
And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan
Every 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.
Latest episodes

Jul 2, 2018 • 20min
Ep. 48: Bebe Rexha - Pt. 2
In this episode we check in with one of our guests from Season 1 following the release of her new album ‘Expectations,’ (which was RIAA certified Gold on the first day of it's release) and her #1, multi-platinum hit single “Meant To Be” featuring Florida Georgia Line. From Brooklyn, NY, this songwriter is a triple threat known for her success as a hit songwriter, singer, and artist. Her repertoire includes credits like "The Monster" by Eminem and Rhianna, "Me, Myself & I" by G-Eazy, and "In The Name of Love" by Martin Garrix. This creative force never pulls punches, and that’s why she always makes a connection. And The Writer Is…Bebe Rexha! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2018 • 50min
Ep. 47: Emily Warren
This Grammy-winning, multi-platinum artist and songwriter has written songs for mainstream pop artists such as Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, FRENSHIP, and Charli XCX. Her songwriting career began early on having signed her first publishing deal while still attending NYU’s Tisch School/Clive Davis Institute. She co-wrote the #1 multi-platinum single, “New Rules” by Dua Lipa, as well as The Chainsmokers’ Grammy-winning hit, “Don’t Let Me Down” which has gone 5 times platinum. In addition to writing break through hits for artists, she is also an artist herself. She co-wrote and featured on the hit song “Capsize” with FRENSHIP and was the special guest on The Chainsmokers’ American “Memories...Do Not Open" tour. Recently, she released her new single, “Paranoid” and was featured on Forbes 30 under 30 Music list for the Class of 2018. Hailing from New York, New York, And The Writer Is…Emily Warren! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 2018 • 1h 17min
Ep. 46: John Feldmann
This week our guest is the co-founder, lead singer, songwriter, producer and mixer of one of the most influential American punk rock groups, Goldfinger, who have sold 4 million albums worldwide. He is a creative force that drives the pulse of Punk, Pop/Punk, Rock, and Alternative music with his characteristically iconic production and writing style. He has penned hits for artists such as Panic! At The Disco, 5 Seconds of Summer, Sleeping With Sirens, The Veronicas, Good Charlotte, Black Veil Brides and the late Avicii. And more recently, he produced Blink 182’s seventh studio album, ‘California’, which landed the group’s first Grammy nomination for “Best Rock Album”. Our guest is also an A&R mastermind who signed The Used, D.R.U.G.S, Story of the Year as well as many more. And The Writer Is… APMA’s 2017 Influencer Award Winner, John Feldmann! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 2018 • 1h 23min
Ep. 45: Allee Willis
This week we’ve partnered with the Songwriters Hall of Fame to bring you our next episode! Our guest is a one-woman creative musical think-tank, a multi-disciplinary artist and visionary thinker whose range of imagination and productivity knows no bounds. This GRAMMY, Emmy and Tony award-winning and nominated songwriter’s hits include the seemingly ubiquitous "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, “I'll Be There for You” (the Friends theme song), as well as the co-authored Oprah Winfrey-produced Tony and GRAMMY-winning musical, The Color Purple. She has written for artists across many genres, including Cher, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, Boy George, Patti LaBelle, Justin Timberlake and more. She is an advocate for songwriter’s rights being credited as the first pop artist to address Congress on artist rights in cyberspace. Our guest most recently completed writing, recording, producing, directing and animating “The D,” a song for her hometown of Detroit. She has also started performing a series of sold-out one-woman shows, combining her songs with her comedy, art, videos and technology. We are honored to introduce this 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, And The Writer is… Allee Willis! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 4, 2018 • 59min
Ep. 44: Joe London (LIVE from The University of Southern California)
This week we have a special interview recorded LIVE from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. Hailing from Wisconsin our guest is a Grammy nominated and ACM Award winning songwriter and producer from our And The Writer Is… family. He is responsible for penning diverse hits such as Thomas Rhett’s Grammy nominated and BMI Country Song of the Year, “Die A Happy Man,” Pitbull’s “Fireball,” Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle (feat. Snoop Dogg),” Sage The Gemini’s “Now and Later,” Fifth Harmony’s “BO$$,” Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s “Speak to a Girl,” and Lizzo’s “Worship.” In addition to his success as a songwriter, he is a renowned producer who recently co-wrote and co-produced Thomas Rhett’s Grammy nominated album ‘Life Changes’ as well as co-produced the album’s hit single “Craving You (feat. Maren Morris).” He also co-wrote and co-produced Bomba Estéreo’s Grammy nominated albums ‘Amanecer’ and ‘Ayo’. As an individual he is equally as kind and as he is talented. He’s the man who makes everyone sound like angels, And The Writer Is… Joe London! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2018 • 1h 22min
Ep. 43: David Hodges
Our next guest is a multi-platinum, Golden Globe nominated, Grammy and BMI award winning songwriter and producer with over 65 million records sold to date. He began his career as one of the founding members of Evanescence, whose debut album ‘Fallen’ sold over 18 million copies and featured the hit tracks “My Immortal” and “Bring Me To Life.” Over the past decade, he has worked with some of the biggest artist’s in the world. Whether it be writing their hits or creating successful end titles for film, he is one of the most sought after multi-genre songwriters in the industry. His signature sound starts on the piano and can be heard across many of the song he’s written such as Christina Perri’s ‘Twilight’ end title, “A Thousand Years,” as well as hit singles such as Kelly Clarkson’s # 1 “Because of You,” Carrie Underwood’s “See You Again” and Daughtry’s “What About Now.” He continues to make waves within the music industry working with megastars such as Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Jason Mraz, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, and many others. And The Writer Is… David Hodges! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 21, 2018 • 1h 10min
Ep. 42: Nick Jonas
This multi-platinum, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated recording artist, actor, and award winning songwriter is a true triple threat. He is a recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's prestigious Hal David Starlight Award, and has released hits such #1 U.S. radio hit, “Jealous” and the sultry chart-climbing radio single, “Chains.” His sophomore solo album ‘Last Year Was Complicated’ which included the platinum hit "Close" featuring Tove Lo, debuted as the #1 selling album of the week. He co-wrote the original song “Home” for the movie FERDINAND that was nominated for a 2018 Golden Globe in the category of “Best Original Song.” And recently he released his new single “Anywhere” with Mustard, which he also co-wrote. As an actor, he garnered unanimous critical praise for his lead role in the 2016 Sundance Film Festival favorite GOAT. He’s appeared in Fox's horror-comedy series, "Scream Queens," starred in the gritty television show "Kingdom,” and appeared alongside Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black in JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. Not only is he a talented force to be reckoned with, but he is also a charitable inspiration who co-founded Beyond Type-1, which is a foundation that helps educate, fund research and empower those who are diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes. And The Writer Is… Nick Jonas!This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 14, 2018 • 1h 14min
Ep. 41: Mozella
This Detroit born songwriter and artist is one of the most sought after collaborators in the business. She is credited for writing some of Pop’s most influential hits such as Miley Cyrus’ #1 smash “Wrecking Ball”, One Direction’s chart topping “Perfect”, and Kelly Clarkson’s Grammy-nominated “Love So Soft.” In addition to an empire of notable songs featuring the likes of Rihanna, Ellie Goulding, Tinashe and Madonna, this writer has found her own success as a recording artist with three full length albums under her belt as well as her most recent single, “Anything Is Possible.” It is this multi-platinum writer’s mission to create honest music and lyrics that inspire human connections. It’s our pleasure to announce, And The Writer Is…MoZella! This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 7, 2018 • 1h 29min
Ep. 40: busbee
Originally hailing from the Bay Area and now based in LA, this Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer and publisher has deservedly become an untouchable force in the songwriting community. Best known for carving parallel careers in mainstream Pop and commercial Country, busbee has written with and produced for a wide range of artists, including Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Jon Bellion, Timbaland, Rachel Platten, Christina Aguilera, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lady Antebellum, Shakira, and more. Recent smash hits in the Country market include "The Fighter“ by Keith Urban (feat. Carrie Underwood), "My Church" & "80s Mercedes" by Maren Morris, and BMI of the Year "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line. Additionally, many of busbee’s hits in both the Pop And Country markets have been 50/50 collaborations. A true musician's musician and family man....And The Writer Is…busbee! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 2018 • 1h 38min
Ep. 39: Ryan Tedder
Kicking off Season 3 of And The Writer Is… we have a hit songwriter and Grammy-winning record producer who has penned songs for the likes of Adele, Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran and has also worked with some music’s most influential legends such as Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé and Paul McCartney. This truly gifted writer had his first success in the music business when his own group released their song “Apologize” which quickly became an international smash, gaining the attention of hit producer and writer, Timbaland who included a remix of the song on his album “Shock Value” and signed the group to his label. This writer is Pop music’s go-to guy and frontman of OneRepublic, And The Writer Is… Season 3 welcomes Ryan Tedder!This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.