Today's guest is a festival headliner, Grammy-winning songwriter, and the architect of a sound that accidentally changed the course of folk, country, and alternative music forever.

From singing as a family around a kitchen table to headlining arenas with banjos and mandolins, Marcus Mumford built something no one saw coming — and has spent years learning not to get in his own way once the stakes got real.

Now, as a solo artist and band leader, he's as honest about the creative process as he is about the pitfalls of ego, overthinking, and the quiet ways success can sabotage itself.

And The Writer Is... Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons!

In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Marcus opens up about:

• His theory of "catching" songs rather than forcing them
• How Mumford & Sons structured equal ownership to stay together
• What Bob Dylan said to him that he wants tattooed on his body
• The Pharrell moment that reframed his entire relationship to success
• Why showing up — again and again — is the only way judgment is earned
• And much more...

Hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications...

Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.

Follow us on socials at @andthewriteris

A special thank you to our sponsors…

Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us.

And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:00 Desert Island Mix: Radiohead

3:00 The Greatest Band of All Time?

7:00 A Hilarious Story About Bob Dylan — His Songwriting Grandfather

11:00 How Mumford & Sons Structured Equal Ownership

13:35 How Mumford & Sons Writes Music

17:00 Where Great Music Comes From

18:35 His Songwriting Ethos: "Catching Fairies"

22:00 Favorite Poetry and Getting Lost in Words Before Writing

23:46 Childhood

25:00 Growing Up in Church

33:50 Why Drummers Make the Best Producers

50:00 Testing Demos on the Road

52:00 Working on His Solo Record

58:00 The Empowering Pharrell Story

1:03:00 The Chris Martin Story

1:05:00 Rapid Fire

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is a multi-platinum DJ, producer, and songwriter who turned personal devastation into one of electronic music's most emotionally resonant careers.

From opioid addiction in high school to wilderness therapy at rock bottom, he rebuilt his entire life in Denver—sober, alone, and teaching himself music theory from scratch.

Now 13 years clean, he's become a voice for mental health in a scene built on excess, collaborating with Jon Bellion, Halsey, Teddy Swims, and countless others to create music that connects survivors.

His latest album, Odyssey, is a cinematic journey through heartbreak, recovery, and the sessions that saved his life.

And The Writer Is... Illenium!

In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Nick Miller (Illenium) opens up about:

* Moving every two years as a kid and never having roots

* Falling into opiates at 15 and hitting bottom by 2011

* Moving to Denver alone and getting sober at 21

* The Good Things Fall Apart session (and demo)

* How music saved his life entirely

and much more...

Hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications...

Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.

Follow us on socials at @andthewriteris

A special thank you to our sponsors…

Our lead Sponsor, NMPA— the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us.

And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:00 Childhood and Moving Every Two Years

5:00 Getting Into Music Through Tiesto's Album

6:30 The Electronic Artist That Inspires Industry Musicians

9:00 Getting Sober—His Rough Patch in 2011

10:00 Escapism and Addiction

12:30 The Wilderness Program That Saved His Life

16:30 Getting Lost in Music and How He Learned to Create

17:30 Illenium's Roots

18:00 Learning From Other Producers and YouTube

20:00 Thinking of Sound as a Picture

21:00 World Building and Finding His Brand… and His Purpose

23:00 Ross Opens Up on How Music Saved Him

24:00 The Personality Trait All Successful Creatives Have

26:00 How He Popped Off

31:00 Working With Unknown Artists and How He Picks Them

33:00 How to Find Your Sound

34:30 NMPA and Splice Midroll

41:00 Touring—The Downs After a Show

44:00 Good Things Fall Apart

47:00 Collaboration in DJ Culture

49:00 Why He Doesn't Chase Big Songs

54:24 COVID

1:13:00 Gaming on Tour

1:17:00 Good Things Fall Apart Demo

Hosted by Ross Golan

Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad

Creative Direction by Jad Saad

Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Guest Watercolor Art by Michael White

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is a Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, and performer, best known as one-third of The Smeezingtons and a foundational creative force behind Bruno Mars’ career. He has co-written and helped shape some of the most influential pop songs of the last two decades, including Just the Way You Are, Billionaire, Locked Out of Heaven, When I Was Your Man, 24K Magic, Nothin’ on You, and many more...

And The Writer Is... Bruno Mars!

In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Philip Lawrence tells his story in full—for the first time

- How a $5 bus pass led to Bruno Mars

- The hidden cost of early success

- Real stories behind pop’s biggest records

- The pivot that made everything 'click'

- A breakdown at the peak—and the call that brought him back

and much more...

A special thank you to our sponsors…

Our lead Sponsor, NMPA— the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us.

And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

4:00 “I Just Might” and Bruno Mars

10:31 Childhood and Not Feeling Good Enough

14:00 Early Career

20:00 Leaving School and Auditioning for Disney

26:00 The Disney Break Room: The Beginning of His Journey

27:00 His First Session

30:00 Meeting Steven Seagal

34:00 Moving to LA

37:09 Losing Everything He Had So Far

39:00 Finding His Manager

43:00 Finding His Way Through the Industry

44:42 His Ego Death

45:50 The Pivot That Really Started His Career

46:50 Be Friends With All the Assistants

47:20 NMPA and Splice

48:45 How to Write for Radio

49:30 Developing His Songwriting Ethos

50:29 Spending His Last $5 to Meet Bruno Mars (Before He Was Bruno Mars)

1:05:09 How Bruno Stayed on His Early Hook Placements

1:07:28 The Story of Nothin’ on You

1:09:20 Billionaire

1:11:50 Just the Way You Are

1:19:15 Talking to the Moon

1:20:49 Ross’s CeeLo Story

1:23:00 “F*** You” Was Not Supposed to Happen

1:28:00 How Locked Out of Heaven Happened

1:33:22 When I Was Your Man / Flowers (Miley Cyrus)

1:36:50 Five Songs He Wishes He Wrote

1:38:34 24K Magic

1:40:36 His Breakdown at the Peak of Success

1:48:45 The Comeback Phone Call With Bruno

1:50:18 APT

1:52:39 Advice for Songwriters + Rapid-Fire Questions

Hosted by Ross Golan

Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad

Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.