Collaboration with a Legendary Producer

This chapter explores the collaboration with a legendary producer on the song 'Make Me A Man.' It highlights the initial contact, the producer's contributions to the songwriting, and the creative synergy that emerged during the process.

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John is joined by Olly Alexander and producer Danny L Harle, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced ‘Polari’

Olly Alexander is an English singer, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist, best known as the frontman of Years & Years. The band found global success in the mid 2010’s with the hit ‘King’ and released two UK #1 albums before Olly transitioned to a solo career. As well as representing the UK at Eurovision in 2024 with ‘Dizzy’, Olly has collaborated with numerous pop icons including Elton John and Kylie Minogue. His 2025 album Polari was co-written and produced by Danny L Harle, a sought-after British producer known for his work on P.C. Music, and with artists including Charli XCX, and Caroline Polachek and many more.

Catching up at Strongroom Studios, where Olly recorded most of the album’s vocals, the conversation explores the stories and sounds behind each track. Along the way, they share early demos featuring Olly’s first vocal musings, while Danny discusses songwriting habits, optimising a producer’s workflow, and techniques for achieving a creative flow state.

Tracks discussed: Whisper In The Waves, Cupid’s Bow, Beautiful, Polari

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