And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

Today's featured guests have established themselves as A-list writers and producers in the music industry, crafting major hits such as “Traicionera,” “Sé Que Te Duele,” and the worldwide smash “Despacito.” In 2017, they won the Latin GRAMMY for Record of the Year and were also nominated for the National GRAMMY of Record of the Year with “Despacito.” This year, they received three nominations at the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards for Producer of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Song for “Bonita (ft. Sebastian Yatra)” by Juanes. Born in Colombia where they began their respective careers, this production duo, who often writes as a team, has become one of the most sought after teams in the world and have worked with artists such as Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, OneRepublic, Sebastian Yatra, Morat, Cali Y El Dandee, Nacho, Alejandro Fernández, Carlos Vives, among many others. One member of his creative duo is half of the very successful urban pop duo Cali Y El Dandee, and crafted major hits for the band such as "Yo Te Esperaré" and "Por Fin Te Encontré." The other member has developed a career as a session musician, producer, and songwriter. He earned a Latin GRAMMY for his work with Alejandro Sanz and received several nominations. He has worked with artists and producers such as La Santa Cecilia, Sebastian Krys, David Bisbal, Noel Schajris, Alejandro Sanz, Jesse & Joy, among many others. In 2015, they decided to join forces after a long friendship and professional relationship. And The Writers are… Andres and Mauricio! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest epitomizes what it means to be a successful, uncompromising, and independent artist. Wearing many hats, she is a songwriting legend, passionate philanthropist, dedicated animal rights advocate, generous friend, and an incredible mother. With a storied career, she began her musical journey as the lead singer of 4 Non Blondes and has continued to have a profound impact on pop culture with her message of female empowerment. She has composed and produced hit songs for artists such as P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, and Adele, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. Most recently, our guest was nominated for a 2020 GRAMMY Award with Dolly Parton for “Girl In The Movies,” a song they wrote together for the Netflix film Dumplin'. Last year, she was nominated for the 2019 GRAMMY award for Producer of the Year, making her the first woman in 15 years to be nominated in the category. That same year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and Critics Choice Award for her work on “Girl In the Movies.” In addition, she is the co-founder of We Are Hear, a combination record label, publishing house, management company, and production entity that she launched with fellow multi-platinum producer Kerry Brown in 2017. Today, she fosters the creativity of others, actively seeking and nurturing new talents to share with the world. And The Writer Is… Linda Perry!This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle and BMI.Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garnering two GRAMMY-Awards, seventeen number ones across multiple charts, billions of streams, and over 100 million albums sold since the launch of his career, this guest unlocks the unpredictable side of superstars throughout pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock, and beyond. After meeting Timbaland in 2001, he ignited an unbelievable string of seminal smashes—yet to relent. By 2019, his discography encompassed Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” “My Love,” “Lovestoned,” “What Goes Around Comes Around,” “Filthy,” and “Say Something (feat. Chris Stapleton),” DJ Khaled’s “Shining (feat. JAY-Z & Beyoncé,” M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls,” Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” Madonna’s “4 Minutes,” and Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous [feat. Timbaland),” to name a few. Additionally, he helmed songs for the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Ciara, JoJo, Duran Duran, Chris Brown, Björk, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, T.I., and 50 Cent, among others. He has been named “Songwriter of the Year” by SESAC for 2007, 2008, and 2010. And The Writer Is... Danja!This episode is sponsored by SESAC.Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today And The Writer Is…releases it’s 100th episode! To celebrate this milestone, Ross and Joe will answer questions from past guests such as Ryan Tedder, Charli XCX, Nick Jonas, Lindy Robbins, Ricky Reed, Simon Wilcox, Luke Laird, and more, as they reflect on the songwriting and the podcast. We want to express our deepest thanks to our listeners for their support and to everyone who has made this podcast possible. It is an honor to feature the stories of such talented music creatives. We are humbled by the opportunity to use this platform to amplify their voices and advocate for songwriters. A big thank you to our production team! Producers: Big Deal Music Group & Mega House MusicHost & Producer: Ross GolanProducer: Joe LondonProducer: Casey RobisonProducer: David SilbersteinProducer: Ashley AlexanderProducer & Social Media: Meg GogginsProducer: Zack WeinsteinProducer: Kelley FoxWatercolor Artwork: Michael Richey WhiteMarketing Consultant: Dodge WilliamsSpecial thanks to: Mark Tindle, Miles Bergsma, Fame House, Amber Packer, and Hipgnosis Songs Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest hails from Mississippi and is the quintessential illustration of a highly successful and driven jack-of-all-trades: singer, writer, host, actor, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cosmonaut. Beyond his fame as a member of the phenomenally successful group *NSYNC, where the group sold an impressive 80 million-plus records worldwide, he has since made himself a household name. With countless career highlights in music including multiple Grammy nominations, two diamond RIAA awards, MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards to name just a few. Other career highlights include: being the youngest person ever inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, starring as Corny Collins in the Broadway hit, “Hairspray,” publishing his best-selling memoir, “Out of Sync,” making it to the finals on ABC’s hit show, “Dancing with the Stars,” and most recently producing a documentary, “The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story,” which debuted at the SXSW film festival in March 2019. On his podcast, ‘The Daily Popcast with Lance Bass’ he breaks down the biggest stories in Hollywood each day. The show takes a journalistic approach to entertainment with unprecedented access to the biggest names in the industry. Philanthropically, he remains active in various charitable organizations. In addition to being on the Board of Trustees for onePULSE, he also serves as an executive board director of the Environmental Media Association and has been serving on the board for nearly a decade. In being with the EMA, he has helped educate both children and adults on environmental issues. He’s the national youth spokesperson for World Space Week and is a certified cosmonaut. He is a strong advocate for animals and supports numerous causes and charities like The Trevor Project, Thirst Project, HRC, Vanderpump Dog Foundation, and St. Jude’s hospital. And The Writer Is...Lance Bass!This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle.Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With more than three decades of experience, our guest is one of music’s most respected, accomplished executives and a preeminent creative authority. She is the first female chairman of a global music company and the first woman to be named CEO of a major music publisher. Since joining Universal Music Publishing Group in 2015, she has transformed the company into a billion-dollar business and the industry’s best global home to songwriters. She has led the signings and extensions of world-class songwriters including the Bee Gees, Elton John, Carly Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Rosalia, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Jack White, SZA, Post Malone, Quavo, Brandi Carlile, Ariana Grande, H.E.R., Harry Styles, Maren Morris and many more. A strong advocate for women’s empowerment, our guest co-founded and serves on the Board of Directors for She Is The Music, a nonprofit championing equality and inclusion for women. She also serves on boards for the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), and The Archer School for Girls. She has been named to numerous prestigious honors, including: Billboard 2020 ‘Executive of the Year’ for the prestigious Power 100 list; Billboard Power 100 numerous consecutive years; Billboard 2015 Executive of the Year for their Women In Music issue; Rolling Stone’s ‘Future 25’; Variety’s Power of Women L.A.; 2016 March of Dimes Inspiring Woman of the Year for her accomplishments as a leader in the entertainment industry and as a dedicated mother; and more. Prior to joining Universal Music, she served as Co-President of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Previous to that, she was part of the senior management team at EMI Music Publishing, serving as head of the company’s east coast publishing division and then revitalized and led EMI’s west coast division. Outside of music, this executive has also served as a producer of the successful films Drumline and ATL and as executive producer for VH1’s Drumline 2. And The Executive Is... Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, Jody Gerson!This episode is brought to you in partnership with She Is The Music.Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Home and the people who make it have captivated this artist and songwriter for years. Over the last 3 decades, as she became a wife and mother of five, she has also emerged as one of the most respected, prolific singer-songwriters in popular music. Her 2016 release ‘The Bird and the Rifle’ netted 3 Grammy nominations, along with Americana Music Association nods––all firsts for her as an artist. In 2016, she became the first woman ever to win the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year two years in a row thanks to co-writing Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” and penning Tim McGraw’s no. 1 “Humble and Kind” solo. Both songs also clinched back-to-back Grammy wins for Best Country Song. In 2017, she became the Academy of Country Music’s first female Songwriter of the Year. Her highly anticipated new album, ‘The Balladeer’ is her most personal album to date featuring songs that reflect firsthand on her relationships with her children, husband, and family. And The Writer Is...Lori McKenna!This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle and BMI.Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is one of the most versatile and freely collaborative artists of his generation. Renowned as being one of the top jazz musicians in the world, this three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has become a creative engine at the epicenter of LA's progressive hip-hop scene. His noteworthy production has included major collaborations with Kendrick Lamar (‘good kid, M.A.A.D. city’ and the GRAMMY-winning ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’), Travis Scott, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, Leon Bridges, and many other influential artists. His versatility as a musician and producer has led his path in parallel with the greats including Quincy Jones and Dr. Dre, while also launching his vibrant, progressive, genre-crossing record label, Sounds of Crenshaw. This year he collaborated with Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, and 9th Wonder on the supergroup album project, ‘Dinner Party’ which features guest vocals from Phoelix. As the name lends, Dinner Party is an authentic connection and camaraderie. Years of friendship, shows, dinners, conversations, laughs, and life experiences, all converging into one moment. And most recently, his new album 'DRONES' takes him from being a ’secret weapon’ within the industry and renowned in the jazz world, to a household name on a mainstream level. Featuring contributions from friends and frequent collaborators, the record is a career in the making. Stepping out from behind the boards of so many iconic records and into the spotlight, he has created a classic of his own. And The Writer Is…Terrace Martin!Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is one of the world’s most influential music makers. An artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, visual artist, and producer. Hailing from Hull, Quebec, this guest is the sonic shaper and spiritual inspiration of albums by the likes of U2, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, and Bob Dylan. An ambient music pioneer, his unique and innovative approach to sound is a key ingredient to the many well-loved songs he’s written over the past four decades that appear on his critically acclaimed solo albums such as ‘Acadie,’ ‘The Beauty of Wynona,’ ‘Shine’ and Grammy-nominated ‘Belladonna.’ His music, whether vocal or instrumental, has always maintained a cinematic quality, which carries through to his steel guitar symphony projects ‘Flesh And Machine’ and ‘Goodbye To Language’ albums. Most recently, he co-wrote and produced the ‘Red Dead Redemption 2 Soundtrack’ and is currently working on his upcoming project, ‘Daniel Lanois & Heavy Sun’, soon to be released via eOne. “The road is calling as the music keeps on guiding me through the labyrinths of song, messages, and inventions. Surrounded one more time by talent I admire, this new body of work features harmony singing with built-in capacity to raise the spirit." And The Writer Is...Daniel Lanois!Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode features an industry executive who is Apple Music’s first Global Senior Director of Music Publishing. She leads a team that cultivates and fosters relationships with music publishers and songwriters, ensuring licensing, payments, and creative solutions are readily available and handled appropriately. Our guest began her career in the entertainment industry as a barrister in the U.K. and then an entertainment litigation attorney at Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp in Los Angeles, CA. She was appointed to her post at Apple in 2018 when she hung up her barrister’s wig and transitioned from the legal side of the entertainment industry to the business. In her more than 14 years at Apple, she has been intimately involved in the expansion of iTunes to countless countries around the world, the launch of Apple Music in more than 100 countries on one day (including being responsible for licensing of all publishing rights for the service outside the US), and played a key role in all 10 editions of the iTunes Festival (the Apple Music Festival in its latter years). Over this time she has become very well-acquainted with the music publishing landscape, and the music publisher and collection society community around the world, having been in the thick of numerous shifts in the music publishing landscape since 2007. The creation of music, and the ecosystem and industry that nurtures that, is her passion. And The Executive Is… Elena Segal!Art: Michael Richey White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.