And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

Today's guest came up in the biggest band in the world at seventeen, watched it pause at twenty-two, and built a solo career almost no one in his position has ever managed to sustain. From success, to tragedy, and back... This Irishman makes his triumphant return to the stage and our hearts with 'Dinner Party'.And The Writer Is... Niall Horan!He talks about Liam not as a tribute beat, but as a presence — what fires you up to walk on stage when somebody you love would still want to be there. After the band, after the loss, after four albums — who do you become?In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:- Coming off the 2024 tour that sold over a million arena tickets "without a big smash hit of the show"- The twelve-week Southeast Asia backpacking trip that came right before "This Town"- The story of songs like 'Heaven', 'Slow Hands', 'This Town', and Liam's song...- Pushing One Direction's sound from "What Makes You Beautiful" toward "Story Of My Life"- Going solo at twenty-three and being terrified the music was about to end- Julian Bunetta's intervention on "End Of An Era": "this song is about Liam, we just don't know it yet"- "Dinner Party," the new album, and the next world tourHit 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.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us.0:00 Intro1:12 Straight back to the studio after the 2024 arena tour2:13 Over a million tickets sold in 2024 — "and I just wasn't expecting it"3:23 Meeting on the One Direction tour years ago — abandoned buildings, makeshift studios, 200 fans outside within the hour5:46 The post-show ritual: shower, shorts, Netflix, no drinking9:20 Concerts as events now — the fans build it before he arrives10:08 "I grew up on Slow Hands" — Sombr and the new guard14:34 Why the Irish footprint is so big — and why Irish men can't say it out loud17:16 First concert was the Eagles at four — and his mom's Hotel California vinyl18:44 How Niall's listening drove One Direction's sound toward "Story Of My Life"24:58 Savan Kotecha asks: sticking to your guns when every era says chase the trend27:43 "I don't think I'd be able to sell something else that doesn't come from me"34:34 Going solo at twenty-three — and being terrified it was all going to end35:32 How watching the other boys release first actually fired him up40:05 "You can't chase Slow Hands" — the law Niall heard John Ryan name on this podcast45:15 Why he went backpacking through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines after the band46:39 Why Slow Hands taking twenty weeks to #1 was actually the goal56:11 "The minute you think you're a household name, it's game over"57:03 What The Voice actually did to his crowd66:55 "Heartbreak Weather" — wanting to be the song that stands out, even at the cost of being safe75:09 Writing Heaven at 1am in Joshua Tree — and John Ryan about to walk away80:53 Liam Payne, and the song that wrote itself in five minutes once Julian said the thing nobody was saying89:02 The lowest moment of his career — and it's not what you'd guess93:36 The waterfall effect — the people you surround yourself withCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadPost-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Today's guest is a Grammy Producer of the Year who's tied with Babyface for the only three-in-a-row run in the award's history — and whose real story isn't the trophies, the radio, or the run of hits. It's the decision he makes once every few years that almost no other producer at his level makes: which artist he'll spend the next decade building.From frontman of touring indie band Steel Train to one of the most decorated producers of his generation, he built his career against almost every modern industry instinct.This is one of the more honest conversations about what it actually takes to bet a decade of your career on one person. When you're quietly refusing the industry's playbook from inside the room — who do you become?And The Writer Is... Jack Antonoff!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:• The importance of finding your people• Why "Album is God" — and what a single actually is• The Sabrina Carpenter origin: a random run-in two weeks after a Bleachers show• "Workaholics aren't disciplined. They're sad." — why he refuses all-nighters• The "Getaway Car" bridge moment Taylor's documentary caught in real time• 5 voices that feel like 100 — the "Please Please Please" vocal stack walkthrough• The artists he's passed on who became stars — and why he doesn't regret it• Why he writes his best on instruments he doesn't understandAnd much more...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.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.CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro1:10 Ross gave Jack his first co-writing session2:42 The myth and folklore of the LA writing scene8:02 "There's no proof more sessions makes you better"10:08 What gives energy vs. what takes it13:12 Body-of-work first, not single first16:48 "Album is God. Singles are a long hallway to nothing."17:58 The hit-song tour that sold 12 tickets19:17 Sabrina, Chappell, Charli — the only lesson from artist development22:35 Working with artists who already have the vision23:33 Amy asks: how do you make something timeless?25:40 Album tracks are like movie scenes — "Scarface doesn't fit in The Holiday"26:55 How the sonic palette emerges (Mastermind, Tulsa Jesus Freak)31:43 Bleachers — letting the band teeter33:22 "I write my best on what I understand the least"37:47 "Workaholics aren't disciplined. They're sad."40:18 The "Getaway Car" bridge moment Taylor's documentary caught41:28 Keeping it small even when the artist is the biggest in the world44:24 Writing for yourself is how you reach more people48:48 "Geniuses finish things"52:01 Why he protects his circle from outside voices54:37 What Producer of the Year three years in a row actually means56:36 The producers Jack steals from (Jeff Lynne, Sam Dew)61:17 5 voices that feel like 100 — "Please Please Please" stack walkthrough64:10 Dyslexic, Adderall, the VS 840 zip-disk teen years68:13 Authenticity is the only currency that lasts68:57 When their song "March" became a MeToo women's marches anthemCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadPost-Production VFX by Pratik KarkiWatercolor by Michael White

Today's guest is a multi-instrumentalist, music educator, interviewer, producer, and songwriter. He is also one of the most influential independent music voices online. His real story isn't the channel he built after a 90-second video of his son's perfect pitch hit 80 million views overnight, it's his incredible value to the music community and the conversations he sparks online about the state of the music industry and his conversations with some of the biggest creators within it's orbit.This is one of the more unflinching conversations we've had about what's actually happening to music. Two musicians from different generations of the same fight, working it out in real time. Where do you stand when the rules of the music industry keep changing under your feet?And The Writer Is... Rick Beato!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:How getting dropped in 1999 built a YouTube empire 16 years laterWhy Ringo would be a co-writer of every Beatles song in 2026The Eli Mercer experiment: building a fully fake AI artist with Claude — and what happened when he uploaded itThe NPR EDM stunt: 4 million monthly Spotify listeners, 6,300 followers, and what that math says about AIThe 90-second video of his son's perfect pitch that hit 3 million views by 10pm and 80 million total"There's no two current artists with the gravity of Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder" — and Ross's case for their modern counterpartsWho is the Michael Jordan of pop music? Queen at 3 billion streams enters the chatWhy Ross is still bullish on songwriting — and what the Music Modernization Act got right that the No Fakes Act needs to finishAnd much more...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.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers Association. Your support means the world to us.Chapters0:00 Intro2:14 The beginning of Rick Beato's music career3:11 The rollercoaster of an early music career5:32 The Napster era and the dawn of digital recording9:16 Producing Shinedown — and how "Simple Man" became the hit10:54 Why "Yellow Ledbetter" was a B-side — and why bonus tracks are back12:48 What country radio still gets right about hits14:54 Inside Nashville sessions and the number triangle17:28 The future of AI in music — and the No Fakes Act21:20 The future of prompting and curating music23:54 Would The Beatles be a four-way publishing split in 2026?25:39 The modern music economy: are album tracks worthless now?27:58 American writers are chasing global stars now34:30 The Eli Mercer experiment: a fake artist built with Claude36:52 The NPR EDM stunt and what it proved about AI on Spotify41:18 4M monthly listeners. 6,300 followers. AI is winning the algorithm.42:58 How Rick Beato built a YouTube empire45:22 The "What Makes This Song Great" era51:49 1984 vs now — and the search for a modern Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder54:18 Who is the Michael Jordan of pop music?55:51 Queen at 3 billion streams — what counts as "biggest"1:00:28 Golden, Blinding Lights, and what makes a 2020s standard1:06:53 Songwriter similarities and the lawsuits that never happened1:09:42 "Best era of pop music. Am I wrong?"1:13:56 1998: how Clear Channel and Cumulus consolidated radio1:20:14 The Music Modernization Act and what's actually next1:24:54 Is the future of songwriting still bullish?Credits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadPost-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . This week Ross dives into No Fake Act, Justin Bieber's comeback to charts since Coachella, Country & KPOP chart toppers & more. Tune into this weeks episode of ATWI with Roget Chahayed.

Today's guest is a prolific producer behind Sicko Mode, Broccoli, Bad at Love, Kiss Me More, Laugh Now Cry Later, First Class, and APT. — but whose real story isn't the catalog. It's how most of those songs happened by accident.A classically trained concert pianist who spent his teens grinding through Liszt and Prokofiev knuckle-busters, Rogét quietly became one of the most important producers in modern pop and hip-hop — and almost none of it happened the way he planned.This is one of the more honest conversations about what mastery is actually for — what happens when a decade of preparation collides with a 9pm pull-up, a stock preset, and a flute sound turned on by accident. When the world keeps rewarding your simplest moves, who do you become?And The Writer Is... Rogét Chahayed!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:Years of grinding Liszt and Prokofiev — and a first big check from four major triads on a fluteThe three-week run in 2016 that produced Broccoli, Skywalker, Bad at Love, and the seed of Sicko ModeThe Mr. Miyagi era under Doctor Dre's right-hand man — and a pajama meeting at Dre's hidden studioSicko Mode — made on a stock preset in a closet-sized vocal booth — and the moment he heard it open AstroworldKiss Me More — a 2-5-1 with a walk-down — and what jazz school actually trained him to doCo-executive producing Jack Harlow's album from 4pm to 4am for a year — and how First Class came togetherAPT. — the song he forgot about until Bruno Mars mentioned it at a friend's barbecueAnd much more...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.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us.Chapters0:00 Intro2:12 "How does a classical pianist come up with the chords for Broccoli? By turning the keyboard on."4:24 The 9pm Yachty pull-up and the original Korg stock piano6:35 Hearing his flute everywhere — Macklemore, Drake's Portland7:50 The early break that taught him how the music business actually works13:39 "I believe in the good of the business — we can be the generation that watches each other's backs"15:59 Lebanese father, Argentine mother, and a meet-cute at a gas station17:00 Why his dad named him Rogét19:35 Discovering jazz at 15 and the chord that opened the world up24:14 College, hip-hop, and reading liner notes for Scott Storch and Ryan Leslie33:30 Telling Eastern parents he was leaving Juilliard-track for hip-hop37:03 Getting kicked out, teaching 25 piano students a week to survive41:45 The Mr. Miyagi era — Mel-Man, strip-club errands, and getting hazed46:17 The pajama meeting at Doctor Dre's hidden studio50:08 His Lebanese dad hearing Broccoli on the radio52:17 NMPA54:36 Bad at Love — the beat he made and forgot57:50 What is a songwriter? Rogét's answer1:01:28 Skywalker, Hit-Boy, and the arpeggios that became the splish1:04:00 Sicko Mode: a stock preset, a closet-sized vocal booth, and Travis pulling up1:07:08 "Drake comes in and says 'Astro' and I lost it"1:14:23 Laugh Now, Cry Later: a Big Sean intro session to a Drake single in a month1:18:15 Kiss Me More: "the perfect riff" — a 2-5-1 with a walk-down, sped up1:23:15 "Genius comes out of editing" — Miles vs. Dizzy and what jazz actually trains1:24:54 First Class and a year co-EPing Jack Harlow's album from 4pm to 4am1:30:39 APT. — the song he forgot until Bruno mentioned it at a barbecue1:36:04 What he'd tell a 16-year-old version of himself in the Valley right nowHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad SaadEdit by Jad SaadPost Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Every week, And the Writer Is brings you the most important news moving through the music industry — straight, sharp, and no fluff. This week Ross Golan opens the weekly And The Writer Is… news update (week of April 20, 2026) by highlighting major chart wins:Swimf by BTS is #1 on the Global 200 for a fourth weekChoose In Texas by Ella Langley holds #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a seventh weekHer album Dandelion debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200He teases an upcoming Stagecoach interview and notes a strong country music moment.New music + industry highlights:Olivia Rodrigo dropped a new single Drop Dead, debuting at #1 on Spotify charts, co-written/produced by Dan NigroThe podcast re-released Dan Nigro’s episode to celebrateBusiness + industry news:Paul Epworth sold his catalog for a massive (undisclosed) amountStreaming platform Deezer is now receiving 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day (44% of uploads), raising concerns about “AI slop”Splice introduced a new AI tool that pays sample creators, which Ross praisesOther updates:Massive Attack signed a new deal banning certain rules (brief mention)Miranda Lambert signed with MCA Nashville, signaling a major upcoming era

Today's guest is the Grammy Producer of the Year who built the two biggest pop breakthroughs of the last five years back to back — and whose real story isn't about the hits. It's about the three years he spent making nothing and the rule he wants every producer in the game to understand.From indie rock frontman in As Tall As Lions to pop's most trusted collaborator, Dan built his career against almost every industry instinct. He carries three things at once that most producers never figure out how to hold: the commercial ear of someone who's had back-to-back Grammy runs with Olivia Rodrigo, the patience of a craftsman who sat on "Good Luck, Babe" for 18 months before it ever left his hard drive, and the conviction to say no — to every rushed demo, every session hop, every label note that doesn't serve the artist.This is one of the more honest conversations about what it actually takes to build a superstar. And The Writer Is... Dan Nigro!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:• The three years he spent making nothing — and what finally broke it• Why getting Chappell dropped from Atlantic was "the greatest thing that ever happened"• "We're building like an icon here" — the real work behind Chappell Roan's rise• Why Dan refuses to send demos• 20 days with one artist, not 20 sessions with twenty• Meeting Dua Lipa in 2014 — "this girl is a superstar"• Artist development, finding your lane• Writing good songs sucks — and why that's fineAnd much more...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.Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us.And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.Chapter timestamps:0:00 Intro3:01 Why Atlantic dropping Chappell was "the greatest thing that ever happened"4:16 Atlantic's note: cut one of the Pink Pony Club guitar solos8:20 Self-releasing Karma, Naked in Manhattan, and building a label with Island11:33 "We're building like an icon here" — Bowie, Madonna, the Chappell blueprint13:13 What makes somebody "have it" — the gut call you can't fake17:21 "There are no more superstars" — the article that pissed Dan off19:34 20 days with one artist, not 20 sessions with twenty21:27 Good Luck Babe's million rewrites — the "Good Luck Jane" era22:59 Why Dan refuses to send demos — ever24:54 18 months on the hard drive26:01 Justin Tranter asks: how do you have the confidence to dive that deep?28:04 Three years. Ended up with nothing.33:12 The Madonna model — outside songs, finding your lane43:21 Taking five months off after Olivia and Chappell46:41 Steph Jones asks: rituals, guilty pleasures, happy accidents51:43 Amy Allen asks: has your feeling ever been wrong?52:58 "The most egotistical thing I've ever said" — never wrong about an artist53:20 Meeting Dua Lipa in 2014 — "this girl is a superstar"55:55 Vampire — and the label that thought it was "three songs in one"62:39 People need to take more risks63:37 Writing good songs sucks — and why that's fine68:21 Five for five — As Tall As Lions, Sour, Guts, Amusement Records70:31 The second-album mountain72:58 Playing Olivia and Chappell for his daughterCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadPost-Production VFX by Pratik Karki