Creativity Over Perfection: Lessons from LA Musician Late (Joe) on the Music Industry in the AI Era

At Cutback, we’re building Selects, an AI-powered assistant editor that helps video creators turn long hours of footage into meaningful stories faster. But we know tools don’t exist in a vacuum. Behind every edit is a human creator with unique challenges, inspirations, and workflows. That’s why we launched the Time for More Podcast: a creativity podcast to explore the real, behind-the-scenes experiences of artists, musicians, editors, and founders navigating today’s creative landscape.

In this first episode, we spoke with LA-based musician, Late (Joe), about the intersection of music, emotion, and technology, and why raw, unpolished storytelling still matters in a world of polished production.

Hosted by Tom and Chan, two co-founders of Cutback, the company behind Selects, this creative podcast episode kicks off a series exploring the behind-the-scenes stories of creative professionals.

Missed the other episodes of the “Time for More” Podcast featuring Late? Check them out to stay in the loop: “Time for More” Podcast Episode 2 Recap | “Time for More” Podcast Episode 3 Recap | “Time for More” Podcast Episode 4 Recap

Meet the Guest: Late (Joe)

Late is a Korean-American musician whose creative career is rooted in raw, emotional storytelling. With a background in software engineering and product management, Late blends the precision of tech with the soul of analog sound. He shares how his musical influences range from Park Jin (박진) to Marcus King, and why he believes the unpolished, imperfect textures in music, that create heartfelt moments, matter now more than ever.

“I used to wear a lot of clothes when making music. Now, I’m just fine with a white T-shirt and jeans. I want my music to feel that simple, that real.”

Key Topics Covered

1. Creativity Rooted in Authenticity

Late emphasizes the importance of rawness in his work, citing artists like Marcus King who leave in mic cracks and imperfections. He reflects on how modern music often over-prioritizes polish at the expense of emotion, and why he’s returning to a simpler, stripped-down sound that reflects his personal journey.

2. From Tech to Art

Both hosts share their own journeys from tech backgrounds to creative ventures. Tom (CEO and co-founder) and Chan (co-founder) reveal how they went from building software to launching Cutback, a platform that aims to give creators time for more creative potential through AI-powered editing tools.

3. The Impact of AI on the Creative Industry

While AI may seem like a threat to authentic creative practice and the creative process as a whole, the episode explores how tools like Selects can actually enable deeper creativity by removing the boring, repetitive parts of the process, like cutting silences or syncing transcripts. It isn’t AI against creatives, but AI for creatives.

4. Cultural Roots & Musical Identity

The episode dives into the dual influences of Eastern and Western music on Late’s career. From Korean soul artists to Western folk and rock legends, his taste is eclectic, and so is his sound.

What Creators Can Learn from This Episode

This episode is more than just a casual chat; it’s a reflection on how the creative discipline is evolving in the age of AI, automation, and cross-cultural collaboration. Whether you’re editing a vlog or composing your next album, the biggest takeaway is this:

Creative work doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be real.

How Selects Helps Creators Like Joe

At Cutback, we built Selects to support creators like Joe, artists with big ideas, limited time, and a desire to spend more creative energy on the story instead of the tedious timeline work.

With features like:

• Automatic silence detection

• Prompt-based editing

• Smart audio and video syncing

• Finding the key moments through natural language search

Selects helps editors and creators go from rough cut to story-ready faster than ever, while keeping the creative decisions in your hands.

Whether you’re producing music interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, or educational content, Selects can be the silent partner that helps you focus on what matters most: the story.

Watch the Full Episode of the “Time For More” Podcast

What did you think of the podcast? Leave a comment on the YouTube channel. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

For more video editing tips and in-depth knowledge about Cutback’s Premiere Assistant and Selects, check out our latest posts on the Cutback blog or our YouTube channel. You can also join Cutback’s Discord community of like-minded video editors.