Cold War Kids and Scott Goldman at the GRAMMY Museum

Cold War Kids and Scott Goldman

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage.com

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Cold War Kids: Inside "First," 'L.A. Divine' & More | "Required Listening"

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Nathan Willett and Matt Maust reveal why 'L.A. Divine' is a different sort of "greatest hits" and the metal band they were "too scared" to tour with
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Apr 26, 2018 - 8:25 am

Since their 2006 debut album, Robbers & Cowards, indie rockers Cold War Kids have built a reputation for daring sonics, inventive storytelling and creative risk-taking. On this week's episode of the GRAMMY Museum's "Required Listening" podcast, lead vocalist Nathan Willett and bassist Matt Maust reveal the blueprint the group followed on their latest studio endeavor, 2017's L.A. Divine.

Listen Now: "Required Listening" Episode With Cold War Kids

"For this record, [we tried to take] everywhere we had been, sonically and songwriting, and really just [try] to do the best version of everything that we have done," said Willett. "That's the way that I thought about it going into it."

"It's almost a reaction [to] all five of our [previous] records. It's our greatest hits that is not a greatest hits," added Maust.

In a 40-minute-plus conversation with GRAMMY Museum Executive Director/host Scott Goldman, Willett and Maust detail how their songwriting has evolved over the years, their approach to writing lyrics, the success of their hit "First," favorite bands and inspirations, the origins of their band name, and the metal band they were too scared to tour with.

"In our first year of being a band, we were asked to go on tour with Slayer," said Willett. "We were too scared. We thought we would get goat's blood thrown at us or something."

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Aloe Blacc

Photo: Courtesy of GRAMMY Museum

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Aloe Blacc: Musical Message-Maker | "Required Listening"

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A creative whose range covers free expression, savvy business and social uplift, Blacc knows what he wants his songs to mean to future generations
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Aug 14, 2018 - 11:51 am

On the Aug. 8 episode of the GRAMMY Museum's Required Listening podcast, Artistic Director Scott Goldman sat down with R&B singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc for a wide-ranging interview setting his goals of "inspiration, motivation, aspiration" in contexts ranging from the historic to the deeply personal.

Listen Now: "Required Listening" With Aloe Blacc

Blacc reveals that his latest album, still in the works, reflects new emotions that emerged from his family life, as evidenced by its prerelease single "Brooklyn In The Summer." "I'm married and I have kids and I have love in my life," said Blacc. "I wanted to express this side of my artistry."

He describes writing a love song as a "new hat" because his releases are dominated by motivational messages he considers urgently needed in today's world. While Blacc admits Michael Jackson's social messages in songs helped him see what was possible, his greater mentors are voices such as Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. "These are the elders who have made their statements that last a lifetime," he shared.

Blacc's 2013 major-label debut, Lift Your Spirit was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 57th GRAMMY Awards and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Seeing himself as an "artivist" — both an artist and an activist — he considers great lyrics as "poems that mean something forever." He seeks to embody positive uplift in his writing because whether positive or negative, "words become a mantra that you sing."

"When I decided to sign a contract with a major label, I realized that I had access to a megaphone that was much bigger than what I had prior," said Blacc. "I have a duty to use it in the right way."

Aloe Blacc On Using Music For Social Change

This lofty goal included Blacc's soaring vocals in collaboration with late EDM producer/artist Avicii on his 2013 international hit "Wake Me Up." "It's deeply saddening," said Blacc about his friend's death earlier this year. "It's really hard for me to take because I know how much he loved music and I feel like we've lost one of the greatest producers of our time."

Behind the social messages and even his recent, more romantic composing, Blacc has many other dimensions, including a background in business, artistic projects with producer/DJ Exile, and even his dark sides that he has no intention of sharing. "I'll write and create whatever I want," he said. "There's heinous concepts that I'd never release to the public, that I never want my kids to hear me sing."

The wide range that began when Blacc was a youngster learning LL Cool J's Bigger & Deffer by heart, "front-to-back," also led to his testimony earlier this year, during GRAMMY Week, before a field hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on copyright reform. Take this chance to follow his creative reasoning as we all discover where his artistry leads next in the latest episode of "Required Listening."

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Billy Porter Jr. and Scott Goldman

Billy Porter Jr. and Scott Goldman

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images

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Billy Porter Jr. | "Required Listening" Podcast

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Porter discusses his imaginative new album, his process of learning the delicate balance between humility and leadership, and how theater saved his life
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 28, 2018 - 8:37 am

For three decades, Billy Porter Jr. has been blazing his own trail as a true quadruple-threat artist. A singer, actor, songwriter, and playwright, Porter has found success on his own terms. Since bursting on the scene in the first revival of "Grease," Porter has made various Broadway and film appearances and delivered a Tony Award and GRAMMY-winning performance originating the role of Lola in "Kinky Boots."

Listen Now: "Required Listening" With Billy Porter Jr.

Now, Porter has released his latest music triumph, the ambitious new album, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul Of Richard Rodgers, and he's taken on the charismatic role of Pray Tell on Ryan Murphy's new groundbreaking FX series "Pose." His impressive body of work and continuous artistic evolution proves Porter's talent is matched only by his drive. Lucky for us, Portner joined us for an episode of the GRAMMY Museum's podcast, "Required Listening."

As Porter reveals to "Required Listening" host Scott Goldman, Artistic Director of the GRAMMY Museum, the stage called to him from an early age, starting with his time in church as a child. Interestingly, his new album embodies a soulful sound that harkens back to those church roots while infusing the flair and brilliance of his Broadway work.

When asked why Broadway music and soul music work so well together for him, Porter says, "I think it is my journey to it. I grew up singing in the church, singing gospel music, singing R&B and soul music, and you know, [my] childhood wasn't so lovely. I was looking for stuff to occupy my time, get me out. ... In the sixth grade I was introduced to theater. Being onstage in a theatrical production and going to a Pentecostal church are kind of the same thing. Pentecostal church service on a Sunday morning is theater of the highest order. So it just worked for me."

It sure did work. Billy Porter Presents: The Soul Of Richard Rodgers feels uniquely his own, as he curated the project as a celebration of the work of the great GRAMMY-winning composer, Richard Rodgers. But he doesn’t do it alone. Porter called upon his circle of musical friends to contribute to the album, including Pentatonix, Ledisi, India.Arie, Brandon Victor Dixon, Zaire Park, Leslie Odom Jr., and many more. Collectively, the project is an exhibition in collaboration, something that came naturally to the experienced entertainer. But the real glue that holds the album together, according to Porter, is the timeless familiarity and quality of the songs.

"When people know the song, the deconstruction of the arrangement becomes that much more amazing to them because they know where it came from. I think with Richard Rodgers' music, that was the pop music of the day," says Porter. "Everybody on the planet knows a Richard Rodgers song, even if you don't know that you know one. … So the music being in our DNA has allowed the project to resonate in a really great way."

Porter didn't get to a place in his career where he could execute a project of this magnitude by sitting back and letting things happen. He came to Broadway through years of hard work, standing up for his artistry and refusing to be pigeonholed into roles granted by an industry that wanted his high-flying vocal acrobatics but were unwilling to help tell his story. Porter learned to make success on his own terms by demanding respect and challenging himself in new and different ways, something he has called, "owning the leader in me."

"I've always felt like a leader, but there was this part of me coming from the church, the idea of, 'You can't be braggadocious. It's a gift and therefore you need to be humble.' And that's all good," says Porter. "But the humility of it, for me, it reached a ceiling. I had to go, 'You know what? I actually know what I’m doing, and I actually need to be out in the front doing that. So I'm going to honor that. I'm going to own that. I'm going to have faith in that. I'm going to step out on faith and I'm going to do it.'"

One thing is clear: Porter belongs onstage. He also left listeners of "Required Listening" with some valuable advice for others singers on how to find the path to where they belong.

"The only thing that you can be is the best version of yourself," says Porter. "I lived it. People tried to make me something else because who I am and what I represent made them uncomfortable. So the minute you stop caring about that, you find your voice."

Learn More: Listen To The Full Interview On The "Required Listening" Podcast 

Keith Urban and Scott Goldman photographed at SXSW 2018

Keith Urban and Scott Goldman

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage.com

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Keith Urban Talks Johnny Cash, 'Graffiti U' & More | "Required Listening"

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Check out five things we learned about the GRAMMY winner on the GRAMMY Museum's podcast — dig into the episode for even more
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 17, 2018 - 2:46 pm

On the latest episode of the GRAMMY Museum's "Required Listening" podcast, you're in for a treat. Host Scott Goldman sits down with GRAMMY winner Keith Urban for a 45-minute discussion and all topics were seemingly on the table, including his earliest musical influences, his formative years in cover bands, his approach to songwriting and record making, how MusiCares played a part in his sobriety, the art of collaboration, and his new album, 2018's Graffiti U.

Listen Now: "Required Listening" Episode With Keith Urban

Here are five things we picked up from the conversation — make sure to check out the entire episode.

Why his first concert is etched in his memory:

"[Johnny Cash] was my first concert. I think I was about 5," said Urban. "What I remember from that concert was just how loud the crowd was. It was a 5,000-seat venue, which when you're tiny might as well be a stadium. I remember just the roar of everybody when this guy walked out onstage. It's never left me. The power of when he played the guitar and sang was just extraordinary."

How playing in a cover band inspired him to write his own songs:

"I was in a cover band in 1988 and … I was playing guitar," said Urban. "We were trying to tell the lead singer, 'Let's slip in a few originals now. Let's turn the tide a bit.' And every night … we'd get to the original, the band would be so excited. The lead singer would say, 'Ah, skip that one. …' That was the start of me [thinking], 'Well, I need to get my own band going and write my own [songs].'"

On the importance of balance within the creative process:

"The great adage that 'balance is never achieved, it's just maintained' is so true in everything," said Urban. "Even in record making, the balance for me is in being very sure of where I want to go and what I want to do and who I am, but also being completely open to someone having an idea that's completely different than mine but actually is better."

Why he enjoys collaborating with others:

"I know what I do; I know what you do. But I don't know what we [can] do," said Urban. "I'm interested in that third thing. When I worked with Nile Rodgers, he was someone I aggressively sought out. I've always loved his playing and his record making. I said, 'I think if we can get in a room, we can do something really fun. … He did what he did and I [did] what I do. And we just played long enough for this third thing ['Sun Don't Let Me Down'] to emerge. That's what I love about collaborating."

How a country legend inspired the first track on Graffiti U:

"The first song on this album is called 'Coming Home' and I actually used a Merle Haggard sample to spark the song," said Urban. "I didn't have any idea what the song would be about but when I started hearing this rolling guitar intro of 'Mamma Tried,' it immediately made me think of growing up in Australia. It was all driven by the music speaking and pulling that out."

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Alessia Cara and Scott Goldman at the GRAMMY Museum

Alessia Cara and Scott Goldman

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage.com

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Alessia Cara: From "Here" To Best New Artist | "Required Listening"

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The Canadian singer/songwriter opens up about her songwriting inspiration, how she tackled her shyness and the great advice she received from Coldplay's Chris Martin
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
May 11, 2018 - 7:57 am

Alessia Cara's incredible musical journey has taken her from singing YouTube covers from the comforts of her closet to winning Best New Artist at the 60th GRAMMY Awards. On this week's episode of the GRAMMY Museum's "Required Listening" podcast, the Canadian singer/songwriter revealed how her dreams for a career in music were clouded early on by performance anxiety.

Listen Now: "Required Listening" Episode With Alessia Cara

"Growing up, it was a lot harder for me to share my ideas and be creative, even just singing in front of my own parents. I was very, very shy," said Cara. "I protected that side of me a lot and I'm not really sure why. I think maybe it was just the fear of not being good enough or failing. When something's that precious to you it's always really scary to give it away and to just lay it out there."

The pragmatic Cara turned to technology — namely, YouTube — to get her music out. On her channel, the then-teenager posted covers of songs by the likes of Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, and Amy Winehouse, ultimately garnering millions of collective views.

"The closest thing to singing for an audience was doing it in a way that I didn't have to actually be in front of them," said Cara. "I thought, 'YouTube!' [I'll] use my resources as a millennial. I have this great thing called the Internet.'"

During her conversation with GRAMMY Museum Executive Director/host Scott Goldman, the GRAMMY winner also shared her experience in working with producer/songwriter Sebastian Kole on her debut album, 2015's Know-It-All, the recording of her hit "Here," why Winehouse is a constant source of inspiration, and the useful piece of advice she received from Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Released as the debut single off Know-It-All, "Here" suddenly was everywhere in charting in the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., it reached all the way to No. 5. But did Cara and her collaborators know she had something special on her hands?

"We were all just kind of like, 'This is pretty cool,'" Cara said. "I think all of us were feeling the same thing but none of us wanted to be the one to say that, 'We have the song.' … But we all had that mutual feeling of, 'We have something here. This is the one.'"

One of Cara's major influences is the late Winehouse, whose sheer ability as a pure singer still provides a fountain of inspiration today.

"I've seen [Amy] so many times," said Cara. "One of the reasons why I look up to her so much, and why I look up to the people I look up to in the music world, [is] because they're able to [sing] without anything else. They can just sit there and just sing for you and still move you with no music and no anything. That's something really special to be able to do that. So that's what I've always strived for."

Cara's personal songs and own powerful voice have taken her to the some of the biggest stages in the world and winning one of the most coveted GRAMMYs on Music's Biggest Night. During her stint opening for Coldplay, Cara received an important piece of advice that she still takes to heart.

"Chris Martin basically [told me], 'The crowd always gives you what you give them. So, if you give them all your energy and all your love and you try to connect with them as much as possible, then usually they'll give that back to you. It's like a conversation.'"

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