https://spectra.video/videos/watch/60c0e6a6-4912-4545-a62f-ed0b51e98fb1 Tom Ray meets Jonathan, the person behind the band Negative Players, a self-proclaimed “hypothetical indie rock band” from southwest Michigan. Jonathan’s initial vision to create music with family evolved into this solo endeavor. He discusses the creative process behind his music, drawing inspiration from iconic bands like The Beatles and 90s indie rock such as Sonic Youth and Pavement. He talks about songwriting, including his recent forays into banjo and ukulele, and how these instruments have influenced his sound. Jonathan also tells Tom about recording in the DAW, Ableton Live, and using his methods for programming drums and arranging tracks. We talk about the challenges of being a solo artist in a band-centric world and the online platforms like Mastodon and its community in promoting his work. Key Takeaways: Music production techniques, Use of unconventional instruments like banjo and ukulele, Recording process and studio setup, Music promotion and online community, Creative inspiration and songwriting process Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:35:48 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://spectra.video https://spectra.video/lazy-static/avatars/71f5d173-eea9-47a7-b254-f7e91f9f5d25.png https://spectra.video/videos/watch/60c0e6a6-4912-4545-a62f-ed0b51e98fb1 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://spectra.video/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.