Share
And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan
Ep. 257: Adam Lambert on Idol, Fronting Queen, and Opting Out of the Industry Game
Ep. 257
•
Today's guest is one of the great voices of his generation — the theater kid who auditioned for American Idol with Michael Jackson, watched the judges' faces fall, and demanded a second song because he'd just quit his job and had no health insurance. But his real story isn't the voice. It's the game — the one Freddie Mercury wrote about, the one that picks your singles, writes your headlines, and decides who you are before you do.
And The Writer Is... Adam Lambert!
In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:
The AMA kiss that blew up a $500,000 single launch — "everyone was going, oh shit"
Quitting Wicked — and losing his health insurance — to audition, then refusing the judges' no
Why Kara DioGuardi 'busted his balls all season'
What Brian May says "Play the Game" was really about
Signed before the finale even aired: why losing Idol never mattered
and much more.
Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.
Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris
A special thank you to our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association.
0:00 Intro
1:09 The album is out — why self-titled, "first name basis"
2:35 Meeting Pete Nappi through a pandemic song still in the vault
3:39 "Am I Okay" — written one week after the breakup
6:02 Singles made him "crazy" — the label picks that flopped: "I told you so"
7:04 Leaning into what fans expect vs. challenging them
8:16 Proud of the flops, indifferent to some hits
9:34 Theater kids: every album is a character, every record a world
11:28 The dystopian cover — "I want it blasted into the future"
13:55 Adam Lambert or Freddie Mercury? "I feel like it's me"
15:35 Coffee with Freddie — what Brian says "Play the Game" was really about
16:56 "The music industry is a big old game, isn't it?"
17:43 A college-DJ dad, a Sly Stone mom, and a kid screaming through the house
19:46 The Fiddler note where everybody went "oh, wow"
21:03 San Diego to LA at 19 — math knocked him off the college path
23:00 Weed, poetry, and GarageBand
25:49 Wicked: six months, burnt out, and a new plan
29:20 Inside the Idol machine — two camps, two agendas
32:49 The Burning Man epiphany that vanquished the fear
34:39 No job, no insurance, and judges who didn't get Rock With You
35:11 "I didn't really ask" — the second song that changed everything
36:22 Why Idol can't break artists anymore
38:04 Honey water: the whiskey story behind Kara DioGuardi's grudge
41:21 Justin Timberlake tells him to remake A Night at the Opera
42:06 Losing the finale — already signed before it aired
47:20 The blog photos drop: "Yeah, that's me. Get over it."
51:53 The AMA kiss and the $500,000 single
53:22 What Do You Want From Me — the P!nk demo
56:00 Singing uncredited on Avicii's "Lay Me Down"
59:03 "It takes a village — bring them with you"
60:26 Max Martin: "When you get on stage, I don't have to worry"
61:26 How Queen actually made the call
62:07 Trespassing hits #1 — a first he didn't know he'd made
62:48 The poster-child years: "the headline is that I'm gay, and no one's talking about the music"
66:11 Trespassing, the "bipolar album" — his half vs. the label's half
67:20 Two months with the Wolf Cousins — why his songs didn't make the cut
70:05 The Ghost Town gamble — "you've got to do something drastic"
72:44 Songs with no home — "throwing my ideas into space"
76:03 Velvet dies to Covid, two weeks in
76:52 A Telefunken, YouTube tutorials, and teaching himself Logic
77:51 The secret musical: 20 songs written over Zoom
82:45 Identity vs. brand — "the personality precedes the skill"
83:35 Songwriters don't get paid for their time — the union conversation
87:37 Giving his co-writers master points — "it's just classy, man"
88:28 Where the stage presence actually comes from
90:13 The hardest part of fame
93:06 "I nitpick the negative" — showing the uglier side for the first time
96:28 Is Ozempic killing LA nightlife?
Credits:
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
Edited by Jad Saad
More episodes
View all episodes
Ep. 268: Ilya Salmanzadeh | How The Swedes Cracked Hit Songwriting and Why Most People Won't
02:04:58|Today's guest is the Swedish producer and songwriter behind "Problem," "Into You," "Love Me Like You Do," "No Tears Left To Cry," "Santa Tell Me," and "Unholy,". He finally sits down with Ross for an And The Writer Is interview ten years in the making.He taught himself to make music from a demo CD that came in a cereal box. A radio singing contest got him discovered, and he signed a publishing deal at 17. It then took him ten years to land his first real hit. He tells Ross how a year of playing FIFA with Shellback led to Wolf Cousins, and what Max Martin's famous "math" actually is.If you've ever wondered how the biggest pop songs of the last decade actually get finished, this one's for youAnd The Writer Is... Ilya Salmanzadeh! JOIN THE ATWI PATREONMonthly Zoom hangs, demo feedback, special guests and 200+ archived audio episodes (Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shania Twain, Babyface and more):Patreon.com/andthewriteris THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR SPLICETry Variations in the Splice Sounds plugin. It makes new versions of any Splice sample with a different structure, key and BPM, and the original creators get paid every time.Splice.comCHAPTERS0:00 Cold open: what Max Martin's "math" really means1:32 Welcome Ilya Salmanzadeh3:12 What MXM is: "like Real Madrid signed me"4:46 Jantelagen: why Swedes won't brag9:57 Born in Iran, raised in Denmark16:22 A cereal-box CD and teaching himself music19:54 The hits: Problem, Into You, Unholy and more21:32 Early influences: Tracy Chapman, Michael Jackson, hip-hop24:50 Why the world's biggest pop writers live in Stockholm27:14 Wanting to be an R&B artist32:36 The radio singing contest that got him discovered37:26 Ten years from publishing deal to first hit39:09 Telemarketing and Apple tech support43:08 The immigrant drive to prove he belongs46:21 His first cut: the Bratz album48:20 A year of FIFA with Shellback and the birth of Wolf Cousins52:37 The MXM pop family tree54:21 Competition vs. family inside MXM58:40 Max Martin: "Why aren't you in LA?"1:00:41 What Max Martin taught him about songwriting1:03:13 "Problem": Savan Kotecha's original voice memo1:08:59 The morning "Problem" hit #1 on iTunes1:10:57 His father and the number he keeps seeing1:14:31 Weeks on one pre-chorus: making "Into You"1:21:55 "Love Me Like You Do" started as a Sunday hang1:27:08 Producer vs. writer credits: "Bad Blood" and "Bang Bang"1:31:42 His creative wavelength with Ariana Grande1:32:23 "No Tears Left To Cry" breaking the pop rules1:34:00 "God is a woman" was almost for Beyoncé and JAY-Z1:35:48 Ariana Grande as a producer1:37:27 "Unholy": the hotel staff, Max and his daughter1:44:20 When a release doesn't hit1:47:11 14-hour days: how he finishes so much music1:48:57 Chris Martin, Coldplay and the "mind movie"1:52:17 Why he keeps working with new artists (Tate McRae, LISA)1:54:53 "eternal sunshine" vs. "petal": the two-room process1:56:54 "Santa Tell Me" and chasing a Christmas classic1:59:24 Has Ilya finally proven his worth to himself?And The Writer Is, hosted by Ross Golan, is a podcast about the songwriters, producers and artists behind the songs you love.Instagram: instagram.com/andthewriterisHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Ep. 267: YG Opens Up. Bad Deals, Hit Records, and a Midlife Crisis
01:36:46|Today’s guest is a multi-platinum rapper and songwriter who took Compton to the charts and gave the world “My Hitta,” “Who Do You Love?” and “Big Bank.” From his debut album My Krazy Life to collaborations with Drake, Nipsey Hussle, and Nicki Minaj, he’s built a catalog that’s done serious damage to club speakers. Now, with The Gentlemen’s Club, he’s getting personal and reminding everyone there’s a storyteller behind the hits. And The Writer Is… YG! In this episode we go deep on:- The inspiration behind his new album - The Def Jam singles deal with five album options: "I could have sued everybody" - What he'd tell an 18-year-old holding a label offer- Why having a catalog doesn't mean you own it - What a YG session looks like: tequila, "next beat," and a BPM in his head - How "FDT" got made with Nipsey, and why Def Jam wouldn't release it - The night Nicki said "don't put this out without me" - "Who Do You Love?": three months, hook writers, and Drake telling him to do it himself And much more... Hit subscribe and turn on notifications.Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, our Patreon! Patreon.com/andthewriteris And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:32 Hiring a "Hitman" 8:07 "Were you ever suicidal?" and the homies who said "same" 9:10 Chin up, chest out: what the streets never let you say 10:28 "2004," the song he cut from the album 24:31 Turning himself in while his song blew up, and the label that called his mom 27:31 Signing young: "I could have sued everybody" 28:24 Ross: athletes get rookie orientation, artists get "good luck" 34:57 What he'd tell an 18-year-old holding a label offer 39:40 The masters trap: you have a catalog, but you don't own it 41:30 What a session with YG actually looks like 47:39 Why he made Gentleman's Club: "they were playing with my name" 50:10 How "Hollywood" with Shoreline Mafia got made 53:51 How "FDT" happened with Nipsey, and why Def Jam passed 59:40 Meeting Nipsey: two different gangs, one mission 1:05:56 How do you stay brave when the people around you get killed? 1:10:59 The night "My Hitta" got made 1:13:03 "Big Bank": Nicki says don't put it out without me 1:18:15 What he knows at 36 that he didn't at 20: the streets don't love you back 1:27:20 "Who Do You Love?": three months and Drake's "you do the hook" 1:30:02 What makes a Mustard beat different Credits Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Ep. 266: Tinashe’s Guide to Making It on Your Own Terms
01:18:09|Today’s guest is a singer, songwriter, producer and dancer who has spent her career trusting her own instincts—and building a world around them.From “2 On” to “Nasty” and “No Broke Boys,” Tinashe has kept releasing music through major-label deals, independent projects and viral breakthroughs.She’s collaborated with artists including Calvin Harris, Charli xcx and Kaytranada, and joins us to talk about the journey behind it all.And The Writer Is... Tinashe!Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.Follow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible.Splice, the best sample library on the market, period.and our lead sponsor, our Patreon page!We're still giving away free Universal Audio Recording Gear in our next zoom hang.Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/andthewriterisCHAPTERS0:00 Intro0:46 Tinashe and Ross reconnect—back to The Stunners3:48 “Deep in the Night”—the song she wrote at five5:08 Tinashe’s French fry rankings6:12 Child acting, Whoopi Goldberg, and moving to LA9:11 Life in a girl group without creative control11:22 Buying a microphone and building a bedroom studio14:10 Getting signed—and expecting it to be easy18:40 Join the ATWI Patreon19:32 Splice: Sounds and Variations20:39 Early Travis Scott sessions and being taken seriously in the studio23:29 Recording 200 songs—and trusting the big producer’s opinion26:33 Trusting your gut and knowing when to leave a session30:43 “2 On” takes off. What happens after the first hit?36:03 Writing “2 On” in a garage with friends37:37 Does having a hit teach you how to make one?39:20 Leaving her label and rebuilding trust in her own ideas43:29 What releasing music independently actually takes46:10 Filming her own videos and building her visual world48:14 How dancing shapes the way she writes songs50:08 Working with a label again—and finding Ricky Reed52:11 Getting the call from Calvin Harris53:52 Why genre doesn’t define her music55:19 “Nasty” takes off after she stops needing another hit57:04 Why she won’t write for a TikTok trend58:43 Charli xcx and finding freedom after early hits1:00:41 The unexpected remix journey of “No Broke Boys”1:03:31 Taking the Grammy off her lock screen after seven years1:05:14 Making POPSTAR—and giving herself time to play1:05:55 Which POPSTAR song fits every mood?1:08:19 Claiming the pop star she’s always been1:13:32 “Just don’t stop”—keep putting your music out1:14:42 Her advice to young women in music: intuitionCreditsHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Ep. 265: How Remi Wolf Built Her Career: Study the Greats, Take the Gig, Say Yes
01:36:26|Today’s guest is one of the most unmistakable voices in modern pop — an artist, songwriter and producer who has built a career by making music that sounds like nobody else. Her catalog has passed two billion global streams. She’s played top billing at festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands, opened for Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde and Paramore, and collaborated with artists including Nile Rodgers, Beck, Dominic Fike and Sylvan Esso. And The Writer Is... Remi Wolf! In this episode, we get into - The USC training that rebuilt her voice - Waiting tables and taking Craigslist gigs while building a career - The 30-minute session behind “Photo ID,” - Industry lessons for every artist to take notes on... and much more. Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/andthewriteris Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:40 “You can’t teach tone” — how Remi found hers 2:13 USC: “We’re going to beat you down until you feel like you’re nothing” 6:15 Fourteen, busking the Bay Area, and writing songs in Chloe’s kitchen 13:40 “Carousel” — the first song she ever wrote 15:41 A substitute teacher, an apartment, and her first recording 18:05 Ski racer by day, songwriter by night 19:05 Meeting Jared Solomon at 15 — then finding each other again 21:07 Applebee’s on tour — and the road to sobriety 24:04 Rehab, writing Juno sober, and why clarity changed the songs 29:02 “It’s not ready” — why she refused to release music in college 30:22 Six songs in one week — the reunion that started everything 34:24 Restaurant shifts and Craigslist gigs: how she paid to keep making music 39:26 The Sofar show that led to her first manager 42:39 “I had no expectations” — making music before the industry got involved 45:28 35,000 decisions a day — what creative control actually costs 49:22 “You have to start protecting yourself” 51:34 What is the goal? Redefining success 56:51 Her first album rollout sober 59:21 Social media, warped expectations, and screaming into the void 63:22 “Photo ID,” TikTok, and the accident that helped it explode 66:40 “Photo ID” took 30 minutes — and she thought it was horrible 70:15 Her first professional topline session: “I was overcome with social anxiety” 72:11 Why I’m Allergic to Dogs worked during lockdown 74:56 Why Juno is called Juno 78:50 Hayley Williams and singing with another “belt queen” 82:25 Five years of nonstop touring — and finally hitting pause 87:15 “I Won’t Cry” — her favorite song she’s ever written 89:15 “I was sick of the uptempo shit” — writing 130 songs for Mud 90:49 Her first pitch session was for BTS 92:34 Which Mud song fits every mood 94:10 “I’m the happiest I’ve been in my life”CreditsHosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
264. Ep. 264: How Aaron Dessner Became an Industry Favorite and the 3AM Text That Became 'folklore'
01:22:03||Ep. 264Today's guest is a musician's musician who co-founded The National, the Grammy-winning band behind Boxer, High Violet and Sleep Well Beast.He co-wrote and produced Taylor Swift's folklore and evermore, including cardigan and willow. folklore won Album of the Year at the Grammys.He worked on The Tortured Poets Department and produced Ed Sheeran's Subtract.He's behind Gracie Abrams' I Love You, I'm Sorry and Noah Kahan's Porch Light.In the last year alone, he's made records with Mumford & Sons, Florence + the Machine, Brandi Carlile, Sam Barber, Kevin Morby and Suki Waterhouse.He's one half of Big Red Machine with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon.And he built Long Pond, the Hudson Valley studio where many of these songs were made.And The Writer Is... Aaron Dessner!Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.Follow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible.Amazon Music for Songwriters. Your support means the world to us.And SONA — Songwriters of North America. If you write songs, join them. They fight for us.0:00 Intro1:00 Cardigan, willow, Porch Light — and eight albums in a year5:26 Why "I Love You, I'm Sorry" was never the single7:27 Secretly rooting for the weird song8:17 When a pop star needs a single right now10:25 Don't fill the space: how he walks into a session12:12 Long Pond and "you never make a mistake investing in your creativity"17:24 Twin brothers and their dad's jazz drums22:48 "We faked it": how The National got signed26:48 Playing to no one — then 500 strangers in Michigan30:05 "Did you lose yourself?"33:14 When one bandmate starts writing hits for other people35:38 On stage with Taylor: "You're playing a stadium. It's okay."37:27 "Hey, it's Taylor": the text in 202040:34 The Dropbox folder — and cardigan by 3 a.m.47:45 The thank-you note that became willow51:49 Meeting Gracie Abrams — and 2–3 songs a day57:47 How an instrumentalist became the storyteller's whisperer1:01:11 Why his albums don't get shelved: finishing Prizefighter1:04:23 Studio stories: Gracie, Brandi Carlile, Florence, Sam Barber1:11:40 Noah Kahan arrives burnt out — and Porch Light1:15:41 Live Q&A: finding the corners, his first key change1:18:24 Advice for musicians with day jobs1:20:07 What all the greats have in commonCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad Saad
263. Ep. 263: Ziggy Marley on Family Rules for Life, Music, and Success
01:03:48||Ep. 263Today's guest is a Grammy-winning songwriter, bandleader and activist who has spent four decades inside the most famous name in reggae — but whose real story isn't the inheritance. It's the set of rules underneath it, the ones the family actually lives by, which turn out to have almost nothing to do with music.And The Writer Is... Ziggy Marley!Subscribe to our channel and follow us on socials @andthewriteris Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.Chapters:0:00 He inherited a legacy and built a voice of his own0:45 Why reggae heals 4:53 What makes the Marley family so consistent6:43 Seven kids, and the family business that isn't music8:36 Why the whole album is tuned to 43212:32 The one song he left at 44016:06 What makes this album different from the other fifteen18:11 Finishing the songs before going into the studio20:37 Why he wrote "Many Mourn For Bob" 45 years later24:54 Umbrella or shadow: being a Marley26:39 The funeral, and the drive to Nine Miles30:54 NMPA + Splice33:15 Breaking the four-bar on "Racism"36:03 "It sounds light, but it's heavy underneath"38:37 What "Beach in Hawaii" is actually about43:37 How he found out "Tomorrow People" was a hit46:14 The Melody Makers, and the line you don't cross49:15 "Create your own space"53:45 Advice to the next Marleys55:27 "You can't just ChatGPT life experience"59:12 "When the fridge was empty, I was happy"1:00:26 "I know my value"1:03:07 "It's always new. Still a kid."Credits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad Saad
262. Ep. 262: Ryan Beatty | How to Make It in Music Without Losing Yourself
01:06:40||Ep. 262Today's guest is an artist and songwriter whose career has taken him from teenage YouTube covers to working with Beyoncé, Tyler, The Creator, Brockhampton, Miley Cyrus and Jack Antonoff.But this conversation is really about something bigger: How to build a career in music without losing yourself along the way.Ryan talks about learning to trust his own taste, being grateful he never had a hit record, protecting what makes an artist special, and refusing to let success, algorithms or other people's expectations define him.We also get into Boy in Jeans, Brockhampton, Tyler the Creator's unexpected DM, writing four songs on Cowboy Carter, the making of "Bruises Off the Peach," and his new album Sweet Fortune.And The Writer Is... Ryan Beatty!Subscribe for more conversations with the artists, songwriters and producers shaping music.Follow us: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our sponsors:NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association Splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.Chapters0:00 Intro1:36 The Greek, Hollywood Bowl & Pokémon evolutions3:08 Being made fun of for singing4:09 “I refuse to continue just being one thing”8:32 Why being hard to define is freedom9:52 How Ryan approaches a songwriting session11:52 Teach people how to treat you13:43 “I’m grateful I’ve never had a hit record”14:12 What success feels like vs. what it looks like20:08 “I didn’t feel smart enough to be a songwriter”20:55 Boy in Jeans — finding his voice as a songwriter26:42 Jack Antonoff and an unexpected Broadway placement27:30 NMPA + Splice29:19 His advice for artists going viral31:55 The moment he decided to do it his way34:06 Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract & finding confidence37:05 Why Ryan never pitches songs40:43 Tyler, The Creator’s unexpected DM42:35 Dreaming of David, touring & burnout44:52 Making “Bruises Off the Peach”48:17 Finding his actual singing voice50:30 Cowboy Carter — four songs, told nobody54:30 Making Sweet Fortune & chasing timelessness57:32 How he wants listeners to see themselves in his songs59:36 Amy Allen, Clairo & making the studio a place of joy1:04:25 “Doing this is scary for me”CreditsHosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad Edited by Jad Saad