Meet The Pop Star Of Songwriters

Spin

Songwriter Justin Tranter

He works with Justin Bieber and Julia Michaels, but Justin Tranter's path has been long, bumpy... and inspiring.

I was eager to learn how Tranter switched gears from theatrical frontman of punk group Semi-Precious Weapons to one of the most successful pop writers alive. He was honest about his obstacles as a musician in the LGBTQ community, and articulate in his activism as a board member of GLAAD. He invited me over to his backyard in Silver Lake and made me laugh for an hour. Here's our chat:

Ross: What was your first big break as a pop songwriter?

Tranter: I was lucky. I got my first single on a major act — Fall Out Boy's "Centuries" — a year and a half into it, which is really fast. Then all of my songs with Julia Michaels started coming out — Selena Gomez's "Good For You," Hailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself," Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Gwen Stefani's "Used To Love You." It happened fast for me as a pop songwriter because of the ten years busting my ass in a band, meeting those people and building that rock credibility. The band is what got me in the door. Other pop writers like Dan Wilson, Butch Walker and Ricky Reed were also lead singers first.

Ross: In the rock tradition, songwriters tend to work in isolation. But pop writing is very collaborative. Was that a difficult transition?

Tranter: In the band Semi-Precious Weapons I got to sing, wear and say exactly what I wanted for ten years. But I don't think it's the best way to make art anymore — I think collaboration is always the smartest way now. So when I got into the pop world, my priority was asking, "How can I make everyone in the room feel good?" That transition was actually a lot more natural and fun than I ever imagined. It was a relief. You can do whatever you want because it's no longer about you. I'll be the pop star of songwriters — I can still go to the grocery store (laughs).

Ross: What's it like in the writers room?

Tranter: All songwriters are known as "topliners" because the vocal goes on top of the track. So in the pop setup, it's me, another topliner, the artist and the producer creating a bed of music in Logic or Pro Tools. But roles change. So if I'm with Mattman & Robin, I handle the heavy lifting of the lyrics and melodic support. There are other songs where I write the chorus melody. Or if I'm with an artist, I'm trying to help them tell the truth — which can be more complicated that you can ever imagine because the whole world is watching.

Ross: So how do you get an artist to tell the truth?

Tranter: The most common way is to start talking about the artist's life, figuring out where the title is in that conversation. A lot of other people are melody-first or track-first. My preferred way is to know what the lyrical overarching concept is so everything else can tell that story. A couple of days working with Joe Jonas I thought, "This guy is a slayer of a singer, he's really funny, goofy and sexy. We need to write that." And that led to "Cake By The Ocean."

But then I'll get blessed when queen-of-the-world Julia Michaels walks in and sings, "Can't keep my hands to myself." We all got really lucky that day!

Ross: You and Julia are the prime example of a successful partnership in modern pop songwriting. In fact, you've become known as a team, almost like Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lennon and McCartney. How did that happen?

Tranter: Me and Julia just really liked working together. And we thought, "If they're always going to put two topliners together in a session, it might as well be with each other." I was 33 when I met her, and she was 19. But she had already been here for three years, deep in the songwriting circuit. She knew who all the A&Rs were, and I was being schooled by this brilliant young woman. I realized that she had so many profound things to say, and my role was to help execute her vision. It's been the most rewarding thing I've ever been a part of.

There's a huge respect for what we each bring to the table — I'm like the lightness, and she's like the deep, dark emotional side. I went to music school, and she's pure natural brilliance. But we both share this common feeling of coming from the feminine point of view.

Ross: Julia's a huge artist now!

Tranter: I think the world needed Julia to speak. I was encouraging Julia to put out music with her own voice on it because she has stories to tell. She's so brave in her lyrical honesty — it's disarming sometimes. I mean, the first line of her first single is "I'm jealous."

Now because Julia's taking over the world, I'm speed-dating again to find new collaborators. I worked with Ricky Reed on the new Halsey single, and with Mattman and Robin for Imagine Dragons.

Ross: Your writing with Julia includes unusual words and phrases. I particularly enjoyed the "Bad Liar" episode of Switched on Pop where they analyze your choices. But whether it's "metaphorical gin and juice" or "overzealous" — these aren't words that 14-year-olds are used to hearing.

Tranter: When there's a metaphor happening, we always make sure the next thing you're hearing is extremely conversational. But when I'm working with Julia, it's just fun. Of course we should use these words! We're making music, it's not that serious. The only thing that's serious to me about music is making sure marginalized people are included in the story. But when there's a business drama on my phone and people are freaking out, I'm saying, "You guys realize these are songs, right? We're not surgeons."

Ross: Speaking of which, you're very active in the political struggle of the LGBTQ community. Why is that work so important to you?

Tranter:As a kid I was bullied the worst you could possibly be bullied. Everything that could happen, happened. But at home I was always really safe, so I always knew that I was fabulous and that they were dumb, mean and evil. I was this big, feminine ball of energy and my parents and brothers thought I was awesome. Having that was life-saving.

That's why I'm focusing on LGBTQ inclusion in the music business. When I was younger, knowing that Madonna thought being gay was okay meant there was somewhere for me to fit in and be safe. Because even though it's 20 years later, it's still just as bad.

Ross: It's still just as bad? I think there's a perception that since marriage equality, LGBTQ civil rights issues are now solved. How bad is homophobia right now in the music industry?

Tranter: The things I've heard as an artist were "Be less gay" and "Be less feminine." I've been on email chains with an entire label where they break down shots of a video second-by-second, analyzing where my hand movements were too feminine. Imagine how that feels. It's so dehumanizing. I was wearing six-inch heels and full makeup all day every day — why the fuck did you sign me? (laughs).

I have an LGBTQ friend who wrote a video treatment, and the label said, "We've already done the gay thing with you. It doesn't work." Gay thing? You'd never call it a "straight thing!" What does that even mean? You're viewing our existence as a gimmick.

I was doing meetings to be a judge-panelist on a singing reality show and they said, "There's never been an openly LGBTQ judge on any of the singing shows. So you can't be super gay." And they said it thinking it was an okay thing to say.

Marriage equality is very important — I don't know if marriage is for me, but I'm really glad I have the right to do it! But that's just the tip of the iceberg. We need to be treated as equals everywhere. It's the subtle misogyny, homophobia, racism that does the most damage. These people have no hate in their heart for me, but I'm not going to be the first person they think of for a job. I've overcome the majority of those obstacles, but it sucks. Why do I have to work six times as hard?

Ross: How can things change?

Tranter: To start, we should use more LGBTQ people in this business because we can make people a lot of money! I wish there was more opportunity for LGBTQ people to tell their own stories, be their own advocates and superstars. I signed an amazing woman named Shea Diamond. She's a brilliant singer, writer, and activist. A couple years ago I'd write a song about her, but now I realize I should use the privilege I have to empower her because Shea needs to tell her own story.

And if songwriters are writing for women, there should be a female co-writer in the room. Not only is it the right thing to do in terms of making things equal in society, but the music will be more honest. Young women will relate to it more when it's not a straight, white, 45-year-old man's version of what a woman wants to say — she's speaking for herself. Honest art is better art. (continued on Page 2)

">

Spin

Songwriter Justin Tranter

He works with Justin Bieber and Julia Michaels, but Justin Tranter's path has been long, bumpy... and inspiring.

I was eager to learn how Tranter switched gears from theatrical frontman of punk group Semi-Precious Weapons to one of the most successful pop writers alive. He was honest about his obstacles as a musician in the LGBTQ community, and articulate in his activism as a board member of GLAAD. He invited me over to his backyard in Silver Lake and made me laugh for an hour. Here's our chat:

Ross: What was your first big break as a pop songwriter?

Tranter: I was lucky. I got my first single on a major act — Fall Out Boy's "Centuries" — a year and a half into it, which is really fast. Then all of my songs with Julia Michaels started coming out — Selena Gomez's "Good For You," Hailee Steinfeld's "Love Myself," Justin Bieber's "Sorry," Gwen Stefani's "Used To Love You." It happened fast for me as a pop songwriter because of the ten years busting my ass in a band, meeting those people and building that rock credibility. The band is what got me in the door. Other pop writers like Dan Wilson, Butch Walker and Ricky Reed were also lead singers first.

Ross: In the rock tradition, songwriters tend to work in isolation. But pop writing is very collaborative. Was that a difficult transition?

Tranter: In the band Semi-Precious Weapons I got to sing, wear and say exactly what I wanted for ten years. But I don't think it's the best way to make art anymore — I think collaboration is always the smartest way now. So when I got into the pop world, my priority was asking, "How can I make everyone in the room feel good?" That transition was actually a lot more natural and fun than I ever imagined. It was a relief. You can do whatever you want because it's no longer about you. I'll be the pop star of songwriters — I can still go to the grocery store (laughs).

Ross: What's it like in the writers room?

Tranter: All songwriters are known as "topliners" because the vocal goes on top of the track. So in the pop setup, it's me, another topliner, the artist and the producer creating a bed of music in Logic or Pro Tools. But roles change. So if I'm with Mattman & Robin, I handle the heavy lifting of the lyrics and melodic support. There are other songs where I write the chorus melody. Or if I'm with an artist, I'm trying to help them tell the truth — which can be more complicated that you can ever imagine because the whole world is watching.

Ross: So how do you get an artist to tell the truth?

Tranter: The most common way is to start talking about the artist's life, figuring out where the title is in that conversation. A lot of other people are melody-first or track-first. My preferred way is to know what the lyrical overarching concept is so everything else can tell that story. A couple of days working with Joe Jonas I thought, "This guy is a slayer of a singer, he's really funny, goofy and sexy. We need to write that." And that led to "Cake By The Ocean."

But then I'll get blessed when queen-of-the-world Julia Michaels walks in and sings, "Can't keep my hands to myself." We all got really lucky that day!

Ross: You and Julia are the prime example of a successful partnership in modern pop songwriting. In fact, you've become known as a team, almost like Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lennon and McCartney. How did that happen?

Tranter: Me and Julia just really liked working together. And we thought, "If they're always going to put two topliners together in a session, it might as well be with each other." I was 33 when I met her, and she was 19. But she had already been here for three years, deep in the songwriting circuit. She knew who all the A&Rs were, and I was being schooled by this brilliant young woman. I realized that she had so many profound things to say, and my role was to help execute her vision. It's been the most rewarding thing I've ever been a part of.

There's a huge respect for what we each bring to the table — I'm like the lightness, and she's like the deep, dark emotional side. I went to music school, and she's pure natural brilliance. But we both share this common feeling of coming from the feminine point of view.

Ross: Julia's a huge artist now!

Tranter: I think the world needed Julia to speak. I was encouraging Julia to put out music with her own voice on it because she has stories to tell. She's so brave in her lyrical honesty — it's disarming sometimes. I mean, the first line of her first single is "I'm jealous."

Now because Julia's taking over the world, I'm speed-dating again to find new collaborators. I worked with Ricky Reed on the new Halsey single, and with Mattman and Robin for Imagine Dragons.

Ross: Your writing with Julia includes unusual words and phrases. I particularly enjoyed the "Bad Liar" episode of Switched on Pop where they analyze your choices. But whether it's "metaphorical gin and juice" or "overzealous" — these aren't words that 14-year-olds are used to hearing.

Tranter: When there's a metaphor happening, we always make sure the next thing you're hearing is extremely conversational. But when I'm working with Julia, it's just fun. Of course we should use these words! We're making music, it's not that serious. The only thing that's serious to me about music is making sure marginalized people are included in the story. But when there's a business drama on my phone and people are freaking out, I'm saying, "You guys realize these are songs, right? We're not surgeons."

Ross: Speaking of which, you're very active in the political struggle of the LGBTQ community. Why is that work so important to you?

Tranter:As a kid I was bullied the worst you could possibly be bullied. Everything that could happen, happened. But at home I was always really safe, so I always knew that I was fabulous and that they were dumb, mean and evil. I was this big, feminine ball of energy and my parents and brothers thought I was awesome. Having that was life-saving.

That's why I'm focusing on LGBTQ inclusion in the music business. When I was younger, knowing that Madonna thought being gay was okay meant there was somewhere for me to fit in and be safe. Because even though it's 20 years later, it's still just as bad.

Ross: It's still just as bad? I think there's a perception that since marriage equality, LGBTQ civil rights issues are now solved. How bad is homophobia right now in the music industry?

Tranter: The things I've heard as an artist were "Be less gay" and "Be less feminine." I've been on email chains with an entire label where they break down shots of a video second-by-second, analyzing where my hand movements were too feminine. Imagine how that feels. It's so dehumanizing. I was wearing six-inch heels and full makeup all day every day — why the fuck did you sign me? (laughs).

I have an LGBTQ friend who wrote a video treatment, and the label said, "We've already done the gay thing with you. It doesn't work." Gay thing? You'd never call it a "straight thing!" What does that even mean? You're viewing our existence as a gimmick.

I was doing meetings to be a judge-panelist on a singing reality show and they said, "There's never been an openly LGBTQ judge on any of the singing shows. So you can't be super gay." And they said it thinking it was an okay thing to say.

Marriage equality is very important — I don't know if marriage is for me, but I'm really glad I have the right to do it! But that's just the tip of the iceberg. We need to be treated as equals everywhere. It's the subtle misogyny, homophobia, racism that does the most damage. These people have no hate in their heart for me, but I'm not going to be the first person they think of for a job. I've overcome the majority of those obstacles, but it sucks. Why do I have to work six times as hard?

Ross: How can things change?

Tranter: To start, we should use more LGBTQ people in this business because we can make people a lot of money! I wish there was more opportunity for LGBTQ people to tell their own stories, be their own advocates and superstars. I signed an amazing woman named Shea Diamond. She's a brilliant singer, writer, and activist. A couple years ago I'd write a song about her, but now I realize I should use the privilege I have to empower her because Shea needs to tell her own story.

And if songwriters are writing for women, there should be a female co-writer in the room. Not only is it the right thing to do in terms of making things equal in society, but the music will be more honest. Young women will relate to it more when it's not a straight, white, 45-year-old man's version of what a woman wants to say — she's speaking for herself. Honest art is better art. (continued on Page 2)

Let's block ads! (Why?)