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When two friends sit down to talk about music, it can sound like anything, barbershop chatter, late-night studio talk, or that backseat conversation where someone says “you haven’t heard this yet?” and suddenly your playlist changes forever. That’s the synergy of Inspire by Sound, the new show from Vic and Gerardo that feels less like a podcast and more like a live mixtape with personality.

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The first episode, “Beginnings,” captures that perfect energy of two friends who genuinely love music by letting the first mix unfurl like a long road trip through a diverse range of artists from sounds worth remembering.

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Host picks:

Drew – “Swaggin Like Sango”
When Drew’s “Swaggin Like Sango” drops, the energy shifts. It’s one of those moments where you can feel the hosts’ excitement jump out of the speakers, Vic calling it “dope” with unfiltered conviction. The track hits with that global bounce, a nod to the Brazilian sound that fuels so much of modern rhythm. Vic throwing a shoutout to Brazil itself, crediting a friend named Tully for putting them onto the genre early. 

Emawk – “Baybridge”
Then there’s “Baybridge” by Emawk, a standout that both hosts agree feels like poetry. It’s the softer, more cinematic turn in the mix, the kind of R&B track that translates emotion into texture. Gerardo calls it “swaggy,” Vic compares it to a love poem written in metaphor: ‘Thunder under our skin, lightning all in our eyes.’ Their conversation drifts naturally into what that means, attraction, vulnerability, that moment of connection that’s hard to name but easy to recognize. They even pull it into real life: if someone cancels plans for you, that’s a green flag. The song becomes a mirror for those little affirmations of modern love.

Stevie Ray – “Nothing But Love” ft. Kristina Urgel, J. Lately
To close out Mix 1, the tone warms into Stevie Ray’s “Nothing But Love,” featuring Kristina Urgel and J.Lately. For Vic and Gerardo, it’s a return to the Bay, not just in geography but in feeling. The conversation turns nostalgic; there’s admiration for J.Lately’s consistency and that sense of gratitude embedded in the record. It’s a love song, sure, but also a reflection on collaboration, on how community feeds creativity. You can hear it in their tone: this isn’t background music, it’s a reminder of how local artists keep entire regions alive.

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By the time Mix 2 rolls around, the energy has evolved. The songs get dreamier, more inward, a transition from discovery to reflection.

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C-Bass – “Prosper”
C-Bass’ “Prosper” lands like a mantra. The beat is breezy, but the sentiment cuts deep, a nod to self-belief and the quiet hustle it takes to make it. When the hosts talk about it, it’s not abstract; it’s personal. They feel that drive, that hunger to “prosper” not just as artists, but as people building something from scratch.

JTOTHEMAC – “Ride”
“Ride” by JTOTHEMAC follows with that same sense of forward motion. Gerardo and Vic describe it like a soundtrack for late-night drives, the kind of song that just feels right. It’s the balance between grind and groove, between ambition and ease. The hosts don’t overanalyze it; they let it breathe, the same way a good mix should.

Elujay – “Locked In”
Elujay’s “Locked In” rounds out the episode, a fitting closer for a show about creative beginnings. The conversation circles back to the Bay once again, celebrating artists who blur the line between indie soul and mainstream polish. There’s respect in their tone, the kind that comes from knowing how hard it is to carve out something that sounds like you.

At its heart, “Beginnings” feels like more than just a playlist, blog, or podcast reviews. It’s a window into two curators learning to trust their own taste, blending underground discovery with real conversation. There’s no pretension, no industry gloss, only the raw joy of finding something worth rewinding.

If Inspire by Sound keeps this same energy, it’s not only a podcast, it’s a time capsule for the next wave of musicians we’ll all be bragging we heard first.

Mix 1: 

Oldsouls - Holdin' On
Drew - Swaggin Like Sango
J. Lately - Popayas and Blunt Smoke
Emawk - Baybridge
Chinah - Real Thing?
53 Thieves - What you do to me
Summer Walker - Come Thru (Cupidon x Tommy Montana remix)
T-Pain - Buy U a Drank (BRII Remix)
Megan thee Stallion - Savage (Kuya Kai Flip)
Stevie Ray - Nothing But Love Ft Kristina Urgel, J Lately 

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Mix 2: 

Odie - señorita 
Blueface - Bust down señoritas (tera kora x Paul Mond remix) 
GOLDA - Jaded (tentendo remix) 
Tyler, The creator - see you again 
Vlush - Bored 
Smino - Netflix & Dusse Keese Sama - No Need .Prod the Buddha Serious 
Klein - lil Capo
Usher - My Boo (Vhoor & Omar Duro remix) 
C - Bass - Prosper 
JTOTHEMAC - Ride 
Marvin Gaye - I’m still in love with you 
Elujay - Locked in 
Khyenci - Time
Leo they youth - Stranger

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