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.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00So I never thought that I would think of which actor would play me.
00:06I still don't.
00:08Can you think about it now?
00:10I haven't really...
00:12Now I'm trying to figure it out.
00:14I haven't done much acting, but I've been working on it.
00:18I'm not that posh, but it's very good.
00:22I'll play you. I'll play you. I'm up for the job.
00:30music plays
00:54This is Mets Fikaru with The Hollywood Reporter
00:56Songwriter Roundtable.
00:58Hey everybody, how you doing?
01:00I'm good, hi.
01:01How does it feel to be here?
01:02Feels great.
01:03Appreciate it.
01:04Thumbs up.
01:05Yeah, I wanted to start.
01:06If you could pick an artist to write a song for or collaborate with,
01:09who would that be?
01:11One? This is the hardest question always.
01:14Who is the hardest one?
01:15The one.
01:16They have to be alive?
01:18No.
01:19He can bring Prince.
01:21Tupac.
01:22Oh, so many.
01:23Can we all just say Prince?
01:25We all do it live.
01:27I've got it.
01:29I know what mine is.
01:32The Rat Pack.
01:34I would like to write a new Rat Pack album.
01:37And I think I might do it.
01:39Nice.
01:40And whether 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.
01:51So 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,
01:59because she already has a singing career.
02:03And we got on well.
02:04And I hope, I don't dare to tell her, but she inspires me.
02:08Tell her.
02:09I'll tell her.
02:11It's really important.
02:13Look at the camera.
02:15And there's another woman that touches me, that's Celine Dion.
02:20Because she says she's been through hard times,
02:23kind of having troubles with her voice.
02:25And this is very touching for a singer,
02:27to be able to maybe write about what it feels like losing your voice
02:34or finding it back and what you're going through.
02:37What does it mean when you, you know,
02:39it happens sometimes that suddenly you lose your voice.
02:43And it hasn't happened a lot of times to me, but it has happened.
02:48And you always wonder why am I being silent?
02:52And it feels like there's another person speaking for you inside
02:57and you need to respect the silence.
02:59I find it very inspiring.
03:01Celine has had such a career that there's something to say about that.
03:06I think sometimes we, most of the times we take artists for granted
03:11because they're just there and they're in our lives.
03:14It wasn't until the Olympics when Celine came and sang at the Olympics
03:18where I was just reminded, oh, my Lord, this is a very special person.
03:25Because, you know, Celine Dion's just there being great.
03:28Right, right. We're just used to that.
03:30But it wasn't until the Olympics where I was like, oh, wow, you know.
03:34I mean, I don't even know why I bring that up, but I agree with you.
03:37You should write a song and collaborate with her.
03:40Yeah, that's a gift.
03:42Who would you like to write for or work with?
03:45So it could be dead or alive.
03:46Let's do alive.
03:47Oh, alive.
03:48Because dead, everyone's answer is Prince, I think.
03:51Well, that's not my only dead answer.
03:53Dead answer would also absolutely be Billie Holiday, for sure.
03:56Like, I'd be fine with her just, like, cussing me out in the studio.
03:59I'm like, that's fine. I'd do my whole life with that.
04:01That's a great one.
04:03I definitely would. And Michael, obviously.
04:06And Quincy, and I get to work with him.
04:08So bless you. I'm just going to touch you real quick.
04:10Got it. Okay.
04:12So, let's see.
04:15Alive, there's so many people, it's really hard to say.
04:19Can I say two people? Is that cheating?
04:21No, you can.
04:22Is it? Okay, it's technically three people.
04:24Because these three women, I just remember that was just such a, like, you know, coming of age period of my life.
04:32But definitely Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott.
04:36Yeah, I just, those women were like, they were like the new Billie for me.
04:39You know what I mean?
04:41And Ella and the new Sarah Vaughan and whatever.
04:45So those three women are really, like, essential in my, like, self-discovery, you know, becoming a woman.
04:52You know what I mean? So yeah, for sure.
04:54How about you, Andrea?
04:56Such a hard question.
04:58You've done it, haven't you?
04:59I know.
05:00You've completed music.
05:02You'll be a live category.
05:04Sorted.
05:06Suzie Su, I love.
05:09Haven't heard music from her in a long time.
05:12That's a good one.
05:13About Robbie Williams? Please.
05:15Please. I beg now.
05:17I know you've been in my house, but I beg now.
05:20Well, he's got the album coming out. Is it too late?
05:22No, no, never too late.
05:24That's the name of my song.
05:25There we go.
05:27How about you, Andrea?
05:29I mean, dead Jimi Hendrix.
05:34You just couldn't hang out with someone.
05:36You know, it's just like the coolest person you could probably spend a day or a week or a month with, so it has to be him.
05:43Well, Alive is, I mean, didn't you do something with Stevie Wonder kind of recently?
05:50I did, yeah.
05:51Yeah, yeah. I would do something.
05:52The thing is, Stevie Wonder was like my absolute god between the ages of my, when I was like 20, 12 to 20, he was like my, like had posters above my bed, you know?
06:04So sometimes you're kind of like, do you really want to do work with someone that you kind of really looked up to as a god?
06:12But I think I would probably do it anyway, you know?
06:15You could probably twist my arm.
06:18One 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 going to perform at the Super Bowl Budweiser side show or something.
06:37And Stevie Wonder was also performing.
06:39And they were like, the only problem with it is, I mean, there's only one thing.
06:44It's like, you have to agree to do one song with Stevie Wonder.
06:47Agree.
06:48Yeah, exactly.
06:49I was like, what?
06:50So there went my chance.
06:52But, you know, I don't know.
06:55He'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.
07:01Sounds amazing.
07:02He's great.
07:03And he's the funniest person.
07:05I would say the funniest person alive.
07:07Yeah, he actually is.
07:08He'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 sort 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 in Tarzan.
07:35I remember being a little kid and having to be brought out of the movie because I was in tears.
07:43It really affected me.
07:45Grease is the word.
07:47Yeah, completely and utterly transformative straight away.
07:52And 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 I still feel the same about it.
08:04I'd say the sound of music, the opening scene.
08:08Yeah, because when I sing, when I sing a song, I feel like the character in that scene, like Maria, like singing in this landscape.
08:23It's about the joy of singing, isn't it?
08:27It's beautiful.
08:28Both Andries have really similar names.
08:31You've worked with some of the same artists, Bruno, Lady Gaga.
08:35Has there ever been a situation where you've walked in with a manager or producer and they thought 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 through all these mistaken identity situations.
08:52I get congratulated for Oscars and he doesn't get the same.
08:57Yeah, people come up to me and say, I love your work with the Rolling Stones, man.
09:02At this point, literally, I sometimes just let them have it.
09:05I'm so sick of correcting people.
09:07I just let them, OK, if you think I did that, that's great.
09:09I just say thank you.
09:11Have you guys worked together yet?
09:14We did work on one song with Bruno, right?
09:18And I don't think it's out yet.
09:21There's a lot of excitement around this new Bruno album.
09:25I love it.
09:26We will work together in a hurry.
09:27Yeah.
09:28Yeah, you should.
09:29Got big plans.
09:31Big plans.
09:32So you obviously all have amazing film songs this year.
09:34Camille, I want to start with you.
09:36Amelia Perez obviously has gotten a lot of attention.
09:39You worked on a lot of the music.
09:40Tell me what it was like to sort of craft the songs in the film.
09:45We started very early on with a director and writer, Jacques Audillard.
09:53He was working on the script at the same time we were working on the songs.
09:57So 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, do you think this could be a song?
10:18And then in the afternoon we would write with my partner, Clément Ducolle, songs or a song.
10:24And 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, Zoey Zaldana.
10:39I don't think I've heard Zoey 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, Zoey.
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.
11:07It really feels like a live show.
11:10She's a, I love working with her.
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?
11:25Michael Gracey's, the director, who also did The Greatest Showman.
11:29And he came to me at the early part of the process and said,
11:33Okay, so Robbie, what is your spirit animal?
11:36And I was trying to find some self-worth for myself.
11:38And I chinned out, chest out.
11:40I was like, I am a lion.
11:42And he went, monkey?
11:46And he went, yes.
11:47Okay, so here's the idea.
11:48Then 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?
11:58It's surreal, exciting.
12:02Oh, 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?
12:17So especially when I walked back into the room to see my wife,
12:21who 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.
13:20And you were wrong, actually.
13:22But I didn't have a bird's eye view of the film.
13:26I 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.
13:33Because 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.
13:49Because 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 wonder 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?
14:09Well, it wasn't the fact that I couldn't write the songs.
14:12I 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, ah, special people do this.
14:27And you are not one of them.
14:29So I just had these words.
14:33And I think that knowing now what I know, I could have just, because I do what's called topline.
14:40I do melody and I do lyrics.
14:42Because I couldn't sit down, ADHD, and learn this and learn that.
14:46I know a little bit, but not enough.
14:48What I could have done is just go to a songwriter and go, I need you to do this bit.
14:54I didn't know.
14:55So whether those songs would have been accepted is another thing.
14:59Whether those songs would have caused problems within the band, I definitely know.
15:03And the answer would have been yes.
15:04Andra, I wanted to ask you, because I think this showcases the power of music.
15:10I was at your Amazon taping.
15:12And 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.
15:20And I think you locked eyes with her at the very end.
15:23You gave her a hug.
15:24And I think you guys walked backstage.
15:26Yeah, to just check.
15:27Could you take me back to that time and what you were feeling and what that was like to experience that?
15:32Yeah.
15:33I think, well, first of all, it's always just an honor.
15:37You know what I mean?
15:38I think what we do is pretty amazing.
15:40To be chosen to be.
15:41I look at us as vessels, right?
15:43Whether you're an artist or I just think that we're creators.
15:46And so I think that it's just an honor and it's a blessing for me to be able to do this 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 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 and we're aligned.
16:17Then that is how it impacts people.
16:19And that's how it should impact people.
16:21It was a reminder to me that music is healing.
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, a city that was sick.
16:35The water was sick.
16:36There was a drought.
16:37And whatever water they had was sick.
16:39And 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 he can heal the water is bring me someone to play the lyre, which was like 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 music is designed to be healing.
16:59And I think for her in that moment, it really was.
17:02We 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.
17:26It was just everybody was like our jaws were dropped.
17:29The performance was so emotional.
17:30But I just to see her, you know, ball and you catch it while you're singing.
17:34Oh, my gosh.
17:35It was like but that was the reason.
17:36You know what I mean?
17:37I always think of I believe in divine appointments.
17:39And so I said, OK, I think that that was one of them.
17:42And she poured into me to backstage.
17:44And that was just I'm not going to express what she said.
17:46You 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 either through a performance or a song that you worked on where someone has had such like a visceral response to it?
18:05I wrote a song for the Emilia Perez that is called Papa.
18:09And it says, well, it's called 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 Papa.
18:24But he doesn't know.
18:27And so I developed how, wow, my dad smelled.
18:35My dad passed away 12 years ago.
18:37And it really, it really inspired me.
18:40I'm actually talking about my dad.
18:43Of course, mixing it with some smells I imagine being smells in Mexico.
18:51So piedrecitas, like stones in the sun, and el cigarro, cigar, but cigar, my dad is French and he would smoke cigar.
19:01And other things, guacamole, some cliches like that, but sweet, you know.
19:06And 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.
19:18It's incredible that you at the start 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, very angry with me.
19:58No, no.
19:59OK, so, yes, of course.
20:01My biggest song is a song called Angels.
20:03And it's also the last song that I do every single night.
20:07And, you know, every time I perform, I'm stepping up and giving the people what they want.
20:17And it takes a lot out of me, whether you believe that or bothered at all.
20:22It does. But I'm there to give absolutely everything I've got to this audience.
20:26By 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.
20:35And so I'm just relaxing into this song and the song does whatever it does without me and it belongs to them.
20:43And then I'm just like, poof.
20:45And then I look into the audience and there'll be several people that will be in tears.
20:50And I know why they're in tears.
20:53I know why they're in tears because they're either thinking about their grandma that's no longer here or they're thinking about their mom or 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.
21:18While 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. And 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.
21:45I 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, 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 what's this going to be like live?
22:11Yes, always. What's it going to be like on the stage?
22:15And 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,
22:21jump around when it's playing loud on the speakers and pretend.
22:23But then, you know, I get to be on the other side of watching the artists perform the song that I work with them.
22:30You know, sometimes 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, know what it's about and what it means to you,
22:41watching the people sing along and seeing what it means to them, like you just said before, it becomes theirs.
22:47Right. It's one of the most incredible feelings in the entire world.
22:51And seeing people sing the lyrics back or an arena sing the lyrics back is just amazing.
22:57It's something that when we're there creating the song, we can imagine a little bit.
23:01But 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?
23:10Haven't written it yet.
23:13It's always next.
23:15It's a classic answer.
23:16But it's always next.
23:18So what's your favorite song?
23:20Well, you haven't heard it yet and I don't think I have.
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.
23:40Because you've been living with it the whole time.
23:42You know, as you said, I agree with you 100 percent when you say this was my life.
23:46This was my experience or whatever, what I imagined.
23:49This was for me during this period while I was making it.
23:52So it's been your favorite song during the months or weeks or years that you've been working on it.
23:56Lightning in a bottle.
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 percent that it becomes theirs.
24:04Exactly.
24:05So, yes, for sure.
24:06I agree.
24:07It is the next thing.
24:08I was just thinking, too, sorry, out loud, that you were talking about artists and you're right in what they're going through at that moment.
24:18And 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.
24:28Exactly.
24:29But, like, dramatically a different person, too.
24:32For sure.
24:33And I was just going through my track listing in my mind going, well, I'm not that guy anymore.
24:38It'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 time when we did, I'm like, I made it over a period of how long?
24:49I don't know.
24:50Probably nine years or something like that.
24:53Say it under my breath or I'll get cussed out again.
24:56So by the time it came out, I'm like, I'm 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.
25:11It's a new for you.
25:12It'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 a lot of different kinds of responses.
25:24But I think if I have an anecdote that's measurably different from what other people have shared, it's maybe that I was in Russia playing once.
25:32And they brought my band over there.
25:34I had a band called Mike Snow.
25:35Mike Snow.
25:36I still do, actually.
25:37But I was playing over there, kind of part of the Sochi Olympics in 2012.
25:42There was a few rows at the front.
25:45It was an outdoor kind of free concert.
25:47And there was a few rows in the front of people that I could tell knew.
25:50I mean, they knew all the lyrics.
25:52So they were like the internet kids, the blog kids.
25:54And they sort of figured out what our band was.
25:57It was not in Moscow, by the way.
25:59This was in a city called Perm, which is close to Kazakhstan.
26:03And then there was a whole bunch of people there who were just like, yo, free entertainment.
26:09And I will just never forget looking at the reaction in the back of that crowd.
26:18And slowly, slowly, slowly, and it kind of speaks to what Andra was saying about when you first get involved in music, you're doing it because you're a kid.
26:28And 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.
26:38And how do these verdicts affect me and my life path?
26:42Let's face it.
26:43We're all kind of like that.
26:44And then 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, yeah.
27:00It's actually really giving life to people.
27:04This town was like a kind of really sad industrial town.
27:08Very 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 mobilized, energized those people were in the back.
27:19And just, you know what I mean?
27:21It was like, this is the thing.
27:23It's not about.
27:25And that's why it's kind of, even as producers, songwriters, we're all thinking it's about some other thing.
27:34Than the music itself.
27:36And it's really just about the music.
27:38And if the music, like Kanye used to say, if you make them dance, you got a chance.
27:44And 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 thought people need food and shelter.
28:01And music's kind of like optional.
28:04But it's not really optional if you want to live the good life.
28:09It's not optional.
28:10So it really changed the way I felt about music.
28:14You know what else is so cool?
28:16We're talking about movies, obviously, music in movies.
28:19But just music, movies, different art forms.
28:24You sit down, you watch a movie.
28:26The movie's two hours.
28:29You spend that whole two hours figuring out, do I like this?
28:32How is 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 ten seconds.
28:41Some songs are two minutes long, right?
28:44It just affects you immediately.
28:47Whereas something on picture, it takes longer to do that.
28:51It's amazing.
28:52You could have goosebumps from one chord.
28:55One chord, yeah.
28:56Very rarely do you allow it to get to the pre.
29:00Before you decide.
29:01Before you've decided.
29:03Before the pre, you're in or you're out.
29:06Also, some people have the skill.
29:09One of my favorite games is listening to a song
29:11and you get one second and someone has to tell you what song it is.
29:15You can't really do that with anything else besides songs.
29:18Yes, for sure.
29:19Andrew, you worked on the Elton John documentary.
29:22You'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
29:40is he gets the lyrics and then sees a picture in his mind, like a scene.
29:46He's described it like a movie scene, almost,
29:48and puts them up on the piano and then writes the song to the lyrics.
29:53And 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,
30:10which were completely based on his life and this documentary.
30:15We all kind of saw this early version of it
30:18and she wrote this amazing thing about his life.
30:22And 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,
30:32scoring it and writing Beautiful That Way with Miley Cyrus.
30:36Tell me about being in this, working on this film
30:39and the music that you created for it.
30:41Well, the whole film is kind of shot through with some melancholy
30:46that I personally feel also when I'm in Las Vegas.
30:51I feel the sort of sadness of the pure hedonism of it
30:55mixed with the kind of dream of becoming wealthy overnight.
31:00There's a lot of reasons why Las Vegas and the setting of that film
31:05kind of lends itself towards a melancholy
31:08and also towards this sort of storied past of the place
31:16that is in the 1960s and 70s and maybe even arguably the 50s
31:21where Las Vegas was kind of the coolest place you could go in America
31:25and it was like the greatest songwriters were writing songs
31:29for people who were doing shows there.
31:31I mean, it's still the case now,
31:33but there's a lot of other kind of dimensions of Vegas
31:37that have taken over
31:40and that haven't maybe carried over as well
31:43into this era of capitalism.
31:46And so the song had to have this kind of melancholy feeling
31:52but also kind of a militant sort of determination
31:56and so kind of landed on this particular groove
32:00that was a little bit martial, meaning like,
32:05you know, and then also had some kind of dreaminess to it
32:13which kind of permeates the whole film.
32:17So I tried to make a song that could sort of,
32:23not in a way that was too on the nose,
32:25but communicate what the character's been through
32:29but also feel like it was part of the tapestry of the rest of the film.
32:34So all the score that was really my response
32:39to the images that I was seeing,
32:40which were kind of these beautiful but somehow sad images.
32:44What was it like to work with Miley?
32:46I know you've worked with her before.
32:47He was well.
32:48Yeah, she's amazing.
32:50And the thing about Miley is every syllable that she sings
32:56sounds like her life depends on it, you know?
32:58And 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,
33:06but she's had such a storied career already.
33:10And so there's like so many layers to her voice.
33:14And in that way, her voice has the same level of gravitas
33:21that Pamela's character, who's playing someone
33:24who's way further down the road in years than Miley is now,
33:28but it can actually carry that, you know?
33:31It can actually tell that same story,
33:34which is just part of the phenomenon that is Miley, you know?
33:39The last few years, you've worked on some really big films,
33:42whether it's Shallow and also the Barbie soundtrack.
33:45Is it different when you're working on the film music
33:48versus other music?
33:50Well, I think it is because you got to really get into the vibe
33:54of what's going on with the film, you know?
33:56And that sort of sets the tone, whereas like, you know,
33:59when we're working with pop artists, you kind of are trying to deal
34:03with where they're at in their life personally, personal lives.
34:06And more often than not, the lyrics are going to be coming
34:09from like whatever situations they're facing,
34:12and the lyrics have to, the music has to really kind of, I believe,
34:16support what the artist has to say.
34:19So I think when it's a film, the film has its own kind of parameters,
34:24and you got to work within that.
34:26And I've just been quite lucky to work with great directors, you know,
34:30and like Bradley and Greta and Gia.
34:35They'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
34:44is our job, you know?
34:46Were 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,
34:57but because it was like just somewhere along the line,
35:01every person that we asked to do was just like,
35:05hey, would you like to do something for Greta?
35:07Yes!
35:08Because she just, so many people, she had such goodwill in this world
35:13that everybody loved Greta so much.
35:15Everybody said yes.
35:16So it's like we got to work with so many great artists,
35:20and Mark did such a great job with the soundtrack,
35:24which I wasn't as involved in.
35:26He was more doing the songs that were not written by myself and him.
35:32Right.
35:33But yeah.
35:34Camille, you worked with a translator on the songs, right?
35:38I wrote in Spanish, and I am French, I wrote in Spanish,
35:42and I worked with what I would call a language consultant,
35:46Mexican language consultant.
35:49So she wouldn't work as a translator.
35:52I wouldn't write the songs in French to be translated in English.
35:57To be translated in Spanish, sorry.
35:59That can't work because there's no music.
36:03I mean, when I write a song, I need the words to be musical,
36:07to be rhythmical.
36:09And for the melody, when you write a song,
36:13it comes from the language.
36:15You cannot transpose into another language,
36:18or it becomes very tricky to transpose.
36:21So I wrote in Spanish, and I worked with Carla Aviles,
36:26a very nice person.
36:27Wow.
36:28What was it like when you finally watched the film back
36:31and seeing the music placed throughout?
36:35You mean the first screening in Cannes,
36:39and everybody's saying, ah, it's great!
36:43I was exhausted and happy to see that people
36:50related 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,
36:59it touches people's emotions, hearts.
37:02Can I ask a question?
37:03Yeah.
37:04So a lot of the time when people get to the,
37:06you're saying you experienced watching the movie back,
37:08and a lot of the time when people get to the top of the mountain,
37:11they can have an empty feeling.
37:13At the top of the mountain with this particular song,
37:15with this particular film, was it an empty feeling,
37:18or was it a glorious feeling?
37:19Was it a mixture of both?
37:21Was there a sad that you'd achieved the thing that you'd set out?
37:25It's just the feeling of having worked,
37:27and that people were in their emotions,
37:33but you come back from work.
37:35You know what I mean?
37:37So I was basically, yeah, filled with the amount of work we'd done,
37:43and actually 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,
38:09because I've seen it so many times.
38:11What's the latest new thing you've seen?
38:13I don't know if you've seen the movie.
38:14For example, I thought on the last scene,
38:18I 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,
38:35when you work on a script, I mean, you know the script from the start,
38:39and you forget that people might think other things ahead, you know, expect.
38:46Right. Not see the same thing that you see.
38:49Well, expect something else, that what has been written.
38:53For you, what was it like watching yours back?
38:56I'm a narcissist, so I loved it.
38:59Okay, so the first time sitting down,
39:03because it's seven years in the making,
39:05and there's so much, well, you know,
39:0850 years in the living, seven years in the making,
39:11because there's so much expectancy from me that I need this thing
39:15to 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,
39:22oh, what if it's shit?
39:26And that was my main fear, and then I disappeared into the movie,
39:31and at the end of it, it is and was better than I could have ever expected.
39:39Yeah.
39:40And were you always on board to do a biopic or?
39:43Mate, yeah, whatever.
39:45Film, book, documentary, whatever needs to,
39:48you know, I'm a professional attention seeker.
39:51This is what we do.
39:52It's like you see artists do documentaries and do books and do films.
39:57Nobody asks, why do you do that?
40:00You just, oh, there's a Bob Dylan thing.
40:03Of course.
40:04Why is Bob Dylan doing that?
40:06Why does anybody do anything?
40:08But yeah, so I did a documentary on Netflix,
40:12and the people came to me when they came to me,
40:14Ridley Scott's people and Netflix,
40:16and went, do you want four hours on Netflix?
40:19Yeah.
40:21Do you want a biography about your life?
40:23Yeah.
40:24So the universe conspires when it conspires to bring me these gifts,
40:30and 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.
40:40Yeah, not at all.
40:42My life is unrealistic and surreal,
40:45and I suppose I could have dreamt that the budget for this film would be this big,
40:50but I didn't really.
40:51I thought if there's going to be a biography about me,
40:54then it's going to be this small thing,
40:56and great, it's a great tool to have,
40:59and an honor in all of that business.
41:01So I never thought that I would think of which actor would play me.
41:08I still don't.
41:12Can 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.
41:21I'm not that close.
41:22We're in talks.
41:23But it's very good.
41:24I'll play you, I'll play you.
41:26I'm up for the job.
41:27When you're watching the movie yourself, and you're watching your story,
41:31and whatever version of it is being told, and you see the monkey,
41:35do 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,
41:46is that when you watch Bohemian Rhapsody,
41:49you're very aware that he's doing a great job as Freddie Mercury,
41:54and he does, he does a great job as Freddie Mercury,
41:56and the same with Rocketman, and he's doing a great job as Elton John.
42:00Because it's the monkey, you're not even thinking
42:03he's doing a great job as Robbie Williams.
42:05It just removes you somewhat.
42:07Plus, because it's an animal,
42:09we are more compassionate to animals.
42:12So you empathize with me on a level that you wouldn't empathize with me
42:16if 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.
42:23A hard empathizer.
42:25My heart is melting right now.
42:27I feel it.
42:28Okay, question, and this is a difficult question
42:31because 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 who, what animal would your spirit animal be?
42:41Oh, that's a good one.
42:42Oh, oh.
42:43Difficult, right?
42:44I 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.
42:54I'll think of the one that would actually play me the most.
42:56Okay, sloth is the one you love.
42:57I love them.
42:58Aren't they great?
42:59They're cute, yes.
43:00But could you imagine if a sloth was fast?
43:01Fast, it would be terrifying.
43:03Yeah, it would actually.
43:04That would be terrifying.
43:05A sloth goes crazy.
43:07A sloth is like very, it's very soporific.
43:11It's like a very, it's 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.
43:25It's not a panda?
43:26Panda?
43:27No.
43:28Kind of.
43:29Skinny, skinny small panda.
43:31Okay, okay, so sloth.
43:35Joe 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 straight off the top?
43:43A wolf.
43:44A wolf, okay.
43:45That's nice, yeah.
43:46Ooh, nice.
43:47There it is.
43:48I think you got the hair right, you know.
43:50What about you?
43:51I would say a French bulldog.
43:52French bulldog?
43:53Yeah.
43:54That's cute.
43:55What?
43:56French?
43:57French bulldog.
43:58Bulldog.
43:59Yes.
44:00Okay.
44:01I was going to say the wolf too, but you know, we can't really do two.
44:03I would say a wolverine.
44:06Okay, go for it, yeah.
44:08Sloth to wolverine.
44:09A wolverine's a little tougher than me, though, to be totally fair.
44:11Yeah, it's a really hard wolf.
44:14Wolverines are a fox.
44:16Very tough.
44:17A fox.
44:18Is that where you are?
44:19Okay, cool.
44:20Thank you for answering my question.
44:21Nice.
44:22Good question.
44:23Good question.
44:24Andre, your film, your song, Bricks, that you wrote, it's interesting because you're
44:28starring in the film and the song is part of your character's story.
44:33Can you tell us about that?
44:34That was really helpful.
44:35It was great.
44:36Writing that and acting in that and how much the music, how important it is to you?
44:41Yeah, I mean, to the character, first of all, it was great.
44:46It was very helpful to be able, because I started working on the music before we got
44:51to set because we were having many conversations.
44:54Well, the movie's called Exhibiting Forgiveness and the director is Titus Kaphar and starring
45:00Andre Holland, Angelina 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
45:15my band and just see, but we kept coming back to those original sketches he did, which were
45:20amazing.
45:21So, by the time we figured that out, we were on set already filming, but it helped because
45:26my 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.
45:37You know what I mean?
45:38No more addiction and stress.
45:41So, it helped to be playing her, but also writing the song.
45:46Because you see her writing the song throughout the movie and I was actually writing the song
45:49as we were filming.
45:51So, it just helped because she had a particular musical identity.
45:56We have similarities, but she's very much...
46:00I kind of float around.
46:01I'm a little more transient when it comes to music and my tastes and I love everything.
46:06She's very much that kind of indie girl.
46:08You know what I mean?
46:09The kind of hippie, you know that.
46:11So, I don't know.
46:13It kind of helped to really nail down the style of the song, specifically what we wanted
46:17to do.
46:18And then, what really helped was the subject matter.
46:21I got to watch...
46:23I read the incredible script.
46:24I got to talk to Titus every day, watch them develop these characters and one of the things
46:30that struck me most about the story was...
46:35And I was shocked that I never thought of it before, but I love the idea that...
46:40That's why it's called Bricks.
46:41The line says, building with bricks that we were never given.
46:43Because I think one of the great miracles of life is the ability to create a life or
46:49a future or build a family that you've never actually seen or experienced.
46:53How do you create a household of peace and of nurturing when all you've ever known is
46:57abuse and chaos?
46:58And so, I think that...
47:00And Titus exemplifies that.
47:02The movie exemplifies that.
47:03So, I realized...
47:04I don't know that I would have been able to write this song until we got to set and I
47:08really had that revelation, that experience.
47:10So, they kind of went hand in hand, honestly.
47:12Wow.
47:13I love that.
47:14You've obviously worked with so many contemporary acts, but I love that a lot of the legends
47:19have worked with you.
47:20The 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...
47:29And it's also like full albums, which a lot of albums, we don't get to see one producer
47:33working on the full thing.
47:35Yeah.
47:38It kind of feels like a weird dream sequence, honestly, to even hear those names together.
47:45It's the joy of my life.
47:48I'm a fan.
47:49I always have been a big fan of all of those acts and just kind of, I guess, that's what
47:55I'm there to do when I'm there.
47:57Just kind of represent the fans.
48:00I just had a proper moment as those names were reeled off.
48:04How old were you when you came around to my house?
48:06No, no.
48:07Check this out.
48:08How old were you when you came around to my house?
48:10Were you like 19, 20?
48:11Yeah, like 19 or 20 years old.
48:13So 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.
48:22Crazy.
48:23I'm 34.
48:24We got on really well and you were lovely.
48:27And you never fucking called me back.
48:29No.
48:30No, but you were lovely and are lovely.
48:32It just happens, I see.
48:34But 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.
48:43That's amazing.
48:44Congratulations.
48:45Thank you, man.
48:46You were awesome to me then.
48:47Oh, bless you, mate.
48:48Pleasure.
48:49I know you've worked with Quincy Jones.
48:51Yes.
48:52Which is amazing.
48:53I 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 was very lucky to be able to do that with him and Chaka Khan at the same time, you know.
49:04And I remember him in the studio.
49:07I often quote something that he said to me and it's not because I'm just trying to drop Quincy stories.
49:12It's because I lived in LA for like 12 years.
49:15I'm from New York.
49:16I moved back to New York.
49:17And I always tell this story.
49:19When I first met Quincy, he goes, where are you from?
49:22And I go, New York.
49:24He goes, I tried that for 20 years, man.
49:29He didn't even shake my hand.
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 out to LA and just loves it in LA.
49:42I feel like 20 years is not a giving up.
49:4420 years is like you fulfilled your commitment and beyond.
49:48Like you are a solid New Yorker.
49:49That's fair.
49:50Yeah, 20 years is.
49:51That's fair, right?
49:52Yeah.
49:54Obviously, it was incredible.
49:56And what we were doing was just kind of, you know, we did this song for his biopic that Rashida directed.
50:04And, you know, we just tried to do it justice by having the musicality that he always had and was always very ardent about bringing to everything.
50:14He was not a three-chord, nothing wrong with that three-chord music, but he was not a three-chord music kind of guy.
50:21So we tried to layer it up like that.
50:24And it was a very surreal moment.
50:27It was like I was showing Greg Phillinganes 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.
50:38So I'm always a fan as well every time I work with people that I love, you know.
50:44Did you find in that experience, like, you're like, okay, they asked me to be here.
50:50So I should just say what I think, right?
50:52Totally, yeah.
50:53That's what it is.
50:54It's like at some point, otherwise, you're just going to, like, just waste everybody's time.
50:59And smile and say yes.
51:01Smile, yeah, exactly.
51:02Awkwardly.
51:03You just got to step up at some point.
51:05Wow.
51:06Do the thing.
51:07Jump in and learn how to swim after.
51:09Yeah.
51:10Working with bands is fun and funny, which I know you do a lot as well, because you want to help them, you know.
51:17It's a major chord.
51:18No, it's a minor chord.
51:19I started realizing it's just minor.
51:22You got to just let them do their thing.
51:24Minor business chord.
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.
51:33That was fun.
51:34Well done, everybody.
51:35That'll be $300 for this therapy session.
51:39Thank you guys for taking out the time.