And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan

Today's guest is one of the most recognizable faces of her generation — an actor whose voice you'd know in a single frame. But her real story isn't the one you've watched. It's the one she kept secret: for 20 years she's been a songwriter, and barely anyone — even people who know her — knew it.This is one of the more honest conversations we've had about being underestimated — as an actor who "couldn't" really be a musician, and as a woman the industry assumed didn't write her own songs — and about what it costs to keep making things purely because you love them.And The Writer Is... Zooey Deschanel of She & Him!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:Why she erased social media off her own devicesThe "industry plant" myth — why the industry "can't make anything happen" anymoreBeing told "you'll never make a record, no one will take you seriously" as an actorHer "secret agent" identityThe misogyny she goes to bat againstHer North Star she chasesAnd much more...Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.Join our Patreon for special access, bonus conversations, demo playing opportunities, and guest hangs!patreon.com/andthewriterisFollow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our lead sponsor NMPA for making these conversations possible.NMPA is the National Music Publishers' Association. They fight for songwriters and they fight for this podcast, too.Chapters0:00 Intro1:00 Meet Zooey Deschanel1:51 Writing alone — and erasing social media to do it4:49 Why the "industry plant" is a myth6:37 "You'll never be taken seriously as a musician"7:25 Her secret identity as a songwriter11:15 How She & Him released with no name attached13:01 "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today" — never a single, now #1 on TikTok15:35 The story behind writing "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today"17:24 Her dad, the records, and growing up musical22:44 Brian Wilson, Gershwin, and the Great American Songbook26:13 Five desert island albums28:21 Why "A Hard Day's Night" beats the White Album30:16 Teaching herself piano at six32:46 Writing her first song at ten38:42 "I identify as a songwriter, not an actor"42:15 Dropping out of Northwestern45:59 A word from our lead sponsor, NMPA49:23 Finding her voice in the studio — the mic chain51:56 Recording with Brian Wilson & the gifted mic55:57 Why she never sold out — turning in finished records67:03 The lonely sets where her first two records were written69:35 Almost Famous & Cameron Crowe72:50 "I'm allergic to selling myself"76:19 Nobody believes a woman writes her own songs79:00 Writing for other artists & how publishing splits really work82:07 Why she loves writing Christmas songs84:24 500 Days of Summer & music in film88:36 The songwriting trick: "What if I am her?"93:21 Dyslexia, reading scripts & why melody sticks94:56 Why she doesn't do more theater98:38 Staying clean through party-era Hollywood100:50 M. Ward — 20 years, never one fight109:57 Writing alone when everyone's afraid to111:43 The biggest misconception about her114:18 Finding your North StarCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadWatch on Spotify. If you're subscribed to Spotify Premium, you don't get any Spotify ads on our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest built an audience of millions before she was old enough to sign a record deal, turned a 30-minute crying freestyle into her debut single, and made one of Gen Z's defining breakup anthems out of a phrase that became its own internet language. But her real story isn't the viral fame or the streams. It's the part that plays like a runaway and teaches like a masterclass: how she left home at 17 to chase music, what it costs to become a person in public, and everything about the business nobody explains until you've already survived it.And The Writer Is... Nessa Barrett!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:• Why she ran away from home at 17 — a 4AM ticket, six school bags, cops on her trail — to make music• The truth about "i hope ur miserable until ur dead": she didn't write it, it's not her favorite, and why she sang it anyway• "pain" — the 30-minute freestyle she cried through in the booth that became her first single• Why she can't record with Auto-Tune — and what she learned the first time someone handed her a finished song to cut• Signing to Warner Records on Zoom during Covid — and the messy contract she had to escape first• "All of my confidence comes from my fans" — the performer who still gets embarrassed easily• The childhood trauma and the generational cycle she says she's trying to break• Why she closes her eyes every time she records, and writes a song like she's building a movie• The lowest point of her career — and how prayer, faith, and going back to her core brought her out of it• "I've never loved my music as much as this — and I didn't know it could feel this way"And much more...🔓 Want in the room? We just launched our Patreon — monthly Zoom hangs where we listen to your demos and give feedback, hang with you directly, occasional guest drop-ins, and the full archive of 200+ audio episodes (Sabrina Carpenter, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shania Twain, Babyface, and more).https://www.patreon.com/andthewriterisWatch on Spotify. Spotify subscribers get fewer ads on my video.Follow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers Association. Your support means the world to us.Chapters0:00 Intro — her whole journey has been public1:37 The cafeteria TikTok that blew up2:48 A childhood with no stability3:45 "A lot of trauma — that's what drove me here"4:20 Why she chose to be open about her struggles6:50 Music as her safe place + her dad's makeshift studio9:22 Her first recording, at four years old10:56 Walking into a real LA studio, terrified12:21 Songwriting as a diary14:17 The tell-all she might publish under an alias17:30 Join the conversation on Patreon18:21 Stage fright, bullying, and the voice crack20:34 "All my confidence comes from my fans"23:44 From cafeteria TikToks toward LA28:59 Running away at 4AM — the plane ticket story32:54 Landing at the Sway House at 1734:54 First sessions, jxdn, and singing other people's songs36:34 Why she can't record with Auto-Tune38:07 NMPA: why publishers fight for songwriters38:49 Learning to ask for what she wanted in the booth42:24 "pain" — the 30-minute freestyle that became her first song45:02 Signing to Warner Records on Zoom50:19 The public breakup, and hearing old songs differently51:32 "i hope ur miserable until ur dead" — singer vs. listener54:07 The truth about who wrote her biggest song55:50 Breaking away from the influencer label59:06 Building a sonic world — writing like a movie63:45 Why she closes her eyes every time she records64:10 Five movies that shape her sound65:12 Acting, directing, and what still scares her68:16 The new era: falling back in love with music70:18 Rapid fire71:27 The lowest point — and how she came back74:49 What younger Nessa would admire most77:19 A message to her parents78:55 "I've never loved my music as much as this"79:31 TAPENOTES: Ross & Joe break down the episodeCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.