Aaron Dessner on Songwriting & Collaborating With Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan & Gracie Abrams | Billboard On The Record
Billboard · · g5011908
From Taylor Swift to Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams, Aaron Dessner is one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators. The musician, producer and record label owner has built a career across many different corners of the music industry, from his work with The National to producing and writing with some of today’s biggest artists to […]
From Taylor Swift to Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams, Aaron Dessner is one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators. The musician, producer and record label owner has built a career across many different corners of the music industry, from his work with The National to producing and writing with some of today’s biggest artists to launching a studio, record label and a number of music festivals. Dessner joins Billboard’s Kristin Robinson on this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record to talk through his music industry journey, the art of collaboration, and how his experimentation with founding record labels and music festivals fed his artistic drive.Love what you hear? Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe so you never miss an episode of Billboard On The Record.Love what you hear? Follow Billboard On The Record on Instagram, TikTok, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube @billboard so you never miss an episode.
Billboard On The Record is a podcast in partnership with SickBird Productions.
Kristin’s episode glam is sponsored by Booka, the new and easiest way to book LA’s most sought-after beauty and wellness professionals—all vetted, curated, and bookable in one place. For a limited time, use code BILLBOARD30 at checkout for $30 off your first booking when you go to Booka.com
Aaron Dessner I feel like I’m a born collaborator ’cause I’m a twin. It’s, like, built into my psyche.
Kristin Robinson Gracie and Noah and Taylor, three collaborators of yours, what do each of them bring to the table that you find to be particularly their special sauce?
Aaron Dessner I mean, they’re all brilliant. Taylor is … It’s like watching some master painter create a masterpiece within minutes.
Kristin Robinson Back when you guys were first getting started, you guys founded Brassland, your own record label.
Aaron Dessner Yeah. That wasn’t the first label we made. Later, we made something called ‘People.’ You have a new label through Interscope, Long Pond Music. What are your goals with that? The idea with it is really, like, to give a home to music, which might need more time to develop. If Long Pond is a place where people feel for some reason comfortable, like, sometimes it would be nice if there was, like, a direct outlet for that.
Kristin Robinson So you co-founded Boston Calling. I wanna know the origin story for that.
Aaron Dessner This opportunity came up to do a festival, and then we just kind of got together and tried it, and it worked.
Kristin Robinson If you wanna make a great record, you should probably call Aaron Dessner. The longtime guitarist and songwriter of the beloved indie rock outfit, The National, and producer behind some of the most defining pop records of the 2020s, Dessner has become a trusted collaborator of everyone from Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams, Mumford& Sons, Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, and Bon Iver. But his multi-decade legacy in music also goes even beyond all of that success. Dessner first got his band going by co-founding independent label Brassland to put out their records, and he has also played a pivotal role in founding festivals like Boston Calling, Eaux Claires and The National’s Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati. So today on the show, we are going to go deep with Dessner about a few things. One, the art of collaboration, and two, how he’s managed to create a lasting career as an artist, producer, composer, and even businessman in an industry where longevity is never a guarantee.
Watch the full video above!