{"podcast":{"title":"I Hate Simkin","slug":"i-hate-simkin-7337655","podcast_index_feed_id":7337655,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/481803/rss","website_url":"http://sites.libsyn.com/481803","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/5/2/0/b/520b1029b5893a1dd959afa2a1bf1c87/IHateSimkin_PodcastCover2_1.png","author":"604 Podcast Network","episode_count":34,"summary":"I Hate Simkin is a no-holds-barred music industry podcast hosted by veteran music executive Jonathan Simkin. With decades in the business, Simkin has seen it all—and now he's telling the stories. Each episode, he sits down with artists, managers, and industry insiders he's crossed paths with over the years to revisit the wild, weird, and game-changing moments that shaped their careers. From behind-the-scenes chaos to untold anecdotes, I Hate Simkin is a deep dive into the music industry like you've never heard before. Unfiltered, insightful, and always entertaining—tune in for the real stories behind the music. 🎙️🎵 #IHateSimkin Buy your 'I Hate Simkin' shirt here: https://604shop.com/products/i-hate-simkin-tee","last_synced_at":"2026-07-02T00:17:10.980195+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-hate-simkin-7337655"},"episode":{"title":"From PA to Award-Winning Director: Emma Higgins On Her Rise With Kesi Smyth & Jonathan Simkin","slug":"from-pa-to-award-winning-director-emma-higgins-on-her-rise-with-kesi-smyth-jonathan-simkin","published_at":"2026-04-08T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-hate-simkin-7337655/from-pa-to-award-winning-director-emma-higgins-on-her-rise-with-kesi-smyth-jonathan-simkin","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-hate-simkin-7337655","url":"https://3b54cd92-d36d-4435-aa90-79f3f823bb32.libsyn.com/from-pa-to-award-winning-director-emma-higgins-on-her-rise-with-kesi-smyth-jonathan-simkin","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/3b54cd92-d36d-4435-aa90-79f3f823bb32/Kesi_Emma_MP3.mp3?dest-id=4100463","summary":"Emma Higgins and Kesi Smyth join I Hate Simkin for a full-circle conversation about building careers in music, film, and everything in between. Emma went from PA'ing on music video sets to becoming an award-winning music director with a feature film now streaming. Kesi helped shape 604 Records from the ground up and now runs the label as General Manager. Topics include: Starting at the bottom and breaking into directing The collapse of music video budgets (and what replaced them) What it really takes to make a feature film The difference between talent vs confidence in creative careers Industry gatekeeping, funding, and how projects actually get made The reality of touring with major artists like Justin Bieber Emma also breaks down how her film Sweetness went from idea to theaters, including funding, casting, and surviving production. This episode is also available on all audio podcast platforms and in video on YouTube. Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.","meta_description":"Emma Higgins and Kesi Smyth join I Hate Simkin for a full-circle conversation about building careers in music, film, and everything in between. Emma went…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3304,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/i-hate-simkin-7337655/episodes/from-pa-to-award-winning-director-emma-higgins-on-her-rise-with-kesi-smyth-jonathan-simkin/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/i-hate-simkin-7337655/from-pa-to-award-winning-director-emma-higgins-on-her-rise-with-kesi-smyth-jonathan-simkin.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}