“Raw, Banging, Beautiful”: A Playlist Courtesy of Pop Mega-Producer Jim-E Stack

Photo courtesy of Jim-E Stack.

Welcome to SOUND ADVICE, Interview’s weekly destination for playlists curated by our friends, enemies, and lovers. In recent weeks, we’ve featured playlists from Flirty800, PinkPantheress, and Tommy Genesis. This week’s installment comes courtesy of Jim-E Stack (aka James Harmon Stack), indie-pop’s most sought-after producer since Jack Antonoff. The San Francisco native and LA-based mega-producer has collaborated with most of the names on your summer playlists, lending his bass timbres and experimental synths to projects by Bon Iver, Charli XCX, and Caroline Polachek, to name a few. Most recently, he produced Lorde’s fourth studio album, Virgin, cementing his place in the 2025 pop pantheon. But we wanted to know what Stack is listening to these days, so we asked the 33-year-old to cook us up a playlist and answer our Sound Advice questionnaire, where he revealed what he’s DoorDashing to the studio and the best bit of advice he’s received from Lorde. 

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Where do you dance? Most recently NYC Downlow at Glastonbury.

Who do you trust most with the aux? Dijon.

What song do you have on repeat? “All I Wanted” by Paramore.

What song wrecks you? “To Be Alone With You” by Sufjan Stevens. 

Go-to karaoke song? “Open Your Eyes” by Bobby Caldwell.

Describe Virgin in three words: Raw, banging, beautiful.

Which song are you starting your set with? “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters” by Moby.

Favorite beat drop on Virgin? “Hammer.”

What are you DoorDashing to the studio? A breakfast bowl, Merman, and a chocolate chip cookie from Honey Hi.

What music do you exercise to? EDM involuntarily.

Are you spiritual? Hell yeah. 

Berlin or Ibiza? I’ve never been to Ibiza so I guess Berlin. 

Spotify or Apple Music? Apple Music. 

What’s your goal in the studio? To summon some sound waves that make everyone in the room feel something. 

What did Lorde teach you? Use the existing tools where and when possible.

Do you gatekeep anything? My Korean barbecue spot. 

What song makes you feel 17 again? “Shit Luck” by Modest Mouse.