Ep. 95: Daniel Lanois

Art: Michael Richey White

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!

Ep. 94: Elena Segal (Apple Music)

Art: Michael Richey White

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!

Ep. 93: Drew Taggart (The Chainsmokers)

Art: Michael Richey White

He is one half of the GRAMMY Award-winning and Billboard Chart-topping artist/producer duo, The Chainsmokers, who have evolved into a dominating musical force with a diverse repertoire of songs that have led them to become one of music's hottest recording artists. In 2016, the group catapulted to worldwide stardom with three Multi-Platinum certified hits - "Roses (ft. Rozes)”, "Don't Let Me Down (ft.Daya)”, and "Closer (ft. Halsey)”, which went on to become the longest-running #1 single of 2016 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2017, the group released its debut album via Disruptor/Columbia Records titled ‘Memories... Do Not Open’. The album, which has been certified Platinum, debuted at #1 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 chart and produced Multi-Platinum certified smash hits "Paris" and "Something Just Like This" featuring Coldplay. In 2018, The Chainsmokers released the album ‘Sick Boy’, which has accumulated over 1 billion worldwide streams to date and includes Platinum-certified single "This Feeling (ft. Kelsea Ballerini)” and Gold-certified single "Side Effects," featuring longtime collaborator Emily Warren. The duo’s latest album, titled ‘World War Joy’, which includes "Push My Luck," Gold-certified single "Takeaway" with ILLENIUM featuring Lennon Stella, Platinum-certified singles "Call You Mine (ft.Bebe Rexha)” and "Who Do You Love (ft. 5 Seconds of Summer)”, "Kills You Slowly" and "Do You Mean" featuring Dolla $ign and bülow. Additionally, the duo has been nominated for a 2020 Kids' Choice Award, a 2019 American Music Award, a 2019 MTV Video Music Award, multiple 2019 Teen Choice Awards and was honored with two wins at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards for Top Dance/Electronic Artist and Top Dance/Electronic Album for Sick Boy. And The Writer Is… Drew Taggart!

Ep. 92: Jimmie Allen

The epitome of the phrase “persistence pays off,” today’s guest laid it all on the line to make his dreams a reality. This artist and songwriter moved to Nashville from Southern Delaware with $21 in his pocket. He lived in his car and worked multiple odd jobs waiting tables, making smoothies at a gym, stocking shelves at Wal-Mart, etc. Now signed to BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records, a lifetime of never giving up has brought him full circle. His debut single “Best Shot” from his 2018 debut album ‘Mercury Lane’ is an RIAA certified Platinum hit that claimed the No. 1 spot on Country radio for three weeks. On the heels of that success, his second single “Make Me Want To” hit the No. 1 spot on the Country Airplay chart this year, marking the first time in history that a Black artist launched their career with two consecutive No. 1 singles on Country radio. His talent for songwriting is undeniable, with a knack for razor-sharp hooks and a love of deep messages. In 2019, he received his first ACM nomination for New Male Artist of The Year, a CMT Music Awards nomination for Breakthrough Video of the Year for “Best Shot” and won Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year at the 31st Annual MusicRow Awards. His current single “This Is Us” is a genre-defying track featuring Noah Cyrus has garnered 30 million streams – his fastest consuming single to date. It is featured on his new collaboration project, ‘Bettie James.’ Inspired and named after his late father and grandmother, the EP was co-produced and co-written by our guest and combined his deep love of family and wide ranging musical sensibility. It features collaborations with hitmaking artists such as Nelly, Noah Cyrus, Rita Wilson, Tim McGraw, Mickey Guyton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, The Oak Ridge Boys, and more. To him, it is a musical composition of love, heartbreak, perseverance, hope, and faith. NPR calls the project an “announcement of his arrival” and a “huge step for country” while Billboard hails it “a powerful statement from a developing voice.” And The Writer Is… Jimmie Allen!

This episode is sponsored by SESAC.

Ep. 91: Glen Ballard

He is a six-time Grammy Award winner and one of popular music’s most accomplished producers and songwriters, whose records have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. During his diverse career, he has worked with the biggest names in music, from Barbra Streisand and Aerosmith to Dave Matthews and Katy Perry. He wrote and arranged “Man in the Mirror” for Michael Jackson, and co-wrote and produced the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated song “Believe” by Josh Groban for the feature film ‘The Polar Express’. He has written and produced songs for Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Shakira, Idina Menzel, George Benson, George Strait, Wilson Phillips, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau, Andrea Bocelli, and many others. And his production credits include producing and arranging records for Annie Lennox, No Doubt, and POD. Also quite notably, he produced and co-wrote Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ which sold 33 million records worldwide, earned four Grammys and was named Best Album of the Decade by Billboard Magazine. The album also inspired the musical called ‘Jagged Little Pill’ which debuted on Broadway in November 2019 with Diane Paulus directing and a book by Diablo Cody. Expanding on his successful theater background, he wrote original lyrics and music for ‘GHOST the Musical’ (now in its eighth year of world-wide presentation), and presently he is co-producing and writing original music and lyrics for a stage adaptation of 1985’s ‘Back to the Future’. The musical, in collaboration with film composer Alan Silvestri and director John Rando, premiered in Manchester, England at the Manchester Opera House in March 2020 to glowing reviews just before performances were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His work in film includes composing original songs for ‘Charlotte’s Web,’ ‘Beowulf,’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ ‘The Croods,’ ‘The Mummy Returns,’ and ‘Valentine’s Day.’ 

Today his production company Augury is currently developing original, music-driven content for television, film, and stage. His most recent project is a Netflix Original series called ‘The Eddy’: a music-driven and multicultural drama about a jazz band trying to survive in chaotic modern-day Paris, for which he serves as executive producer and has written and composed original music for the show as well. And The Writer Is...Glen Ballard!

This episode is sponsored by BMI.