E8 COREY FRIEDLANDER | City of Souls, Mental Wellbeing, Creating a Music Label in New Zealand

Corey Friedlander is a New Zealand-based drummer known for his work in the metal and rock music scenes. He gained recognition as a highly skilled and technical drummer and he is now a producer and co-owner of the production studio and music label BEATSPUN. Corey has played with several bands, most notably City of Souls, In Dread Response, Mark of Man, 8 Foot Sativa, and more. He has also been involved in various other musical projects and collaborations, further establishing himself as a respected figure in the New Zealand music community. During this korero we discussed his early life, meeting his heroes, his creative process, mental health, creating BEATSPUN and more. This was a conversation I truly enjoyed as it was amazing to reconnect with old friends who are also immensely talented. Timestamps & Moments (02:06) - ❤️ Falling in love with music (09:52) - 🤘 Metallica - What was that? (10:42) - 🔉 My parents asked me to turn it down a bit… (11:26) - 🎸 Nu-Metal - The Groove (13:30) - 🤔 It’s noise. Wait? It’s not. (15:43) - 😲 Dude, you have met some crazy people. (16:20) - 🗺️ Where are you from BTW? Playing in bars underage. Eden’s Bar. (17:30) - 🥁 How I started getting into technical drumming (18:41) - ✈️ They hire me, then travel to the US to record with the producer of Tool. (20:45) - 🏫 What did you learn teaching? (22:10) - 💼 I want to become a businessman. Swizl Jager Shout! (23:05) - 🤝 @swizljager - New collaboration coming soon (24:50) - 🇳🇿 NZ Music scene is small. That’s why you can’t be a dick. (25:32) - ❓ What happened with City of Souls? (28:30) - 🎶 What makes the NZ scene tough for musos? (33:15) - 😕 The problem with the scene in New Zealand is… (34:30) - 🔑 YOU HAVE BAD MANAGEMENT! Management is everything (36:05) - 🔥 Metal is getting popular again… Vibe > Words (37:30) - 🎤 Opening for Bring Me The Horizon - Weird Moment. (39:54) - 🚫 Do opening acts get less lights, volume and quality for their performance? (44:35) - 🎧 BEATSPUN (45:45) - 🌟 Nathan Grey is super talented - Keep an eye on this guy. (47:12) - 💔 Letting go, Toxic Relationship, Mental breakdown, A Friend, Social Media, Cops (50:55) - 🍔 Who is DJ Scissorhands? - Burger Fuel Partnership & more (54:17) - 🎚️ Did you have any background as producer? Also what about money? (59:07) - 🏷️ Becoming a label. Realising all the ins and outs of the music industry. Wow. (1:01:02) - 🎧 Where was DJ Scissorhands when we wanted a DJ for our Nu-Metal band. (1:02:47) - 🧠 The Mental Breakdown - What did you learn? (1:05:59) - 🧘 “Every thought has energy” - Breathing, DMT (Ayahuasca) & Psychedelic Experiences, Sensory Deprivation Tank. (1:10:33) - 🧑‍⚕️ Get Therapy. The Song “Letting go” (1:15:30) - 🎨 Creative Process (1:17:35) - 🤖 Artificial Intelligence in The Music Scene (1:21:29) - 🎛️ THE SOUNDBOARD (1:25:43) - 🎙️ “Hi ChatGPT 4o, You are live, ask something” (1:27:32) - 🏁 Leave us with… (1:29:25) - 💧🏋️✌🏾 Attire by: ⛑️ https://www.instagram.com/cloudworldwide/ 🥋 https://www.instagram.com/fxxkingrabbits/ 👕 https://www.instagram.com/swizljager/ ============================ ABOUT 🫠 THE MELDING MUSE PODCAST 🟢 Melding art & design, music, film, entrepreneurship, fashion, sports, gaming and whatever is in between. We exist to showcase extraordinary people to inspire the next generation of creatives & leaders. These are stories that motivate us to continually challenge ourselves, push boundaries and ultimately reinvent ourselves time and time again. Streaming from the land of the long white cloud - Aotearoa, New Zealand 🇳🇿 🎟️ MERCH OFFICIAL STORE & SITE: 🔗 https://themeldingmuse.co Follow us on: Insta: https://www.instagram.com/themeldingmuse/ | Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themeldingmuse Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMeldingMuse 🎵 Music: High Ball from Pterror Dak Trill by Nick Maclaren | Trippin' feat. Leroy by Unda A project powered by: 🟩 Neziak Design ▪️ NZK Creative Collective Supported by: 🇲🇽 🌽 Salsaroha