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Oak Felder

Oak Felder

Photo: Krystyna Felder

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Oak Felder Supports Creativity, Not Just Hits producersongwriter-oak-felder-wants-music-industry-support-creativity-not-just-hits

Producer/Songwriter Oak Felder Wants The Music Industry To Support Creativity, Not Just Hits

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"The model needs to change to reflect that writers get paid for records that, even if they aren't big smashes, [earn them income] at a level that they will be allowed to live," the producer/songwriter recently told the Recording Academy.
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jul 12, 2019 - 10:20 am

GRAMMY-nominated producer/songwriter Warren "Oak" Felder knows how to craft Top 10 hits—including Alessia Cara's "Here" and "Scars To Your Beautiful" and Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry," to name just a few. Though he has the skills and experience to craft top-charting songs, he passionately believes that the music industry should foster an environment that ensures all creatives get paid—not just the ones dominating the airwaves.  

.@Oakwud's songwriting & production credits are legendary!! Follow-up yesterday's episode with his very own playlist, available now. https://t.co/JLwYyLXVw4 pic.twitter.com/TSV4cFiIda

— and the writer is (@AndTheWriterIs) June 11, 2019

"I think it's important for creators of music to be able to create music and make a living off of it. Because right now, the only way that you are going to be able to do your job and make money to live off of is if you're getting hits," Felder recently told the Recording Academy. "How many records do you have in your life that you listened to that weren't singles, but are just as meaningful to you?"

The Los Angeles-based, Istanbul-born alt-rock lover is also dedicated to the art of mentorship and paving the way for younger creatives. Last month, he led one of the GRAMMY Museum's Summer Sessions, speaking to a theater full of high school students hopeful to pursue songwriting careers. We sat down with Felder to find out what he learned from the students, why he believes in music education and his biggest piece of advice for aspiring musicians and songwriters/producers.

You just wrapped up the GRAMMY Summer Session program. How'd it go?

Fantastic. I was sort of awed by just the concept of it. Those kids are awesome. And the program is fantastic.

Had a blast @GRAMMYMuseum for #summersession #grammymuseum #DTLA met so many talented songwriters and musicians pic.twitter.com/WPbSAtZVas

— Ava August (@avaaugustmusic) June 30, 2019

Were there any good questions from the kids, or something else that stood out to you from it?

Yeah. So one of the questions really focused on working in the studio with an artist, on bringing an artist story to the forefront and how to do that.

I feel like people forget that production and music is so psychological and they say, "Oh, well you just go in the studio, you make a beat, you write a song and you record." People forget there's a psychology to it. So that awareness surprised me. I don't think I was aware of that until I was older and much less dumb than I was when I was a kid.

Music education is SO important, but often ignored or defunded in public schools. Why do you think music education is important?

I think the kids that learn how to play the piano and play some sort of instrument when they're younger develop and demonstrate better cognitive abilities as an adult. And I think it's something that serves you, even if you're not a musician afterwards. If you've learned how to play the piano and you forgot, you still created the pathways in your brain that allow you to solve different problems, probably more efficiently than other people would.

Creativity is very important for coping with life in general. If you have an early relationship with music, it makes music as a coping mechanism a little better for you. So, education and music would apply to society as a whole. Being born and raised in another country where music is a focus educationally, I definitely see a difference between a place that doesn't focus on it as much from an educational standpoint, and a place that does.

How do you integrate teaching and mentorship into your work in the music industry?

I consider myself a natural teacher because I like to talk a lot. You kind of have to show people the ropes. I have a guy assigned to me that I consider it my responsibility to teach him. Even beyond that, after I'm done with production, I think I would continue to teach it afterwards. I definitely have the gray hairs to match with professorship, so I'm definitely going to try for that. I think teaching is important, otherwise, we'd all be sort of aimlessly walking around figuring things out by trial and error.

Did you have any mentors when you were first starting out in the industry?

The first one that comes to mind is my oldest brother Dennis. He's an amazing musician and a great guy. He definitely was an inspiration to me. I feel like I've been following him my whole life, trying to be as good as he is. I'm still not, but I'm getting there.

Another early mentor for me was an R&B producer, guy named Teddy Bishop. He gave me my initial view of what being a record producer is like, the template for what it's supposed to look like. I've been applying that to what I've been doing since.

How do you think people within the music industry can foster a more collaborative, inclusive environment?

I think there is still the perception of corruption in the music industry. I think that the day that I am not surprised when a woman walks up to me and says, "I am a producer." That shouldn't be a surprise. The moment we can get ourselves to that point as creatives, we will diversify and mutate the state of music to a point of amazingness. Because for every idea that comes from a stereotypical producer, there's an idea that wasn't heard from someone who's not a typical producer. That's going to add to the culture when we finally get to that point. I think that should be everybody's focus.

Do you have a vision to help ensure more diverse groups are working in the studio?

Absolutely. I needed somebody for my team who did pop music very well as a producer. So I asked a friend of mine if he knew anybody and he pointed me to this producer named Zaire [Koalo] Simmons from South L.A. You wouldn't typically associate a young black producer as being somebody who is immediately capable of doing pop music at a high level. You do have black producers who are capable of doing pop music. This kid floored me. And then I was like, "Well, do you do urban tracks?" And he blew me away again.

So the rule is, give everyone a shot. Because the real thing is talent, it doesn't really matter who it comes from. It's almost like a cheat because you get to look in places that other people might not be looking. And you'll find gems that exist there.

Zaire Koalo, Oak Felder & Nelly

L-R: Zaire, Oak & Nelly | Photo: Courtesy of artist

So, being conscious about when you're opening the door and that you're not just looking to the usual suspects.

Yeah. That's really important. Plus, it's our responsibility to mutate the culture. And the only way to do it is if people who typically don't have a voice are given one. That's our responsibility. I take that seriously.

You've worked with a pretty major, diverse group of artists. What's the biggest thing you've learned so far in your time collaborating as a songwriter/producer?

What I've learned is that the lack of an ego is a superpower. I'm a believer that anybody at any moment could have a better idea than you will ever have.

So I think humility is what gives you the ears to hear that idea. There have been times where I had a clear concept, direction and vision for what I want it to be. And I walked in the room and somebody says, "We should do this." My immediate reaction is no, that's not what I wanted.

[But you have to] put down your ego. That's the biggest thing that I've learned. Your ego has no space in a room of collaborators. You leave that mother***er at the door.

So, if you have 10 people in a room, and everyone has an idea, how do you foster an environment where everybody is listening, is collaborating, and isn't getting upset when their idea moves to the side?

First of all, if there's 10 people in the room, some of them are going to leave. It's easier to manage smaller groups of people. And then splits end up a little bit better if there's less people in the room. But yeah, if somebody has an idea, it gets out there.

You know what's funny, everybody has developed the concept of, "let me throw an idea out and if the room responds, then it sticks. If the room doesn't respond, no one says anything." You're in the room and people are writing songs and somebody goes, "Wearing leather pants." And it's silence, that idea was not a good idea.

So a room full of people who've figured that out, have learned how to regulate themselves, as a collective, works. That's what music is, a collective of creation. We're learning how to function as one unit, especially people you have good chemistry with.

What's your favorite part then about the collaborative process?

Self-discovery. And allowing the music that you make to do the same thing for yourself that it does for other people, through realizing other people's perspectives.

The story behind that is, I was in Jamaica working with Alicia Keys, she had invited a lot of us to come out and work for her project. I'm in a room with one of my producers and Miguel, who was there as a songwriter. He and I hadn't worked together up until that point. We're at this beautiful location, sitting at a table, just me, Miguel, Alicia and a couple other people. We're having a conversation about our biggest fears, going around the table.

Death is one of my biggest fears, beyond a person's rational fear of death. It gives me anxiety to even think about. I had no way of controlling that anxiety until I said "I'm scared of death." And Miguel goes, "You're scared of death? So you would want to live forever?" And I say, "Of course I would."

He was like, "Why? Where's the rush to do anything meaningful if you lived forever? If you were going to live forever, you'd probably have the most boring, unfulfilled existence."

He adds, "There's no fun in forever." And Alicia said, "That's a song." We ended up doing a song called "Where's the Fun in Forever" [by Miguel featuring Keys]. To this day, there's three songs I've produced that are my favorite and that's one of them. Because after we did the record, that anxiety lessened every time I thought about or listened to that song.

I can mark that as the first time that my own music has done for me, what other people's music, or my music, has done for other people. It's the collaboration with other people and learning their perspectives that I'm so grateful for because now I have a tool that allows me to deal with a difficult thought.

How do you foster that kind of collaborative space where everyone feels safe to share their ideas? And to talk about the things that are raw and kind of scary but can really get those amazing songs and emotions?

I think it's about trust. When a person comes to my studio, especially if it's somebody that I've never met before, I have to expose my own vulnerabilities first. To give them the signal, look this a safe space. What that ends up doing is it gives the artist an opportunity to tell me things about their personal life they would never in a million years want anyone else to know. So that we can then take those stories and turn them into music, because that's the process.

But it starts with you being comfortable enough to expose your own vulnerabilities and hoping not to be judged for whatever they are. And like I said, having no ego is a superpower, because the ego is what gets in the way of being able to do that initially.

And then you have a session where people sit in a room and it's kind of awkward, nobody's saying anything. Where it's, "So what are you working on?" "Same sh*t you're working on." As opposed to, "I woke up this morning and I was feeling like crap because my dad called me," etc. You're having this kind of conversation with somebody that you've just met. It's a disarming thing to be that vulnerable with somebody else. And when they see that they open up as well.

That's the key, vulnerability, because it creates trust. And puts them in a position where they're able to say, "You know what, let's write a song about this thing that I experienced, that I would never in a million years tell anyone, but let's write a song with that energy in it." A lot of my biggest records are records that have been written that way.

That's really cool; leading by example and setting the tone.

Absolutely. I think the best kind of leader is the one that leads from the front.

So what's your biggest piece of advice for young, aspiring artists? What about for young songwriters and/or producers, those who are more behind the scenes?

I say this to everyone: Know your history. Current music is the tip of the iceberg, it's being supported by a large group of music that proceeded it. If you are a rapper, then you should know why Tupac is important, why disco is important, and why a break beat is important and how it contributed to the culture.

Actually, my partner (Andrew "Pop" Wansel) just produced a song for Nicki Minaj that samples a classic dancehall record (called "Filthy Riddim"). This record is historically and traditionally a song that will always get the club popping, but the newer audiences haven't been exposed to it yet.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I want people to remember that he was a nice guy. And I want people who are successful in the industry to be able to turn around and say, Oak helped me do this. That's my biggest dream, wish, goal. Because I want, in 20 or 15 years, to be able to be the person who gave a shot to someone who made a difference. And in so doing that, make a difference myself.

What's your biggest hope for the trajectory of the music industry, the biggest thing that you wish to see that isn't happening yet or is just starting to happen?

I want us to get paid. I'm part of the MLC [the Music Licensing Collective], and I think it's important for creators of music to be able to create music and make a living off of it. Because right now, the only way that you are going to be able to do your job and make money to live off of is if you're getting hits. That wasn't the case in the '80s or in the '90s; you could've produced three records on an album that weren't necessarily singles. How many records do you have in your life that you listened to that weren't singles, but are just as meaningful to you?

In today's cultural climate, that is starting to become a thing of the past. Because the economic structure of the music industry only rewards people who have big singles, which means the big singles are the only ones that influence culture, i.e., there's no album record that really speaks to people.

And think about this: From a creative standpoint, when I get in the studio and I know the only thing that's going to make money is a big hit smash, that's all I'm focused on making. I'm not gonna make the "Where's The Fun In Forever" record, which wasn't a single, it was an album cut on that album. But it's a record that affected me and it probably affected other people in the same way. Those don't exist with the current model anymore.

The model needs to change to reflect that writers get paid for records that, even if they aren't big smashes, we get back to getting paid at a level that they will be allowed to live. That is my single biggest wish for the music industry right now.

Meet Ericka Coulter, The Inspirational Music Exec Amplifying Rising Talent With TheBasement

busbee

busbee

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Songwriter/Producer Busbee Dies At 43 busbee-grammy-nominated-hit-maker-dies-43

Busbee, GRAMMY-Nominated Hit-Maker, Dies At 43

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The beloved hit-maker, who worked with Maren Morris, Shakira, Lady Antebellum and many more, passed away this weekend.
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 30, 2019 - 2:34 pm

Yesterday, Sept. 29, Warner Chappell broke the sad news, via a heartfelt Instagram post, that GRAMMY-nominated songwriter/producer busbee had passed away at age 43. His label, Altadena, was housed under Warner Records and he had a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. Variety reports that, according to a friend of his, busbee was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, earlier this year and was receiving treatment for it.

He spent the last two decades working with a long list of popular country and pop artists in Los Angeles and Nashville, helping pen and produce infectious hits for Maren Morris, Shakira, Adam Lambert, Lady Antebellum and many more. Clearly beloved by everyone he worked with, many have shared tributes on social media.



View this post on Instagram


Our hearts are broken by the loss of our beautiful friend busbee. He was an extraordinary human being whose generosity, spirituality and humor inspired everyone around him. An amazingly gifted songwriter, he used his talent, his music, and his love to break down boundaries and bring people together. He left us far too soon. Our deepest condolences go to his wonderful family and all his many friends. We love you. - Guy, Carianne, Ben, Ryan, Katy and the Warner Chappell family Today we lost busbee, a dear friend, business partner with his company Altadena, and one of the best and brightest creative minds in music. busbee’s kindness and legacy will never be forgotten and our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time. With love & respect, Aaron, Tom and his Warner Records family

A post shared by Warner Music (@warnermusic) on Sep 29, 2019 at 10:12pm PDT

"The Recording Academy is heartbroken over the passing of one of our own—GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and producer, busbee," Deborah Dugan, President/CEO of the Recording Academy said. She continued:

"He was an integral member of our music community, serving as a Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter Governor and Co-Chair of the Chapter's Advocacy Committee, where he helped advance the rights of artists, songwriters, and studio professionals. busbee was a creative spirit who was unconditionally committed to his craft. This is a devastating loss for the entire music community, and our hearts are with his family, friends, and all of his many musical collaborators."

Born Michael James Ryan, busbee grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his love of music blossomed from a young age through church and both Christian and jazz radio. His natural talents in music began with piano lessons at age seven and trombone in high school. He received a college scholarship to continue his studies of jazz trombone on the East Coast, later returning home and accepting a job as a music pastor at a local church.

"There's so much music at church. You can feel when a song feels like it's inspired," busbee told Ross Golan on the May 6 episode of his podcast "And the Writer Is…," as quoted by Variety. In 2000, busbee relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a deeply inspiring career in the music industry, beginning his songwriting career with notable country and pop artists.

Pop Is Different For Busbee Now That He Does It

In 2009, he saw his first Top 40 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 as a writer on Rascal Flatts' "Summer Nights." As reported by Billboard, his work earned him (and his collaborators, of course) a total of 22 charting songs to date on the Hot 100 alone. Several of his big songs are with GRAMMY-winning country queen Morris, as he worked as a producer and co-writer on both her debut LP, Hero, and her 2019 follow up, Girl. For "My Church," her hit debut single, the pair both earned nominations for Best Country Song at the 59th GRAMMY Awards. Morris also earned a Best New Artist nomination that year, and took home a win for Best Country Solo Performance for "My Church."

She shared a touching message and picture on social media yesterday, writing, "This just doesn't seem fair. I will always love you and the songs and albums I was lucky to make with you, Busbee. Rest well, my sweet friend." Today, she shared another tribute on Twitter, a video from the studio of him working on "My Church."

This just doesn’t seem fair. I will always love you and the songs and albums I was lucky to make with you, Busbee. Rest well, my sweet friend. pic.twitter.com/9DKsU5G77a

— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) September 30, 2019

Dedicated to the craft of songwriting, he was a true collaborator as well as a mentor. During a songwriting panel hosted by the Recording Academy L.A. Chapter this spring, he discussed his journey that led him to becoming a hit-maker, emphasizing the important roles of faith, hard work and perseverance.

"Nobody else is going to get what's yours," busbee told the group of budding songwriters and artists. "You never know who's going to make the decision that changes the course of your life."

Keep scrolling to get a small taste of the many lives he touched, with moving tributes from more of his collaborators and friends; Shakira, Lady Antebellum, Golan, Lambert, Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce.

Today an uncanny talent and unique soul has departed.
Busbee you left us so early, but your music and your passion will be among us and forever cherished.
My condolences to his family and the music community in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/g9ya0eeNav

— Shakira (@shakira) September 30, 2019

 

Over a decade of life and music together. We shared some of our favorite memories with you. You were more than a co-writer, producer, or friend. You were family. We love you. pic.twitter.com/3nDgQimGKp

— Lady Antebellum (@ladyantebellum) September 30, 2019

 

I love you, Busbee. We texted every day since the diagnosis. I didn’t understand why you didn’t respond today. I’m so sad. Thank you for being there for me and Jac when we were hurting. I tried to be there for you but no one’s heart is bigger than yours. Love you, brother.

— Ross Golan (@rossgolan) September 30, 2019

 

Shocked and saddened by the news today that we have lost Busbee. I am so grateful I was able to have collaborated with him. He was brilliant and warm, with palpable joy for his craft. RIP Sir.

— ADAM LAMBERT (@adamlambert) September 30, 2019

 

Thinking about this dude today... Gonna miss you Busbee. pic.twitter.com/TIC3zw0gGr

— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) September 30, 2019

 

No words. Rest easy my sweet, sweet friend. @busbee pic.twitter.com/EKA1FVoaIU

— Carly Pearce (@carlypearce) September 30, 2019

Hit-Makers Share The Specialized, Intuitive Art Of Crafting The Perfect Song

Avril Lavigne at the GRAMMY Museum

Avril Lavigne at the GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Alison Buck

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Avril Lavigne Has Always Known Exactly Who She Is avril-lavigne-has-always-known-exactly-who-she

Avril Lavigne Has Always Known Exactly Who She Is

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At the GRAMMY Museum last night, the eternal punk princess reflected on her musical beginnings, unyielding self-confidence and the impact of her music
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 6, 2019 - 3:48 pm

17 years ago, a Canadian teen named Avril Lavigne skated her way into our hearts with her debut album, Let Go, along with unforgettable hit singles like "Complicated" and "Sk8ter Boi." She was just a teenager when the GRAMMY-nominated LP was released in June 2002, but she already knew who she was and felt ready to share her punk-rock style and sensibilities with the music world.

As she recounted to 250 lucky fans at her GRAMMY Museum event last night, Lavigne famously dropped out of high school at 16 to move to Los Angeles and pursue a music career. Clearly things went her way, as she is now one of the most recognizable names in pop—and through all the pressures that come with being a young woman in the music industry, she never lost sight of who she was.

Avril Lavigne at the GRAMMY Museum

Photo: Alison Buck

Speaking to Scott Goldman in the Museum's Clive Davis Theater, the eternal punk princess, rocking all black with punky suspender pants, reflected on her musical beginnings, that unyielding self-confidence and the impact her music has had on the next generation of female alt-rockers. They also discussed her sixth studio album, Head Above Water, which she released earlier this year. To close, she brought out two of her bandmates to share a few songs they've been rehearsing for her upcoming tour, her first one in five years.

Looking back on her initial experience with the L.A. music industry, she explains that they didn't quite get her at first. "The music was too soft and fluffy for me… I just wanted to hear guitars, even though I was only 16," Lavigne said. "The label saw me as a pop star," she added, musing that pop-rock wasn't so much a thing yet, in the early part of the millennium. She knew she had to be clear with who she was in order to prove herself to those who didn't understand it.

"I'd show up to a high-fashion shoot with a book bag of neckties," she explained, a testament to her confident demeanor and edgy style. Sharing some wisdom on how she managed to be so much of herself at such a young age, she said, "You have to love yourself and find your confidence."

When Goldman asked what her early music, specifically her first two albums, sound like to her when she listens now, Lavigne replied that she was proud of what she wrote as a teen and hears "variety and a lot of depth."

Goldman also asked what it felt like to be a role model for the next generation of guitar-loving women, citing rising alt-rockers Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail, who've named those early albums as major influences to their own music. "It's so cool…to know that my music inspired or influenced anyone," the "Complicated" singer beamed.

Avril Lavigne al Grammy Museum cantando in versione acustica la sua Hit “Girlfriend”pic.twitter.com/LuxscYJeH4

— AvrilBestItalian (@AvrilBestItalia) September 6, 2019

The much-anticipated performance included two songs from the new album, opening with the title track and closing with the anthemic "Warrior," as well as two of her '00s hits. After serving up a powerful rendition of "Head Above Water," Lavigne went into one of her "favorites to perform," "My Happy Ending," from her second album, Under My Skin. Before breaking into the chorus, she asked the audience to join her. She asked the crowd what they wanted to hear next, and over a dozen selections from her discography were shouted out.

Lavigne gave the audience a chance to be heard, listening, before responding, "'Girlfriend' should be fun." She was right.

Finally, in an epic act of on-stage cuteness, as Lavigne got up from her stool to exit the stage, the suspenders hanging from her pants got stuck, evoking a laugh. This was the perfect time for the crowd to request an encore, and she left everyone on a high note with "Warrior," even getting fan-assistance with a lyric she forgot on the new song.

As the fans filed out of the theater, a teen with hot pink hair and a cutoff plaid shirt turned to her dad and said with wide eyes: "I'm seriously shaking."

.@AvrilLavigne makes the first performance of "Warrior" at the Grammy Museum.pic.twitter.com/gDpfcSiAWJ

— Avril Lavigne Charts (@AvrilLCharts) September 6, 2019

MUNA: "The Most Radical Thing You Can Do Is Believe That The World Can Be Saved"

Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding

Photo: Recording Academy

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Ellie Goulding On Songwriting, Skrillex & Björk ellie-goulding-talks-songwriting-loving-skrillex-bj%C3%B6rk-growing-electronic-music

Ellie Goulding Talks Songwriting, Loving Skrillex & Björk & Growing Up On Electronic Music

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"If I could be described as being a musician that gave people hope, then I'd be really happy," the GRAMMY-nominated pop singer/songwriter told the Recording Academy in the latest episode of Up Close & Personal
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jun 27, 2019 - 2:38 pm

Looking back at the music that British pop singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding has put out over the last decade, it's clear that her powerful voice works well on all types of tracks. The GRAMMY nominee is the perfect vocalist for EDM bangers like "I Need Your Love," from Calvin Harris' 2012 GRAMMY-nominated heater 18 Months, and Skrillex's "Summit," from his 2011 GRAMMY-winning rave album, Bangarang, as well as for more laid-back, piano-backed love songs like "Flux" and "How Long Will I Love You."

Ellie Goulding On Songwriting, Skrillex & More

Her latest single, "Hate Me," released June 26, showcases her prowess as a collaborator with rappers. On the new track, the songstress links up with rising rap star Juice WRLD, as the pair stands up to unappreciative lovers.

Goulding recently stopped by the Recording Academy headquarters for an in-depth conversation in our latest episode of Up Close & Personal, which you can watch above and check out on our YouTube page for a longer version of the video, as well as the other recent episodes. Read on to learn how she feels when she looks back on the songs she's written over the last decade, what it was like to work with Diplo and Skrillex and how she's always loved electronic music. She also explains her reaction to hearing GRAMMY nominee Björk for the first time, why environmental activism is so important to her and more.

Your most recent music video, for "Sixteen," is really sweet. Can you talk about the story and message behind it?

Well, I wrote "Sixteen" a few years ago and really it was about the idea that you develop yourself around that age. Well, for me anyway, it was really the age that I was discovering everything about myself and becoming who I am in a way. It was a pivotal time where I was figuring out music I really loved and friends and suddenly falling madly, deeply, uncontrollably in love with people. That song really was intended to be a nostalgic celebration and the video is about two friends who have this very close relationship.

I think now, it's so much more, not acceptable, but you can be so much more open with your friendships and it's okay to have a really close friendship with someone of the same sex or with anyone and there's no black and white anymore, which is great. I had those really close friendships with my girlfriends at that age and then some of my girlfriends are still with the person that they fell in love with at that age and they're now in their 30s and have kids with this person that they met at that age.

You've put out a lot of huge tracks over the past nine years, all the way back to "Starry Eyed" in 2010. What are a few of your personal favorites? Has your relationship with your earlier tracks changed over the years?

Oh my gosh. My relationship with all of my early songs has changed. I only get them out on very special occasions. When I listen back to the songs and the lyrics, I do feel a bit silly at some of the lyrics. I feel like they're kind of immature and they're a real marker of that time, where I feel like I didn't know anything about anything and I would write a very naïve perspective of what I thought love was. When I think back to those situations, I think that actually was me a lot of the time in the raw or me doing something stupid. In the song, I maybe portray it as differently or the other person's fault. I do think about my old songs a lot in that way, but I don't regret writing them. Once time has passed, I keep having to move on with songs. They're real markers in the book that I keep writing. It's very hard for me to go back in time with them, but "Anything Could Happen" is a big favorite because I just remember being in such a happy place when I wrote it.

It was melancholy because I had just broken up with somebody, which as we all know is for some reason the most painful thing in the world, but at the same time I was back in my hometown writing with somebody that also lives in my hometown and we just came up with this song, and whenever I play it live it just has this euphoria and brings everyone together and I see people in the crowd just so happy and it has some kind of rave element to it that makes everyone go a little bit crazy. Yeah, so I have such good memories of that song and it was also just one of those songs I wrote in half an hour. It just happened. I also am very proud of the song "Flux," which I played earlier. I was just proud of myself for the honesty and the way that I managed to capture what I was feeling.

Sometimes I'm like, "God, do I really want to write this about this person?" but sometimes I just have to tell the truth and even if it shows how emotional I am or shows my true colors or whatever, it just has to happen. That was one of those moments with that song. I'm proud of all the songs I've written. I'm proud of the huge cheesy pop songs and I'm proud of the more obscure weird ones, like when I first released a song called "Under the Sheets" on an EP with a song called "Fighter Plane," and I'm proud of how I was thinking at that age. I was maybe 20 and I was already writing in a somewhat mature way. [Laughs.] I'm having a proud moment.

It's like the songs are the chapters of your life, and while the stories are super specific to you, so many people can relate to them.

I think subconsciously I've always written with other people in mind. Not in the sense that I want to please people, but I love the idea of providing people with a resolution, or with some kind of consolation for what they're going through. Music is one of the most powerful things in the world and we all speak its language. When I write lyrics, I understand how much of an impact they can have on people, so I'm always aware of that. When I'm writing about a breakup or I'm writing about the state of the world or the planet or whatever, I try and make it hopeful. If I could be described as being a musician that gave people hope, then I'd be really happy.

"If I could be described as being a musician that gave people hope, then I'd be really happy."

You've worked with some really big names in dance music: Diplo, Skrillex and Calvin Harris, to name a few. Can you talk a little bit about what you've learned working with those producers?

I think collaboration in general is somewhere you learn about yourself and you learn about compromise and it makes you realize how much of a unique artist you are because you're never just going to go in and have completely the same opinions on things and artistic ideas or directions. It's a learning curve, working with other people. I've written with writers where we both agree that it's not right; it was great to meet you, but it didn't quite gel well. Sometimes I write with writers where we're best friends by the next day and we're texting every day. There's some people that I feel so comfortable with, which is not that many people, that I just text them lyrics and say, "What do you think about this?," or send ideas or voice notes.

Diplo is someone I've gone back to. He's completely bat sh*t crazy. [Laughs.] But he's funny and he does respect artist's individuality, so he's really great to work with. And you know whatever he's going to do is going to be completely fresh and new and no one else has done it.

And then Skrillex, when I first met him, he was a pioneer in electronic music. Actually, I really feel like he was a new sound, he was refreshing and I was completely fascinated and completely enthralled by what he was doing and I just wanted to be a part of that. I have such an affinity for electronic music and since I was a kid, my mom listened to lots of rave music and dance music and we had a very specific phase in the U.K. in London, especially of dance music.

We had garage and then we had deep house and we like to think of ourselves as having a very unique place in music in that sense in London. I was completely inspired by that growing up. I only discovered musicians and people playing instruments in bands when I was a teen. I never listened to The Beatles. I never listened to Fleetwood Mac. I never listened to Bob Dylan, so it was just a sensory overload by the time I listened to all these singers like Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, that it was a new world. That's probably when I realized that I could be a singer because I had this really unusual voice that I didn't know could be a thing until I heard other singers with unique voices and lyrics and honesty and I thought, "Oh, I could do this."

Is there a specific moment where you remember an artist that you listened to that you then thought, "Oh, I could have a place in music"?

Yeah, I came home one night and I was a bit drunk and I think we'd been out camping somewhere in a field. I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I switched on the TV. Tiny box TV at the time and Björk was singing on stage somewhere. I think maybe at the Albert Hall in London. I just remember being completely transfixed. I'd never seen anyone sing or perform like it before. All of a sudden I'd gone from listening to pop singers. I loved Lauryn Hill. I loved Alicia Keys. I loved Beyoncé. I loved Destiny's Child. I loved girl groups, and then I saw this singer and it resonated with me because people had always told me that I shouldn't sing because I had this really unusual voice. It had such a lack of control and I could sing high, I could sing low, I could sing hard, I could sing soft. I could do these crazy things with my voice, but it didn't ever really seem to have a place anywhere and I couldn't write the right songs and nothing seemed to sound right.

When I heard Björk, I suddenly was like she's got this beautifully inventive and unusually curious voice and it suddenly made me feel very powerful, like I could sing after all. It took a few years for people to really get me and some people would come along and listen to me sing. Not that many, but I've played my own songs. I carried on. I just kept singing and playing and I thought I had something maybe because more and more people were coming and at that point, I was able to sing and play effortlessly and not have to think about guitar and it was just there. Then, eventually it clicked after a solid few years of trying to get people to come and watch me play. Eventually I signed a publishing deal to be a writer and then I signed a record deal the year after that. After a long, long time of what we call "fanning around" in the U.K.

Related: Rosalía Shouts-Out Lauryn Hill, Kate Bush And More Women During Latin GRAMMY Speech

That's so cool. I love Björk.

Yeah, I saw her the other night in New York at The Shed. Oh my God, you have to see it, if you can. You can't even for a second lose focus or concentration because there's so much going on and the visuals are 10 years in the future. It's mad.

Do you have any dream collaborators you haven't worked with yet that you'd like to in the future?

I'm a fan of so many different producers and classical composers actually, maybe more than I am of artists, just in the sense that I can see so many possibilities with my voice with musicians and producers, but I'm always open to singing with other singers too. There's electronic producers I've always wanted to do things with; Jamie XX I've loved forever. One day he'll work with me. Mura Masa, I love. I love this guy George FitzGerald from the U.K. I love Frank Dukes, who makes a bunch of records here in L.A. There's a guy called Arca, who just did Björk's latest record.

There's actually a guy serpentwithfeet, who I love, who I discovered relatively recently. His voice is out of this world and he's a beautiful pianist, so maybe one day I'll work with him. I love experimenting and I love this classic producer and composer called Ola Gjeilo, who based in New York, he's from Norway, makes beautiful music. And then there's the classics like Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard. My dream is to eventually do film soundtracks and go down the Lisa Gerrard road where she's just f***ing cool and just puts her amazing voice on things. You know, in Gladiator she's the voice that you can never forget, and I'd love to do that at some point.

I won’t give up and neither will you. Remember nobody can do everything but everyone can do something. Take action with me and @unenvironment
Let’s #BeatAirPollution pic.twitter.com/LwdOedrGrC

— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) June 5, 2019

For World Environment Day, you posted on social media encouraging your fans to take action. You've done work with the UN and you've always been vocal about standing up for what you believe in. Can you speak a little bit to using your platform as a catalyst for change?

I do think it's important for me to use my social media to influence young people for the better. Social media can be used for all sorts of weird, wonderful and sometimes not-so-good things. Relatively speaking, I have a small following, but it's enough to get people talking and sharing about the things that I care about. The things that I care about, and what we should all be caring about because it's essentially all of our futures at stake, is protecting the environment, which involves things like cutting massively down on plastic and eating less meat, which is better for the environment. When you think about how much goes into producing meat, but that's a whole other story. Go to my Instagram if you want to know more.

I talk a lot about climate change; it is the biggest threat to our existence. There's never been more CO2 in the atmosphere. Every single year it gets hotter and I think that's enough for us all to be quite scared, but because there is another agenda, a huge agenda in this world to promote climate change as a hoax because of oil, the meat industry, things that are trying to crush it for their own financial advantage. We are the warriors on the other side of that, making it come to light and showing people that what they can do makes a difference individually. I really just try and spread the world that climate change will ultimately be the end of us, if we don't do something about it, which means drastically changing our habits, changing the way we live.

Stop plastic production because that is linked to climate change. We need to eat less meat. We need to stop cutting down forests. We're simply not growing trees quick enough to replace the CO2 that is being created. Ice caps are melting, which means methane and other things being released. Ice caps reflect the sun more, so the less ice there is, the less sunlight is going to reflect it back into space. Ultimately, everything is going to screw us unless we act quickly and it's not like, "Oh, maybe we'll be okay. We'll start acting in a few years." We have 12 years exactly to save the planet, so with that in mind, I do use my social media to try and push that a bit and get people on board with me.

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Backstreet Boys GRAMMY Museum 2019

Backstreet Boys

Photo: Rebecca Sapp | Design: F. Inomata

News
Backstreet Boys On New Exhibit, 'Millennium,' More backstreet-boys-talk-grammy-museum-experience-millennium-legacy-touring

Backstreet Boys Talk GRAMMY Museum "Experience," 'Millennium' Legacy & Touring

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As they unveil the interactive 'Backstreet Boys: The Experience' exhibit, we go behind the scenes with the GRAMMY-nominated boy band to look back on their 26 years together
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Apr 18, 2019 - 3:10 pm

On April 8, the Backstreet Boys visited the GRAMMY Museum for a very special evening; the preview night of the newest exhibit there, Backstreet Boys: The Experience. AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell all played a part in making the exhibit happen, sorting through old wardrobe trunks to choose which iconic '90s and '00s looks to put on display and sifting through the countless fan photos and homemade memorabilia they've been gifted over their 26-year career.

Backstreet Boys On New Exhibit, 'Millennium,' More

We went behind the scenes with the GRAMMY-nominated group right after they explored the newly set up exhibit for the first time, as they reflected on who BSB is today, their legacy, having fun in Las Vegas and their excitement for the DNA World Tour. Or, as McLean put it, their "biggest tour in 18 years," in support of 2019's DNA.

"I think [The Experience] is gonna surprise a lot of people, bring back a lot of memories…if you're a fan, this plays homage to you," Carter told us about the new exhibit. "[There's] a lot of things you can interact with, but just really cool things that remind people who the Backstreet Boys are and where we've come from, so it's a cool experience."

https://twitter.com/GRAMMYMuseum/status/1116445887855767559

Did you know? The @backstreetboys handpicked all the memorabilia inside the new exhibit themselves! From music video outfits to high school diplomas and home videos...each member of the band helped us make #BSBTheExperience a must see exhibit!

Presented by @BlueShieldCA pic.twitter.com/DVmwtAefvL

— GRAMMY Museum (@GRAMMYMuseum) April 11, 2019

Speaking of looking back, the group also discussed the 20th anniversary of their record-breaking album Millennium, which was the best-selling album of 1999.

"Millennium is probably, to this day, one of the biggest album's we've ever had. I think if we weren't on the map by that time in most people's eyes and ears, we were definitely at that point," Dorough said. "I think that itself is what's continued the legacy of the Backstreet Boys."

Backstreet Boys: The Experience is currently on display at the GRAMMY Museum L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles until Sept. 2. Learn how and when to have your special BSB experience on the Museum's website.

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