- 41 minutes ago
Andra Day ('Exhibiting Forgiveness'), Andrew Watt ('Elton John: Never Too Late'), Andrew Wyatt ('The Last Showgirl'), Camille ('Emilia Pérez') and Robbie Williams ('Better Man') join The Hollywood Reporter for our Songwriter Roundtable.
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00:00So, I never thought that I would think of which actor would play me.
00:06I... I still don't.
00:09Can you think about it now?
00:11I haven't really...
00:12Now I'm trying to figure it out.
00:13I haven't done much acting, but I've been working on...
00:17It's very... I've been working on it.
00:19I'm not that posh, but it's very good.
00:22I'll play you. I'll play you. I'm up for the job.
00:30I'll play you.
00:54This is Metsu Fikaru with The Hollywood Reporter Songwriter Roundtable.
00:58Hey, everybody. How you doing?
00:59Hi.
01:00How's it feel to be here?
01:02Feels great.
01:03Appreciate it.
01:04Yeah, I wanted to start.
01:05If you could pick an artist to write a song for or collaborate with, who would that be?
01:11One? Oh, this is the hardest question always.
01:14Who is the hardest one?
01:15The one.
01:16They have to be alive?
01:17No.
01:18Oh, they can go back.
01:19He can bring Prince.
01:20Yeah, yeah.
01:21Oh, so many.
01:22Can we all just say Prince?
01:24I don't know.
01:25We all say Prince.
01:26We all say Prince.
01:27Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:28I've got it.
01:29I'm like Prince.
01:30I know what mine is.
01:31Yeah, yeah.
01:32Bowie.
01:33The Rat Pack.
01:34Bowie, yes.
01:35I would like to write a new Rat Pack album, and I think I might do it.
01:39Nice.
01:40Whether they join in or not, it's up to their estates, but we'll see.
01:45Who else would you guys like to?
01:46I mean, you guys have worked with so many people, but I'm sure there's more.
01:49I'm a solo artist, so it's the first time I wrote songs for other singers.
01:55Yeah.
01:56I enjoyed very much working for all of them, especially Selena Gomez, because she's a,
02:01she already has a singing career.
02:03And we got on well, and I hope, I don't dare to tell her, but she inspires me.
02:08Tell her.
02:09It's really important.
02:10Right.
02:11Look at the camera.
02:12And there's another woman that touches me, that's Celine Dion, because she says she's
02:22been through hard times, kind of having troubles with her voice.
02:25And this is very touching for a singer, to be able to maybe write about what it feels
02:32like losing your voice or finding it back and what you're going through.
02:37What does it mean?
02:38When you, you know, it happens sometimes that suddenly you lose your voice and it doesn't,
02:44it hasn't happened a lot of times to me, but it has happened.
02:47And you always wonder why am I being silent?
02:51And it feels like there's another person speaking for you inside and you need to respect the
02:58silence.
02:59Yeah.
03:00I, I find it very inspiring.
03:01Celine has had such a career that there's something to say about that.
03:05Yeah.
03:06I think, I think sometimes we, most of the times we take artists for granted because they're
03:11just there and they're in our lives.
03:13Yes.
03:14It wasn't until the Olympics when Celine came and sang at the Olympics where I was just
03:19reminded.
03:20Oh yeah.
03:21Oh my Lord, this is a very special person.
03:24Yes.
03:25Because you know, Celine Dion's just there being great.
03:28Right.
03:29Right.
03:30Right.
03:31We're just used to that.
03:32Yeah.
03:33But it wasn't until the Olympics where I was like, oh wow.
03:34You know, I mean, I don't even know why I bring that up, but I agree with you.
03:37Yeah.
03:38You should write a song and collaborate with her.
03:40Yeah.
03:41That's a gift.
03:42How about you, Andre?
03:43Who would you like to write for or work with?
03:44Oh my God.
03:45So it could be dead or alive.
03:46Let's do alive.
03:47Oh, alive.
03:48Dead is everyone's answer is Prince.
03:50Okay.
03:51Well, that's not my only dead answer.
03:53Dead answer would also absolutely be Billie Holiday for sure.
03:56I'd be fine with her just like cussing me out in the studio.
03:59I'm like, that's fine.
04:00I'd be my whole life with that.
04:01That's a great one.
04:02I definitely would.
04:04And Michael, obviously.
04:05And Quincy.
04:06I didn't get to work with him, so bless you.
04:08I'm just going to touch you real quick.
04:10Okay.
04:11Okay.
04:12So, let's see.
04:15Alive.
04:16There's so many people.
04:17It's really hard to say.
04:19Can I say two people?
04:20Is that cheating?
04:21No, you can't.
04:22Is it?
04:23Okay.
04:24It's technically three people.
04:25Because these three women, I just remember that was just such a coming of age period of
04:32my life.
04:33But definitely Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott.
04:35You know what I mean?
04:36Yeah.
04:37Those women were like, they were like the new Billie for me.
04:40And Ella and the new Sarah Vaughn and whatever.
04:45So, those three women are really essential in my self-discovery.
04:51You know, becoming a woman.
04:52You know what I mean?
04:53So, yeah.
04:54For sure.
04:55How about you, Andrew?
04:56Such a hard question.
04:57You've done it, haven't you?
04:59I know.
05:00You've completed music.
05:02You've got the alive category.
05:03Yeah, yeah.
05:04Sorted.
05:05Susie Sue, I love.
05:08Haven't heard music from her in a long time.
05:11That's a good one.
05:12Just even talk to her.
05:13What about Robbie Williams?
05:14Please?
05:15Please?
05:16I beg now.
05:17I know you've been my house, but I beg now.
05:19Well, he's got the album coming out.
05:21Is it too late?
05:22No, no, never too late.
05:23Oh, there we go.
05:24That's the name of my song.
05:25There we go.
05:26Right.
05:27How about you, Andrew?
05:29I mean, dead Jimi Hendrix.
05:32Mm-hmm.
05:33You just couldn't hang out with someone.
05:35You know, it's just like the coolest person you could probably spend a day or a week or
05:39a month with, so it has to be him.
05:42Well, alive is, I mean, didn't you do something with Stevie Wonder kind of recently?
05:49I did, yeah.
05:50I did, yeah.
05:51Yeah, yeah.
05:52I would do something.
05:53The thing is, Stevie Wonder was like my absolute god between the ages of my, when I was like
05:5720, 12 to 20, he was like my, like I had posters above my bed, you know?
06:05So sometimes you're kind of like, do you really want to do work with someone that you
06:10kind of really looked up to as a god, but I think I would probably do it anyway, you
06:15know?
06:16You could probably twist my arm.
06:18It was, one of the biggest regrets I have is actually, we were offered to do this performance.
06:24We couldn't do it for some reason.
06:26Somebody in the band decided they couldn't do it, but we were, we were, we were, we were,
06:31we were going to perform at the Super Bowl, like Budweiser side show or something.
06:37Yeah.
06:38And Stevie Wonder was also performing and they're like, the only, the only problem with it is,
06:42I mean, the only, there's only one thing is like, you have to agree to do one song with
06:46Stevie Wonder.
06:47And I was like.
06:48Agree.
06:49Yeah, exactly.
06:50I was like, what?
06:51So there, there went my chance, but, but you know, I don't know.
06:55He's, he's certainly.
06:56He's with us.
06:57Still with us.
06:58He's still putting out music.
06:59He just toured.
07:00He just toured.
07:01He sounds amazing.
07:02Yeah.
07:03He's great.
07:04And he's the funniest person.
07:05There's time.
07:06That's great.
07:07Oh, really?
07:08Yeah, he actually is.
07:09He's hilarious.
07:10Tears.
07:11Amazing.
07:12Obviously you all have amazing film songs this year.
07:15Thinking about film music and how important music is in a film, what is a film song that
07:21sort of resonated with you or that you heard and really just sort of had an impact on you?
07:26I think the earliest memory for me of one that really affected me was the Phil Collins song
07:33in Tarzan.
07:34Mmm.
07:35I remember being a little kid and having to be, uh, brought out of the movie because
07:42I was in tears.
07:43Like, really affected me.
07:44I'll let you grab.
07:45Grease is the word.
07:46Mm-hmm.
07:47Yeah, completely and utterly transformative straight away.
07:52And, um, it was the first film and first soundtrack on the planet where I was like, I want to be this.
08:00What is this?
08:01And, um, I still feel the same about it.
08:04I'd say the sound of music.
08:06Ooh.
08:07The opening scene.
08:08Yeah.
08:09Because I, when I sing, when I sing a song, I feel, I feel like, like, like the character
08:18in that scene.
08:19Like Maria.
08:20Yeah.
08:21Like singing in this landscape.
08:23It's about the joy of singing, isn't it?
08:26Mm-hmm.
08:27That's beautiful.
08:28Both Andrews have really similar names.
08:31You've worked with some of the same artists, you know, Bruno, Lady Gaga.
08:35Has there ever been a situation where you've walked in with a manager or producer and they
08:39thought you were the other Andrew?
08:40Never happened.
08:41No, I'm just kidding.
08:42It's been happening for decades, actually.
08:45It's really crazy.
08:46I mean, we've become friends, actually, kind of through all these, like, mistaken identity
08:51situations.
08:52I get, uh, congratulated for Oscars and he doesn't get the same, uh, the same trade.
08:57Yeah, no, people come up to me and say, I love your work with the Rolling Stones, man.
09:01You know, like, at this point, literally, I sometimes just let them have, I'm so sick
09:05of correcting people, I just let them, okay, if you think I did that, that's great.
09:09I just say, thank you.
09:11Have you guys worked together yet?
09:13Um, we did work on one song.
09:16Yeah.
09:17With Bruno, right?
09:18And, uh, I don't think it's out yet.
09:20Oh.
09:21There's a lot of excitement around this new Bruno album.
09:24So, I love it.
09:26We will work together, no way.
09:28Yeah.
09:29Yeah, you should.
09:30Got big plans.
09:31Big plans.
09:32So, you obviously all have amazing film songs this year.
09:35Camille, I want to start with you.
09:36Emilia Perez, obviously, has gotten a lot of attention.
09:39Uh, you've worked on a lot of the music.
09:41Tell me what it was like to sort of craft the songs in the film.
09:45We started very early on with, um, with a director and writer, Jacques Audiard.
09:52Uh, he was working on the script at the same time we were working on the songs.
09:56So, we really started from scratch in Le Périgord, in Southwest of France.
10:01And we were stuck in this little studio in the middle of the forest.
10:04And so, he would tell us about the scenes.
10:07And I would try to find a hook or something that would make a song.
10:10And I would tell him, that makes a song.
10:13That could be a song.
10:14And he would ask me, would you think this could be a song?
10:17Uh, and then in the afternoon, we would write with my partner, Clément Ducola, songs,
10:22or a song, and then he would come in the evening and listen and give us feedback.
10:27That's how it started.
10:29It took us two years to write all the songs.
10:32And then we met the cast and tailored the song to the cast.
10:36You know, obviously, Selena Gomez, Zoe Zaldana.
10:39I don't think I've heard Zoe perform before.
10:41What was it like working with them?
10:43Oh, she's definitely a singer.
10:45She kept telling me, I'm a dancer, I'm an actress, but I'm not a singer.
10:49I said, yes, you're a singer, Zoe.
10:51And she's not only a singer, she's a performer.
10:53When she sings on the screen, it's as if she was on stage.
10:58She really takes control of the scenes and really sings to the public live.
11:06It really feels like a live show.
11:10She's a, I love it working with her.
11:14I love that.
11:15Obviously, Robbie, your film is a semi-autobiographical film.
11:19Fully autobiographical.
11:20Fully autobiographical.
11:21I was a monkey for 25 years of my life.
11:23Whose idea was that?
11:24Michael Gracie's the director, who also did The Greatest Showman.
11:28And he came to me at the early part of the process and said,
11:32Okay, so Robbie, what is your spirit animal?
11:35And I was trying to find some self-worth for myself.
11:38And I chin out, chest out.
11:40I was like, I am a lion.
11:42And he went, monkey?
11:45And he went, yes.
11:46Okay, so here's the idea.
11:47Then he pitched me the idea.
11:49And before the end of the sentence, I was like, yes, that.
11:52That's remarkable.
11:53Let's do that.
11:54What was it like watching it back when the film was ready?
11:57It's surreal, exciting.
12:01Oh, my gosh.
12:03Because I was totally on board with the idea of the monkey.
12:06And unless you've seen the film, when you see the film, you totally get it.
12:11If you haven't seen the film, apparently, the monkey makes you go, what?
12:15WTF?
12:16So especially when I walked back into the room to see my wife, who is the minister of all decisions and finances in my house.
12:25And I was like, guess what?
12:26I'm a monkey in the film.
12:28And she went WTF.
12:29And it was only that moment that I went, what?
12:33This could be problematic.
12:35Turns out, once I saw it, I was relieved.
12:39It was surreal.
12:40It was emotional.
12:41It was incredible.
12:42I love that.
12:43And you wrote the title track for the film.
12:46Yep.
12:47Tell me about that.
12:48With Freddie Wexler, my friend and new songwriting partner.
12:53And so I sent a bunch of songs to Michael Gracie, the director.
13:00And he would then send them back and tell me, basically, kindly, they weren't good enough.
13:08And I know this story about 8 Mile, where Eminem sent Lose Yourself.
13:13And the director said, it's not good enough.
13:15And it became Lose Yourself.
13:16And in my head, I was like, this is Lose Yourself.
13:19And you were wrong, actually.
13:22But I didn't have a bird's eye view of the film.
13:25I didn't know what was needed.
13:27And the songs that I was sending was, and now I'm the best person in the world because of the arc of my journey.
13:36And I'm redeemed and a big person now.
13:41And that was the wrong thing, apparently.
13:44So we saw the film.
13:45And basically what you need is a hug.
13:47So we did a hug.
13:49And, you know, because by the time you get to the end of the movie, you've been through a lot.
13:53And you need a hug.
13:55This roundtable is about songwriting.
13:57And I wondered for you, when you were in Take That and you couldn't write the songs,
14:02what did that feel like to have that taken from you?
14:05And then what did it feel like to actually be able to write your songs?
14:10Well, it wasn't the fact that I couldn't write the songs.
14:13I didn't know that it was possible.
14:15I wrote poetry.
14:16But I also thought that writing music was for people that had been touched by the special unicorn.
14:23Because it's like, oh, special people do this.
14:27And you are not one of them.
14:29And so I just had these words, you know.
14:32And I think that knowing now what I know, I could have just, because I do what's called top line.
14:39You know, I do melody and I do lyrics because I couldn't sit down ADHD and learn this and learn that.
14:45I know a little bit, but not enough.
14:47What I could have done is just go to a songwriter and go, I need you to do this bit.
14:53I didn't know.
14:54I didn't know.
14:55So whether those songs would have been accepted is another thing.
14:59Right.
15:00Whether those songs would have caused problems within the band, I definitely know.
15:03And the answer would have been yes.
15:06Andra, I wanted to ask you, because I think this showcases the power of music.
15:10I was at your Amazon taping.
15:12Thank you for coming.
15:13And you were doing the last song.
15:14It was like spiritual.
15:15We all had goosebumps.
15:16And there was a girl in the crowd just in front, like, bawling.
15:20Yeah, I remember.
15:21And I think you locked eyes with her at the very end.
15:23I did, yeah.
15:24You gave her a hug.
15:25And I think you guys walked backstage.
15:26Yeah, to just chat.
15:27Could you take me back to that time and what you were feeling and what that was like to experience that?
15:33Yeah, I think, well, first of all, it's always just an honor.
15:38You know what I mean?
15:39I think what we do is pretty amazing.
15:40Like, to be chosen to be, I look at us as vessels, right?
15:44You know, whether you're an artist or I just think that we're creators, you know?
15:47And so I think that it's just an honor and it's a blessing for me to be able to do this, you know, and to impact people in this way.
15:56And I think when I was young, that wasn't something I thought of.
15:59I thought about being creative and making music and doing all the things and, you know, videos and all these things.
16:05But I never really thought about impact.
16:07You know what I mean?
16:08And so that just reminded me about alignment in that moment.
16:12I think that was huge that when we do things intentionally, we do things on purpose, when we're aligned, then that is how it impacts people.
16:19And that's how it should impact people.
16:20Because it was a reminder to me that music is healing, you know?
16:25And I always reference this.
16:28For me as a person of faith, I reference this scripture where there was a village that was sick, you know, a city that was sick.
16:35The water was sick.
16:36There was a drought.
16:37And whatever water they had was sick.
16:38And they brought this prophet in to come and heal the water.
16:41And I love the story because the first thing the prophet says before I can heal the water is bring me someone to play the lyre, which was like, you know, harp or maybe guitar back then at that time.
16:50And so it wasn't until a musician came, played, that he was able to actually heal the water.
16:55And I just love the idea that like music is designed to be healing, you know?
16:59And I think for her in that moment, it really was.
17:01We had a moment backstage and she opened up to me and expressed some things that she had really been struggling with.
17:07And so it was just a reminder in the moment that that's why I'm there.
17:10All the other stuff is amazing.
17:12I'm super grateful for it.
17:13It's fun and it's exciting.
17:14I love being able to work.
17:15But that connection is why I do what I do.
17:18And so it was just, it was just, I was grateful for her even sharing and being open in that moment.
17:24And thank you for coming.
17:25I love you.
17:26That was just, everybody was like, our jaws were dropped.
17:29The performance was so emotional, but I just, to see her, you know, bawling and you catch it while you're singing.
17:35Oh my gosh. It was like, but that was the reason, you know what I mean?
17:37I always think of, I believe in divine appointments.
17:39And so I said, okay, I think that that was one of them.
17:42And she poured into me too backstage.
17:44And that was just, I'm not going to express what she said, but you know what I mean?
17:47There was a lot of things she was struggling with.
17:49And so she said, it just felt like confirmation.
17:51And that was amazing to hear.
17:53I wonder for the rest of you, have you had that experience,
17:56either through a performance or a song that you worked on where someone has had such like a visceral response to it?
18:04I wrote a song for the Emilia Perez that is called Papa.
18:09And it says, well, it's como papa.
18:11It means you use the little, the little boy tells Emilia that he doesn't recognize as being his dad.
18:19And he tells her, you smell like papa.
18:22She's actually his papa, but he doesn't know.
18:26And so I developed how, wow, my dad smelled.
18:33My dad passed away 12 years ago.
18:37And it really, it really inspired me.
18:40I'm actually talking about my dad.
18:42Of course, mixing it with some smells, I imagine being smells in Mexico.
18:49So, piedrecitas, like stones in the sun.
18:55And cigarro, cigar, but cigar, my dad is French and he would smoke cigar.
19:01And another thing, guacamole, some cliches like that, but sweet, you know.
19:07And a guy came to me the other day and told me that song, you know, I live apart from my dad who lives in South America.
19:14And it smells exactly like my dad.
19:17It's incredible that you, at the start of that, you just said one word with four letters and it was papa.
19:26And before you'd explained the song itself, we all understood what it was.
19:30And also for me in that moment, I wanted a tear was forming in my eye before you'd even said it.
19:37And, you know, I think that was to talk about what you were talking about is the magic and the majesty and the healing of music.
19:47Yeah, yeah.
19:49Are there any of you have similar experiences with your songs?
19:52Still waiting.
19:53I've had people be very angry with me.
19:58No, no.
19:59Okay.
20:00So, yes, of course.
20:01My biggest song is a song called Angels.
20:04And it's also the last song that I do every single night.
20:08And, you know, every time I perform, I'm stepping up and giving the people what they want.
20:18And it takes a lot out of me, whether you believe that or bothered at all.
20:22It does.
20:23But I'm there to give absolutely everything I've got to this audience.
20:26Mm-hmm.
20:27By the time I get to Angels, I've done it.
20:29You know, I've done it and we can all relax and hopefully I gave you what you want and you're happy with me.
20:36And so I'm just relaxing into this song and the song does whatever it does without me and it belongs to them.
20:44And then I'm just like, phew.
20:46And then I'll look into the audience and there'll be several people that will be in tears and I know why they're in tears.
20:52Mm-hmm.
20:53I know why they're in tears because they're either thinking about their grandma that's no longer here.
20:57Or they're thinking about their mom.
20:58Mm-hmm.
20:59Or they're thinking about their father, best friend, sister, brother, whatever.
21:04But it's a weird situation to be in because as you're relaxing, you then see this happening for somebody in the audience and feel as though you need to give them all of your attention and honour what they're going through while also at the same time you're thinking about the cheese pickle sandwich you're just about to have.
21:23So it's this odd, you know, it's an odd like, oh, yes, no, I need you up.
21:29Oh, wow.
21:30And it's very simple.
21:32All I do is that to them to know that I've seen them and I've recognised them.
21:39And that moment is important to you and if that moment's important to you, it's important to me.
21:44Wow.
21:45I think we're all so lucky we get to be in a recording studio and make art and talk about our feelings.
21:51And it's very sacred and spiritual experience.
21:54When you're in that studio, you're in those four walls and it's just you and whoever you're collaborating with.
21:59You're making a song, you're making whatever's fresh, what you're feeling and it's coming out.
22:04And you can kind of, you have like a glimmer of like what, I don't know if you guys do, but I always try and think about like, what's this going to be like live?
22:11Yes, always, always, always.
22:15What's it going to be like on the stage?
22:16And you kind of like, you have this vision in your head of what it's going to be like or you can imagine it or act it out, jump around when it's playing loud on the speakers and pretend.
22:24But then, you know, I get to be on the other side of watching the artists perform the song that I work with them, you know, sometimes on stage, mostly not.
22:34And watching a song that you made in the studio that you and that person that's singing know what it's about and what it means to you, watching the people sing along and seeing what it means to them.
22:45Like you just said before, it becomes theirs, right?
22:48It's one of the most incredible feelings in the entire world.
22:52And seeing people sing the lyrics back or in an arena, seeing the lyrics back is just amazing.
22:57It's something that when we're there creating the song, we can imagine a little bit, but actually seeing it happen, you can't really beat that feeling.
23:06Is there a song of yours that you're most proud of putting together?
23:10I haven't written it yet.
23:12I like it.
23:13It's always next.
23:14It's always next.
23:15The classic ending.
23:16Yeah, it's always, yeah.
23:17But it's always next.
23:18It's like, what's your favorite song?
23:20Well, you haven't heard it yet, and I don't think I have.
23:23Yeah.
23:24And there is a bunch of songs at the moment that are on my computer that I'm incredibly proud about and invested in and excited about.
23:31And then as soon as it's out there and gone, my next best thing is the next best thing that hasn't come out.
23:38And I don't know if you feel the same way.
23:40Yeah, because you've been living with it the whole time.
23:42You know, as you said, I agree with you 100% when you say, this was my life, this was my experience, or whatever, what I imagined.
23:49This was for me during this period while I was making it.
23:53So it's been your favorite song during the months or weeks or years that you've been working on.
23:56Lightning in a bottle, right?
23:57Exactly.
23:58By the time it goes to other people, now it's for it to be their favorite song.
24:01You know what I mean?
24:02I agree 100% that it becomes theirs.
24:04Exactly.
24:05You know, so yes, for sure.
24:06I agree.
24:07It is the next thing, you know.
24:08I was just thinking too, sorry, out loud, that, you know, you were talking about artists and you're writing what they're going through at that moment.
24:17And when you pop artists and blah, blah, blah, and their diaries.
24:21And I just realized I've got an album coming out in April and I've written it.
24:25But since I started writing it, I'm a different person.
24:28Yep, exactly.
24:29But like dramatically a different person too.
24:31For sure, yeah.
24:32For sure.
24:33And I was just going through my track listing in my mind going, well, I'm not that guy anymore.
24:38Anyway.
24:39It's kind of interesting.
24:40You've got to pull the album.
24:41Because then you have to like work the record and perform it like it's all brand new to you.
24:45And you're just like, the last album we did, I'm like, I made it over a period of, I mean, how long?
24:49I don't know.
24:50Probably nine years or something like that.
24:53Stayed under my breath, I get cussed out again.
24:56So by the time it came out, I'm like, not only am I a whole different, I'm like three different people from what I was when I started.
25:04And I'm ready to work on new music.
25:06You know what I mean?
25:07It's just, I'm in a creative, a new creative space.
25:09So it's a very interesting cycle.
25:10It's in you for down.
25:11Isn't that a good thing?
25:12That's a good thing.
25:13It is a good thing for sure.
25:14Absolutely.
25:15Yeah, definitely.
25:16Was there a song for you, Andrew, that there was sort of a response?
25:19I mean, there's been, you know, a lot of different kinds of responses, but I think if I have like an anecdote that's like measurably different from what other people have shared, it's maybe that I was in Russia playing once and they brought my band over there.
25:34I had a band called Mike Snow and still do actually, but like was playing over there kind of part of the Sochi Olympics in 2012.
25:40And like there was like a few rows at the beginning, at the front, it was an outdoor kind of free concert.
25:47And there was like a few rows in the front of people that I could tell knew, I mean, they knew all the lyrics.
25:52So they were like the internet kids, the blog kids, and they'd sort of figured out our band, what our band was.
25:57It was not in Moscow, by the way.
25:59This is in a city called Pyrm, which is like close to Kazakhstan.
26:03And then there was a whole bunch of people there who were just like, yo, free entertainment.
26:08And I will just never forget looking at the reaction in the back of that crowd and slowly, slowly, slowly.
26:21And it kind of speaks to what Andra was saying about like when you first get involved in music, you're doing it because like you're a kid and you're like, I'll probably never get to do this, but I'll try.
26:32And you're just trying to get somewhere with it all.
26:36And it's more about your verdicts and how do these verdicts affect me and my life path.
26:42Let's face it, we're all kind of like that.
26:44Then once you kind of have been doing it for a minute, you start to take in other aspects of it.
26:49And this was one of those moments where, in a very real way, I realized music's important to people.
26:57And it's like, oh God, wow.
27:00Yeah, it's actually really like giving life to people.
27:04This town was like a kind of really sad industrial town, very gray, very communist era buildings that were all kind of falling down around us.
27:13And I just looked at the back and saw how like mobilized, energized those people were in the back and just, you know what I mean?
27:21It was like, this is like the thing.
27:23It's not about, and that's why it's kind of even as like producers, songwriters, we're all like thinking it's like about some other thing than the music itself.
27:36And it's really just about the music and like if the music, like Kanye used to say, is like, if you make them dance, you got a chance, you know?
27:45And like, if there's something in the music itself that brings people to life, that's really important.
27:56And I think for a long time I was, I thought people need food and shelter and music's kind of like optional, but it's not really optional if you want to be, if you want to live the good life, you know?
28:09It's not optional.
28:10So I started really, it really changed the way I felt about music.
28:14You know what else is so cool?
28:16You're talking about, we're talking about movies, obviously music in movies, but just, you know, music, movies, different art forms.
28:24You sit down, you watch a movie, the movie's, you know, two hours, spend that whole two hours figuring out like, do I like this?
28:32How's this affecting me?
28:33Is this a good movie?
28:34Is this a bad movie?
28:35Crying, laughing.
28:37A song, you figure that out in about 10 seconds.
28:41Some songs are two minutes long, right?
28:44It just affects you immediately, whereas something on picture takes longer to do that.
28:50It's amazing how, like, you could have goosebumps, like, from one chord.
28:54One chord, yeah.
28:56Very rarely do you allow it to get to the pre.
28:59Yeah, before you decide.
29:01Before the pre, before you decide.
29:02Yeah, that's true.
29:03Yeah, yeah, before the pre, you're in or you're out.
29:05Mm-hmm.
29:06And also you can, some people have that skill, like one of my favorite games is listening to a song and like, you get like, one second, someone has to tell you what song.
29:13Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
29:14You can't really do that with anything else besides songs.
29:17Yes, for sure.
29:18Yeah.
29:19Andrew, you worked on the Elton John documentary.
29:22Yeah.
29:23You've worked with Elton before.
29:24What was it like crafting this song?
29:25Was it different than your other sessions with Elton?
29:28Yeah, totally.
29:29It's a collaboration with Brandi Carlile, of course.
29:33And to have Elton do his, the way Elton writes songs is he gets the lyrics and then sees a picture in his mind, like a scene, he's described it like a movie scene almost, and puts them up on the piano and then writes the song to the lyrics.
29:52And his most famous partner of all time is Bernie Taupin.
29:58They're kind of like a duo together.
30:00So they kind of invited Brandi into that process.
30:04And Elton sang the lyrics that they came up with together, which were completely based on his life and this documentary.
30:14She kind of saw and we all kind of saw this early version of it and she wrote this amazing thing about his life.
30:22Right.
30:23And I'm sitting there writing a song that's really about him.
30:26It's just an amazing thing to witness.
30:28I love that.
30:29And Andrew, you obviously worked on The Last Showgirl, scoring it and writing Beautiful That Way with Miley Cyrus.
30:36Tell me about being in this, you know, working on this film and the music that you created for it.
30:41Well, the film, the whole film is kind of shot through with some melancholy that I personally feel also when I'm in Las Vegas, I feel the sort of sadness of like the pure hedonism of it mixed with like the kind of like dream of becoming wealthy overnight.
30:59Kind of, you know, there's a lot of reasons why Las Vegas and like that's the setting of that film kind of lends itself towards like a melancholy and also towards like this sort of storied past of the place that is like in the 1960s and 70s and maybe even arguably the 50s.
31:21Where like Las Vegas was like kind of the coolest place you could go in America and it was like the greatest songwriters were writing songs for people who were doing shows there.
31:30You know, I mean, it's still it's still the case now, but there's a lot of other kind of dimensions of Vegas that have that have taken over and that haven't maybe carried over as well into this era of like capitalism.
31:46And so the song had to have this kind of melancholy feeling, but also like kind of a militant sort of determination.
31:56And so kind of landed on this particular groove that was a little bit martial, meaning like, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, you know, like, and then also had some just kind of dreaminess to it, which kind of permeates the whole film, you know.
32:16So I tried to make a song that that like could could sort of not in a way that was too on the nose, but like communicate what the characters been through, but also feel like it was part of the tapestry of the rest of the film, you know, like so like all the score that was really my response to the images that I was seeing, which were like kind of these beautiful, but somehow sad images.
32:43What was it like to work with Miley? I know you've worked with her before. He was well.
32:47Yes.
32:48Yeah. She's amazing. And like, you know, like every, the thing about Miley is like every syllable that she sings sounds like her life depends on it, you know, and that's what's so incredible about her as a singer.
33:02And the other thing about her is that she's still so young, but she's had such a storied career already.
33:09And so there's like so many layers to her voice. And in that way, her voice has the same level of like gravitas that Pamela's character, who's playing someone who's way further down the road in years than Miley is now, but it can actually carry that, you know.
33:30So, so it can, it can actually tell that same story, which is just part of the phenomenon that is Miley, you know.
33:39Yeah.
33:39The last few years you've worked on some really big films, whether it's Shallow and also the Barbie soundtrack.
33:44Is it different when you're working on the film music versus other music?
33:50Well, I think it is because you got to really get into the vibe of what's going on with the film, you know, and that sort of sets the tone.
33:57Whereas like, you know, when we're working with pop artists, you kind of are trying to deal with where they're at in their life personally, personal lives.
34:06And more often than not, the lyrics are going to be coming from like whatever situations they're facing and the lyrics have to, the music has to really kind of, I believe, support what the artist has to say.
34:18So, I think when it's a film, the film has its own kind of parameters and you got to work within that.
34:26And I've just been quite lucky to work with great directors, you know, and like Bradley and Greta and Gia, they're like, they have a very strong idea of what they want to do.
34:40And so it's really just sort of like supporting that sonically is our job, you know.
34:45Were you surprised by how well the Barbie songs did?
34:49I mean, it was the entire soundtrack.
34:51We hadn't seen a soundtrack do that well in some time.
34:54Well, I mean, I think yes and no, but because it was like just somewhere along the line, every person that we asked to do was just like, hey, would you like to do something for Greta?
35:07Yes.
35:07Like, because she just, so many people, she had such goodwill in this world that everybody loved Greta so much.
35:15Everybody said yes.
35:16So, it's like we got to work with so many great artists and, you know, Mark did such a great job with the soundtrack, you know, which I wasn't as involved in.
35:26You know, he was more doing the songs that were not written by myself and him, you know.
35:33So, but, yeah.
35:34Camille, you worked with a translator on the songs, right?
35:38I wrote in Spanish and I am French.
35:41I wrote in Spanish.
35:43And I worked with what I would call a language consultant, Mexican language consultant.
35:48So, she wouldn't work as a translator.
35:51I wouldn't write the songs in French to be translated in English.
35:57That can't, to be translated in Spanish, sorry.
35:59That can't work because there's no music.
36:03I mean, I need, when I write a song, I need the words to be musical, to be rhythmical.
36:09And for the melody, too.
36:11And the melody, you know, when you write a song, it comes from the language.
36:15You cannot transpose into another language or it becomes very tricky to transpose.
36:20So, I wrote in Spanish and I worked with Carla Aviles, a very nice person.
36:27Wow.
36:27What was it like when you finally watched the film back and seeing the music placed throughout?
36:35You mean the first screening in Cannes, like, and everybody's saying, ah, it's great.
36:41And I was exhausted and happy to see that people related to the movie with their hearts.
36:53That's why I like so much that movie.
36:55I think it's great technically, but I think more than everything, it touches people's, you know, emotions, hearts.
37:02Can I ask a question?
37:03Yeah.
37:03So, a lot of the time when people get to the, you know, you're saying you experience watching a movie back.
37:08And a lot of the time when people get to the top of the mountain, they can have a empty feeling.
37:13At the top of the mountain with this particular song, with this particular film,
37:16is it an empty feeling or was it a glorious feeling?
37:19Was it a mixture of both?
37:21Was there was a sad that you'd achieved the thing that you'd set out?
37:24It's just the feeling of having worked and that people were in their emotions and, but you come back from work.
37:34You know what I mean?
37:37So, I was basically, yeah, filled with the amount of work we'd done and actually still trying to, still looking at the film like it was work.
37:50So, oh, this, oh, this, you know?
37:53And do you still do that now when you see it?
37:58No.
37:59What I feel is each time I see it, this is really good.
38:03I interpret something new.
38:06I see something new, which I find very good because I've seen it so many times.
38:11What's the latest new thing you've seen?
38:12I don't know if you've seen the movie.
38:14For example, I thought, on the last scene, I thought, maybe people don't know that Jesse kidnapped Emilia.
38:25Maybe they think it's a cartel and that it's not Jesse that did it.
38:29For example, it just came up to my mind.
38:31Because when you read a script for the first time, when you work on a script, I mean, you know the script from the start.
38:39And you forget that people, they might think other things ahead, you know, expect.
38:46Right.
38:46Not see the same thing that you see.
38:48Well, expect something else, that what has been written.
38:53For you, what was it like watching yours back?
38:55I'm a narcissist, so I loved it.
38:58Okay, so the first time sitting down, because it's seven years in the making, and there's so much, well, you know, 50 years in the living, seven years in the making.
39:11Because there's so much expectancy from me that I need this thing to facilitate the third act of my career.
39:18And I've been excited, excited, excited.
39:20And then I sat down to watch it, and I was like, oh, what if it's shit?
39:25And that was my main fear.
39:28And then I disappeared into the movie, and at the end of it, it is and was better than I could have ever expected.
39:39Yeah.
39:39And were you always on board to do a biopic?
39:43Mate, yeah, whatever.
39:45Film, book, documentary, whatever needs to, you know, I'm a professional attention seeker.
39:50This is what we do, you know.
39:52It's like, you see artists do documentaries and do books and do films.
39:58Nobody asks, why do you do that?
40:01Because you just, oh, there's a Bob Dylan thing, of course, you know.
40:05Why is Bob Dylan doing that?
40:06You know, why does anybody do anything?
40:08But yeah, so, you know, I did a documentary on Netflix, and the people came to me when they came to me, Ridley Scott's people, and Netflix, and went, you know, do you want four hours on Netflix?
40:19Yeah.
40:20Do you want a biography about your life?
40:22Yeah.
40:23So, the universe conspires when it conspires to bring me these gifts, and it's definitely a gift, definitely, that I'm very, very grateful for.
40:34I wondered, had you thought about actors who could play you?
40:37Did it get to that point?
40:39No, not at all.
40:39Okay.
40:40Yeah, not at all.
40:41My life is unrealistic and surreal, and I suppose I could have dreamt that the budget for this film would be this big, but I didn't really.
40:51I thought if there's going to be a biography about me, then it's going to be this small thing, and great, it's a great tool to have, and an honour in all of that business.
41:00So, I never thought that I would think of which actor would play me. I still don't.
41:11Can you think about it now?
41:13I haven't really.
41:14Now, I'm trying to figure it out.
41:15I haven't done much acting, but I've been working on it.
41:19It's very.
41:19I've been working on it.
41:21I'm not that close.
41:23We're in talks.
41:23We're in talks.
41:23But it's very good.
41:24I'll play you. I'll play you.
41:26Thank you, darling.
41:26I'm up for the job.
41:27When you're watching the movie yourself, and you're watching your story, and whatever version of it is being told, and you see the monkey, do you find yourself forgetting that it's a monkey that's playing you at all?
41:39Do you get lost in it?
41:40It's like, oh, yeah, that's my story.
41:42Well, the great thing about the film, one of the levels that it works on is that when you watch Bohemian Rhapsody, you're very aware that he's doing a great job as Freddie Mercury.
41:53And he does. He does a great job as Freddie Mercury, and the same with Rocket Man. He's doing a great job as Elton John.
42:00Because it's the monkey, you're not even thinking he's doing a great job as Robbie Williams. It just removes you somewhat.
42:07Plus, because it's an animal, we are more compassionate to animals.
42:12So you empathize with me on a level that you wouldn't empathize with me if it was skin and bones and just me.
42:19Question, and this is really difficult.
42:20I don't know. I'm empathizing a lot with you right now.
42:22Oh, bless you. A hard empathize.
42:25My heart is melting right now.
42:27Okay, question. And this is a difficult question because I've asked people and they're not sure.
42:33In the film of your life, in my film, a monkey plays me, right?
42:37So what animal would your spirit animal be?
42:41Oh, that's a good one.
42:41Oh.
42:43Difficult, right?
42:43I think my spirit animal, oh, it would be a sloth.
42:49Oh, no, no, no.
42:52Okay, it's the animal that I love the most. I'll think of the one that would actually play me the most.
42:56Okay, sloth. Is this the one you love?
42:57I love them.
42:58They're very cute, yes.
42:59But could you imagine if a sloth was fast?
43:01It would be terrifying.
43:02Yeah, it would.
43:03That would be terrifying.
43:04A sloth is like very, it's very soporific. It's like a very, it's a snoozy.
43:14It's like a, do you know a koala bear?
43:16Yeah.
43:17It's like a big koala bear.
43:19But it's always hanging upside down like this in the trees.
43:22Yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:23It's got really long claws.
43:25Is that a panda?
43:26Panda?
43:26No.
43:27Kind of.
43:28Skinny, skinny, small panda.
43:31Okay, okay.
43:32So sloth.
43:33Joe Pesci.
43:36No, the animal.
43:37It's got to be an animal.
43:38Joe Pesci's an animal.
43:40Okay, fair enough.
43:41Anybody else got one?
43:43A wolf.
43:44A wolf.
43:44Okay.
43:45That's nice, yeah.
43:46Oh, nice.
43:47There it is.
43:48I think you got the hair.
43:50What about you?
43:51I would say a French bulldog.
43:52French bulldog.
43:53That's cute.
43:54Okay.
43:54What?
43:55French bulldog.
43:56French bulldog.
43:57Bulldog.
43:58Yes.
43:58Okay.
44:00I was going to say the wolf too, but you know, we can't really do two.
44:03I would say a wolverine.
44:06Okay.
44:07Go for it.
44:07Yeah.
44:08Sloth to wolverine.
44:09Wolverine's a little tougher than me, though, to be totally fair.
44:11Yeah.
44:12It's a really hard wolf.
44:14Wolverine's a fox.
44:16Very tough.
44:17A fox.
44:18Is that where you are?
44:18Okay, cool.
44:19Thank you for answering my question.
44:21Nice.
44:22Good question.
44:23Andre, your film, your song, Bricks, that you wrote, it's interesting because you're starring
44:28in the film and the song is part of your character's story.
44:33Can you tell us about that?
44:34That was great.
44:35Writing that and acting in that and how much the music, how important it is to you?
44:41Yeah.
44:42I mean, to like the character, first of all, it was great.
44:46It was very helpful to be able, because I started working on the music before, you know,
44:50we got to set because we were having many conversations.
44:54Well, the movie's called Exhibiting Forgiveness and the director is Titus Kaffar and starring
45:00Andre Holland, Anjan Ellis, John Jokes.
45:03So we had many conversations with the producer who did the score and also did the song with
45:08me, Jarek.
45:10And he had come up with a few sketches and I was trying to work some things out with
45:14my band and just see, you know, but we kept coming back to those original sketches he
45:19did, which were amazing.
45:20And so, you know, by the time we figured that out, we were on set already filming, but
45:25it helped because my character, Titus knew he wanted her to be a musician, a singer-songwriter.
45:30So it really helped because, yeah, there was a part of that that was just my element.
45:34I was excited.
45:35I thought this character would help me to be healthy, you know what I mean?
45:37No more addiction and stress, but so it helped to be playing her, but also writing the song
45:45as, because you see her writing the song throughout the movie and I was actually writing the song
45:49as we were filming.
45:51So, you know, it just helped because she had a particular musical identity.
45:56Like, we have similarities, but she's very much, like, I kind of float around.
46:01I'm a little more transient when it comes to music and my tastes and I love everything, you know.
46:06She's, like, very much that kind of indie girl, you know what I mean, the kind of hippie, you know, that.
46:11So, I don't know, it kind of helped to really nail down the style of the song, specifically what we wanted to do.
46:17And then what really helped was the subject matter, you know.
46:21I got to watch, I read the incredible script.
46:24I got to talk to Titus every day, watch them develop these characters.
46:28And one of the things that struck me most about the story was, and I was shocked that I never thought of it before,
46:37but I love the idea that, that's why it's called Bricks.
46:40The line says, building with bricks that we were never given.
46:42Because I think one of the great miracles of life is the ability to create a life or a future
46:50or build a family that you've never actually seen or experienced, you know.
46:53How do you create a household of peace and of nurturing when all you've ever known is abuse and chaos?
46:58And so, I think that, and Titus exemplifies that.
47:02The movie exemplifies that.
47:03So, I realized, I don't know that I would have been able to write the song until we got to set.
47:08And I really had that revelation, that experience.
47:10So, they kind of went hand in hand, honestly.
47:12Oh, I love that.
47:13You've obviously worked with so many contemporary acts, but I love that a lot of the legends have worked with you.
47:19The Rolling Stones, nominated at the Grammys, with Pearl Jam.
47:23What's it been like to Elton to have Iggy Pop call you to produce?
47:28And it's also like full albums, which a lot of albums, we don't get to see one producer working on the full thing.
47:34Yeah, it kind of feels like a weird dream sequence, honestly, to even hear those names together.
47:44It's the joy of my life.
47:46You know, I'm a fan.
47:48Always have been a big fan of all of those acts and just kind of, I guess, that's how, what I'm there to do when I'm there.
47:57You know, just kind of represent the fans.
48:00I'm just at a proper moment, as those names were reeled off.
48:04How old were you when you came around to my house?
48:06No, no, check this out.
48:07No, check this out.
48:07How old were you when you came around to my house?
48:09Were you like 19, 20?
48:11Yeah, like 19 or 20 years old.
48:12So you came around to my house, a friend of my wife's brother.
48:19At 19, I think.
48:20At 19, came around to the house.
48:21That's crazy.
48:22And 34.
48:23We got on really well.
48:26And you were lovely.
48:27And you never fucking call me back.
48:28No, no.
48:29No, but you were lovely and are lovely.
48:32He's just that spicy.
48:33But I'm just thinking, you know, as this young man left my house, I was like, nice lad.
48:38I hope he does okay.
48:40Wow.
48:40That's amazing.
48:44Congratulations.
48:45Thank you, man.
48:45You were awesome to be there.
48:47Oh, pleasure, mate.
48:48Pleasure.
48:49I know you've worked with Quincy Jones.
48:51Yes.
48:51Which is amazing.
48:52I don't know if anyone else has, but that's a flex.
48:55That was a flex.
48:57Yeah, obviously, he's one of the most iconic people of all time.
49:00I'm very lucky to be able to do that with him and Shaka Khan at the same time, you know.
49:04And I remember him in the studio.
49:06It was like, I often quote something that he said to me.
49:10And it's not because I'm just trying to drop Quincy stories.
49:12It's because, like, I lived in L.A. for, like, 12 years.
49:15I'm from New York.
49:16I moved back to New York.
49:17And I always tell this story when I first met Quincy.
49:21He goes, where are you from?
49:22I go, New York.
49:24He goes, I tried that for 20 years, man.
49:28Then he just, like, didn't even shake my head.
49:31That was good, yeah.
49:32And I was like, okay.
49:36I think he tried to love New York for, like, 20 years and just kind of gave up and moved
49:40out to L.A.
49:40And just loves it in L.A.
49:42I feel like 20 years is not a giving up.
49:4420 years is like, you fulfilled your commitment and beyond.
49:47Like, you were a solid New Yorker.
49:49That's fair.
49:49Yeah, 20 years is.
49:50That's fair, right?
49:51Yeah, but he's, you know, obviously it was incredible.
49:56And what we were doing was just kind of, you know, we did this song for his biopic that
50:02Rashida directed.
50:05And, you know, we just tried to do it justice by having the musicality that he always had
50:11and was always very ardent about bringing to everything with, like, not just, you know,
50:16he was not a three-chord, nothing wrong with that three-chord music, but he was not a three-chord
50:20music kind of guy.
50:21So we tried to layer it up like that.
50:24And I was a very, talk about a surreal moment.
50:27It was like, I was showing Greg Fillingain's how to play this intro on the keyboards.
50:33And I was like, something is not right about this.
50:35But okay, sure, I'm going with it, you know?
50:37It's like, so I'm always a fan as well every time I work with people that I love, you know?
50:43Did you find in that, like, experience, like, you're like, okay, they asked me to be here,
50:49so I should just say what I think, right?
50:52Totally, yeah.
50:52That's what it is.
50:53It's like, at some point, you just, otherwise, you're just going to, like, just waste everybody's
50:58time.
50:58And smile and say yes.
51:01And smile, yeah, exactly.
51:02Awkwardly.
51:02So you just got to step up at some point.
51:05Do the thing.
51:06Jump in and learn how to swim after.
51:08Yeah.
51:10Working with bands is fun and funny, which I know you do a lot as well, because you want
51:15to help them, you know, it's a major chord.
51:17No, it's a minor chord.
51:18Then I started realizing it's just mind-er.
51:22You got to just let them do their thing.
51:24It's so good.
51:26It's a good one.
51:28Well, thank you guys so much for being here.
51:30We really appreciate it.
51:31Thank you, guys.
51:31That was fun.
51:32That was really fun.
51:33Well done, everybody.
51:34Great.
51:35That'll be $300 for this therapy session.
51:39Thank you guys for taking out the time.
51:41We'll see you next time.
52:11We'll see you next time.
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