Interview with Podcast: POP BEYOND

Martin Schwödiauer (Music Business, 2nd semester) & Lucas Fellner (Creative Musicianship – Vocals, 2nd semester)

Founders of the New Music Podcast: POP BEYOND

Pop Beyond is a platform for emerging artists in the music scene, offering them a stage to promote their projects, share their journey, and discuss their creative process.

Pop Beyond – A Platform for Emerging Artists

Links:

Instagram:@pop_beyond

Can you briefly introduce yourselves and your studies at VMI?

What drew you to your respective fields?

Lucas: I’m currently in my second semester of the Creative Musicianship program, with voice as my main focus. I’ve always had the ambition to create my own art through music. Coming to VMI was really about developing my skills and building my own artistic identity.

Martin: I've always been fascinated by everything happening behind the scenes in the music industry and working with artists, which is why I chose to study Music Business at VMI.

How did you two start working together, and what connects you creatively?

Lucas: The VMI in general has such a strong community of talented people who are all highly committed to music, and you always find someone who wants to collaborate on ideas. I met Martin on my first day at VMI, and he seemed super ambitious from the very first moment. We both share a passion not only for music but also for business, so I think we really complement each other creatively.

Martin: The VMI is a great place to connect with other people in the music scene. Lucas and I first talked on our very first day at VMI back in September 2024. We complement each other really well – Lucas takes care of the editing while I handle the guest management and organization.

Tell us about the idea behind your podcast – how did it all begin?

Lucas: The idea came about when I was looking for a meaningful project for my “Creative Identity” class. The music industry seems such an overwhelming and complicated place, especially when you’re just starting out. I wanted to create something that would give emerging artists and musicians a safe space to really introduce themselves – who they are, what they’re about, and what they have planned.

Martin: Lucas originally came up with the idea of starting a podcast to give emerging artists a platform to showcase their work. We initially launched it as part of our Creative Identity Project at VMI, but we quickly realized it had way more potential than just being a university project.

What were some challenges you faced during the production, and how did you overcome them?

Lucas: One of the first challenges was narrowing our project down to a specific “target audience.” We decided to primarily focus on pop music, since it has such a wide reach and speaks to both of us. And pop itself is a very broad term – anything from singer-songwriter to indie, R&B, funk, you name it. Another big challenge was figuring out the overall structure and branding of the show. We’re still working on it, honestly, but even after just three episodes, I think Pop Beyond already has some recognizable features.

Martin: Speaking on a podcast was a new experience for me, and at first, it felt pretty intimidating. But the more we recorded, the more confident I became. We spent a lot of time brainstorming ideas and studying how other podcasts and shows approached their content.

What inspires you when it comes to creating audio content or storytelling through sound?

Lucas: Being also a music producer and sound designer, the world of sound sparks my imagination like nothing else. Hearing is such an underrated sense, especially in a modern world full of screens and visual content. But to me, it’s sound that gives a story meaning. I love podcasts because they let you dive so much deeper into a story – you have to use your own imagination, since there aren’t any visuals filling it in for you.

Martin: I’m really inspired by the personal stories our guests share. I've always been curious about different life paths and backgrounds, and it’s fascinating to dive into them through our conversations.

How do your studies at VMI influence your work and creative process?

Lucas: Studying at the VMI means you’re constantly exposed to a creative environment. You hear your colleagues’ songs, their different approaches to music… all of that opens up new perspectives for you and maybe even dares you to leave your own comfort zone sometimes.

Martin: The biggest influence for me is the networking aspect – through the podcast, we’ve been able to build real connections within the music scene and explore new opportunities.

Which moment or episode from the podcast are you particularly proud of – and why?

Lucas: Pop Beyond is still a very new project, we only just put out our third episode… but I would say I’m especially proud of the pilot featuring VMI student and producer Max Larson. Everything seemed to come together really well, and it definitely laid the foundation for the bigger concept we’re building with the podcast.

Martin: Personally, I’m really proud of the episode we recorded with FIO (Fiona Gheri). It was such a great conversation with an amazing vibe – it just felt really natural and fun. I’m also proud of our pilot episode because it went way better than we expected, especially considering it was our very first recording.

What’s next for you? Are there any future plans or projects you’re excited about?

Lucas: Our next step is to keep refining the concept and putting out more episodes. Long-term, the bigger goal for Pop Beyond is to build an international community – mainly focused on Europe – that helps aspiring artists connect with audiences beyond their own towns or even countries. One of the challenges in the European music market is that almost every country has its own language and culture, which is beautiful, but it can also make the music scenes feel pretty isolated. We know there are so many amazing musicians and artists out there who want to reach a broader audience, and we want Pop Beyond to help make that happen.

Martin: We’re always looking for new guests to feature on the podcast. We're also considering adding a video component in the future. And if we manage to grow our reach on social media, working with sponsors could be an exciting next step.