Songs You Know with Toby Gad

Julian Lennon is an activist, musician, author, and philanthropist who's non-profit, The White Feather Foundation, has been working for almost 20 years to help those in need. His award-winning documentary work with the Mirning tribe of Australia and his role as a Global Ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America has solidified his legacy as someone who makes the world a better place. In ou...

Toby Gad is a Grammy-award winning songwriter who has worked with everyone from Beyonce to John Legend to Miley Cyrus. Today, he listens to YOUR demos and gives his professional advice and opinion on what your song needs to stand out above the rest and shine! Our fans also submitted questions such as "Which of your songs do you think should have been a bigger hit?" and "Is there a f...

Autumn Rowe is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer. Best known for her work on We Are by Jon Batiste, winner of the 2022 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, she has built an influential career writing and producing for artists including Dua Lipa, Diana Ross, Ava Max, FKA Twigs, Leona Lewis, and Lukas Graham. In this episode, we talk to her about her journey from the South Bronx and work...

Today we're talking with Delta Goodrem! She is an Australian singer, songwriter, actress, and now Eurovision finalist! She talks about her journey of being a child actor, getting cancer at age 18, and how she stays inspired to write. She has 9 number one singles, 17 top-ten hits on the ARIA singles chart, and 3 World Music Awards. She's a masterclass in how to remain humble and grounded wh...

From growing up surrounded by music to carving out his own path as a hitmaker, Jason Evigan dives into the journey that shaped his career, sharing how he transitioned from artist to one of the industry’s most in-demand songwriters and producers. From early struggles and creative breakthroughs to landing major cuts with some of pop’s biggest names, he opens up about the persistence it takes to succ...

In this episode, we are talking with Jesse Thomas, a Kentucky-born, stand-up comedian turned LA-based, platinum songwriter, and music scene curator. She talks about her struggles of being a solo artist, discovering the magical, hidden world of songwriting, and what it takes to create and maintain a thriving, in-person, music community in today's digital world.  If you're an artist or music...

From being the #3 songwriter in the country to walking away from it all, Toby Gad opens up about losing—and rediscovering—his love for music. In this episode of Ask Toby Anything , Toby answers your questions on AI-generated songs (Team Human 👀), creative burnout, songwriting mistakes, and what really kills a session. He also shares advice on collaboration, writing stronger choruses, and building...

You may know David Archuleta as the 16 year-old singing sensation that was the runner-up for season 7 of American Idol, but he has since blossomed into the most authentic and unapologetic version of himself yet. In this episode, he tells us about his journey of accepting his queerness, separating from the mormon church, and reconnecting with his Latin roots. He also talks about his new book, "Devo...

NEFF-U is a preacher's son and producer that has worked with music legends such as Michael Jackson, Eminem, and Jay-Z. In part 2 of our interview with him, he talks about his sound therapy company, Neuromonics, the importance of self-love, meeting Stevie Wonder, and more.

Working with icons like Eminem, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Michael Jackson, today’s guest has played a key role in shaping some of the biggest records in hip-hop, R&B, and pop. In this episode, NEFF-U shares behind-the-scenes stories from working with music legends, how those collaborations came together, and what it takes to create hits at the highest level.

Switching things up for this episode, Toby takes a seat on the other side of the conversation—answering questions directly from listeners and diving into everything from his early journey in the music industry to the mindset that’s shaped his career. Toby shares insights into his songwriting process, how he approaches collaboration, what makes a song truly connect, and the realities of building a...

Welcome to part 2 of our interview with Bonnie Mckee! In this episode, we dive into the lore of how she wrote two of Katy Perry’s biggest hits: “Wide Awake” and “Roar” as well as Britney Spears’ “Femme Fatale” album. We talk about the struggles of being a woman in the music industry and she gives advice to aspiring songwriters. But what does Bonnie Mckee do when she’s not writing hit songs? Watch...

Bonnie Mckee is one of those songwriters that you can’t escape. Whether it’s Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Kesha, or Taio Cruz, you’ve heard her words sung in everywhere from the Superbowl to the grocery store. With hits like “Teenage Dream,” “California Girls,” and “Dynamite,” Bonnie Mckee is *the* blueprint for how to write the PERFECT pop record.

Singer, Songwriter, and front man of The Script, Danny O'Donoghue, walks us through his life discovering music through hardship, pursuing his dreams when the money had run out, and tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits like Hall of Fame, Breakeven, and The Man Who Can't Be Moved.

Songwriter, actor, and musician Drake Bell reflects on the unexpected global journey of his music, revealing how one of his albums quietly hit #1 in Mexico without him even realizing at the time. He also revisits his early rise through Drake & Josh, unpacking how growing up on a hit TV show shaped his musical identity and set the foundation for his career beyond acting. In this episode, Drake...

Composer and producer Stephan Moccio shares the stories behind Earned It by The Weeknd, Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball, and his Olympic anthem I Believe, reflecting on his creative process, classical roots, and what makes a song timeless. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singer-songwriter Matteo Bocelli reflects on his journey from debuting alongside his father Andrea Bocelli to performing on some of the world’s most iconic stages. He shares stories about collaborations with Ed Sheeran and David Foster, memories of singing for Pope Francis and President Biden, and life growing up in Tuscany. Matteo also discusses balancing classical training with modern pop, his c...

Academy award winning lyricist, Don Black CBE, known for his work on various James Bond films such as classics like Diamonds Are Forever, Thunderball, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Man With The Golden Gun and The World Is Not Enough reveals the stories behind the films and their legendary music. He also delves deep into his collaborations with icons such as Michael Jackson, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Quincy...

From being hungry for fame in the music industry and working at a second-hand store to achieving 5 billion stream, 7 global platinum singles, and 12 top-ten airplay hits in just ten years, Sigala shares his origin story of his first number one 'Easy Love' which famously samples the Jackson 5's 'ABC', to the pivotal moment in his bedroom which led to him create one of his biggest hits.  Sigala...

Hailing from North London, Freya Ridings is a singer-songwriter with hits like 'Lost Without You' & 'Castles'. From her dad being the voiceover for Daddy Pig in Peppa Pig to her musical journey and growing up around instruments, Freya shares her side of writing music and the industry.  Freya reveals how she knew when she wrote her breakthrough song 'Lost Without You' it would change her l...

From writing Miley Cyrus' 'Party in the USA' to chart topping singles like 'Price Tag', 'Bang Bang' and 'Domino', Jessie J dives deep into her musical career, revealing the truth behind performing at the London Olympics with Queen, what it's really like working with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande and how she broke her foot and performed in front of 75,000 people. Triumphantly returning to the spotl...

From working on the Brat album alongside Charli XCX to being nominated for Grammys and having multiplatinum hits, Jon Shave delves deep into his musical career, sharing the unseen original demos as well as revealing what it’s really like to work with Iggy Azalea. Jon also talks about how he wrote Zayn Malik's album, produced two Miley Cyrus songs from Netflix's Black Mirror episode, as well as hit...

The mastermind behind tracks for Beyoncé, Madonna, Zara Larsson, Jax Jones, Joel Corry and so many more, MNEK shares his insights into songwriting, production and finding your own voice in a saturated industry. MNEK reveals how he wrote his first song at aged eight on paper to navigating major records and international hits. We also dive deep into the stories behind Joel Corry's 'Head and Heart',...

From playing in death metal bands to producing dance hits like “Man in Finance” and “Wellerman”, Billen Ted delve into their creative process, their experiences working with artists such as Anne-Marie and Jess Glynne and what it takes to go viral every single time.  They also share their thoughts on the evolution of dance music, how TikTok has completely changed how we consume music and what...

One of the world's biggest producers, Jeff Gitty is behind the global hits by Hozier, Beyoncé, Mac Miller, Jelly Roll, Teddy Swims and many, many more. From Gitty's exploration of musical truth and vulnerability to his experiences working with some of the biggest names in the industry, Jeff shares how he crafts compelling songs. Jeff also gives his insight into the art of improvisation, the power...