Heartdea13r w/ chr1stoph3r g0nda
V13 Media Group
For 20+ years, Christopher Gonda has been building platforms that celebrate music, culture & storytelling. Through V13 Media Group, he aims to amplify unique voices, bridging the underground and the iconic. The heartdea13r Podcast is his way of gathering and sharing knowledge from some of the brightest minds and most passionate voices across the entertainment industry. It’s a space for conversations about artistry, mental health, entrepreneurship, and everything that fuels a life driven by creativity, passion, and balance—love & logic.
Episodes
Mentioned books
30 snips
Nov 24, 2025 • 1h 9min
Tim Quirk: “You can’t devalue music because music is priceless.”
Tim Quirk, music vet, founding member of Too Much Joy and SVP Product at ZEDGE, talks music’s true worth and new product ideas. He explores how digital distribution and fan data reshape monetization. He describes TapeDeck, virtual plays and tips, and why moving fans to higher-paying channels matters. Short, sharp insights on reclaiming control and building fairer music marketplaces.
22 snips
Nov 20, 2025 • 57min
Kentucky: “When you talk to yourself, see the truth and say it with love.”
A candid journey through music, recovery, and reinvention. Stories about adopting a persona, reclaiming lost recordings, and working with top producers. Honest reflections on addiction, hitting rock bottom, and the therapy that followed. Rebuilding life, finding community and family, and how creativity returned with newfound self-love and purpose.
17 snips
Nov 17, 2025 • 47min
The Bloody Beetroots: “I’m even more naked when I wear a mask.”
Sir Bob Cornelius Riffo, electronic musician and frontman of The Bloody Beetroots, blends classical training, punk energy and electronic production. He talks about fitness as survival and performance fuel. He describes using music to channel anger, the ritual of masks to expose vulnerability, the balance of chaos and control, and collaboration rooted in human connection.
22 snips
Nov 13, 2025 • 55min
Kay Macauley: “It doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to come from your heart.”
Kay Macauley, label manager at Golden Robot Records who champions artist authenticity. She talks about juggling family and label life, the realities of streaming and PR, why playlisting and live shows matter most, and why music should come from passion not profit. Short, candid, and full of practical industry and parental hacks.
15 snips
Nov 10, 2025 • 1h 11min
Tommy Dorfman: “If your foot’s on the gas and you don’t stop, nothing can stop you.”
Tommy Dorfman, club promoter and CEO of Juice Entertainment & RD Enterprises, who built a career in EDM and festival promotion and is suing Live Nation and Ticketmaster. He recounts surviving a near-fatal assault and hidden injuries, the rise of his festival ambitions, and relentless work ethic. The conversation centers on alleged anti-competitive tactics, pressure from major promoters, and the fight for fair ticketing and independent scenes.
11 snips
Nov 6, 2025 • 60min
Stacey Dee: “The more you give the good stuff, the more good stuff you get back.”
Stacey Dee, punk guitarist, vocalist and songwriter known for Bad Cop/Bad Cop and the Sidewalk Project, talks about music, recovery and community. She recounts turning points from addiction to spiritual awakening. The conversation covers songwriting’s positive shift, tools like yoga and gratitude, and building consistent support for marginalized women.
11 snips
Nov 3, 2025 • 50min
Margarita Monet: “It’s really up to you to be the master of your destiny.”
Margarita Monet, singer-songwriter and visual artist known as the lead vocalist of Edge of Paradise, shares her journey from classical training to fronting a rock band. She talks about overcoming shyness, building vocal confidence, navigating the music business and choosing the right team. Conversations touch on creativity, spirituality, resilience after setbacks, and balancing independence with label partnerships.
17 snips
Oct 30, 2025 • 53min
Lauri Ylönen on The Rasmus, Weirdo, Legacy, Sobriety, Fatherhood & Finding Hope in the Dark // #031
Lauri Ylönen, frontman and co-founder of Finnish rock band The Rasmus, reflects on creativity fueled by darkness and songwriting as therapy. He talks about balancing intense touring with fatherhood, the stubbornness behind artistic vision, the making of the new Weirdo album, sobriety, and finding hope in Finland’s seasons and onstage.
15 snips
Oct 27, 2025 • 1h 4min
Ben Wright: “You don’t need to make a living at music to be a really great musician.”
Ben Wright, founder and banjo player of Henhouse Prowlers and creator of Bluegrass Ambassadors, reflects on a life shaped by spontaneous choices, touring and cultural diplomacy. He talks about learning the banjo, Czech bluegrass ties, balancing touring with family, evolving bluegrass songwriting, vulnerability in bands, and building a charity that connects people through music.
18 snips
Oct 25, 2025 • 1h 5min
Randy Bradbury & Cameron Webb: “We’re going down the positive path where everything’s doable.”
Cameron Webb, a punk/rock producer known for crafting Pennywise records and prioritizing relationships in the studio, and Randy Bradbury, veteran Pennywise bassist turned leader of 84 Days who emphasizes positivity and mental health. They discuss punk community authenticity, the creative spark and studio magic, turning demos into full-band records, setting boundaries for wellbeing, and carrying punk values forward.
