Inside the Album

The spark. The secret.

When Shooter Jennings talked to us about the process behind a new record, he highlighted these two inspiration points, one a bit more concealed than the other. “The spark is the idea...when it happens, then I get excited and I have an overall vision for an album. And then the secret is something that I usually never reveal...it's kind of like when an actor has a backstory they made up for a character.”

Here, we get insight on the motivations attached to “Shooter,” the ambitious country artist’s 2018 full length record. Jennings also talks about his move to Elektra (along with re-entering that “mainstream ring”), how he decided on the album title being his first name (plus the humor associated with his music), and much more.

Listen to “Shooter” now.

Interviews: Shooter Jennings, Aaron Raitiere (Songwriter).

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Jerry Mitchell, director for the recent Broadway run of “Pretty Woman,” knew immediately that songwriting duo Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of '69”) matched his production. “Bryan and Jim have this uncanny ability to write an incredible hook, and a lot of those hooks...sound like they belong in this era.” But it wasn’t easy for the acclaimed pair as they stepped into the role of “Music and Lyrics.” To keep it simple (for now), Vallance would say: “We were learning as we were going along.”

We invite you into literally every step of the “Pretty Woman” musical and subsequent cast recording release, starting from Adams’ initial interest in the property (he himself inquired about a musical version of the film back in 2008), to the out-of-town process and frequent rewrites, to Broadway, and eventually to the album recording itself. On the latter, Vallance was said to review “every single take, every single note, searching for perfection in every performance.” With interviews extending beyond the songwriters, you’re treated to an extraordinarily rich look at this process.

In the end, perhaps Orfeh (the show’s Kit De Luca) put it best in regard to the album, which is now available: “We've made a pop CD. We have made a bonafide pop CD that happens to be based on a musical.”

Now following the Broadway run, see the dates for "Pretty Woman: The Musical" at their website.

Interviews: Jerry Mitchell (Director), Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (Music/Lyrics), Andy Karl (Actor), Orfeh (Actor), Craig Rosen (Atlantic Records Executive Vice President, A&R Operations), Will Van Dyke (Orchestrator).

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Matt Maeson’s very first performance was anything but traditional. A Chick-fil-A open mic...which he took first place in...which netted him the restaurant's food for a year. “That went away in about three months because all my friends were poor, and they would just jack the coupons.” Believe it or not, but that amusing bit of history might be the most conventional part of Maeson’s beginnings, detailed here by the artist.

Following his captivating origin story, you’ll then find yourself deep within the makings of his debut full length album, “Bank On The Funeral.” From joining up with frequent producer James Flannigan, to getting the inside scoop on tracks like “Beggar’s Song” (written at SXSW at a particularly rocky moment), “Cringe” (a breakthrough moment for the album’s production style), and “Feel Good” (first conceived in 2011), it’s an intimate look into this achievement, featuring Maeson and those creatively closest to him.

Interviews: Matt Maeson, Derek Davies (Neon Gold), James Flannigan (Producer).

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An in-depth look at SWMRS's "Berkeley's On Fire."

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The Swedish songwriter joins to discuss her 2018 EP, “Sorry For Writing All The Songs About You.” The bold concept behind the release — it details the peaks and valleys of a single relationship — is passionately detailed, including the empowering twist housed within standout “I’m Not Her.”

And to fully uncover this unique and thrilling pop expression, you’ll also come to understand her creative partnership with Cassandra Ströberg, you’ll discover how she used Pinterest for musical inspiration, and you’ll hear about her winding path to Big Beat Records (highlighted by the origin story behind KREAM collaboration “Taped Up Heart”).

Interviews: Clara Hagman, Gina Tucci (Big Beat Records), Cassandra Ströberg (Songwriter, Manager), Mugisho Nhonzi (Producer).

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