How the Soundtracks of Our Lives Shape who We Become with Patrick Hicks

“If it makes me curious, then maybe it’ll make someone else curious, too.”

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How the Soundtracks of Our Lives Shape who We Become with Patrick Hicks

What started as a 30-day content challenge became a storytelling movement powered by rock, raw honesty, and curiosity.

In this episode of The Storytelling Lab, Rain Bennett speaks with Patrick Hicks, creator of a viral TikTok account (@patrickhicksmusic), where he tells the stories behind the songs that shaped our lives. With over half a million followers and a growing book project, Patrick has built a creator career that feels authentic, soulful, and sustainable.

They discuss how Patrick’s background in marketing, music, and punk DIY culture gave him the tools to grow his audience without losing his voice. You’ll hear how he balances content creation with a full-time job, why he never polishes his videos, and how he structures stories to connect emotionally—without chasing algorithms.

This episode is a masterclass in following your curiosity, honoring your influences, and building something meaningful on your own terms.

In the episode, you will learn to:

Turn a simple idea into a large, loyal audience by following your own curiosity
Tell better stories by pairing emotional narratives with musical memory
Structure short-form content that resonates without being overproduced
Build trust and authenticity by leaning into your quirks and imperfections
Balance creative pursuits with real life while still growing your platform

"If it makes me curious, then maybe it'll make someone else curious, too."

- Patrick Hicks

If you want to learn how to build a following of 500,000 in your 40s by just talking about your passion, this is the episode for you!

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Some of the highlights of the episode:

00:00 – A TikTok challenge turns into half a million followers
02:00 – The power of music in shaping memory and storytelling
03:30 – From suburban punk shows to music storytelling
06:00 – Finding confidence as a “music nerd”
09:00 – How Patrick built his audience without any production tricks
11:30 – Juggling parenthood, full-time work, and a media brand
14:00 – The evolution of multiple shows (The Guest List, Good Measure, Music Stories)
16:00 – The dream: turning short-form success into full-length documentaries
19:00 – What started as 30 days turned into a creative career
21:00 – Going viral and getting invited to Tribeca
23:30 – The magic of just getting started (even if it’s not perfect)
26:00 – The surprising power of a DM strategy for booking guests
29:00 – Behind the scenes of landing big interviews (including Coco Mocó and Patton Oswalt)
32:00 – Why music is the most universal storytelling language
35:00 – Great music books and overlooked music history
38:30 – The “We Want the Funk” doc and the gap in hip-hop scholarship
41:00 – Why Patrick focuses on uplifting stories, not tragedies
43:00 – The No Doubt story and what makes a great video go viral
46:00 – The haters, the backseat drivers, and the fake “you forgot…” comments 48:00 – Research rabbit holes and following curiosity
50:00 – Lessons from storytelling: trust your gut, cut the gimmicks
53:00 – The pressure to follow trends… and why he doesn’t
56:00 – Longform still works—if you deliver value
59:00 – Starting at 39: “Nobody looks stupid if they’re having fun”
01:03:00 – A final message to anyone who thinks it's too late to start