And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

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 listeningA 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:Overcoming homelessness and instability while chasing musicEarning credibility in an industry that didn’t immediately take him seriouslyHow vulnerability became his songwriting superpowerWhat his writing process looks like when the emotions are real — not manufacturedThe difference between being seen and being heardAnd 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.

Today’s guest didn’t just enter the music industry — he grew up inside it. He isn’t just a Grammy-winning producer or a respected solo artist. He’s one of the rare creatives who’s built a career rooted in loyalty, advocacy, and taste — while learning in public and evolving in real time.And The Writer Is… FINNEAS!In this episode, he breaks down:Growing up in the industry without losing your footingThe quiet flaw baked into today’s music industry — and the one trait he’s seen in every truly exceptional artistLoyalty over leverage — and why relationships still matterAdvocating for artists when you already have a seat at the tableLearning as you go without pretending you have it all figured outThis one is grounded and essential for anyone trying to build something that actually lasts.A special thank you to our sponsors... Our lead sponsor, NMPA aka the National Music Publisher's Association. Your support means the world to us!And @splice the best sample library on the market, period.Chapters0:00:00 Teaser 0:02:37 What FINNEAS Would Change About the Music Industr0:07:40 “What Do You Do?” Identity & Being Multihyphenate0:08:54 Why taste beats momentum 0:10:51 FINNEAS & Ashe 0:12:51 From Workaholism to Efficiency0:14:17 Tools, Shortcuts & Speed in the Studio0:16:13 Him and Billie and Their Creative Differences0:20:11 Stage Fright, SNL & Performing Under Pressure 0:24:23 Writing Songs for Film vs Albums0:27:49 Writing “What Was I Made For?0:30:46 Writing Honest Lyrics in LA:0:32:48 Parenting, Legacy & Keeping Ego Out of the House0:36:42 Creativity and Parenting0:38:47 Homeschooling, Childhood & Creative Freedom0:41:46 Make your kids work with adults0:44:42 When You're Inspired... Collaborate With Your Influences0:46:30 Artists FINNEAS Would Love to Work With0:48:46 How Not to Chase Trends: Why reference points should be old, weird, and far away 0:50:02 NMPA Ad0:50:42 Splice Ad0:51:30 Favorite Albums to Listen to Deeply0:53:06 Writing with Billie, Honesty, Family & Creative Trust0:55:55 Claudia, Love, Partnership & Sustaining Ambition1:00:37 The 20% Rule1:02:00 The 'Lowest Point of His Career' and His Personal Victory From It1:04:57 Separating Your Work From Your Worth1:06:00 The Barometer of Success For A Solo Artist1:06:40 Doing The Apple TV Sound1:08:14 Not Comparing His Success With Billie, New Album, Knowing When to Pivot1:11:04 Repeating Success... Birds of a Feather, Taste as a Long-Term Advantage1:15:00 Signing Writers1:17:55 Why Some Artists Plateau1:21:11 Publishing Deals, Reversion, and Leverage.. Bad Deals with Good People and Good Deals with Bad People1:24:33 Avoiding burnout in a high-output career 1:28:01 Writing 'Lonely' for Justin Bieber with Benny Blanco1:31:14 Aging in the Industry... Collaborating with Ashe1:39:08 Big Songs On Deluxe Albums1:42:50 Writing for Prompts and Film1:45:01 What Still Excites Him About Music1:43:41 Are You Happy?1:52:37 Separating The Art From The Artist1:51:58 Building something that lasts without losing yourselfHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad SaadEdit by Jad SaadPost Production by Pratik Karki Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest has carved out one of the most improbable creative legacies of his generation — commanding animation, comedy, film, and orchestral music with the same relentless discipline and near-obsessive craft. What began as a kid sketching characters in his bedroom grew into a fight to build Family Guy on his own terms… and eventually into Grammy-nominated big-band records that honor the very foundations of American music.And The Writer Is... Seth MacFarlane!On this episode, Seth breaks down the discipline, taste, and obsessive craft that shaped his creative life… and the standards he refuses to compromise, no matter the project. Dive deep into his roots, heroes, influences, and biggest challenges building his creative legacy.A special thank you to our sponsors...Our lead sponsor, NMPA, aka the National Music Publisher’s Association.Your support means the world to us!And @splice — the best sample library on the market, period.Chapter list:0:00:00 – Teaser0:01:06 – Welcome & Episode Intro0:03:12 – Seth’s Early Creative Roots: Drawing, Music & Comedy0:08:40 – Developing Discipline as a Young Artist0:12:55 – The First Breakthroughs in Animation0:16:33 – Fighting for Family Guy and Holding the Vision0:18:15 – The Influence of 80s TV Scores and John Williams0:21:48 – How Taste Shapes Every Creative Decision0:25:30 – The Craft Behind Writing Comedy That Lasts0:30:02 – Why Orchestration Matters So Deeply to Him0:34:44 – Recording His Sinatra Albums & The Pursuit of Precision0:38:55 – Balancing Film, TV & Music at a High Level0:43:22 – Obsession, Work Ethic & Sustaining a Long Creative Career0:45:45 – Diving into the Rat Pack Era and Vocal Legends0:47:14 – Collaboration, Standards & Protecting the Work0:52:33 – What He’s Learned About Longevity in Entertainment0:56:26 – The Role of Curiosity in Every Chapter of His Career1:00:08 – The Mindset Behind Creative Risk1:03:03 – His Advice for Multi-Hyphenate Creators1:05:23 – Seth’s Final Message to Artists1:07:19 – Closing Thoughts1:09:30 – Navigating Fame, Fan Encounters, and Meeting Icons Like John Williams & William Shatner1:15:45 – Final Appreciation for Preserving Classic MusicHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad SaadWatercolor by Michael White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is the producer behind some of the biggest songs of the last 15 years — from “Wrecking Ball,” “Timber,” and “Dark Horse” to early records with The Weeknd and Britney Spears.From teaching himself production on cracked software and vinyl turntables… to going on a run of genre-defining hits.And the writer is… Cirkut!In this episode, he opens up about his early grind, the moment Britney cut his beat, his first sessions in LA, working alongside Max Martin and Dr. Luke, and the mindset that helped him go from unknown kid with an MPC to one of the most important producers in modern pop.A special thank you to our sponsors...Our lead sponsor, NMPA aka the National Music Publisher's Association.Your support means the world to us!And @splice -- the best sample library on the market, period.00:00 — Intro: Who is Cirkut?00:04:37 — Early music influences: hip-hop, DJ culture00:05:49 — Discovering DJ gear & beat manipulation00:07:55 — First exposure to FruityLoops & early production00:10:24 — DJ’ing pep rallies with vinyl00:12:36 — Applying early skills later for Lady Gaga00:14:14 — Skipping audio classes to make beats00:16:46 — Early Drake encounter in Toronto00:18:40 — How the name “Cirkut” was born00:21:35 — How a CD of his beats got to Britney Spears00:22:10 — First big cut: Britney’s “Papi”00:23:01 — Discovering electronic music & the blog era00:23:49 — Learning from Masterkraft (the MySpace era)00:33:00 — Working with The Weeknd on “High For This”00:33:57 — Recognizing Abel’s early greatness00:35:06 — Moving to LA & hustling through the rat race00:38:49 — What finally got him out of the rat race00:39:33 — The call from Dr. Luke00:41:11 — The Flo Rida / Levels / Good Feeling near-miss00:42:37 — Losing a big cut overnight00:43:19 — When the hits start stacking: “Where Have You Been,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Timber”00:44:48 — The thing he brought that cut through the noise00:47:18 — What it’s like creating with Max Martin00:49:36 — Winning Producer of the Year (Junos)00:50:17 — When Cirkut realized he belonged at the top00:52:04 — Why his ego is different00:53:15 — His quiet superpower in the room00:55:45 — Ad: NMPA + ⁨@splice⁩ 00:57:00 — The importance of speed00:59:00 — Secret sauce... Knowing his sounds and blind listening01:02:00 — Keeping production organic 01:03:57 — The Weeknd01:12:10 — Ross' funny Pitbull / Cirkut story01:13:03 — Cirkut's secret to success01:14:00 — 'Unholy' Sam Smith01:18:54 — Jung Kook, 'Seven' with Jon Bellion / Theron Thomas01:21:00 — Charli XCX01:22:00 — 'APT' and Bruno's 'Stank'01:30:56 — Lady Gaga + Watt01:42:30 — Production advice. Figure out what you're great atHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad SaadWatercolor by Michael White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.