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Go with Elmo Lovano

Elmo Lovano

Elmo Lovano is a producer, drummer, musical director, and the Founder/CEO of Jammcard. Each week, Elmo dives deep with an inspiring creative to give you context on how they go forward professionally and personally. Let’s GO!

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  • 30 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 53 min
  • English

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  • Yesterday · 1 hr 36 min

    120. Steve Aoki: From $200 DJ Gigs to Building a Global Empire | Kid Cudi, BTS & Lady Gaga

    Episode 120: Steve Aoki is one of the highest-paid DJs in the world, the most traveled musician on the planet according to Guinness World Records, and the founder of Dim Mak Records. In this episode of Go With Elmo, Steve Aoki tells the stories behind his 30-year rise, from throwing punk shows in his Santa Barbara living room to playing 200 shows a year on the biggest stages on earth. He shares how Kid Cudi asked him to remix “Pursuit of Happiness” and why it sat as a sleeper hit until Project X blew it up three years later. He also tells how Lady Gaga performed on a table at his Cinespace Tuesdays party before she was famous, how Dim Mak almost signed and released Skrillex’s first EP, and what it was like having BTS over before he produced the “Mic Drop” remix that became their first U.S. Top 40 hit, and the first K-Pop number 1 in the Us. Steve opens up about his father Rocky Aoki, the founder of Benihana, and the biggest lesson he learned from him. He talks about falling $100,000 into debt across 10 credit cards while running Dim Mak, and why his dad never gave him a single dollar. He explains how DJing for $200 a night got him out, and how the Pickle Patch, where 400 bands played in his apartment including At the Drive-In, taught him how to build a community. Plus: Bob Rifo of The Bloody Beetroots quizzes him about recording “Warp 1.9” in five minutes before dinner. Zedd asks if cake throwing ever sent him to physical therapy (the answer is two shoulder surgeries). And Steve gives his take on AI music, Suno, Moises, and on building HiROQUEST, Audio Media Grading and his venture fund Aoki Labs. This is the story of how consistency and obsession built one of the biggest careers in electronic music. We hope you enjoy our interview with Steve Aoki! Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Steve: https://www.instagram.com/steveaoki/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano #steveaoki #musicpodcast #dj #dimmak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • November 6 · 1 hr

    119. Darryl Jones: Untold Stories of Miles Davis, Sting & 30 Years With The Rolling Stones

    Episode 119: Darryl Jones is the bassist legends call. Miles Davis hired him at 21. Then came Sting, Herbie Hancock, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, and more than 30 years holding down the low end for The Rolling Stones. In this full interview, Darryl tells Elmo how he won over Miles Davis, introduced Sting to Miles, landed the Rolling Stones bass player gig, and built an extraordinary musical relationship with Charlie Watts. He also shares stories about Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Herbie Hancock, Omar Hakim, Steve Jordan, and the night Charlie and Keith finally decided to tell him he had the job. Darryl even picks up his bass to demonstrate the difference between playing with Miles Davis and The Rolling Stones, explains the hidden reggae roots of “Start Me Up,” and reveals what makes Keith Richards’ rhythm feel unlike anyone else. From Miles to Sting to Mick, this is a funny, intimate, and deeply musical conversation with one of the greatest bass players alive. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the legend, Darryl Jones! Filmed live in front of a studio audience at The Recording Club in Santa Monica Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Darryl: https://www.instagram.com/darryljonesbassist/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano #darryljones #milesdavis #sting #rollingstones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 29 · 1 hr 43 min

    118. GWAR: Insane and Surprisingly Deep. Music, Money, AI & Chappell Roan | Blothar & Michael Bishop

    GWAR: Insane and Surprisingly Deep. Music, Money, AI & Chappell Roan | Blothar & Michael Bishop Episode 118: GWAR’s lead singer Blothar the Berserker and his human Michael Bishop sit down for the first time ever in a single interview! This is a full career-spanning interview across Gwar. Never before have Blothar and Michael been seen together. Michael Bishop has one of the strangest résumés in music. He joined GWAR in the late 1980s as the first Beefcake the Mighty, played bass on the band’s earliest records, and walked away in the mid-90s at the exact moment GWAR broke into the mainstream through MTV and Beavis and Butt-Head. He went on to front his own band, Kepone, drove trucks for a living, and then earned a PhD in music from the University of Virginia’s Department of Music in Critical and Comparative Studies, where he studied ethnomusicology, performance studies and music history, and taught. In 2014, after the death of his friend Dave Brockie, GWAR’s founding frontman Oderus Urungus, Michael returned to the band as its lead singer: Blothar the Berserker. In the first half of this episode, Michael tells the whole story as himself. How GWAR began in Richmond, Virginia as an art collective in an abandoned dairy in Jackson Ward, a band that came second, after the costumes. The VCU sculpture and printmaking scene that built it. Hunter’s rule: don’t talk about it, do it. The school bus they toured in until the mid-90s, the time Dave Brockie borrowed Suicidal Tendencies’ backline even though they said no. Opening Danzig’s first show. Jello Biafra, Joey Ramone, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Fat Mike and NOFX, Mike Judge, Kurt Loder and Matt Pinfield. Why he left at the peak, what academia taught him about punk, and what it was actually like to be handed the job of replacing a frontman who was, by design, irreplaceable. That includes how he built Blothar’s voice by studying Brockie’s, as a tribute to someone he loved. In the second half, Blothar the Berserker takes the chair, and Elmo keeps a straight face. Money, AI and the state of music making. How you actually keep a band together for forty years, with a genuinely good answer about Duke Ellington. Why you shouldn’t rehearse. Covering Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and the matter of a borrowed Grammys dress. Playing NPR’s Tiny Desk. Forty years of blood, 100 gallons a night, sixteen albums, Gor Gor, the Scumdogs, and what GWAR is actually saying about humanity underneath all of it. This is one for the books. Lets go!! Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Gwar: https://www.instagram.com/gwarFollow Blothar:https://www.instagram.com/blothar.of.gwar/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano #gwar #blothar #heavymetal #rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 22 · 1 hr 47 min

    117: Zakk Wylde: Ozzy, Pantera & Black Label Society | Writing Guitar Solos, Hits & Crazy Tour Stories

    Episode 117: Zakk Wylde is one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time. He's Ozzy Osbourne's longtime guitarist and co-writer, the founder of Black Label Society, and the man Phil Anselmo called to honor Dimebag Darrell in Pantera. In this deep dive, Zakk takes us through his entire career, from a Jersey kid learning Black Sabbath riffs to writing metal anthems with Ozzy and shredding in stadiums with Pantera and Metallica. Zakk tells the story of how a wedding gig with Sebastian Bach and a Polaroid on Sharon Osbourne's kitchen counter led to the call that changed his life. He breaks down writing "Miracle Man," "No More Tears," and "Mama, I'm Coming Home" with Ozzy and Lemmy, and reveals how a goofy rehearsal joke became the Grammy-winning "I Don't Want to Change the World." Plus his wildest Ozzy tour stories: the first gig in Wormwood Scrubs prison, Ozzy passing out before the Buster Douglas vs. Holyfield fight, sneaking him a beer at the Budokan, and the night Eddie Van Halen played "Heartbreaker" on Zakk's bullseye Les Paul in Japan. We go deep on his friendship with Dimebag Darrell, the day Phil Anselmo called him to join Pantera with Charlie Benante, what it feels like to play Dime's guitar parts, and touring stadiums with Metallica. Zakk also opens up about Ozzy's final show, Back to the Beginning, the text Ozzy sent about making one more album, writing "Ozzy's Song" on the new Black Label Society album Engines of Demolition, and getting sober after a doctor's warning. We also get into how he writes guitar solos, pinch harmonics, his favorite guitar solos of all time, Generation Axe with Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Sabbath, Guns N' Roses, Pride & Glory, Book of Shadows, building his own guitar company Wylde Audio, and the Black Label Society family. Zakk is hilarious, generous and full of crazy stories. This one is a blast. Let's go! Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Zakk: https://www.instagram.com/zakkwyldebls/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 15 · 1 hr 15 min

    116: French Montana: His Most Profound Interview, Making Hits, “Unforgettable,” Drake, Max B & Faith

    Episode 116: French Montana sits down with Elmo Lovano for what may be the most profound interview of his career. It’s a deep, honest conversation about life, survival, money, faith, collaborations, relationships, and how he makes hits. French takes us from Casablanca, Morocco, to the South Bronx at 13 years old, speaking no English, to becoming the first African-born artist with a Diamond-certified single. He opens up about his mother’s sacrifice, surviving the streets, building Coke Boys from the ground up, and what it really takes to write a hit record. We get into the story behind “Unforgettable” with Swae Lee, his brotherhood with Drake, the records that built his career including “Pop That,” “Stay Schemin’,” “All the Way Up,” “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” and his reunion with Max B, who came home after 16 years on French’s birthday. Plus his new music with Max and their hit “Ever Since U Left Me (I Went Deaf)”. French also talks about faith, money, fatherhood, writing hooks vs. writing verses, how to get features, his fiancée Sheikha Mahra, and the lessons that kept him going and brought him to where he is today. Hope you love this one as much as we do. Lets go! Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! https://moises.ai/ Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Dwayne: https://www.instagram.com/therock/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 8 · 1 hr 17 min

    115. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: Life Lessons, Leadership, Music, Moana, "Your Dad" & Polynesian Roots

    Episode 115: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Long before he was one of the biggest stars on the planet, Dwayne was a kid in the backseat of his dad's car, singing along to country and soul, and a Polynesian boy whose family never let anyone sit out a song. That love of music never left him. In this conversation, he leads with the warmth, humility and gratitude that make him who he is, and he speaks with deep pride about his family, his culture and the artists carrying Polynesian music forward. Dwayne opens up about his new album Moana: Voices Across the Ocean, a project he and his wife Lauren Hashian dreamed up 10 years ago that gives 25 Polynesian artists a global stage. He tells the emotional story behind his song "Your Dad," written for his three daughters with Iam Tongi. He shares life lessons from his mom, Ata, and talks about how he leads his teams, his first time in a recording booth with Lin-Manuel Miranda for "You're Welcome," and the time he tried to become a country singer in Nashville at 15. The album brings together some of the most exciting voices in Pacific music, including Dinah Jane, Stan Walker, Iam Tongi, Common Kings and Josh Tatofi, with production and songwriting from heavy hitters like Mike Zombie, Poo Bear, The Audibles, TrapMoneyBenny and Eric Zayne. Dwayne breaks down how it all came together, from the very first song that set the tone to the six-island anthem "TĀTOU" that closes the record. Elmo Lovano and Dwayne have a great energy together from the very first minute. They laugh a lot, reflect on the mothers who shaped them, bond over their musical passions, and share what they've learned about leadership, gratitude and lifting others up. Elmo, a drummer who spent 15 years on the road and founded Jammcard to shine a light on the musicians behind the stars, brings a musician-to-musician perspective that lets Dwayne go deeper than ever on the music that made him. Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! https://moises.ai/ Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Dwayne:https://www.instagram.com/therock/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • October 1 · 1 hr 40 min

    114. Cindy Blackman Santana: Drumming Legend on Carlos Santana, Lenny Kravitz, Tony Williams, Art Blakey

    Episode 114: Cindy Blackman Santana Cindy Blackman Santana has had a mind-blowing life journey. Today, she's the drummer and wife of Carlos Santana. Before that, she rode the rocketship of Lenny Kravitz for all the most iconic years. I remember when I first saw Cindy in the "Are You Gonna Go My Way" video and was captivated immediately by her groove, presence, and energy behind the kit. Cindy is deeply dedicated to the drums, and absolutely in love with jazz. What I love about Cindy's story is that she's lived two musical lives most drummers only dream about. She's a serious jazz bandleader with a catalog going back to the late 1980s, and she's a world-class rock drummer who's played the biggest stages on the planet. She never picked a lane. She brought jazz freedom and fire into rock stadiums and has always blown everyone away. We go deep on her hero Tony Williams and what his genius unlocked for her. We talk about her amazing relationship with Art Blakey, who she calls a father figure, and what it meant to learn from the masters in person on the streets and in the clubs of New York City. She tells the story of her friendship with Dennis Chambers, the connection that eventually led her to Carlos. We get into her drumming passion, her practice fire, her ferociousness on the kit, and the philosophies that makes her playing so alive. Cindy has shared the stage and the studio with absolute legends like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, and so many more, and she's led her own incredible projects along the way. From her Tony Williams tribute album Another Lifetime, to the supergroup Spectrum Road with Jack Bruce and Vernon Reid, to stepping out front as a singer and songwriter on Give the Drummer Some, she's always pushed forward. She studied at Berklee, learned from the lineage of Max Roach and Elvin Jones, and built a career on pure dedication to the instrument. And then there's the love story. They told her and Carlos that a married couple can't play together in the same band, that it wouldn't work. They proved that it absolutely can. Cindy is the rhythmic heartbeat of the Santana band and she holds Carlos's heart, and hearing her talk about their musical and spiritual partnership is something special. This is a conversation about drumming, about jazz and rock, about staying true to your art for decades, about being a trailblazer, and about spirituality and passion. Cindy is amazing. I left this conversation inspired, and I hope you feel the same. Please enjoy my conversation with the great Cindy Blackman Santana. Go With Elmo Lovano is the #1 music professional podcast, featuring deep, honest conversations with the legends, artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, and industry leaders shaping music today about how they got where they are and how they keep pushing forward. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Cindy: https://www.instagram.com/cindyblackmansantana/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano #cindyblackman #cindyblackmansantana #drums #santana Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 24 · 55 min

    113. Morgan Freeman: His Life, His Voice, Shawshank and Symphonic Blues

    Episode 113: Morgan Freeman is one of the greatest actors and narrators of our time. He is also an incredibly joyful, thoughtful and wonderful human being. Morgan joins us for a rare long-form conversation about his extraordinary life, his unmistakable voice, the art of narration, The Shawshank Redemption, playing God in Bruce Almighty and the music that helped shape America: the blues. Morgan is joined by Eric Meier, his business partner and an executive producer and co-producer of their latest project, Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience. This ambitious album and live production brings together authentic Mississippi Delta blues, symphony orchestra, cinematic storytelling and Morgan’s narration. Eric is also Morgan’s fellow co-owner of the legendary Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Together, they discuss their friendship, their creative partnership, the future of the blues and their mission to preserve this essential American music while carrying it into places it has never gone before. Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience features an extraordinary collection of artists, including Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and the Chineke! Orchestra. We also dive into Morgan's approach to narration. Does he change the script? How does rhythm affect the meaning of a line? Is narrating different from acting, or are they ultimately the same craft? Perhaps our favorite part of this conversation is Morgan’s humility, humor and the laughs we share. We hope you enjoy our conversation with our new friends, Morgan Freeman and Eric Meier! Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Morgan: https://www.instagram.com/morganfreeman/ Follow Ground Zero Blues Club: https://www.instagram.com/gzbluesclub/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • September 10 · 2 hr 15 min

    112. Stanley Clarke: His Full Story! Chick Corea, Return to Forever, School Days, Bass & Beyond

    Episode 112: Stanley Clarke is one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, both on acoustic and electric bass. His long time collaboration with Chick Corea and Return To Forever changed music. His solo albums and the success from it had him as the first bass player to ever take front and center stage. He's a multi GRAMMY winning artist, and one of the greatest living master teachers, as well as being an incredibly sweet and loving human. Stanley is one of a kind. This is the longest and deepest Stanley Clarke interview on the internet, and we're so happy that Stanley chose us for this. Coming up in Philadelphia, how he found the bass, moved to NY and starting gigging with Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, and Chick Corea. We go DEEP on drummers. His work with Tony Williams, Lenny White, Steve Gadd, Billy Cobham, John JR Robinson, etc How Chick talked him out of a classical career, the switch to electric, Romantic Warrior, why it ended, and losing Chick. We talk School Days and being the first bass player to headline his own shows. The Alembic that changed his sound, his solo records, the great George Duke, and how a jazz bass player ended up scoring, meeting a young John Singleton, and writing the music for Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice, and over 70 film and TV scores. His new album Last Train To Sanity is INCREDIBLE. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Elmo Lovano drinks Intelligentsia coffee because he’s an Iced Angeleno. https://www.intelligentsia.com Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Stanley Clarke, George Duke - Sweet Baby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6AHjroSkfM Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Stanley: https://www.instagram.com/stanleyclarke/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano #stanleyclarke #chickcorea #returntoforever #fusion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • August 27 · 1 hr 20 min

    111. Hit-Boy: From Kanye & Jay-Z to Kendrick & Nas | The Story of a Hip-Hop Super Producer

    Episode 111: Hit-Boy is one of the biggest producers in modern day music. He's produced some of the biggest songs for Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Drake, Travis Scott, Big Sean and Nipsey Hussle. He's a 3x Grammy winner. He gave Jay-Z the first diamond record of his career, off a beat that six artists turned down before it ever got to him. This Hit-Boy interview is different than the others he's done. We go deep into the craft, how the beats actually get made, cut, released, and paid! Why he's numbered every single beat he's made since 2006, and what happened to the 1,600 nobody picked. We got into all of it. Making "Backseat Freestyle" for Ciara before Kendrick ever heard it. Producing a #1 country record for Beyoncé. Being flat broke in 2017 with a future #1 already sitting on his hard drive. Getting free after 18 years and putting his new album out himself, on his own site, with no label and no DSPs. He also still makes everything in FL Studio, the same program he started on at 15 years old in Fontana, California. He's one of the most important producers of the last 15 years and he's still working like he has something to prove. His biggest days are still ahead of him. This one's for anybody who makes music in the modern world, especially hip hop and pop. I hope you enjoy my interview with the legendary, Hit-Boy! Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Hit-Boy: https://www.instagram.com/hitboy/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com #hitboy #hiphop #rapproducer #musicproducer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • August 8 · 2 hr 27 min

    110. Evan "Kidd" Bogart: Writing Hits, Beyoncé, Eminem & How the Music Biz Works — Catalogs, Splits, AI

    Episode 110: Evan "Kidd" Bogart has worn nearly every hat in the music industry. From mailroom A&R at Interscope Records to hit songwriter (Beyoncé's "Halo," Rihanna's "SOS"), artist manager, booking agent, and now buying music catalogs with Seeker and advocating for creators as Vice Chair of the Recording Academy. He's one of the rare people who has sat in nearly every seat at the table. In this episode, Elmo Lovano goes deep with Evan Bogart on both the craft and the business of music. Evan is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart, the legendary executive behind KISS, Donna Summer, Parliament, and the Village People, and manager, Joyce Bogart Trabulus. He grew up inside the music business, tried to make it as a rapper, and worked his way up from the Interscope mailroom to the A&R department. As a teenager, he discovered Eminem and was the first person to put Em in front of Jimmy Iovine. He'd go on to sign Kara's Flowers, who later changed their name to Maroon 5. After getting sober in his early 20s, Evan reinvented himself as a songwriter, and his very first composition, "SOS" for Rihanna, went to No. 1. He followed it with the Grammy-winning "Halo" for Beyoncé, co-written with Ryan Tedder in just three hours, plus hits for Britney Spears, Madonna, Lizzo, Jason Derulo, Leona Lewis, and more. Today, Evan is the CEO of Seeker Music, the creator-led music rights, publishing, and record company he's built into a catalog of more than 19,000 copyrights and master recordings valued at roughly $400 million. The catalog includes works by Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, One Direction, Drake, Christopher Cross, Joan Jett, Run the Jewels, and Lewis Capaldi. Named the #2 Most Innovative Music Company of 2025 by Fast Company, Seeker recently closed its inaugural $267 million asset-backed securitization with M&G Investments and announced a global distribution partnership with Virgin Music Group. If you don't know what that means, that's OK, because we break it all down. We get into how you actually value and buy a music catalog, the business of publishing and masters, how songwriter splits and royalties work, why music rights have become an institutional asset class, and how music-backed securitization deals get financed. We also dig into Evan's role as Vice Chair of the Recording Academy and Co-Chair of the GRAMMYs Songwriters & Composers Wing, where he fights for fair mechanical royalty rates, helped create the Songwriter of the Year Grammy, and is helping shape the conversation around AI and the future of music rights, creativity, and ownership. This is the deep, insider version of Evan Bogart's story. The craft, the deals, the money, and the mission. For anyone who wants to understand how the music business actually works. I hope you enjoy the conversation with my dear friend, Evan Bogart! This episode is brought to you by our friends at The Pod Company! Their portable sauna makes it easy to prioritize your health wherever you are, whether you're on tour, traveling, or at home. Use promo code ELMO to get yours for $499 instead of $999! Learn more at https://podcompany.com/ Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Evan: https://www.instagram.com/kiddbogart/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 18 · 2 hr 25 min

    109. Michael League: Building Snarky Puppy & GroundUP, "Lingus," Cory Henry, David Crosby, Jazz Fusion

    Episode 109: Michael League is the founder of Snarky Puppy, the GroundUP Music label, and the GroundUP Music Festival, and he's one of the most independent minds working in music today. He sat down with us for a deep conversation about how he built the whole thing. This isn't an interview about bass tone or gear. It's about how the entire machine actually works: how a bandleader turns a college project into a five-time Grammy-winning institution, an artist-first record label, and an international festival, all on his own terms, and all without a major label calling the shots. We trace the whole arc. League started Snarky Puppy in 2004 at the University of North Texas because he wasn't getting to play, so he built his own band. It transformed when he immersed himself in the Dallas gospel and R&B scene, absorbing the mentorship of the late Bernard Wright, the "North Star" who reshaped its feel. Out of that came the Snarky Puppy sound and the rotating cast fans call "the Fam," nearly 40 players who launched solo careers like Cory Henry's ("Lingus" is one of the most-watched instrumental performances online), Bill Laurance, Mark Lettieri, Larnell Lewis, Robert "Sput" Searight, and more. Michael pulls back the curtain: how he leads and pays this rotating collective, schedules a year out so everyone gets bandstand time, and sees himself, borrowing from Béla Fleck, as "a leader among equals." We get into why he founded GroundUP Music after growing disenchanted with the label system, how it works as an artist-friendly alternative to majors, and how the GroundUP Festival became a no-headliner gathering that's crossed the Atlantic. We also cover his life as collaborator: his partnership with David Crosby, whose late-career renaissance he helped spark; Lalah Hathaway entering the Snarky orbit; Family Dinner coming together; discovering Jacob Collier early; his band Elipsis with Antonio Sanchez and Pedrito Martinez; his love of the oud; and running it all from a 500-person Roman-era village in Spain. We talk making a living in music, sustainable careers for musicians, mentors and friends he's lost, and AI's effect on the industry. This is for musicians, bandleaders, producers, and label-builders and anyone who's wondered how to build something lasting without compromising the art. If you love Snarky Puppy, jazz fusion, and the real workings of the industry, this one's for you. Subscribe and hit the bell. Lets go! This episode is brought to you by our friends at The Pod Company! Their portable sauna makes it easy to prioritize your health wherever you are, whether you're on tour, traveling, or at home. Use promo code ELMO to get yours for $499 instead of $999! Learn more at https://podcompany.com/ Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Michael: https://www.instagram.com/michaelleagueplaysmusic/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com #michaelleague #snarkypuppy #groundupfestival Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • July 3 · 2 hr 8 min

    108. Labrinth: A Masterclass in Creativity | His Complete Creative Journey, From Euphoria to Cosmic Opera

    Episode 108: Labrinth joins us for one of the deepest interviews he's ever had about music, creativity, production, songwriting, and the journey that shaped his career. From his early days in London to being discovered by Simon Cowell, producing Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out," forming LSD with Sia and Diplo, scoring HBO's Euphoria, collaborating with Billie Eilish, Finneas, Zendaya, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Fred again.., and more, this is a career-spanning deep dive into one of the most original artists of our generation. We talk about how Labrinth approaches songwriting and music production, how he thinks like a producer, why every sound matters, his philosophy on creativity, imagination, originality, building a unique sonic identity, and the lessons he's learned throughout his career. We also dive into his new project, Cosmic Opera, his home studio, live performance, and what it really takes to create music that moves people. Whether you're a musician, producer, songwriter, or simply fascinated by the creative process, this episode is packed with insights on finding your sound, making meaningful art, and building a lasting creative career, while staying true to yourself. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the amazing, Labrinth! This episode is brought to you by our friends at The Pod Company! Their portable sauna makes it easy to prioritize your health wherever you are, whether you're on tour, traveling, or at home. Use promo code ELMO to get yours for $499 instead of $999! Learn more at https://podcompany.com/ Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Labrinth: https://www.instagram.com/labrinth/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com #labrinth #euphoria #cosmicopera Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 25 · 1 hr 42 min

    107. Sublime: Jakob Nowell on Fronting the Band, His Father Bradley & Finding His Voice (Full Interview)

    Episode 107: Sublime's new frontman is Bradley Nowell's son, Jakob Nowell. Not only does he sound like his dad and honor his father's music perfectly alongside original band members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, but he's also contributing, now writing new Sublime music and having two consecutive #1's and a new album, Until The Sun Explodes! Here is my deep dive with the amazing Jakob Nowell. In this episode, we go deep into Jakob's story: growing up in Long Beach as Bradley Nowell's only son, losing his father as an infant, and being raised by his mom, Troy. We talk about how he found his own voice through his band LAW and his solo project Jakobs Castle, his journey to sobriety, and the surreal, emotional moment he stepped up to front the reunited Sublime alongside Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh on the mainstage of Coachella, and the whirlwind that has followed after that performance. Jakob opens up about what it means to sing his dad's songs night after night, hearing echoes of Bradley in his own voice, playing his father's guitar, dreams of talking with his dad, and carrying a legacy that millions of fans hold close, all while building something of his own. We get into the new Sublime music, the back-to-back #1 singles, and where the band goes from here. This is a conversation about family, loss, identity, and the unique beauty of finding yourself inside the music your father left behind. Jakob is an amazing human, with a wonderful perspective, strong sense of self, and a funny guy. I hope you enjoy our conversation! Long live Sublime. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Jakob: https://www.instagram.com/jakobnowell/Follow Sublime:https://www.instagram.com/sublime/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com #jakobnowell #sublime #bradleynowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • June 13 · 1 hr 39 min

    106. Desmond Child: Hit Songwriter of Livin' on a Prayer, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, KISS, Ricky Martin, Cher

    Episode 106: Desmond Child is one of the greatest songwriters and producers of all time. With more than 80 Top 40 hits to his name, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. We recorded this episode of Go With Elmo Lovano in Athens, Greece, sitting in front of the Acropolis at our dear friends home. Desmond takes us inside the stories behind some of the biggest songs in rock and pop history. From Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name," to Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" and "Angel," KISS's "I Was Made for Lovin' You," Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca," "La Copa de la Vida" (the 1998 FIFA World Cup anthem), and "She Bangs," Cher's "Just Like Jesse James," and so many more. Desmond opens up about growing up in the Miami projects as the son of Cuban bolero songwriter Elena Casals, shares a wild and unforgettable story with Michael Jackson, breaks down his songwriting philosophy and the craft behind decades of hits, and talks about his deep love for Greece. We also discuss his brand-new documentary, Desmond Child Rocks the Parthenon, which recently had its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. This is the story of the man behind the soundtrack of a generation. Let's go! Big thank you's to Lars Rasmussen, Elomida Visviki, Curtis Shaw, George Stampolis and the great producer/songwriter Phoebus for bringing us all together. Huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Many thanks to the folks at Ace Studio for supporting the show! Check them out https://acestudio.ai/ Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, ad free episodes, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Desmond: https://www.instagram.com/desmond.child/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com #desmondchild #bonjovi #kiss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • May 23 · 1 hr 40 min

    105. Richard Bona: The Bass Legend on Metheny, Quincy, Belafonte, Jaco, Zawinul, Drummers, Jazz Fusion

    Episode 105: Richard Bona is one of the most respected bass players, composers, vocalists, and bandleaders in modern music. Born in Cameroon and now celebrated around the world, Richard has worked with legends including Pat Metheny, Quincy Jones, Joe Zawinul, Harry Belafonte, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Mike Stern, George Benson, and many more. From the Pat Metheny Group to the Zawinul Syndicate, Richard has helped shape the sound of jazz fusion, African music, world music, and modern bass playing for decades. Richard has also shared the stage and studio with some of the greatest drummers in the world including Antonio Sanchez, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Omar Hakim, Paco Séry, Dennis Chambers, Manu Katché, Simon Phillips, Terri Lyne Carrington, Mark Guiliana, Steve Gadd, and more. In this episode, Richard and Elmo talk about growing up in Cameroon, building his own instruments as a child, discovering Jaco Pastorius, moving to Germany, Paris, and New York, becoming Harry Belafonte’s musical director, joining Joe Zawinul’s Syndicate, winning a Grammy with Pat Metheny, rhythm, groove, African music, storytelling, singing while playing bass, improvisation, how to feel odd time signatures and polyrhythms, being managed by Quincy Jones, bass technique, composition, musical identity, and much more. Richard also shares stories from the road, lessons from the greatest musicians in the world, and his philosophy on music, culture, creativity, and humanity. We hope you enjoy our conversation with the great Richard Bona! Big thanks to our friends Ace Studio for supporting the show. Check them out! https://acestudio.ai/ Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Richard: https://www.instagram.com/richardbonaofficial/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • May 2 · 1 hr 59 min

    104. Kamasi Washington: From The Epic to Kendrick Lamar, Jazz Saxophone Icon, Composer, Interview

    Episode 104: Kamasi Washington Kamasi Washington is one of the most important voices in modern jazz. A saxophonist, composer, and bandleader from Los Angeles, he has helped shape the sound of contemporary music through his solo work and collaborations with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Dinner Party, Flying Lotus, Andre 3000, Terrace Martin, and Robert Glasper. In this episode of Go With Elmo, Kamasi sits down for a deep conversation about his journey, from growing up in Los Angeles with the greatest young talents all around him to becoming a central figure in a global movement of jazz, hip-hop, and beyond. The LA music scene, the importance of community, and the foundation of the West Coast Get Down collective all come into focus. Kamasi breaks down the West Coast Get Down and the musicians involved, including Thundercat, Ronald Bruner Jr., Cameron Graves, Brandon Coleman, Ryan Porter, Patrice Quinn, Miles Mosley, and Tony Austin, and how that group helped define a new sound coming out of Los Angeles. Kamasi explains why he often performs with multiple drummers and multiple bassists, how he builds such powerful live ensembles, and what it takes to lead large groups of musicians on stage and in the studio. The conversation dives into Kamasi’s work on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, the creative energy of those sessions, how he got the call for the Kendrick gig from Terrace, and their continued connection over time. More recent collaborations like “Luther” and “TV Off” are discussed, along with Kendrick referencing him by name in the lyric “keep a horn on me, that Kamasi,” a moment that reflects his influence across genres. Making his landmark albums The Epic, Heaven and Earth, and Harmony of Difference are explored, along with his approach to jazz saxophone, composition, improvisation, and bandleading. His broader work as a composer, including Becoming and Lazarus, adds to the scope of his career and creative output. The conversation goes deep into music philosophy, creativity, and meaning, including Kamasi’s belief that music is bigger than genre and can communicate ideas beyond words. Fatherhood, inspiration, and the evolution of his perspective all play a role in shaping his current work. This is a wide-ranging talk about music, culture, leadership, and the journey of becoming one of the defining artists of this generation. I hope you enjoy watching my hang with the great, Kamasi Washington! Big thanks to our friends Ace Studio for supporting the show. Check them out! https://acestudio.ai/ Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Kamasi: https://www.instagram.com/kamasiwashington/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • April 25 · 2 hr 9 min

    103. Linda Perry: Writing & Producing Hits, “What’s Up?”, “Beautiful,” P!nk, Gwen Stefani, Music Industry

    Episode 103: Linda Perry One of the greatest songwriters, producers, and hitmakers of the last 40 years, and a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee to prove it. In this episode of Go With Elmo Lovano, we go deep with Linda Perry on her journey through the music industry, from her early days to global success, and everything in between. We talk about her upbringing, her rise to fame with 4 Non Blondes, and how writing the iconic song “What’s Up?” changed her life. Linda opens up about the reality of success, the emotional toll it took, and how she navigated depression, identity, and reinvention to become one of the most respected songwriters and producers in music. We dive into her work writing and producing massive hits for Christina Aguilera (“Beautiful,” “Hurt”), P!nk (“Get the Party Started”), and Gwen Stefani (“What You Waiting For?”), along with her approach to songwriting, music production, creativity, and artist development. Linda shares how she helps artists find their voice, how she writes hit songs, and the truth about the modern music business. We also talk about the continued cultural impact of “What’s Up?”, from the 90s MTV era to its resurgence on TikTok, as well as Linda’s current chapter, including her upcoming documentary “Let It Die Here,” her new solo album, and the return of 4 Non Blondes. Linda is honest, direct, vulnerable, and deeply connected to the craft of songwriting. This is a powerful conversation about music, creativity, success, failure, and finding your voice. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the incredible Linda Perry. Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights. Big thanks to our friends Ace Studio for supporting the show. Check them out! https://acestudio.ai/ Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Linda: https://www.instagram.com/reallindaperry/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • April 18 · 2 hr 22 min

    102. Jimmy Chamberlin: Smashing Pumpkins Drummer, Mellon Collie, Siamese Dream, Making Hits, Philosophy

    Episode 102: Jimmy Chamberlin Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known, because one of my favorite drummers is here in my home. Jimmy Chamberlin changed the sound of rock music, MTV, and radio in the 90s when his drums were heard around the world. His approach to jazz, fusion, and rock all coming together helped create the unique sound of Smashing Pumpkins that no one had ever heard before. In this interview, we go deep on how Jimmy developed that sound, his approach to drumming, and his philosophies on music and life. We talk about how The Smashing Pumpkins became a band, and how they made their iconic albums Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Siamese Dream, and Gish, while double clicking into Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979, Tonight, Tonight, Today, Cherub Rock, Jellybelly, and so much more. We also discuss the incredible scene that was the 90's, his drummer friends, what that magical moment in time felt like to him, and a whole lotta drum and music talk. Jimmy is an incredibly intelligent human with profound thoughts that will really make you stop and think. He also shares a ton of great stories from his 40+ year career. I hope you enjoy my conversation with a true drumming legend, Jimmy Chamberlin. Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights. Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! https://moises.ai/ Another huge thanks to our friends at DistroKid! DistroKid is the easiest and fastest way to get your music on over 150 platforms worldwide! Go to https://distrokid.com/vip/elmo to get 20% off your first year! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Jimmy: https://www.instagram.com/chamberdrums/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • April 4 · 2 hr 12 min

    101. Ilan Rubin: Foo Fighters new drummer, Nine Inch Nails longtime member, Career Journey, Advice

    Episode 101: Ilan Rubin. Ilan Rubin is the new drummer for Foo Fighters and one of the most respected musicians in modern music. He and I go way back to our early teen and even pre-teen drumming years, so this is an extra fun one for me. He spent 17 years with Nine Inch Nails as their longest-running drummer, earning a reputation for precision, versatility, and the ability to step into any musical environment at the highest level. From there, he has continued to evolve, now joining Foo Fighters and stepping into one of the most iconic bands in music. Alongside that, Ilan has been a core part of Angels & Airwaves, working closely with Tom DeLonge not just as a drummer, but as a collaborator, multi-instrumentalist, and creative partner. Their relationship goes beyond just playing live. It is about building songs, shaping sound, and pushing ideas forward together. In this conversation, we talk about Ilan’s journey as a musician, how he built his career starting at just 9 years old, how he has landed some of the biggest gigs in music, and how he has kept those gigs for years. We dive into how he got the gig with Foo Fighters, how much fun he's having with them, and the positive vibe they all have together. We get into what he learned from working with Trent Reznor, all sorts of stories from playing with Nine Inch Nails, his open handed drumming technique, being the frontman of his own band The New Regime, fun stories with Tom DeLonge, and some great stories of him and I over the years. We also dive into how he approaches his role inside elite bands, his work ethic, how he thinks about growth, his approach to music, and what it takes to stay consistently at the top for two decades. This is a fun conversation about discipline, evolution, and becoming someone artists trust at the top of the game. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the great Ilan Rubin! Let’s go. Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights. Big thanks to our friends Moises for supporting the show! If you need stems, they’re the best in the game. Check them out! https://moises.ai/ Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated! Become a Patreon Member to stay in the loop as we post Patreon-only exclusive content, Zoom hangs, invite only events, and discussions about music and music careers. https://www.patreon.com/gowithelmo Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/ Follow Ilan: https://www.instagram.com/ilanrubin/ Follow Go With Elmo: https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/ https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo https://x.com/gowithelmopod Follow Elmo Lovano: https://Instagram.com/elmolovano https://x.com/elmolovano Follow Jammcard: https://www.youtube.com/@jammcard https://www.instagram.com/jammcard/ jammcard.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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