Robbie Williams, Andra Day and the Songwriter Roundtable

Andrew Wyatt is a songwriter and producer who has labored with Girl Gaga, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus. Andrew Watt is also a songwriter and producer who has labored with Girl Gaga, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus. They typically get mistaken for  one another. “I get congratulated for successful an Oscar, and he doesn’t,” Watt says of Wyatt, who gained the 2019 greatest unique music Academy Award for “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born. “Individuals come as much as me and say, ‘I like your work with The Rolling Stones,’ ” Wyatt says, referring to Watt, who labored on Mick Jagger and firm’s 2025 Grammy-nominated Hackney Diamonds and is nominated himself for producing songs for Pearl Jam and Gaga and Mars. He provides: “At this level, actually I’m so sick of correcting individuals. I simply say thanks.”

Watt could joke about masquerading as an Oscar winner, but it surely might very nicely turn into actuality: The music he co-wrote for the doc Elton John: By no means Too Late is one among 14 tracks on the Academy’s shortlist. He created “By no means Too Late” with Brandi Carlile, Bernie Taupin and John, an EGOT on monitor to win his third Oscar.

Wyatt virtually gained his second Oscar practically a yr in the past for co-penning Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Simply Ken” however misplaced to a different Barbie music — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For.” He’s again this yr with The Final Showgirl, for which he scored and likewise co-wrote the film’s predominant music, “Lovely This Manner,” by Cyrus. For The Hollywood Reporter’s Songwriter Roundtable, the Andrews are joined by two-time Oscar nominee Andra Day, who stars in Exhibiting Forgiveness and wrote the unique monitor “Bricks”; Robbie Williams (whose “Forbidden Highway” for his biopic, Higher Man, was later deemed ineligible for incorporating present materials); and French musician Camille, who composed music alongside her associate Clément Ducol for Emilia Pérez and is the Oscar frontrunner with two songs in rivalry (“El Mal” and “Mi Camino”).

I wished to start out with this query as a result of it superbly showcases the facility of music. Andra, I used to be at your Amazon Music taping, and as you carried out your final music — all of us had goose bumps — there was a lady within the viewers bawling. You locked eyes together with her, gave her a hug and also you each walked backstage. Might you are taking me again to that second? 

ANDRA DAY It was a reminder, to me, that music is therapeutic. As an individual of religion, I reference this scripture the place there was a village that was sick, there was a drought, and no matter water that they had was sick. And so they introduced this prophet in to heal the water. I like the story as a result of the very first thing the prophet says is, “Carry me somebody to play the lyre,” which was a harp or possibly guitar again then. It wasn’t till a musician got here, performed, that he was in a position to really heal the water. I like the concept that music is designed to be therapeutic — and I believe for her in that second, it actually was. She opened as much as me and expressed some issues that she had actually been battling. It was a reminder within the second that that’s why I’m there. All the opposite stuff is wonderful. I’m tremendous grateful for it. It’s enjoyable and it’s thrilling, however that connection is why I do what I do. I imagine in divine appointments. 

For the remainder of you, have you ever had that sort of visceral expertise by a efficiency or a music that you just labored on?

CAMILLE I wrote a music for Emilia Pérez referred to as “Papa,” and it says “Hueles como papá.” The little boy tells Emilia, “You scent like papa.” She’s really his papa, however he doesn’t know. And so I [remembered] how my dad smelled. My dad handed away 12 years in the past, and it actually impressed me. I’m really speaking about my dad [in the song], mixing it with some smells I think about in Mexico: piedrecitas, like stones and the solar; cigarro, my dad is French and would smoke cigars; guacamole, some clichés like that, however candy, you already know? A man got here to me the opposite day and informed me, “That music, you already know, I stay aside from my dad, who lives in South America, and it smells precisely like my dad.

DAY Wow.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS It’s unbelievable — you simply mentioned one phrase with 4 letters, and it was “papa,” and earlier than you’d defined the music itself, all of us understood what it was. For me in that second, a tear was forming in my eye earlier than you’d even mentioned it. I believe it was — (pointing to Andra) to speak about what you had been speaking about — is the magic and the majesty and the therapeutic of music.

My greatest music is a music referred to as “Angels,” and each time I carry out, I’m stepping up and giving the individuals what they need. It takes rather a lot out of me — whether or not you imagine that or are bothered in any respect, it does. I’ll look into the viewers, and there’ll be a number of people who will probably be in tears as a result of they’re fascinated with their grandma who’s not right here or they’re fascinated with their mother or they’re fascinated with their father, greatest buddy, sister, brother.

Was there a music for you, Andrew Wyatt, that had that type of a response? 

ANDREW WYATT I used to be in Russia, and so they introduced my band [Miike Snow] over there, sort of as a part of the Sochi Olympics. I’ll always remember wanting on the response at the back of that crowd, and it sort of speaks to what Andra was saying. 

While you first become involved in music, you’re doing it since you’re a child and also you’re like, “I’ll most likely by no means get to do that, however I’ll strive.” And you are attempting to get someplace with all of it, and it’s extra about your verdicts and the way do these verdicts have an effect on me and my life path? Let’s face it, we’re all sort of like that. Then, after you have been doing it for a minute, you begin to soak up different features of it. 

This was a kind of moments the place in a really possible way I noticed music’s essential to individuals. Like, it’s really actually giving life to individuals. Like Kanye used to say, “In the event you make him dance, you bought an opportunity.” I believe for a very long time I assumed individuals wanted meals and shelter, and music’s sort of elective, but it surely’s probably not elective if you wish to stay the great life. It actually modified the way in which I felt about music.

You’ve all had wonderful movie songs come out just lately. Let’s begin with you, Camille: What was it like engaged on the music in Emilia Pérez with Zoe Saldaña?

CAMILLE Zoe’s undoubtedly a singer. She saved telling me, “I’m a dancer, I’m an actress, however I’m not a singer.” I mentioned, “Sure, you’re a singer, Zoe.” And he or she’s not solely a singer, she’s a performer. When she sings on the display screen, it’s as if she was onstage. She actually takes management of the scenes and actually sings to the general public stay; it actually looks like a stay present. I beloved working together with her. 

What was it like if you watched the movie again and noticed the music woven into the scenes?

CAMILLE I used to be shocked. It felt like getting back from [a battle] and everyone’s saying, “Ah, it’s nice.” And I used to be exhausted and completely satisfied to see that folks associated to the film with their hearts. That’s why I appreciated that film a lot. I believe it’s nice technically, however greater than something it touches individuals’s feelings, hearts.

WILLIAMS Can I ask a query? 

CAMILLE Yeah. 

WILLIAMS So that you’re saying you expertise watching a film again, and quite a lot of the time when individuals get to the highest of the mountain, they will have an empty feeling. Was it an empty feeling or was it an excellent feeling? Was it a combination of each? 

CAMILLE We gained the [battle].

WILLIAMS So it stuffed your coronary heart? 

CAMILLE Sure. It’s the sensation of getting labored and that folks had been of their feelings, however you come again from work, you already know what I imply? So I used to be mainly crammed with the quantity of labor we’d performed and really nonetheless wanting on the movie prefer it was work, “Oh, this, oh, this.”

Robbie, what was it like watching again your movie, during which a “performing monkey” portrays you? 

WILLIAMS I’m a narcissist, so I beloved it. OK, so the primary time sitting down, as a result of it’s 50 years within the residing, seven years within the making, there’s a lot expectancy from me that I would like this factor to facilitate the third act of my profession. And I’ve been excited, excited, excited. After which I sat down to observe it, and I used to be like, “Oh, what if it’s shit?” That was my predominant worry. After which I disappeared into the film, and on the finish of it, it’s and was higher than I might have ever anticipated. I used to be relieved. It was surreal. It was emotional. It was unbelievable. 

[For the music,] I despatched a bunch of songs to Michael Gracey, the director, and he would then ship them again and inform me mainly, kindly, they weren’t adequate. And I do know this story about 8 Mile when Eminem despatched “Lose Your self,” and the director mentioned it’s not adequate, after which it turned “Lose Your self.” And in my head I used to be like, “That is ‘Lose Your self,’ and you might be fallacious, really.” However I didn’t have a hen’s-eye view of the movie. I didn’t know what was wanted. We noticed the movie, and mainly what it wants is a hug, so we [gave it] a hug as a result of by the point you get to the top of the film, you’ve been by rather a lot and also you want a hug. 

Have been you all the time on board to do a biopic?

WILLIAMS Mate, yeah, no matter: movie, guide, documentary. I’m an expert attention-seeker. That is what we do. 

ANDREW WATT While you’re watching your story and also you see the monkey, do you end up forgetting that it’s a monkey that’s enjoying you in any respect? 

WILLIAMS While you watch Bohemian Rhapsody, you’re very conscious that he’s doing a terrific job as Freddie Mercury. The identical with Rocketman; he’s doing a terrific job as Elton John. As a result of it’s the monkey, you’re not even pondering he’s doing a terrific job as Robbie Williams — it removes you considerably. Plus, we’re extra compassionate to animals, so that you empathize with me on a degree that you just wouldn’t empathize with me if it was pores and skin and bones. 

WYATT I don’t know, I’m empathizing rather a lot with you. My coronary heart is melting proper now. 

WILLIAMS I really feel it. OK, query: In my movie, a monkey performs me, so what animal would your spirit animal be? 

DAY It might be a sloth.

WYATT Oh, no, no, no.

DAY It’s the animal that I like essentially the most. 

WATT Joe Pesci.

DAY It’s obtained to be an animal.

WILLIAMS Joe Pesci’s an animal? OK, honest sufficient. Anyone else?

CAMILLE A wolf.

WYATT I believe you bought the hair. I used to be going to say the wolf, too, however we are able to’t actually do two. I’d say a wolverine. Wolverine’s somewhat harder than me, although, to be completely honest.

Andrew Watt, you’ve labored with Elton earlier than — was the session for “By no means Too Late” completely different out of your others?

WATT Yeah, completely. The way in which Elton writes songs is he will get the lyrics after which sees an image in his thoughts; he’s described it like a film scene virtually. He places them up on the piano after which writes the music to the lyrics. 

[John and Taupin] sort of invited Brandi into that course of, and Elton sang the lyrics that they got here up with collectively, which had been fully based mostly on his life and this Elton documentary she noticed. And all of us sort of noticed this early model of it, and she or he wrote this wonderful factor about his life. And I’m sitting there writing a music that’s actually about him. It’s simply an incredible factor to witness.

Andrew Wyatt, what was your course of when writing “Lovely This Manner”? 

WYATT I landed on this explicit groove that was somewhat bit martial, that means (gestures drumming) like “dun dun-dun-dun,” after which additionally had some sort of dreaminess to it, which permeates the entire movie. I attempted to make a music that would talk what the character [played by Pamela Anderson] has been by but in addition really feel prefer it was a part of the tapestry of the remainder of the movie. All of the rating, that was actually my response to the pictures that I used to be seeing, which had been sort of these lovely however someway unhappy photographs.

What was it prefer to work with Miley Cyrus once more?

WYATT She’s wonderful. The factor about Miley is each syllable that she sings feels like her life is determined by it. That’s so unbelievable about her as a singer. The opposite factor about her is that she’s nonetheless so younger, however she’s had such a storied profession already, and so there are such a lot of layers to her voice. And in that method, her voice has the identical degree of gravitas of Pamela’s character, who’s enjoying somebody who’s method additional down the street in years than Miley is now, however it will probably really carry that. So it will probably really inform that very same story, which is a part of the phenomenon that’s Miley.

Andra, you play a singer in Exhibiting Forgiveness who’s engaged on the music “Bricks,” which you wrote for the movie. What was it like performing and creating music for the movie?

DAY I learn the unbelievable script, and I obtained to speak to [director] Titus Kaphar day by day, watch them develop these characters. And one of many issues that struck me most in regards to the story was — and I used to be shocked that I by no means considered it earlier than — it’s referred to as “Bricks,” and the road says, “Constructing with bricks that we had been by no means given.” As a result of I believe one of many nice miracles of life is the power to create a life or a future or construct a household that you just’ve by no means really seen or skilled. How do you create a family of peace and of nurturing when all you’ve ever identified is abuse and chaos? The film exemplifies that. 

The legendary Quincy Jones just lately handed and also you labored with him not way back, Andrew Wyatt. What was that like?

WYATT Very fortunate to have the ability to do this with him and Chaka Khan on the identical time. He clearly was unbelievable. We did this music for his [2018 documentary Quincy] that [his daughter] Rashida Jones directed, and we tried to do it justice by having the musicality that he all the time had and was all the time very ardent about bringing to all the things. Nothing fallacious with that three-chord music, however he was not a three-chord-music sort of man. So we tried to layer it up like that. Discuss a surreal second. 

WATT Did you discover in that have that you just’re like, “OK, they requested me to be right here, so I ought to simply say what I believe, proper?”

WYATT Completely, yeah. That’s what it’s. In any other case, you’re going to waste everyone’s time. You’ve obtained to step up in some unspecified time in the future and simply …

WILLIAMS Do the factor.

WYATT Leap in and discover ways to swim after.

WATT Working with bands is enjoyable and humorous … since you need to assist them. “It’s a significant chord. No, it’s a minor chord.” Then I began realizing it’s simply min-jor. Simply allow them to do their factor.

Andrew Watt, you’ve labored with many modern acts, however what has it been prefer to have legends like The Stones, Elton, Pearl Jam, Ozzy and Iggy Pop name you to provide their newest albums? 

WATT It seems like a bizarre dream sequence, actually, even listening to these names collectively. It’s the enjoyment of my life. I’m a fan — all the time have been an enormous fan of all these acts. And I assume that’s what I’m there to do after I’m there: characterize the followers.

WILLIAMS As these names had been reeled off: How outdated had been you if you got here round to my home — 19, 20?

WATT Like 19 or 20 years outdated. [Editor’s note: Watt is 34 now.] And you by no means fucking referred to as me again!

WILLIAMS No, no, no. However you had been beautiful and are beautiful. I’m simply pondering as this younger man left my home, “Good lad, I hope he does OK.” Wow. Congratulations.

WATT You had been superior to me then. 

Andrew Wyatt and Andrew Watt — have you ever guys labored collectively but? 

WYATT We did work on one music with Bruno, proper?

WATT Yeah.

WYATT And I don’t suppose it’s out but. 

In the event you all might choose any artist, useless or alive, to jot down a music for or collaborate with, who would that be?

WILLIAMS I want to write a brand new Rat Pack album. I believe I would do it. And whether or not they take part or not, it’s as much as their estates, however we’ll see.

CAMILLE I’m a solo artist, so [Emilia Pérez was] the primary time I wrote songs for different singers. I loved it very a lot working for all of them, particularly Selena Gomez, as a result of she already has a singing profession. And we obtained on. I don’t dare to inform her, however she conjures up me.

WILLIAMS Inform her.

CAMILLE I’ll inform her. And there’s one other girl that touches me — that’s Celine Dion. As a result of she has been by laborious occasions, having troubles together with her voice. And that is very touching for a singer to have the ability to, possibly, write about what it looks like dropping your voice or discovering it again and what you’re going by. What does it imply when it occurs, generally that instantly you lose your voice? It hasn’t occurred quite a lot of occasions to me, but it surely has occurred. And also you all the time surprise, “Why am I being silent?” 

WILLIAMS More often than not we take artists without any consideration as a result of they’re simply there and so they’re in our lives. It wasn’t till the Olympics when Celine got here after I was reminded, “Oh my Lord, it is a very particular particular person.” I agree with you; it is best to write a music and collaborate together with her.

DAY It may very well be somebody useless or alive? My useless reply would completely be Billie Vacation [whom Day portrayed in The United States vs. Billie Holiday]. I’d be high quality together with her cussing me out within the studio. I’m like, “That’s high quality.” [Also] Michael Jackson, clearly, and Quincy. Alive? Positively Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott. They had been like the brand new Billie for me, and Ella, and the brand new Sarah Vaughan. These three ladies had been actually important in my self-discovery [and] turning into a lady.

WYATT Lifeless: Jimi Hendrix. He’s the good particular person you possibly can most likely spend a day or per week or a month with, so it must be him. Alive is … (appears at Watt), “Didn’t you do one thing with Stevie Marvel just lately?”

WATT I did, yeah. He’s the best.

WYATT Stevie Marvel was my absolute god. I had posters above my mattress. So generally you’re like, “Do you actually need to do work with somebody that you just actually regarded as much as as a god?” However I believe I’d most likely do it anyway. One of many greatest regrets I’ve is, really, we had been supplied to do that efficiency [with Stevie], however we couldn’t do it. For some purpose, someone within the band determined they couldn’t do it. We had been going to carry out on the Tremendous Bowl, just like the Budweiser sideshow or one thing, and Stevie Marvel was additionally performing. And so they’re like, “There’s just one factor: It’s important to conform to do one music with Stevie Marvel.” I used to be like, “What?” So there went my probability.

Andrew Watt, what’s your reply?

WATT Such a tough query. 

WILLIAMS You’ve performed it, haven’t you?

WATT Siouxsie Sioux, I like. Haven’t heard music from her in a very long time; simply to even discuss to her.

WILLIAMS How about Robbie Williams, please? Please. I encourage now.

Properly, Robbie’s obtained an album popping out. Is it too late? 

WILLIAMS No, no. By no means too late.

WATT That’s the title of my [Oscar-shortlisted] music. There we go. 

This story first appeared in a January stand-alone subject of The Hollywood Reporter journal. To obtain the journal, click on right here to subscribe.