On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we sit down with Malia Delacruz — the artist behind Ciao Malz — to talk about what really happens after you release your first big project.
Following the buzz of her Safe Then Sorry EP, Malia walks us through her first real press cycle: DIY promo, working with a label, running live sessions, and dealing with the chaos of social media. We talk about the weird emotional math of streaming numbers, the cringe task of self-promotion, and why seeing Dead & CO at The Sphere was such a life-changing moment for her.
The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Hosted by Alexei Shishkin, each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it.
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⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
02:08 – What’s Been Stuck In Your Head?
05:02 – Behind-the-scenes of doing DIY press/promo
09:08 – Social media can feel “gross”
11:10 – Recording remote sessions
15:26 – Metrics, streams, and how to determine success
21:20 – Mixtape intro: theme and vibe
22:25 – “Bittersweet Symphony” – The Verve
24:54 – “Atlantic City” – Bruce Springsteen
28:02 – “Fancy” – Bobbie Gentry
30:00 – “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” – Reba McEntire
32:23 – “Maria” – Greg Mendez
34:45 – “Hello, It’s Me” – Todd Rundgren
37:43 – “Joker Lips” – MJ Lenderman
40:38 – “The Gambler” – Kenny Rogers
42:22 – Nashville retrospective
45:04 – FIRSTS & LASTS
45:28 – First & Last Show You Played
47:30 – First & Last Instruments
50:13 – First & Last Concerts
54:15 – First & Last Artist Obsessions
58:02 – First & Last Albums
1:00:26 – Wrap-up & where to find Ciao Malz
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