The band had a publishing deal at Warner Chappell, and the guy who signed us had left, and the woman that came in to replace him was Katie, we were on our third record deal and it was getting all fucked up and everyone knew we were about to be dropped, and she said to me, ‘I don’t work at the label so I can’t really help your band right now, but I can put you in sessions to write with and for other people’. It happened when the band was promoting and working on our last album – we didn’t know it was going to be our last album at the time – and in that year and a half timeframe was when I met Katie Vinten, who’s now my business partner.
How did you make that transition from making your own music to writing for others? I imagine that was quite a big change for you. The way Gaga does it is very different, which is also amazing. You know, Gaga is such an amazing writer on her own, and it’s a different type of thing she’s always written most of her music by herself or with one producer, whereas the new school of pop is so collaborative – and neither way is better or worse – so in my world there’s like four people in every session. I’m surprised you haven’t worked with Gaga more… You co-wrote Heal Me for the soundtrack of A Star Is Born, which the fans loved. It was amazing and I’m so glad I did it, but it’s exhausting! But no, I never get that itch to go back on tour and live that life again.
JUSTIN TRANTER GAY TV
I do sometimes miss getting to tell my own stories, but I’m finding other ways to do it, like I’m working on a TV project and a musical project right now. My favourite thing about being a songwriter is that it’s not about me at all, it’s about me creating a space and a session and a song where the artist can feel safe and be their truest self and all of that shit. It was this amazing mind-fuck where our dreams were coming true but then we came home and we were all destitute… but it was worth every single second and every single penny.ĭo you ever get an urge to go back to that lifestyle of performing and touring? We all lost so much money but it was such a magical time. I got to travel the world with my three best friends and play those amazing shows for those amazing audiences, it was mind-blowing and crazy. That experience was insane and amazing, we’re all still best friends even though the band’s been over for like six or seven years, we all still talk every day. Well as you said, yeah, that is how most queer people were introduced to me and my band, through that tour. I think like most gays of my generation, the first time I was introduced to you was when Semi Precious Weapons were on The Monster Ball Tour with Lady Gaga. With a number of new projects in the works, including TV shows and a musical that’s got Idina Menzel and Eve Ensler attached to it, we spoke to Justin to find out how they became one of the most in-demand songwriters of their time, what impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on the music industry, and what it was like working with the legendary Britney Spears. But I also feel pride in letting young queer people know that you don’t have to be the star if you don’t want to be, you can just make the music or you can just write the script. I think we’re going to get to a time when queer people are going to be able to tell their own stories and have them be huge hits, and between Sam Smith and Lil Nas X we are getting there. “I say all the time that there’s no reason for a songwriter to do press or to have an Instagram, because we aren’t the ones selling the songs,” Justin tells us, “but I do press, and I do have an Instagram, because I want young queer people to know that our queer ideas are mainstream as fuck.
There’s something joyfully subversive about a queer, gender nonconforming wordsmith being a major voice behind the lyrics for straight chart-topping artists. After fronting three albums with Semi Precious Weapons, the band who partied with Kate Moss and toured the world with Lady Gaga, queer artist Justin Tranter turned to songwriting, slowly becoming known as the go-to hitmaker for some of the biggest names in music.Īriana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Janelle Monae – you name a pop star, and Justin’s probably written a song for them.
0 kommentar(er)
