Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak host Soundtrack Your Life, a podcast about the film and TV soundtracks that shape pop culture. Each episode features a guest who shares personal stories about a soundtrack that's meaningful to them. Ranging from the iconic best selling soundtracks of all time to cult favorites, they cover them all. Discover hidden gems, behind-the-scenes stories, hot debates, and deep dives into the most iconic songs in movies. 🎧 Perfect for fans of: • Movie and TV soundtracks •…
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The Mask (1994) w/ Robert Yaniz Jr. - The 90s Latin, Swing and R&B Soundtrack That Gave Jim Carrey a Billboard Dance Chart Hit
Robert Yaniz Jr of Crooked Table and Back to Bluey joins Ryan Pak to talk about the soundtrack to the 1994 Chuck Russell film, The Mask. The soundtrack is considered to be at the forefront of the 90s swing revival with its throwback soundtrack that included artists like the Brian Setzer Orchestra & the Royal Crown Revue. Jim Carrey’s iconic cover of “Cuban Pete” landed Carrey in the top 40 on the…
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) w/ Darin Lundberg - The John Williams Soundtrack Score That Refuses to Rest on Its Laurels
Darin Lundberg of The NostalgiaCAST and the Back to Bluey Podcasts joins Ryan Pak to talk about the soundtrack to the 1980 Irvin Kershner film, The Empire Strikes Back. The Oscar nominated score was done by the iconic John Williams, who is as synonymous with the Star Wars franchise at this point as its creator, George Lucas. Darin shares why he goes back to The Empire Strikes Back and it's…
Swingers (1996) - The 90s Swing Revival Soundtrack Where Love Jones Contributed More Than A Song w/ Love Jones
Earlier this year, Love Jones returned with the album, The Greatest Show on Earth, their first album since 2010, and Ben Daughtrey, Barry Thomas, and Jonathan Palmer discuss their journey to releasing the new album with Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak on Soundtrack Your Life. They also talk about their start as a band in 1990 and how they ended up in LA, where they would meeting the likes of director…
The Bear Season 4 (2025) - The Show's Soundtrack is Known for 90s Rock but Season 4 Tweaks the Formula w/ Erin Marlow and Jenn Owens
Erin Marlow of It's a Fandom Thing and Jenn Owens of My Streaming Bubble are back to talk the soundtrack of The Bear, Season 4, with Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak as we all wait for the much anticipated 5th and final season of The Bear. This episode was recorded from a livestream shortly after Season 4 was released but was kept until now with Season 5 just days away. From favorite S4 needle drops to…
Chinese American Bear Discuss Their New Album and Explain Potato Europe vs Tomato Europe
Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten of the Seattle via Chicago vs New York band Chinese American Bear join Ryan Pak to discuss their new album, Dim Sum and Then Some, which was released back on May 8, 2026. They discuss Anne and Bryce's favorite cities to get dim sum, their favorite meal on tour, the strangest meal they've had on tour, and how they came up with the band name. They also discuss some of…
Only Murders in the Building (2021 - Current) - Award Winning Music Editor Micha Liberman on His Emmy Nominated Episode & Other Stories from His Career
Award winning music editor and composer, Micha Liberman, joins Ryan Pak to explain the role of a music editor on a production on Soundtrack Your Life. They discuss the Emmy nominated episode "Sitzprobe" from Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building and the complexity of working with multiple teams to create a fake musical production. They also chat about Micha's career, from being an assistant to…
Jane Austen's Period Drama (2024) - The Soundtrack for the Oscar Nominated Short Film Blends a Chamber Pop Score with an End Credits Banger w/ Nicole Alyse Nelson
Actress Nicole Alyse Nelson, from the Oscar nominated short film, Jane Austen's Period Drama, joins Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak to talk about recently nominated film. The music for the soundtrack was composed by Alex Winkler who also wrote the end credits song "Slide Up" featuring Bryce Charles. The stark differences between the score and the song show Winkler's musical range. From how Nicole got…
Drive (2011) - The Soundtrack That's Too Cool To Listen To with Pop Culture Writer Chris Deville
Pop Culture Writer Chris Deville (Stereogum) has just released his first book, Such Great Heights: The Complete Cultural History of the Indie Rock Explosion, back in August of 2025. He joins Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak to discuss the soundtrack to the 2011 Nicholas Winding Refn film Drive. Both the film and the soundtrack have become very influential. The film launched Ryan Gosling into a superstar…
Shrek 2 (2004) - The 2000s Blockbuster Pop Soundtrack Tries to Go Bigger than Its Predecessor with Pop Culture Writer/Podcaster Candice Lim
Candice Lim, former host of Slate's ICYMI, former producer of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, and total pop colture savant, joins Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak to talk about the soundtrack to the 2004 Adamson, Asbury, and Vernon directed film, Shrek 2. As with many blockbuster sequels, the Shrek 2 soundtrack is filled with expensive needle drops, covers of famous songs, and a new song that was…
Vicious (2025) - What Did Composer Tom Schraeder Learn From Scoring Vicious and The Dark and the Wicked?
This episode is part of the Pocasthon 2026! We're supporting the YWCA of Minneapolis. Please learn more about the YWCA of Minneapolis here Tom Schraeder is a songwriter and composer and he scored the 2025 Brian Bertino film, Vicious,. He talks to Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak and scoring the film as well as his previous scores like The Dark and the Wicked, on this episode of Soundtrack Your Life. The…
2026 Oscars Best Original Song – K-Pop Demon Hunters vs. Sinners Soundtrack
We've launched a SYL Merch Store! 10% for the month of March by using promo code SYLMPLS. All profits will go to various organizations in Minnesota. Nicole Barlow and Ryan Pak break down the 2026 Oscars Best Original Song category. It looks like Huntrix's "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters is the heavy favorite but Raphael Saadiq and Sinners is the most nominated film of the year. We break down the…
