And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan Ep. 229: Zedd | Inside the Mind Behind a Decade of Anthems
Nov 24, 2025
Zedd, an electronic music producer, is known for his chart-topping hits like "Clarity" and "The Middle." In this engaging conversation, he shares his journey from using a floppy-disk keyboard and a cereal box DAW to creating anthems. Zedd highlights his coffee obsession, the chaos of making music, and unexpected breakthroughs, including a pivotal MySpace encounter with Skrillex. He candidly discusses the challenges of staying inspired, his collaborative work with artists like Hayley Williams and Maren Morris, and his passion for chasing the right emotional feel in his songs.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Design Studios Around Comfort And Ritual
- Treat studio amenities like coffee and light as creative infrastructure because they affect work quality.
- Prioritize comfort and ritual to make collaborators feel cared for and focused.
Move Fast From Idea To Audition
- Be as fast as possible from idea to audition; sample and demo immediately.
- Rapidly auditioning ideas increases chances of capturing lightning moments and retaining creative momentum.
Keep An Organizer To Preserve Chaos
- Back up and label your sessions; rely on a consistent engineer if you're messy.
- Fast creative chaos works only if someone organizes and preserves your files for future use.
