why Damiano avoids fast fashion and how his personal style evolved with his solo era. • 12:00 - Clothes and songwriting. The connection between mixing fashion pieces and musical influences. • 12:40 - 72 songs, 14 made the album. Damiano talks about writing over 70 songs and the sounds that didn’t make the cut. • 14:15 - The song he fought for. Why he insisted on including “Tango” on the album despite label hesitation. • 15:30 - Born With a Broken Heart vs. Silver Lines. Where each song fits in the sonic direction of Fine Little Fears. • 16:00 - Labyrinth collab backstory. Damiano wrote “Born With a Broken Heart” on day two of his first writing sessions. • 16:45 - The songwriting rule. “We don’t leave the room until the song is done”—even if it takes all night in Joshua Tree. • 17:30 - The realest collaborators. Damiano names his tight circle of trusted co-writers, including Sarah Hudson and Jason Evigan. • 18:25 - Writing in English vs. Italian. Why writing in English helps him express raw emotion without overthinking phrasing. • 20:00 - “I’ll lick your tears.” The now-iconic lyric from “Next Summer”—and why the room let him keep it. • 21:30 - Rock and roll isn’t dead. Damiano clarifies his viral quote and explains why pop has always been a part of his sound. • 23:20 - Will Måneskin return? Damiano shares how the band is on indefinite hiatus—but in a good way. • 25:00 - Inside the industry. Why Damiano refuses to “live” in the music industry, even while working in it. • 26:45 - How he stayed grounded. Launching at 16, his proudest achievement is keeping his head on straight. • 27:15 - What to expect from tour. No two cities will be the same. Each crowd’s energy will shape the night. • 28:00 - Game time: Silver Lining Them Up. A rapid-fire round of ultimate dream collabs—from Benson Boone to Bruno Mars to Taylor Swift. • 31:00 - Where to find Damiano. Tour info, social handles, and where to stream Fine Little Fears.Follow Damiano’s Journey:Stream the new singles and pre-save Fine Little Fears, out May 16, at damianodavid.com (https://www.damianodavid.com/) and follow him @damianodavid on all socials.Socials: Follow the hosts for more fun content!@AnthonyGargiula@JonathanTilkin@CounterMelodiesPodListen and Watch:https://tinyurl.com/CounterMelodiesPodCredits:Executive Producer/Showrunner/Editor: Louis GargiulaConsulting Producer: Renee Colvert
About Counter-Melodies
Hosts Jonathan Tilkin and Anthony Gargiula, the duo behind the wildly popular “Kitchen Singing” social media series, have sung with some of the biggest names in the music industry, racking up hundreds of millions of views. Now, they're inviting listeners to join them for the candid conversations with their special guests that unfold during the recording process—diving into industry insights, upcoming projects, and sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes stories.
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