On this episode of Where Do We Go From Here?, I talk to my old friend Tebs Maqubela and newer friend Sun-Ui Yum. Tebs is an A&R who works with Mark Ronson’s label Zelig, in addition to being an incredible writer and one of the most casual philosophers I’ve met. Sun-Ui works with an investment fund called Music that, as you might have guessed, invests in new music companies.
We recorded this pod at the end of 2024. About 16 hours before we did, I told the guys I wanted us to reel off our predictions for the year ahead. If it feels like we’re all a little punch drunk, you can blame it on the holiday season and our collective lack of preparation. Our guesses about the future run the gamut from the more imaginable to the absolutely fantastical. There’s plenty of AI talk, a dash of Drake, pontification about the future of A&R and the continued globalization of music stardom. Also, I am pretty sure I predicted Future would run Columbia records. I may have blacked out. You’ll have to listen and tell me.
Also, around the 38 minute mark, I fumbled a specific statistic. I was conflating a bunch of different stats, but the relevant breakouts are as follows (per Luminate):
62.1% of artists streaming between 1m and 10m times in the first half of 2024 could be deemed independent.
37.7% of artists streaming between 10m and 50m times in the first half of 2024 could be deemed independent.
6.5% of artists with over 1b streams in the first half of 2024 could be deemed independent.
I predicted all those proportions will grow in 2025.
Special thanks to Anna Kasper for producing, Will Grogan for providing music, and Hugh Huntingford for designing the Applied Science logo and podcast cover image.
Los Angeles Fire Support Resources:
As an update, I will be donating my subscriber income for this year to the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s Firefighter Fund. As you may know, a large portion of California’s firefighting force consists of incarcerated individuals. Per ARC, “There are nearly 1,000 incarcerated firefighters currently battling the Los Angeles fires. As part of a voluntary program within CDCR, these men and women earn between $5.80 to $10.24 per day, working in 24 hour shifts.”
Funding goes towards:
Immediate needs: ‘thank you’ meals, food trucks, hygiene supplies including shower trucks, clothing and equipment for our crew members on the ground battling the Palisades and Eaton fires
Fire camp upgrades: new televisions, microwaves, gym equipment, sports equipment and more.
Scholarship funds for individuals once they’re released: support for school supplies, housing, utilities, rent, as well as necessary equipment those entering professional firefighting careers.
Additionally, I am going to be volunteering for Project Angel Food, an organization that provides “vulnerable people facing critical and life-threatening illness by preparing and delivering more than 1.5 million medically tailored meals each year.” Project Angel Food currently serves 3,000 people daily, up from 2,700, in response to the fires (per Variety).
An excellent primer called AQ101 on wildfires themselves and the pollutants they release into the air.
Two camp resources for those in need of outdoor childcare (though there are still numerous reports about the danger of the air quality in parts of Los Angeles that are down wind of the fires; I am certainly no expert, so I would do your own research).
The official government map of the fires.
A comprehensive resource guide from Trusted Advisor.
A collection of GoFundme’s that are under 20% funded, shared by 5PM LUCKY (via Ventura-based brand RatBoi):
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