Artist Friendly with Joel Madden

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Wiz Khalifa. Between writing smoked-out anthems, criticizing weed stereotypes, and releasing his own Khalifa Kush, the Pittsburgh-bred MC has long been tied to stoner culture. Now, Wiz has returned to his roots by releasing the sequel to his 2010 mixtape, Kush & Orange Juice, which takes the songs to a higher level by tapping new...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Lil Xan. It’s been eight years since Lil Xan’s Total Xanarchy cut “Betrayed” went viral, garnering millions of streams and going platinum. In the ensuing years, he has helped to shape the “sad rap” movement, collaborated with heavyweights (Diplo, Charli XCX), and released his sophomore album, 2024’s Diego. He’s also been living in...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by JP Saxe. Whether it’s for his own solo work or the myriad of artists he works with, Saxe wears his heart on sleeve, transforming reflections on love and grief into irresistibly relatable songs. Following 2023’s A Grey Area, Saxe has returned with the new single “Safe,” which he premiered at a benefit show for LA wildfires at NYC’s...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Michael Clifford of 5SOS. Clifford is best known as 5SOS’ lead guitarist and backing vocalist with vibrant hair, helping to shape the band through his energetic presence. He’s also been unafraid to acknowledge his struggles with mental health, telling us that “it gets bad before it gets better” and using the feeling to fuel his so...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by G-Eazy. In his early days, G-Eazy played 2012’s Warped Tour alongside Pierce the Veil and the Used. Since then, he’s racked up millions of listens with “Me, Myself & I” (feat. Bebe Rexha), collaborated with Halsey, and been nominated for Grammys. Following last year’s Freak Show, G-Eazy released his latest album, Helium, in Februa...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Morray. Morray experienced a rapid come up, including a feature on J. Cole’s 2021 album, The Off-Season, and receiving a Grammy nomination for that very song. Following a four-year break, where the Fayetteville-born MC was unable to release new music, Morray shared his second album, Long Story Short, in February. In conversation w...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria. As the frontman for Coheed and Cambria, Sanchez has mapped out entire worlds through intricate concept albums. That craftsmanship has spilled into his own comic series, The Amory Wars, which has acted as a companion to most of the band’s catalog....

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Sam Carter of Architects. After a busy couple of years opening for Metallica and headlining festival stages, Architects recently returned with their new album, The Sky, The Earth & All Between. Produced by former Bring Me the Horizon member Jordan Fish, the band set out to capture that raw energy, melding their live intensity with...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Cody Hanson of Hinder. Since forming in 2001, Hinder have made their mark through soaringly catchy anthems. Each of their albums has prioritized intention and growth, from the grunge-y beginnings of 2005’s Extreme Behavior to the introspective headspace of 2017’s The Reign. In conversation with Madden, the Hinder frontman details...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Brent Smith of Shinedown. For the past couple of decades, Shinedown have been relentless in their mission, channeling pain, addiction, and the power to overcome into seven studio albums and countless shows. During the pandemic, they cracked the mainstream, subverting their hard-rock roots with the viral piano ballad “A Symptom of...

On this week’s episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with Lainey Wilson. Over the past decade, Wilson has blossomed into a bonafide country star and recently performed in the 2025 Grammy Awards. The Southern-bred singer has written tracks with Luke Combs, made her acting debut in Yellowstone (as well as had her songs featured on its soundtrac...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Bert McCracken of The Used. From the beginning, The Used have captured the outpouring of McCracken’s rawest emotions. “It’s more than my journal. It’s so intimate. It’s terrifying… I can’t help it. It’s a big part of what I believe music is about,” McCracken reveals. From 2002’s self-titled to 2024’s MEDZ, the band have navigated...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Joshua Roberts of Magnolia Park. Since unleashing their debut album in 2019, Magnolia Park have pointed ahead, combining emo-soaked rock with ambitious world-building. But though their sound is rooted in classic pop punk, their music has taken a darker turn over the years. Lately, the band have been fixated on nü metal, embracing...

On this week’s episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is bringing you an encore episode of his conversation with LA rapper Lefty Gunplay.  Lefty Gunplay is a rapper out of Baldwin Park who uses raw, witty wordplay to dig into his time in prison, hopes for the future, and pride for his city.  Gunplay released his latest album, “Most Valuable Gangbanger,” in November of last year, and was featured...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Joss Stone. Back in 2003, Stone broke out with her debut album, The Soul Sessions, when she was 16 years old, which largely reinterpreted ’60s and ’70s songs. Since then, she’s released eight other albums, received two Brit Awards, and won a Grammy for her cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Family Affair” with John Legend and Va...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by O'Shea Jackson Jr. Jackson, aka OMG, is an actor, rapper, and songwriter best known as the oldest son of Ice Cube. For his debut feature film, he played his father in the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which was nominated for an Oscar. Since then, he’s gone on to appear in several other films (Den of Thieves, Ingrid Go...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Ricky Hil. As the son of famed designer Tommy Hilfiger, Hil has been tasked to carve out his own space within music and culture. He turned to emo rap in the 2010s, creating a murky sound that helped to influence GothBoiClique — namely Lil Peep. The duo even made a couple of songs together, which remain unreleased. In a conversatio...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Vishen. Vishen Lakhiani is an entrepreneur and motivational speaker who’s the founder and CEO of Mindvalley. He also authored two books, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind and The Buddha and the Badass — and will release his third, The 6 Phase Meditation Method, in January. In a conversation with Madden, Lakhiani delves into the i...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Goldsmith wrote Dawes’ 2009 debut album, North Hills, in his early 20s. More than a decade later, he’s only continued to grow as a songwriter, resulting in the band’s ninth studio full-length, Oh Brother, which was released this past October. Before the band hit the road to tour those songs with Winnetka...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Cameron Diaz. Artist Friendly is reaching another huge milestone, celebrating 100 episodes with actor and entrepreneur Cameron Diaz. After becoming a major star, Diaz stepped away from Hollywood in 2014 to “reclaim [her] own life” — which included exploring her passions and spending time with family. Now, a decade later, she will...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Damiano David of Måneskin. Måneskin — the ’70s-inspired Eurovision winners who became viral stars — have been championed by young rock fans. Over the past few months, though, their frontman David has been branching out by sharing songs from his first solo album (including the Labrinth-produced “Silverlines” and “Born With a Broken...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by DJ Tambe. DJ Tambe is an award-winning tattoo artist whose love for the medium stretches back to performing stick-and-pokes as a teenager. That passion led him to Ink Master, where he became a three-time winner (including two consecutive victories) of the hit show and has graduated to a judge. In a conversation with Madden, DJ Tam...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Tim Kasher of Cursive. Kasher has fronted Cursive since the mid-’90s, leading the band through emo, post-hardcore, and dissonant experimentation. Having just released their 10th studio album, Devourer, which represents “personal imperialism and the imperialism of relationships,” the band will support their Omaha peers Bright Eyes...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Jessi Cruickshank. A self-described “comedian with too many kids,” Cruickshank has been involved in the entertainment circuit for decades. Her origins in the scene trail back to her high school improv group, where she starred alongside Seth Rogen and Nathan Fielder before landing jobs at CTV, MTV, and The CW, weaving in comedy whi...

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Brandon Saller of Atreyu. Over the past year, the Orange County metalcore vets have stayed furiously busy. In 2022, they put out an EP trilogy that began with The Hope of a Spark and continued with The Moment You Find Your Flame and A Torch In The Dark. Those releases culminated in the band’s heavy but reflective ninth studio albu...