Welcome back to Riffs on Riffs, where in this episode Joe and Toby break down Amber Mark’s “Sweet Serotonin,” a track off her latest album Pretty Ideas, and explore why she’s becoming one of the most compelling voices in modern pop, R&B, and genre-bending artistry.
They dive into Amber’s global background—Jamaican roots, German family, years spent in Berlin, India, Miami, and New York—and how that cultural mixtape shapes her sound. From Motown and Amy Winehouse inflections to country detours, folk gems, and dreamy pop, Amber refuses to fit neatly into any genre box.
Some of the riffing:
• The Tiny Desk (Home) performance that proves Amber has serious vocal chops
• Wildly different tracks across the album—from “Let Me Love You” to the John the Blind collab
• Her production journey from GarageBand to fully owning her artistic vision
• Great covers (Sade! Bill Withers!) and why they matter
• The dopamine-vs-serotonin debate and what the song is really saying
• Touring with Sabrina Carpenter and the potential power-duo moment we all need
• Whether Pretty Ideas is officially vinyl-worthy
And then, as only Joe and Toby can, the episode spirals into hilarious side quests: parenting through playlists, NBA-fueled late nights, Jay-Z’s ability to stop time, speakerphone offenders in public (stop it!), Thanksgiving myth-busting, flash-mob revenge fantasies, and the eternal struggle of Browns fans.
Hit subscribe, drop a comment, and let us know:
Is Pretty Ideas vinyl-worthy for you?
What should Joe & Toby’s holiday song be?
And have you ever wanted to throw a metaphorical penalty flag at a speakerphone sociopath?
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