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!
Ep. 44: Joe London
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!
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!
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!
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!
