And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

And The Writer Is
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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.

  1. Ep. 252: Lizzo | Rock Bottom, #1, and the Game Nobody Explains

    5 hr ago

    Ep. 252: Lizzo | Rock Bottom, #1, and the Game Nobody Explains

    Today's guest is a Grammy winner, a two-time Billboard #1 artist, and one of the defining pop voices of the last decade. But her real story isn't the anthems or the awards. It's the part that plays like a rollercoaster and teaches like a masterclass: how she almost quit, what going #1 actually felt like, and everything about the music business nobody explains until you've survived it. The press version skips the touring deficits, the depression at the top, and the moment in an Echo Park apartment when she nearly took a job at Smoothie King. The question underneath everything she says: once you stop chasing the metric and the moment — who do you become? And The Writer Is... Lizzo! In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on: • Why she wanted to quit music the day "Truth Hurts" went #1 — and the 2017 low point that was actually worse • The touring economics no one explains: how you gross $1M and still finish the year in the red • Why the indie grind that built her, in her view, no longer leads to the mainstream • "She stopped giving a fuck about what we wanted" — Beyoncé's self-titled as a blueprint for artistic autonomy • Why she only talks to people who buy her music — and what comment sections do to her nervous system • The bumper-sticker hook theory — why "Truth Hurts" works when it breaks every rule • Writing "About Damn Time": 83 versions of the chorus, and how the simplest line won • Robert Glasper's lesson: there's no such thing as a wrong note • Why good songs don't sound great at first — watching "Good as Hell" go from silly to gospel • "I make whatever the f*** I want" — and why arriving at that sentence took everything before it And much more... 🔓 Want in the room? We just launched our Patreon — monthly Zoom hangs where we listen to your demos and give feedback, hang with you directly, occasional guest drop-ins, and the full archive of 200+ audio episodes (Sabrina Carpenter, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shania Twain, Babyface, and more). [www.patreon.com/andthewriteris](https://www.patreon.com/andthewriteris) Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. Credits: Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad Edited by Jad Saad Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 29min

  2. 1 day ago

    The Realest Conversation About Songwriting In 2026 | Gino The Ghost | Patreon Exclusive

    Today's guest is a multi-Latin-Grammy-winning songwriter and producer with a wall of platinum records — and one of the few people in music willing to say the quiet part out loud. He came up as an actor and a rapper, moved to LA broke, stumbled into songwriting, and turned it into the kind of career most writers spend a lifetime chasing. He's also built one of the sharpest voices in the room as the host of his own show, Good Luck With Gino. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had about how the music business actually works in 2026 — not the clean version, the real one. Why roughly 75% of working writers now survive on K-pop. How the pitch song quietly died and took the professional songwriter down with it. Artists taking songwriting credit on songs they didn't write — and exactly how labels split the writers up to play them against each other and shave points. Gino lays out the one rule every songwriter needs before their next cut, when it's worth standing on business, and when you "roll over like a dog" because the record's too big to lose. And The Writer Is... Gino The Ghost! In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on: • How he came up — actor, rapper, broke in LA, then stumbled into songwriting • Treating every podcast episode like an album of singles • Why ~75% of working writers now live off K-pop • What pitch records used to be — Clive Davis, Barry Manilow & the lost art of outside songs • The death of the professional songwriter (and why talent-show winners get nothing now) • Artists taking credit for songs they didn't write — and how to combat it • The "$15K buy-me-out" story & when to stand on business vs. roll over • The split shakedown — how labels pit writers against each other, and the rule that beats it • Why generosity makes you more money than being a prick And much more... 🔓 This is only part of the conversation. The full extended, exclusive interview is on our Patreon — where Gino goes even further: • The Bryan Cranston mindset that changed everything for him: "I don't need this role" • The craziest stories he's ever had in the studio (the fight, the NDA, the booth writer) • Drugs, weed, and vices — and why the "it makes me more creative" thing is a myth • His no-apologies case for AI in music — and why he calls the backlash performative • The synesthesia call-out nobody else will make • How you actually break in (it's not the biggest rooms) • Why songwriters deserve points and fees — and the fight to make it happen Get the full uncut episode and every extended conversation at www.patreon.com/andthewriteris. Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris FINAL CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (YouTube — public cut) 0:00 "Have you had to learn to be fearless?" — actor, rapper, broke in LA 0:39 Building the podcast — and why they resisted video for 200 episodes 2:35 The clip era: treating every episode like an album of singles 4:10 Music Monday–Friday, podcast at night — and learning Spanish for Latin music 5:15 Sessions in 2026: "I only do stuff I'm having fun doing" 5:42 Why ~75% of working writers now live off K-pop 7:19 What pitch records used to be — Clive Davis, Barry Manilow & outside songs 8:14 The death of the professional songwriter (and why talent-show winners get nothing) 10:24 Why artists should collaborate with professional writers 11:43 Artists taking credit for songs they didn't write — how to combat it 12:06 "Buy me out" — the $15K publishing story & when to stand on business 13:41 The split shakedown: how labels pit writers against each other 14:46 The rule every songwriter needs: talk first, start a chain 16:13 Why generosity beats being a prick once everyone's good 17:11 The craziest studio stories… (continued on Patreon) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min
  3. And The Update Is…Drake, AI, and a $5.4 Billion Question

    4 days ago

    And The Update Is…Drake, AI, and a $5.4 Billion Question

    And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 min
  4. And The Update Is...Universal's Big Week: AI, TikTok While Drake Dominates

    29 May

    And The Update Is...Universal's Big Week: AI, TikTok While Drake Dominates

    And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    7 min
  5. Ep. 251: Myles Smith | Stargazing, Therapy, and The Secret Cost of Success

    26 May

    Ep. 251: Myles Smith | Stargazing, Therapy, and The Secret Cost of Success

    Today's guest is a rising star who's risen so fast he's not really rising anymore — he's just a star. From a bedroom in Luton playing $50 nylon-string covers and open mics playing for 4 people... Three years later: a billion streams, "Stargazing" on President Obama's summer playlist, two singles that took over pop radio before he'd ever made a debut album, and a debut album sourced from the notes he wrote in therapy that saved him. He's proof that sometimes all you really need is a guitar, a work ethic, and a Taco Bell-poisoned night in Malibu to write a song people argue about in twenty languages. And the writer is... Myles Smith! If you've ever wanted something so badly you didn't think to ask what it would cost when it arrived — this is the conversation. And The Writer Is... Myles Smith! In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on: • Why he scrubbed every song he made before 2023 — and what "I didn't exist before 2023" actually means • His advice for up and coming artists... • The end-of-Covid breakdown at 18 that almost ended things — and the therapy notes that became My Mess, My Heart, My Life. • Meeting Peter Fenn on the last day of a six-week US trip — and writing "My Home" in the first hour • The Taco Bell food-poisoning night in Malibu that produced "Stargazing" • The hidden cost of success on his relationships • "Hey mom, I want to retire you" — and what she said back And much more... Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:21 My Mess, My Heart, My Life. 3:16 The pressure of being "right at the start of the journey" 4:35 "If you take away the hits, you could see where I really am" 4:54 "I wake up some days in a catastrophe" 6:01 The five albums he wore out 7:23 His mum, his absent dad, and a single-parent household 8:22 Singing in church with his grandma 11:41 First talent show: Fix You by Coldplay 13:01 The $50 nylon-string guitar that started it 14:02 Playing "Dream Girl" for his mum at 10 15:23 Growing up Black in Luton and the Labrinth Electronic album that broke his brain open 18:45 Open mics at 11 — his mum driving him to every one 20:18 Why open mics built him in a way the algorithm can't 21:43 "I was really lucky that I got to fail a thousand times" 22:30 The first real gig — 100 cap, 90 friends and family, indie band Bear with a Three 29:18 Covid, isolation, rock bottom 30:44 Therapy — and the notes that became the album 33:06 Trust issues, anxiety, the night at 18 he tried to "ctrl alt delete on life" 35:12 What he'd say to 18-year-old him 36:55 The videographer who pushed him to try TikTok 37:25 "I'm not trying that shit" — and the Sweater Weather cover that changed everything 40:24 How he paved his way onto an Amber Run tour with one recorded song 43:40 NMPA mid-roll 44:22 The day his career actually started: meeting Peter Fenn 46:08 "Music with other people is supposed to be fun" — Peter's first lesson 49:01 "My Home" — written in the first hour of meeting Peter 54:48 After Stargazing: "stuck in the future" 60:06 Brain scans, burnout, smiling through it all 62:30 "Hey mom, I want to retire you" — and what she said 63:31 The UK artists who don't love being famous — Ed Sheeran, James Bay, Niall Horan 66:12 Are you happy? 78:29 "I hated Niall Horan" — and why 80:11 Rapid fire 83:32 Meeting his wife with all this happening 85:00 The album as the closing of the first chapter 90:46 Pulling up the old voice memos 92:02 The Taco Bell night that became "Stargazing" 95:39 The biggest pinch-me moment of the last three years 98:06 Ross and Joe tape notes Watch on Spotify. Spotify Premium users get no commercial breaks on our show. CREDITS BLOCK Credits: Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad Edited by Jad Saad Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 45min
  6. And The Update Is... AI Covers, Drake’s New Era & Why Michael Jackson Is STILL Charting in 2026

    22 May

    And The Update Is... AI Covers, Drake’s New Era & Why Michael Jackson Is STILL Charting in 2026

    And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    6 min
  7. Ep. 250: Niall Horan | Outlasting Pop's Biggest Band, "Dinner Party" & More

    19 May

    Ep. 250: Niall Horan | Outlasting Pop's Biggest Band, "Dinner Party" & More

    Today's guest came up in the biggest band in the world at seventeen, watched it pause at twenty-two, and built a solo career almost no one in his position has ever managed to sustain. From success, to tragedy, and back... This Irishman makes his triumphant return to the stage and our hearts with 'Dinner Party'. And The Writer Is... Niall Horan! He talks about Liam not as a tribute beat, but as a presence — what fires you up to walk on stage when somebody you love would still want to be there. After the band, after the loss, after four albums — who do you become? In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on: - Coming off the 2024 tour that sold over a million arena tickets "without a big smash hit of the show" - The twelve-week Southeast Asia backpacking trip that came right before "This Town" - The story of songs like 'Heaven', 'Slow Hands', 'This Town', and Liam's song... - Pushing One Direction's sound from "What Makes You Beautiful" toward "Story Of My Life" - Going solo at twenty-three and being terrified the music was about to end - Julian Bunetta's intervention on "End Of An Era": "this song is about Liam, we just don't know it yet" - "Dinner Party," the new album, and the next world tour Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. 0:00 Intro 1:12 Straight back to the studio after the 2024 arena tour 2:13 Over a million tickets sold in 2024 — "and I just wasn't expecting it" 3:23 Meeting on the One Direction tour years ago — abandoned buildings, makeshift studios, 200 fans outside within the hour 5:46 The post-show ritual: shower, shorts, Netflix, no drinking 9:20 Concerts as events now — the fans build it before he arrives 10:08 "I grew up on Slow Hands" — Sombr and the new guard 14:34 Why the Irish footprint is so big — and why Irish men can't say it out loud 17:16 First concert was the Eagles at four — and his mom's Hotel California vinyl 18:44 How Niall's listening drove One Direction's sound toward "Story Of My Life" 24:58 Savan Kotecha asks: sticking to your guns when every era says chase the trend 27:43 "I don't think I'd be able to sell something else that doesn't come from me" 34:34 Going solo at twenty-three — and being terrified it was all going to end 35:32 How watching the other boys release first actually fired him up 40:05 "You can't chase Slow Hands" — the law Niall heard John Ryan name on this podcast 45:15 Why he went backpacking through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines after the band 46:39 Why Slow Hands taking twenty weeks to #1 was actually the goal 56:11 "The minute you think you're a household name, it's game over" 57:03 What The Voice actually did to his crowd 66:55 "Heartbreak Weather" — wanting to be the song that stands out, even at the cost of being safe 75:09 Writing Heaven at 1am in Joshua Tree — and John Ryan about to walk away 80:53 Liam Payne, and the song that wrote itself in five minutes once Julian said the thing nobody was saying 89:02 The lowest moment of his career — and it's not what you'd guess 93:36 The waterfall effect — the people you surround yourself with Credits: Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad Edited by Jad Saad Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1hr 31min
  8. And The Update Is...Pop Stars, Lawsuits & Billion-Dollar Moves

    15 May

    And The Update Is...Pop Stars, Lawsuits & Billion-Dollar Moves

    And The Update Is…a weekly beat on the industry . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    5 min
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About

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.

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