Our next guest achieved superstar status for his Tony Award-winning performance as Evan Hansen in ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, originating the lead role. He is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, and actor, who is also recognized for his role as Benji Applebaum in ‘Pitch Perfect’ and ‘Pitch Perfect 2’. This year he shared another side of himself as a songwriter and solo artist with the release of his first full-length album, ‘Sing To Me Instead’, which delivers confessional lyricism by way of soulful intimacy as part of one cohesive narrative. The 12-track album chronicles the highs and lows of a transformative relationship. Showcasing his personal story, he penned several songs solo and co-wrote the remainder of material alongside the likes of Ben Abraham, Eg White, Nate Cyphert, Michael Pollack, Jenn Decilveo and more. In addition to his recent album, he is the executive producer and leading star of the new Ryan Murphy series, ‘The Politician’, currently on Netflix. He is the youngest artist to be one award away from EGOT status, And The Writer Is…Ben Platt!
Ep. 70: James Bay
This Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist and songwriter is the definition of a modern-day rock star. With the recent release of his EP ‘Oh My Messy Mind’ which featured the infectious duet “Peer Pressure” featuring Julia Michaels, and the heart-wrenching ballad “Bad,” he continues to highlight his songwriting and musical prowess. This past year he finished his sold-out US heading tour and this summer he opened for Ed Sheeran on his overseas European arena tour. In 2018, after the release of his sophomore album ‘Electric Light,’ he won the world over again with its singles “Wild Love,” “Pink Lemonade” and “Us.” Following the release of his debut album ‘Chaos And The Calm,’ featuring the singles, “Hold Back The River” and “Let It Go” he was nominated for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best New Artist at the 2016 Grammy Awards. In the UK, the record became the “Biggest New Artist Album Release” that year and has sold nearly 5 million albums and generated 3.5 billion streams worldwide. Receiving the BRIT’s Critics Choice award in 2015, this songwriter has also gone on to win Best Male Solo Artist at the BRITS, International Newcomer at the ECHO Awards, Best New Act & Best Solo Artist at the Q Awards, and Most Performed Work for “Hold Back The River” at the Ivor Novello Awards. On the other side of the globe, he has also received a nod for “Best International Artist” at the ARIA Awards in Australia. And The Writer Is…James Bay!
This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle.
Ep. 69: Sarah Aarons
Our next guest is an Australian born and raised, No. 1 charting, Grammy-nominated songwriter. Her passion for music sparked at a young age after winning a songwriting grant, which inspired her to follow the career path of her idol, Sia. After learning Sia – along with her other favorite songwriters Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift – were signed to Sony/ATV Publishing, she submitted a demo to their Sydney office which impressed Head of A&R, Maree Hamblion and she was later signed. Since then this songwriter has used her unique talent to co-write US and Australian radio charting songs such as LDRU’s “Keeping Score (feat. Paige IV),” Cosmo’s Midnight’s “History,” David Guetta’s “Don’t Leave Me Alone (feat. Anne-Marie),” and two of Zedd’s No.1 hits, "Stay (with Alessia Cara)” and the 2019 Song of the Year Grammy-nominated song “The Middle” with Grey and Maren Morris. She has also crafted songs for major artists such as Camila Cabello, Galantis, Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Ruel, Mabel and contributed four songs to Khalid’s No. 1 Billboard Top 200 debut album 'Free Spirit'. In 2018, she received the APRA Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year award and then won APRA’s Songwriter of the Year award the very next year. Additionally, she is nominated for Song of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards for co-writing Maren Morris’ No. 1 single, “Girl.” And The Writer is… the unstoppable, Sarah Aarons!
This episode is sponsored by BMI and Bandzoogle.
Ep. 68: Sam Nelson Harris (X Ambassadors)
This week our guest is a songwriter and the lead singer of the band, X Ambassadors. X Ambassadors’ debut platinum-selling album ‘VHS’ saw the band transition from Ithaca alt-rockers and Brooklyn indie scene outsiders, to Billboard stalwarts. The album was an intimate insight into our guest and his brothers’ youth, studded with audio snippets from home movies, and early recording sessions and sound checks. With it, came the genre-defining, multi-platinum hits “Unsteady” and “Renegades,” a three-year global touring odyssey and a string of high-profile festival performances. His songwriting became increasingly personal resulting in the shattering, shimmering 2018 singles “JOYFUL” and “Don’t Stay” followed by a North American headline tour. With X Ambassadors our guest has co-written and featured on songs such as “Home” from the Bright Soundtrack with Machine Gun Kelly and Bebe Rexha, “Transmission” with Zedd and Logic, and the 3x multi-platinum song, “Sucker for Pain” from the Suicide Squad Soundtrack with Imagine Dragons, Lil Wayne, Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & Wiz Khalifa. He has also co-written songs for other artists and projects including, “American Oxygen” by Rihanna, “Bad Husband” by Eminem, “Jerome,” “Cuz I Love You,” and “Heaven Help Me” by Lizzo. Additionally, he co-wrote 8 songs on the 2019 album, ‘For The Throne (Music Inspired by the HBO Series Game of Thrones)’ which featured artists such as Maren Morris, X Ambassadors, SZA, The Weeknd and Travis Scott. Always looking to give back to the community that raised them, X Ambassadors returned to Ithaca for the second annual Cayuga Sound Festival this past September creating and curating two days of musical performances and raising money for local charities. In 2019 X Ambassadors released “BOOM,” a quick-fire anthem for emphatic recovery and personal revolutions from their new album, ‘ORION’. This episode features two parts; an intimate discussion with Ross and the other a live audience interview held at the Deutsch agency in Los Angeles. And The Writer Is… Sam Nelson Harris!
This episode is sponsored by BMI and Bandzoogle.
Ep. 67: Finneas
Kicking off Season 5, at 22-years-old, this multi-talented guest has already become a buzzing and sought-after producer, songwriter and artist. Working behind the scenes on numerous hit singles, he has stepped out into the spotlight with his own innovative and ambitious solo project. Born and raised in East Los Angeles, he was homeschooled alongside his younger sister, Billie Eilish. Music was always an important part of their childhood and education and by the age of eleven, his parents had taught him the guitar and piano. He took to writing his own songs and by the time he was a teenager, he was already teaching himself to produce. In 2015 he wrote a song titled “Ocean Eyes” in his bedroom studio. That song became the breakout hit for Billie Eilish, quickly grabbing her a record deal with Interscope and gaining major media buzz. The siblings continued to write and record together for Billie’s solo project, creating her debut EP ‘don’t smile at me’ and No. 1 debut album, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’. He has also had the opportunity to collaborate with artists including Khalid, Kehlani, Jessie Reyez, Ashe, Olivia O'Brien, Sabrina Claudio, Marian Hill, Bruno Major. Already regarded as a major producer and songwriter to watch, as an artist his anticipated debut EP, ‘Blood Harmony,’ is set to be released this October featuring the first single, “Shelter.” Unafraid to be vulnerable and unfiltered, his songs are rich with pure unadulterated emotion. And The Writer Is… FINNEAS!
This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle.
