Unfamous with Justin Tranter

Unfamous with Justin Tranter

By Justin Tranter + Morgan StuartMusicMusic Interviews
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Unfamous with Justin Tranter episodes

  • Why Troye Sivan Refuses to Make the Same Album Twice

    An Instagram DM became “Rush.” “Bloom” started with Troye Sivan thinking it wasn’t working. And after more than a decade of writing together, Troye and Leland are still trying to surprise themselves.

    On Unfamous, they break down their creative partnership, how Troye keeps evolving without repeating himself, the stories behind “Rush” and “Bloom,” imposter syndrome, writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and what makes the right collaborator click.
    Chapters are below so you can jump straight to your favorite parts.
    Chapters
    0:00 Troye Sivan Introduces Leland
    2:09 How Troye Sivan + Leland Met
    6:27 Their First Song Together Ended Up With BTS
    10:57 Why Troye Never Wants to Make the Same Album Twice
    18:43 Why Songwriting Is Mostly Social Skills
    22:10 How an Instagram DM Became “Rush”
    26:57 Troye + Leland on Imposter Syndrome
    29:46 Cirkut, Mark Ronson + Getting Nervous Around Your Heroes
    32:34 How “Bloom” Went From “This Isn’t Working” to an Album Title
    37:12 What 11 Years of Writing Together Teaches You
    43:08 Writing Pop Hits vs. Writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race
    47:33 Britney, Janet + the Pop Music That Changed Them
    55:55 Why Great Artists Are Secretly Music Geeks
    57:01 How Troye Keeps Evolving Without Forcing It
    1:03:33 What Troye + Leland Would Tell Their Younger Selves
    1:10:42 Gagged or Dragged: TikTok, Gay Icons + Pop Songwriting
    1:16:31 The Best Advice for Creative Collaboration
    1:18:52 Troye’s Advice to Songwriters: Not Every Collaboration Works
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Sherrae Rucker
    Special thanks to Mark Beaven and Jimmy Knehans
    Shout out to Leslie Tranter and Chloe Pappas on Patreon

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 30 min
  • The Lost Boys Was “The Hardest Thing We’ve Ever Done”: The Rescues on 60 Songs + Band Therapy

    The Rescues spent five years writing The Lost Boys for Broadway. They wrote nearly 60 songs, rewrote lyrics again and again, cut a song they loved after watching it stop the show cold in front of an audience, and reached a point where they had to ask whether they could keep working together after it was over.

    Justin Tranter reunites with Kyler England, AG and Gabriel Mann to break down what actually went into creating the musical, and what happens when three longtime collaborators with completely different ways of working take on the hardest project they’ve ever made together.
    They also trace the unlikely path that got them there, from forming for a $500 wedding gig and landing five Grey’s Anatomy placements to building separate creative careers before The Lost Boys unexpectedly brought them back together.
    Plus: why they needed “band therapy,” how they learned which creative battles actually mattered, why a great song still might need to be cut, and what five years of rewrites taught them about trust, ego and letting the audience tell you what isn’t working.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Wayne Wolfe, Hannah Wallace, and Nicolette Carcaldi.

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    1 hr 25 min
  • When "Pushing Through" Stops Working: Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Reinvention

    What happens when pushing through stops making you stronger and starts getting in the way of the art?

    Justin Tranter sits down with Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer/songwriter Ela Melo and her partner and movement director Cat Cogliandro to unpack how movement, trust and recovery changed the way Ela and the band perform.
    They trace “Devil Like Me” from a homemade recording built with cardboard-box stomp claps to its live reinvention, revisit the 2022 Red Rocks performance that forced Ela to confront how far she had pushed herself, and talk honestly about sobriety, creative conflict and knowing when to ask for help.
    It’s a conversation about building a better show, but also a more sustainable way to keep making art without buying into the idea that suffering is what makes an artist great.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bailey Katler and 2BEntertainment.

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    59 min
  • Inside Pop Songwriting: Hits, Failure, Fear + What Actually Makes a Song Work

    What makes a great song when everyone is trying to reverse-engineer hits, virality and the “right” way to be an artist?

    Justin Tranter sits down with friends and collaborators Sasha Alex Sloan and Amelia Moore, two artist-songwriters whose careers keep proving that some of the best creative decisions are the ones that look wrong on paper.
    They unpack how an imperfect choice became one of the most memorable parts of Camila Cabello’s “Never Be the Same,” why the “too complicated” riff in Amelia’s “See Through” became a TikTok singing challenge and helped lead to her second record deal, and what getting dropped taught both of them about failure, freedom and trying again.
    Plus: writing for other artists, the very different mechanics of K-pop, how to say no without killing a writing session, and why neither industry rejection nor industry praise can tell you who you are.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Shaina Botwin, Sam French and Mady Davis.


    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 29 min
  • Why Some Songs Work Onscreen and Others Don’t: Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada + Wednesday

    What makes one song perfect for a scene while another, even a great one, just doesn’t work?

    Justin Tranter sits down with music supervisor Julia Michels and songwriter, producer and arranger Alana Da Fonseca to break down the judgment behind the music in Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada, Wednesday, Off Campus and more.
    They get into testing whether “Toxic” would still connect with a younger audience, knowing instantly that KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” belonged in The Devil Wears Prada, reinventing “Paint It Black” for cello, and why writing for screen means serving the story instead of protecting your song.
    Along the way, they unpack taking notes without ego, navigating directors and creative politics, and why the best song you’ve ever written can still be completely wrong for the moment.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 4 min
  • Why Some Songs Work Onscreen and Others Don’t: Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada + Wednesday

    What makes one song perfect for a scene while another, even a great one, just doesn’t work?

    Justin Tranter sits down with music supervisor Julia Michels and songwriter, producer and arranger Alana Da Fonseca to break down the judgment behind the music in Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada, Wednesday, Off Campus and more.
    They get into testing whether “Toxic” would still connect with a younger audience, knowing instantly that KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” belonged in The Devil Wears Prada, reinventing “Paint It Black” for cello, and why writing for screen means serving the story instead of protecting your song.
    Along the way, they unpack taking notes without ego, navigating directors and creative politics, and why the best song you’ve ever written can still be completely wrong for the moment.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 4 min
  • How Music Gets Into Hit TV Shows | The Hidden Process Behind Prime's "Off Campus" + More

    How does a song actually make it into a hit TV show, and what makes the right placement capable of changing an artist’s career?

    Live from the GMS Conference, Justin Tranter sits down with Emmy-nominated music supervisors Amanda Krieg Thomas and Anna Romanoff to reveal the hidden process behind the music you hear on screen. They break down how Off Campus on Prime built its musical world from the scripts up, how artists like G Flip and The Beaches landed major moments, what it really takes to clear an iconic song, and why you can’t simply manufacture a viral soundtrack.
    They also share what songwriters need to understand about writing for film and TV, why the business side of creativity matters, and practical advice for anyone trying to break into music supervision: get close to the work, learn the craft, build your community, and don’t rush the process.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors.


    Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 5 min
  • Bella Kay + Alexis Idarose Kesselman | “iloveitiloveitiloveit”+ How Great Collaborators Disagree

    Bella Kay and songwriter-producer Alexis Idarose Kesselman break down the creative partnership behind Bella’s debut album, from meeting during one of Bella’s first-ever writing sessions to making “I Love It, I Love It, I Love It,” “Stop,” “Blur,” and “Karaoke.”

    They talk about learning the rules without losing what makes an artist unique, fighting for ideas, turning messy relationships into songs, handling criticism, and why the best collaborators make you feel even more like yourself.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Lizbeth Alvarez, Priscilla Felten, Justin Frazier, Mandy Weiss, Cyndi Williams, Adam Mersel, Tracy Wasserman and Deborah Radel.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 7 min
  • Ruth B + Cole MGN | What Happens After Your First Song Becomes a Massive Hit

    Ruth B’s career exploded with her very first song. Then came the harder question: how do you do it again?

    Ruth and producer Cole MGN join Justin Tranter to unpack the pressure that followed “Lost Boy,” why “Dandelions” unexpectedly going viral five years later changed Ruth’s relationship with success, and how the two built her most personal album yet.
    They break down abandoning the songwriting-session treadmill, reinventing Ruth’s creative process, taking nearly two years to finish “Breathe,” and finally completing “Storm,” the Vine-era song fans had been asking for for a decade.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bobbie Gale + Nina Savio.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr 13 min
  • Recap | How Artists Rebuild, Find Their Identity + Build the Right Team

    Host and co-creator Justin Tranter and co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit their conversation with artist Valencia Grace and manager Kyle Stuart to unpack what it really takes to build an artist from the ground up.

    They break down why getting dropped can sometimes unlock the artist you were supposed to become, why the right manager needs to be genuinely obsessed with the work, and why virality, a record deal, or industry attention can never replace creative identity, trust, and a team that actually believes in you.
    Credits:
    Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter
    Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart
    Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart
    Director: Morgan T. Stuart
    Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary
    Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri
    Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha
    Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Wendy Laister & Magus Entertainment.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min

About Unfamous with Justin Tranter

From the publisher's feed

Most of what you love in pop culture didn’t happen the way you think it did. Unfamous goes deep with the people who were actually there.