And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

• Ep. 231: Seth MacFarlane | The Discipline and Craft Behind a Creative Legacy

  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.

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• Ep. 230: Cirkut | The Secrets of a Pop Super Producer

  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.

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• Ep. 229: Zedd | Inside the Mind Behind a Decade of Anthems

  Today's guest went from making songs on a floppy-disk keyboard, sampling off a Kellogg’s cereal box DAW, and sending blind MySpace messages… to producing the some of the biggest crossover dance anthems of the last decade. And The Writer Is... Zedd!What makes this conversation special isn’t just the hits — it’s how brutally honest he is about the craft, the obsession, and the unexpected moments that built his career.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.Chapters:0:00:00 – Teaser 0:01:06 – Welcome & Episode Intro 35:58 – Zedd on Never Thinking He’d Be Successful 25:41 – Growing Up Poor & Studying One Album a Month 18:01 – The Kellogg’s DAW That Started Everything 15:33 – Learning Music on a 16-Track Floppy-Disk Keyboard 30:44 – Why He Thought EDM Was a Joke at First 38:12 – The Skrillex MySpace Story That Changed His Life 31:25 – Finding His Sound Through Curiosity & Obsession 47:14 – The “Lightning Moment” Behind Clarity 59:34 – Being Wrong More Often Than Right 1:03:03 – Why Most Music Feels the Same Today 1:03:37 – Extraordinary vs. Average: What Listeners Actually Feel 1:00:08 – “All I’m Doing Is Chasing a Feeling” 56:26 – The Chaos Behind Making The Middle 1:00:47 – Realizing the Scale of His Own Success 28:23 – What It Takes to Stay Inspired 6:48 – The Creative Principles He Still Lives By 41:22 – The Fastest Way for Artists to Get Noticed 1:05:23 – Zedd’s Final Advice for Musicians 1:07:19 – Closing ThoughtsHosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad SaadWatercolor by Michael White Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Ep. 228: Hit-Boy | Success, Betrayal, & The Stories Behind Hip-Hop’s Biggest Anthems

  Today’s guest has rewired modern hip-hop. His fingerprints live all over the last decade but the real story behind that success is far more human, painful, and transformative than the headlines ever show. In this conversation, he opens up about the highs and lows of being a producer in hip-hop: the pressure, the politics, the contracts, the moments that nearly broke him, and the breakthroughs that almost didn’t happen. He also shares the lessons shaped by fatherhood, betrayal, and real perseverance — all while creating some of the most important and culture-defining music of our time. And The Writer Is... Hitboy! 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 TEASER 1:20 Ross’ Intro2:02 Fatherhood and Being a Full-Time Dad 5:12 Parenting, Hoops, and What His Son Really Loves 6:29 The Humbling Reality Check: Kids Don’t Care About Your Hits 7:29 Growing Up Between Pasadena & San Bernardino 8:34 Seeing His Uncle’s Success & Wanting to Be on TV 9:35 Falling in Love With Beat Programming 10:12 Learning to Write & Rap at 13 11:23 Selling His First Beat for $20 at 16 12:24 MySpace Era: The Birth of “Hit-Boy” 13:09 First Major Betrayal: Partner Gets Signed Behind His Back 15:01 Advice to His Younger Self: Patience & Self-Belief 15:23 Building Early Industry Relationships Through MySpace 16:13 First Time Inside a Real Studio (The Underdogs) 17:39 The Underworld of LA Sessions & A Young Hit-Boy Watching Greats 18:44 First Major Placement: Jennifer Lopez 19:06 Providing for His Mom With His First Checks 19:27 Growing Up Without a Present Father 20:22 His Dad’s Return & Going on a Run Together 22:04 How Fatherhood Changed His Time, Focus & Creativity 23:27 Recording Nas: The Hidden Role People Don’t See 24:57 Getting His First Publishing Deal (And the 18-Year Lock-In) 28:02 Staying Current: “I Update My Software Every Day” 28:21 First Big Hit: Drop The World Lil Wayne & Eminem 29:47 Why He Used to Clash With Kanye 32:00 The ‘N*****s in Paris’ Moment (Language Question + Setup) 33:35 First Song With Kanye: The Christmas Track 34:12 Making Music With Kanye, Jay-Z & the Good Music Family 35:40 Hearing 'Paris' for the First Time in the Planetarium 36:32 Realizing the Song Was Going to Be a Cultural Earthquake 38:23 Big Sean, Executive Production & Sharpening His Ear 39:09 How Drake Found the ‘Trophies’ Beat 39:52 Stripping Beats Down to Let Artists Shine 40:33 When to Stop Producing: The Minimalism Lesson 41:38 Depression, Contracts & Losing the Relationship With Drake 42:57 The Pain of ‘Trophies’ Not Making Drake’s Album 43:13 What His Publishing Deal Held Him Back From 44:22 Working From a Place of Fear vs. Freedom 45:01 Working With Beyoncé (Excellence at Every Level) 46:22 The Story of ‘THIQUE’: An 8-Year-Old Beat Comes Back to Life 46:39 Why Old Beats Deserve Second Lives 47:57 The Making of Sicko Mode & Travis Scott’s Explosion 48:20 The Greatest Timing Ever: Streaming, Social Media, Travis 49:00 The Long Journey of Sicko Mode (2016 → 2018) 50:13 Are Producers Songwriters? The Eternal Debate 51:30 Nipsey Hussle: Early Sessions & Mutual Respect 53:53 Nipsey Claims the Song: “I Need This for My Project” Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Ep. 227: Ryan Tedder pt.4 | The Modern Music Economy, A.I. and The Future, and How to Win

  Today's guest is a familiar face... A friend to the podcast and one of the most successful and influential creators in music history.He isn’t just a hitmaker. He's perhaps one of the few people in the history of music to have hits as a songwriter, artist, and producer... completely aside from one another across genres.And The Writer Is... Ryan Tedder!In this episode, he breaks down:🎯 Why the middle class of music is disappearing🎯 How splits, streaming, and AI are reshaping the game🎯 The mindset you need to survive as an artist today🎯 What real creative value looks like in 2025 and beyondThis one isn’t just inspiring — It’s essential listening for anyone who wants to last in music..A special thank you to our sponsors... Our lead sponsor, NMPA, the National Music Publisher's Association.Your support means the world to us!And Splice -- the best sample library on the market.Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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