Stay ConnectedEvery week, we sit down with an acclaimed and venerable songwriter to intimately discuss what happens behind closed doors in the music industry. There are millions of singers, thousands of artists, and only 40 top songs per genre at a time… this podcast is about the people who make them. Produced by Joe London & Ross Golan in association with Big Deal Music & Mega House Music. And The Writer Is… ™
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Copyright: © And The Writer Is
Today’s guest is one of the fastest-rising voices in modern country — a songwriter whose honesty, wit, and emotional precision have turned deeply personal stories into songs heard everywhere. She just became the 10th woman of the century to top the Billboard 200.
Before the sold-out shows and chart-topping records, she was a college student playing small gigs with her dad and brother, trying to figure out where music might fit into her life.
One honest song at a time, she began building a catalog that feels both timeless and unmistakably her own.
Now, with a growing fanbase and a string of hits helping shape the sound of modern country, she’s writing the next chapter of her career in real time.
And The Writer Is… Megan Moroney!
In this episode of And The Writer Is… Megan opens up about:
• The unexpected moment that pushed her toward learning guitar
• Growing up around music and playing early shows with her family
• The traumatic accident that jumpstarted her music career
• Finding her voice in the Nashville songwriting community
• Why honesty and humor are essential to her writing
• How she stood out in early co-writes
• 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…
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.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
5:00 Moving to Nashville: The First Steps
6:00 Working in the Music Industry Before Releasing Music
7:00 The Advice That Started Her Career
10:00 Growing Up Around Music in Georgia
13:50 “I Went to School to Be an Accountant”
16:30 Musical Theatre and Feeling Out of Place
18:56 The Accident That Started Everything
24:01 The Sorority Event That Led to Georgia Theatre
32:25 Learning the Business of Music in School
33:00 The Internship That Changed Everything
35:00 Creating the Tennessee Orange Cover Art on Her Phone
38:45 Writing Every Day and Building a Network in Nashville
40:20 NMPA — Our Lead Sponsor This Season
41:00 Splice
41:45 The Story of Tennessee Orange
45:50 How Influencing Helped Pay the Bills
47:10 Megan’s Writing Process
52:15 Exploring the Studio
54:10 Working With Ed Sheeran
58:42 A Full-Circle Moment With Kacey Musgraves
1:09:00 The Story of “Beautiful Things”
1:15:55 Rapid Fire
1:21:26 Megan Gives the Podcast Flowers
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
Edited by Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Watercolor Art by Michael White
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today’s guest is the frontman of one of the most defining bands of the 2010s — a songwriter whose voice helped shape an era of alternative pop that still echoes today.
Before arenas. Before permanence. Before “Sweater Weather” became cultural shorthand.
Now, after over a decade of hits, reinvention, and evolution, he looks back on the long arc of The Neighbourhood with clarity — and with honesty about what success did and didn’t solve.
And The Writer Is… Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood!
In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Jesse opens up about:
• Growing up in the industry before he understood it
• The unlikely formation and endurance of The Neighbourhood
• His journey through childhood acting, getting discovered, + losing his dad on the brink of success
• The advice he’d give himself before it worked
• 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…
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.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:09 I Never Wanted To Be Alternative
4:02 Why Thousand Oaks Produces Massive Bands
7:39 Becoming a Child Actor at 6
8:35 “My Self-Worth Is Tied to Entertaining”
9:55 Discovered in a Movie Theater at 5
14:16 Reconnecting With His Dad Before He Passed
17:28 Success Without the Fame He Expected
27:10 High School Metalcore Bands
33:17 How The Neighbourhood Formed
36:06 The First Riff of “Sweater Weather”
40:00 Getting Discovered Online by Their Manager
44:23 His Manager’s Warning…
47:20 Writing the Lyrics to “Sweater Weather”
48:42 Pop Writing Rules
55:23 Learning to Let Go of Instant Validation
59:32 Daddy Issues
1:02:30Watching Your Own Lyrics Affect Relationships
1:10:01 Why He Needs Alone Time
1:10:23 Feeling Invisible, the “Chip Chrome” Era
1:11:17 Touring the Same Venues & The Plateau Feeling
1:12:31 Why Chip Chrome Became His Favorite Creative Risk
1:13:48 “You’ve Got to Get People to Look to Listen”
1:16:00 Creative Direction as Identity Control
1:19:30 Self-Sabotage vs Reinvention
1:32:00 Band Brotherhood & Growing Up Together
1:36:00 Legacy, Impact & What Really Matters
1:41:00 Advice to His Younger Self
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
Edited by Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Watercolor Art by Michael White
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today’s guest is a Grammy-winning songwriter, global pop architect, and one of the most quietly influential voices shaping modern music across borders.
Before the world heard her voice, she spent years training inside the K-pop system — learning discipline, structure, and endurance long before recognition ever arrived. When the system didn’t know what to do with her, she pivoted. Slowly. Intentionally. And built a career that would eventually be heard everywhere.
Now, as a songwriter whose work spans K-pop, pop, animation, and beyond — and as an artist stepping into her own voice — she represents a different kind of success: one built patiently, shaped by pressure, and defined by longevity rather than speed.
And The Writer Is… Ejae!
In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Ejae opens up about:
And much more…
Hit the subscribe button 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…
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.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:30 Early life & finding music
6:10 Inside K-Pop training
9:00 Ejae's writing process...
28:00 Rejection from auditioning to be a K-Pop Idol... and $5 Karaoke training to pass.
41:00 Ejae sings her first song
41:37 Sponsor Spotlight: NMPA
42:18 Sponsor Spotlight: Splice
14:45 Discipline, pressure, and identity
23:20 Being let go by the system
26:19 The truth about the K-Pop system
30:40 Rebuilding in isolation
39:15 Discovering songwriting as power
50:00 K-Pop's ultimate evaluation: Auditioning to debut
50:37 Ejae's rejection and rock bottom... and the pivot that would change everything
56:10 Global songs & delayed recognition
1:00:00 How she wrote her first songs
1:04:00 Writing her first song for film
1:07:00 Writing 'Psycho' for Red Velvet at her first session
1:13:00 K-Pop vs Pop music... And the reference to 'Psycho'
1:14:00 K-Pop Demon Hunters
1:20:00 The story behind 'Golden'
1:26:00 The original 'Golden' voice memo...
1:30:00 The process of co-writing the songs for K-Pop Demon Hunters
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad
Creative Directed by Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Watercolor Art by Michael White
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is a festival headliner, Grammy-winning songwriter, and the architect of a sound that accidentally changed the course of folk, country, and alternative music forever.
From singing as a family around a kitchen table to headlining arenas with banjos and mandolins, Marcus Mumford built something no one saw coming — and has spent years learning not to get in his own way once the stakes got real.
Now, as a solo artist and band leader, he's as honest about the creative process as he is about the pitfalls of ego, overthinking, and the quiet ways success can sabotage itself.
And The Writer Is... Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons!
In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Marcus opens up about:
Hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications...
Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.
Follow us on socials at @andthewriteris
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:00 Desert Island Mix: Radiohead
3:00 The Greatest Band of All Time?
7:00 A Hilarious Story About Bob Dylan — His Songwriting Grandfather
11:00 How Mumford & Sons Structured Equal Ownership
13:35 How Mumford & Sons Writes Music
17:00 Where Great Music Comes From
18:35 His Songwriting Ethos: "Catching Fairies"
22:00 Favorite Poetry and Getting Lost in Words Before Writing
23:46 Childhood
25:00 Growing Up in Church
33:50 Why Drummers Make the Best Producers
50:00 Testing Demos on the Road
52:00 Working on His Solo Record
58:00 The Empowering Pharrell Story
1:03:00 The Chris Martin Story
1:05:00 Rapid Fire
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is a multi-platinum DJ, producer, and songwriter who turned personal devastation into one of electronic music's most emotionally resonant careers.
From opioid addiction in high school to wilderness therapy at rock bottom, he rebuilt his entire life in Denver—sober, alone, and teaching himself music theory from scratch.
Now 13 years clean, he's become a voice for mental health in a scene built on excess, collaborating with Jon Bellion, Halsey, Teddy Swims, and countless others to create music that connects survivors.
His latest album, Odyssey, is a cinematic journey through heartbreak, recovery, and the sessions that saved his life.
And The Writer Is... Illenium!
In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Nick Miller (Illenium) opens up about:
* Moving every two years as a kid and never having roots
* Falling into opiates at 15 and hitting bottom by 2011
* Moving to Denver alone and getting sober at 21
* The Good Things Fall Apart session (and demo)
* How music saved his life entirely
and much more...
Hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications...
Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.
Follow us on socials at @andthewriteris
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:00 Childhood and Moving Every Two Years
5:00 Getting Into Music Through Tiesto's Album
6:30 The Electronic Artist That Inspires Industry Musicians
9:00 Getting Sober—His Rough Patch in 2011
10:00 Escapism and Addiction
12:30 The Wilderness Program That Saved His Life
16:30 Getting Lost in Music and How He Learned to Create
17:30 Illenium's Roots
18:00 Learning From Other Producers and YouTube
20:00 Thinking of Sound as a Picture
21:00 World Building and Finding His Brand… and His Purpose
23:00 Ross Opens Up on How Music Saved Him
24:00 The Personality Trait All Successful Creatives Have
26:00 How He Popped Off
31:00 Working With Unknown Artists and How He Picks Them
33:00 How to Find Your Sound
34:30 NMPA and Splice Midroll
41:00 Touring—The Downs After a Show
44:00 Good Things Fall Apart
47:00 Collaboration in DJ Culture
49:00 Why He Doesn't Chase Big Songs
54:24 COVID
1:13:00 Gaming on Tour
1:17:00 Good Things Fall Apart Demo
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Creative Direction by Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Guest Watercolor Art by Michael White
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, and performer, best known as one-third of The Smeezingtons and a foundational creative force behind Bruno Mars’ career. He has co-written and helped shape some of the most influential pop songs of the last two decades, including Just the Way You Are, Billionaire, Locked Out of Heaven, When I Was Your Man, 24K Magic, Nothin’ on You, and many more...
And The Writer Is... Bruno Mars!
In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Philip Lawrence tells his story in full—for the first time
- How a $5 bus pass led to Bruno Mars
- The hidden cost of early success
- Real stories behind pop’s biggest records
- The pivot that made everything 'click'
- A breakdown at the peak—and the call that brought him back
and much more...
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
4:00 “I Just Might” and Bruno Mars
10:31 Childhood and Not Feeling Good Enough
14:00 Early Career
20:00 Leaving School and Auditioning for Disney
26:00 The Disney Break Room: The Beginning of His Journey
27:00 His First Session
30:00 Meeting Steven Seagal
34:00 Moving to LA
37:09 Losing Everything He Had So Far
39:00 Finding His Manager
43:00 Finding His Way Through the Industry
44:42 His Ego Death
45:50 The Pivot That Really Started His Career
46:50 Be Friends With All the Assistants
47:20 NMPA and Splice
48:45 How to Write for Radio
49:30 Developing His Songwriting Ethos
50:29 Spending His Last $5 to Meet Bruno Mars (Before He Was Bruno Mars)
1:05:09 How Bruno Stayed on His Early Hook Placements
1:07:28 The Story of Nothin’ on You
1:09:20 Billionaire
1:11:50 Just the Way You Are
1:19:15 Talking to the Moon
1:20:49 Ross’s CeeLo Story
1:23:00 “F*** You” Was Not Supposed to Happen
1:28:00 How Locked Out of Heaven Happened
1:33:22 When I Was Your Man / Flowers (Miley Cyrus)
1:36:50 Five Songs He Wishes He Wrote
1:38:34 24K Magic
1:40:36 His Breakdown at the Peak of Success
1:48:45 The Comeback Phone Call With Bruno
1:50:18 APT
1:52:39 Advice for Songwriters + Rapid-Fire Questions
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest has quietly shaped the sound of a generation.
He has written and produced some of the biggest songs of the last 15 years—from One Direction's "Story of My Life" to Niall Horan's "Slow Hands," Sabrina Carpenter's "Taste", Teddy Swims' "Lose Control," and Olivia Dean's "So Easy to Fall in Love."
A true songwriter's songwriter, John Ryan doesn't just chase hits—he shapes careers, defines sounds, and knows exactly when inspiration is knocking.
In this episode, John breaks down what it really takes to stay relevant across multiple eras, why authenticity always wins, and how he went from a Berklee kid living in his manager's parents' house to becoming one of the most trusted voices in pop music.
We talk about:
- The hardest years of his career
- The real batting rate of the best songwriters
- Meeting Sabrina Carpenter and Teddy Swims
- Working with One Direction and losing Liam
- Gems upon GEMS for up and coming musicians, songwriters, and producers
and a special live performance of some of his biggest hits.
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro: John Ryan
02:30 How John Got Into the Music Industry
06:30 Songs from Eighth Grade & Writing Early
10:30 Writing Like a Kid Again (The Picasso Effect)
13:00 Berklee, Pro Tools & Learning the Craft
17:00 How Many Songs Actually Make It Out?
19:30 Maroon 5’s “Cold”
21:30 Niall Horan: From One Direction to Solo Artist
24:15 The Lowest Point of His Career
26:00 The Realization That Saved Him
28:00 Meeting Teddy Swims & Sabrina Carpenter
31:00 Social Media, Virality & “I Don’t Have That on My Phone”
33:30 Writing “Heaven” with Niall Horan
34:00 Sabrina Carpenter’s “Feather”
36:00 Stop Chasing Numbers. Start Betting on People
38:00 Co-Writing with Amy Allen
41:56 How John Ryan Produces Songs
44:50 Country Music & Expanding Taste
47:20 Liam Payne
51:03 Olivia Dean – “So Easy to Fall in Love”
56:45 John Ryan’s Take on Collaboration
58:50 Writing “Tears” with Sabrina Carpenter
59:40 Managing Life, Energy & Relationships
1:02:01 “Steal My Girl” & “Night Changes” Should’ve Been Bigger
1:04:52 Choosing Great People Over “Sure Things”
1:07:00 John Plays & Sings His Hits
1:20:00 Why 10,000 Hours Isn’t Enough
1:21:06 GEM: Ruthlessly A/B Your Music to Get Better
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Edited by Jad Saad
Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today’s guest isn’t just a living legend.
He’s one of the architects of modern music.
As a songwriter and producer, he’s discovered artists, shaped careers, and defined entire eras.
This one is required listening.
A once-in-a-generation legendary hybrid of songwriting and production,
And The Writer Is... David Foster!
In this episode, David breaks down what actually makes music last, the cost of greatness, and what it really takes to survive and stay relevant in the music business over decades, not moments.
Not to mention his best advice for people in the business right now...
We talk songwriting vs. production, discovering artists like Céline Dion and Michael Bublé, working with legends like Whitney Houston and Paul McCartney, the mistakes artists make chasing hits, and why longevity matters more than hype.
Oh, and the only artist who could pull him out of retirement...
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters:
00:00 Mount Rushmore of Producers
02:00 Canadians
03:42 David Foster’s Parents
05:23 Discovering Perfect Pitch
07:03 Musical Roots and Learning Jazz
07:40 Jazz Voicings Explained
10:24 “Leave Songwriters Alone” – Publishing Talk
11:20 Writing His First Songs
12:21 Advice He’d Give His Younger Self
17:00 David Foster’s Trick for Reading People
17:58 Surviving a Plane Crash
20:22 The Start of His Early Career
22:00 Is “Africa” by Toto a Perfect Song?
27:20 The Greatest Songwriters Ever
30:25 Kanye West’s “Through the Wire” Sample Story
32:27 Songwriting vs Sampling (Blurred Lines Case)
34:21 His Documentary, Workflow, and Band Relationships
38:53 How David Foster Writes Songs
42:42 How Seven People Write One Song
43:39 Presented by NMPA & Splice
48:19 The Critical Mistake in “Uptown Funk”
49:49 “Unforgettable” with Nat King Cole
51:08 Paul McCartney
55:17 Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”
57:10 Top Five Singers He’s Worked With
59:06 Discovering Céline Dion
59:56 How David Foster Sees His Life
1:05:13 What Makes a Song Great?
1:09:40 The “Nashville No”
1:11:51 The Arc: A Holistic Approach to Songwriting
1:12:42 Discovering Michael Bublé
1:15:29 Star vs Superstar
1:16:39 Andrea Bocelli & Josh Groban
1:19:04 The Cost of Greatness
1:19:46 How to Make It in the Music Business
1:24:11 Family Life (Katharine McPhee & Kids)
1:25:50 “I Told Céline the Titanic Song Would Ruin Her Career”
1:31:01 Songs He Wishes He Wrote
1:31:39 Artists He Passed On
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Post production by Pratik Karki
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
And The Writer Is... Diplo!
This episode isn’t about hits. It’s about how culture actually gets made.
Taste, burnout, and building culture without permission.
From growing up in Florida crate-digging scenes no one cared about, to turning underground instincts into global movements, Diplo breaks down the uncomfortable truth behind longevity in music: following your taste when everyone else wants safety.
We get into:
The real physical and mental toll of nonstop touring in a world that never shuts off
The power of branding and how he did it (and why you have to, to)
Breaking scenes before they’re acceptable
Burning out, disappearing, and rebuilding without chasing relevance
Why instinct beats public approval every single time
And the reality of turning risk into influence and underground energy into global impact This episode is for anyone building anything.
Thank you for listening
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Chapters
00:00 – Diplo Is Here
01:02 – Episode Intro
01:45 – AI, Sora, and the Future
03:18 – How Diplo Uses AI in Music
06:15 – Using Prompts to Produce
07:44 – How Diplo Got Into Music
10:32 – How Ross and Diplo Met
14:05 – Life as a World-Touring DJ
16:04 – Dr. Luke Signed Me to Steal My Drums
16:36 – Diplo’s Origin Story
17:13 – Riff Raff, Culture, and Being Hated
18:43 – Making “Where Are Ü Now”
20:04 – Creating Jack Ü with Skrillex
21:37 – Orlando DJ Gigs to Philadelphia
24:33 – First Session with Vybz Kartel
27:23 – Branding, the Internet, and Selling Mixtapes
35:01 – The Story of “Paper Planes” (M.I.A.)
36:44 – How to Find Success in Music
37:57 – NMPA + Splice (Sponsors)
39:25 – “Climax” and Finding His Strengths
43:54 – Why He Started Mad Decent
46:41 – Learning Music and the Birth of Major Lazer
49:30 – The Story of “Lean On”
53:04 – Diplo’s Cheat Code for Creating Fearlessly
54:06 – Country Music
55:28 – “Heartless” and Morgan Wallen
56:19 – Collaborator Rapid Fire
1:00:28 – Diplo’s Branding Advice
1:03:32 – Charli XCX
1:05:00 – How He Doesn’t Lose Himself on Tour
1:06:59 – Nothing Is Perfect. Everything Gets Better.
1:07:19 – Diplo’s Run Club
1:08:00 – Diplo’s Final Advice
Hosted by Ross Golan
Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad
Post Production by Pratik Karki
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
And The Writer Is… Alex Warren.
Alex joins the podcast to talk openly about resilience, finding his voice, and what it actually takes to turn pain into songs that connect.
In this episode, he breaks down:
And the single most powerful way to get your music heard against all odds..
This ones about humble beginnings, trusting your voice when no one will listen, and learning how to write your way out of survival mode.
A special thank you to our sponsors…
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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