The Songwriters Podcast

Julian Hinton is a songwriter, arranger, producer, and conductor who has worked with artists such as Stormzy, Rod Stewart, Seal, Madonna, Robbie Williams, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys, Zac Abel and Ed Sheeran to name a few.With a career spanning over 30 years, his highly varied music career has seen him MDing Trevor Horn’s band, recording at world renowned studios such as Abbey Road, collaborating with Don Black CBE, working with the Royal Philharmonic and scoring countless string and orchestral arrangements. He is a longstanding member of The Songwriter Academy faculty and has led masterclasses at Leeds and The Royal Northern Colleges of music, and has been headline Producer for the Project 7 writing retreats at Rockfield Studios. And he also featured in the BBC4 documentary "The Secret Science Of Pop"NB: this episode was recorded next to a very noisy meeting. We apologise for any background noise that interferes with your listening.Connect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple PodcastsThe Songwriters Podcast is produced by Unedited. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this episode is a gold certified, grammy nominated songwriter, producer and pianist who has recorded, produced and written with artists such as JP Cooper, Stormzy, Andreya Triana, Yola, TOBi, Layla Hathaway, Mousse T, and Cherri V to name a few.As one of the most in demand keyboard players in the country she has toured the world playing stadiums and arenas, with many major pop acts including Rihanna, Jessie J, Jason Derulo, Sugababes and Anastacia.Her work has been commissioned by huge brands like Nissan, Adidas and Max Factor and her writing has been featured on TV shows such as TheKelly Clarkson Show and Opry Live and her version of Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’ was featured on season 2 of Netflix’s Bridgerton.She a global brand ambassador for Yamaha, Focusrite, Arturia and Native Instruments. A twice Music Producers Guild award nominee, in 2020 she was appointedto the Ivors Academy Songwriting Committee as well as their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group. And as a pioneer in a new generation of entrepreneurial female producers she passionately advocates for the empowerment of marginalised voices within the music industry.Connect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple PodcastsThe Songwriters Podcast is produced by Unedited. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode on The Songwriters Podcast, Louise Golbey sits down with Cassell The Beatmaker — drummer, producer, songwriter, educator, and longtime collaborator of Plan B and Akala. He also talks about other collaborations including Jeff Beck and Eric Appapoulay. Cassell reflects on a multifaceted career that spans live performances, studio sessions and his ITM workshops.Follow Cassell The Beatmaker:Instagram | YouTubeConnect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Louise Golbey is joined by legendary producer, songwriter, and musician Fraser T. Smith. Known for shaping some of the biggest hits of the last 20 years, Fraser shares his journey through the music industry, his creative process, and what it’s like working with some of the world’s most iconic artists including Adele, Stormzy and Dave, and his own Future Utopia project.Fraser has collaborated on chart-topping singles including:Adele’s Set Fire to the RainJames Morrison’s Broken StringsTinchy Stryder’s Number 1Taio Cruz’s Break Your HeartConnect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode, we’re pleased to be joined by the legendary lyricist Don Black OBE. Don’s list of credits, awards and accolades goes back decades and right back up to the present day. From walls adorned with gold and platinum plaques and shelves decorated with six Ivor Novello Awards and a Golden Globe Award to five Oscars, Don Black is a stalwart in popular music. In this exclusive interview, Don takes us back to the moment he wrote Ben for Michael Jackson, the classic ode to friendship that made the world sing about a rodent. He also shares the story of some of his holy grail classics, including, Walk Away by Matt Munro, With One Look by Barbara Streisand, Tell Me On A Sunday by Marti Webb, and the five James Bond themes he penned, such as Diamonds Are Forever and Thunderball. The Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and BMI Icon also opens up about his collaborations with fellow legend Quincy Jones, theatre work with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and how he feels about his mark in Hip Hop after hearing his work sampled by the likes of Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, Dead Prez and Kanye West.Connect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sister Bliss is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ and songwriter best known for her work as part of Faithless. In this exclusive interview, Louise speaks with Sister Bliss about how a trip to a local record store led her to meet her future Faithless collaborators, the slow grind the band experienced before reaching the top of the charts and how she balances musicianship with evolving technology. Sister Bliss also breaks down the making of some Faithless classics, including 1995’s Insomnia, the global protest call-to-arms, Mass Destruction and more. In a moment of vulnerability, Sister Bliss opens up about the recent passing of her bandmate and friend, Maxi Jazz. Sister Bliss reflects on his life, celebrates his artistry and highlights his penchant for speaking absolute truth to power. The Songwriters Podcast is produced by Chris Mitchell for Unedited. Connect with Louise Golbey:Website | InstagramSubscribe to the podcast:Spotify | Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kiris Houston is a Latin Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum selling music producer, composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, musician and artist. In this exclusive interview, the London-based producer joins Louise to talk about his adventures in the land of music. From his early days in Papua New Guinea tinkering with instruments to setting up shop in Brazil with his own band, Kiris’ broad worldview is a superpower that makes his music stand out. Kiris shares the backstories of some of his most popular records, including On My Mind for Disciples, A.D.I.D.A.S. for Little Mix, Where Does The DJ Go for Kylie Minogue and the Latin-flavoured comeback vibes of Tango for JLS. This interview is not to be missed!The Songwriters Podcast is produced by Chris Mitchell for Unedited.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura White is an English singer-songwriter from Manchester, UK. In this exclusive interview, Laura joins Louise to take us down memory lane and bring us up to speed. Laura recalls her days on the hit TV show, The X Factor, what she learned about herself in the process and what it’s like to be the only singer to have the exit from the show discussed in Parliament. Politics aside, Laura’s list of credits is long, and she shares the stories behind some of her biggest hits, including the Grammy-nominated New York Raining, performed by Charles Hamilton and Rita Ora, One Touch for Steps, Love On Me for Galantis, Street Life for Bugzy Malone and more.We want to thank Paul Kennedy and the team at Ultra Publishing for allowing us to record this episode in their offices. The Songwriters Podcast is produced by Chris Mitchell for Unedited. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Louise is joined by Producer and songwriter, Harmony “H-Money” Samuels.In this exclusive interview, the Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist shares details of his Tottenham upbringing, discovering his love for music in Church and immigrating from London to the US to follow his music dreams. Harmony also deep dives into the making of some of his most famous songs, including The Way for Ariana Grande, Champion for Chipmunk and breaks down how an old Nigerian church hymn set the stage for a Destiny’s Child reunion. Lastly, Harmony reveals what life is like being mentored by the legendary Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, how spirituality powers pop music’s broad appeal and much more. The Songwriters Podcast is produced by Chris Mitchell for Unedited. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are excited to announce the launch of the new series of The Songwriters Podcast in partnership with The Ivors Academy! Independent singer-songwriter Louise Golbey will once again be joined by some of the most successful British songwriters, sharing their creative processes and giving us a new look at how that hit record got made.All four episodes for Series 3 will launch tomorrow, and the guest lineup is as follows: Harmony Samuels (Ariana Grande, Kelly Rowland)Laura White (Rita Ora, Galantis)Kiris Houston (Little Mix, Kylie Minogue)Sister Bliss (Faithless, Dido)We also have a special bonus episode coming in early October 2023! In the meantime, click here to revisit Seasons 1 and 2 of The Songwriters Podcast and subscribe to the podcast to ensure you get all the latest episodes as soon as they are released.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.