Andrew Watt is relaxed. The 33-year-old music producer plans to relax for the next few months at his rental home in Malibu, enjoying the sunshine and freedom of Southern California. For the first time in a long time, Watt has nothing planned. “I'm just going to follow the wind wherever it takes me,” he says.
If the past is a prelude to the future, good things are in store for the highly sought-after Grammy-winning producer. Watt co-wrote and produced 2023’s “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones’ first new album in nearly two decades and the best-reviewed record since the band’s 1981 classic “Tattoo You.” Los Angeles fans were treated to the new material live on Wednesday at SoFi Stadium and again on Saturday.
Watt, who worked with his childhood idols Pearl Jam, also co-wrote and produced “Dark Matter,” a powerful album that harks back to the grunge godfathers’ early glory days of “Ten” and “Vitalogy.” A fan and musical collaborator of some of the most important figures in rock royalty, from Elton John to Ozzy Osbourne to Iggy Pop, Watt also collaborates with the most successful musician of all time, Sir Paul McCartney. “We did some stuff together,” Watt says. “And, you know, the process was magical. And we’re still working on it.” Along the way, Watt, a talented guitarist and vocalist, has toured with Pop and Eddie Vedder & the Earthlings.
The Long Neck, New York, native became interested in music at a young age and dropped out of New York University to become a rocker and join the California Breed, a group that included drummer Jason Bonham and singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, formerly of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Watt then went solo and in 2015 released the EP “Ghost in My Head.”
Around the same time, he began branching out into pop production, building a reputation for his creative studio work. Over the years, he’s worked with hitmakers Justin Bieber, his friend Post Malone, and Dua Lipa, among many others. He then branched out into rock production, directing Osbourne’s “Ordinary Man” in 2020, opening the floodgates to collaborations with some of rock’s biggest icons.
Watt is a musical omnivore and continues to work with all types of artists. He co-produced K-pop star Jung Kook’s “Seven,” which topped the Billboard charts in the summer of 2023. Most recently, Watt produced “Tough,” a new song by Lana Del Rey and rapper Quavo that came out in July. “I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Watt says. “I think producing is my calling.”
The Times spoke to the super-producer about working with his musical heroes, his production philosophy and his extensive collection of rock T-shirts. The following text has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Renowned music producer Andrew Watt performs at the famed Sunset Sound recording studio on October 15, 2023. Watt is best known for his collaborations with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Justin Bieber, and more.
(Adali Schell/Adali Schell)
You've recently produced the Rolling Stones and Pearl Jam; you've co-written an as-yet-unreleased song with Paul McCartney; and you frequently FaceTime with your friend Elton John, whose work you've also produced. Are you living the dream?
Andrew Watt: Yeah, it doesn't seem real. It's like an alternate universe. And there's not a second of the day that I'm not pinching myself. I'm so grateful. When I was working with Pearl Jam or the Rolling Stones, people would tell me I would never do that. But you just have to put the haters aside and have a one-track mind. It's interesting, because a lot of people don't believe that they can make their dreams come true. They don't go out and pursue something that they've always wanted to do because they're comfortable with it. They might say, “Well, that's what I wanted to do, but this is what I do now.” And I'm just like, man, if I could be an example, just do it. See what could happen.
Why do you think Ozzy Osbourne, 75, Mick Jagger, 80, Iggy Pop, 77, and Keith Richards, 80, are so eager to work with you, 33, someone born decades after their first hit albums?
I have no fucking idea. You'd have to ask them. (Watt laughs.) I think this industry is results-driven, especially my work. What comes out of the speakers doesn't lie. So I'd like to think the simplest answer is that they like what they hear. We just go from there.
Pearl Jam and the Rolling Stones are two of your favorite bands. Did you ever feel intimidated giving them honest feedback in the studio? I mean, how do you tell Mick to tweak some lyrics or Eddie Vedder to sing a song differently?
You're there to produce. What good am I doing if I just say yes to them until death, right? [who I’m working with] straight from my mind. Otherwise, how could you do anything other than be a fan in the front row screaming? If you're like, “Oh my God,” then, you know, you're going to scare them away. You're not going to get the best. You're just going to be a witness. I'm not there to be a witness. They have me there because they like my ear and my taste. If I hear something that I think could be better, or could be different, my job is to suggest it. And also to know that they might turn to me and tell me to fuck off.
You have a reputation for recording quickly, encouraging improvisation and even playing guitar alongside other artists in the studio. Why do you favour spontaneity, authenticity and rawness over technical perfection?
If you're talking about a band like Pearl Jam or the Rolling Stones, who wants to listen to those polished bands? Nobody. Those are two of the best live bands of all time. So, let's record them live. Let's have the advantage. There are other artists that I work with that don't sound as raw, that take more time, that aren't recorded live. It's an artist-by-artist process.
I'm a Rolling Stones fan and I love the new album. I love the song “Angry,” which I know you co-wrote. But “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with Lady Gaga is definitely my favorite. It has a gospel feel and sounds like classic Stones.
I agree with you. The band just played and it was great. Gaga and Mick were face to face singing that vocal and they were outdoing each other and playing with such intensity. She became Merry Clayton. [the backup singer who sang the iconic “rape, murder” passage on 1969’s “Gimme Shelter” by the Stones.] Gaga can do literally anything. She is a once in a lifetime artist.
Renowned music producer Andrew Watt performs at the famed Sunset Sound recording studio on October 15, 2023. Watt is best known for his collaborations with The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Justin Bieber, and more.
(Adali Schell/Adali Schell)
Who are your favorite producers?
Man, there are so many. George Martin is probably the first. Everything the Beatles wanted to do, he followed them down that path and figured out how to do it for them. And his ability to arrange was something extraordinary. He's the greatest producer of all time. Rick Rubin, who's a good friend of mine and a mentor, I love his productions. When I was starting out, I played him a couple of songs. He looked at me sideways. He said, “You know, I can hear you're producing this. There are similar sounds for different artists. Make sure you give each artist their own sound.” He's been great to me and wonderful.
I love Brendan O'Brien [Pearl Jam’s longtime producer, among many other artists] I love everything he does and his sound is amazing. He comes from Rick's school, you know? He was the sound engineer for “Blood Sugar Sex Magic.” [Rubin produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ smash 1991 album.] Gus Dudgeon [late producer of some of Elton John’s most beloved records, including “Honky Château” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”]It's amazing. I love artist-producers like David Bowie, Prince and Stevie Wonder. And modern producers too. I love them. [French electronic duo] Justice, Timbaland and Daft Punk.
What are five of your favorite albums of all time?
“Blood Sugar Sex Magic” by the Chili Peppers; “Abbey Road” by the Beatles; “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars” by David Bowie; “Sticky Fingers” by the Stones; and “Synchronicity” by The Police.
How did you become interested in music?
Well, my parents played me a lot of different kinds of music, as did my older brother. Rock and roll I got from my dad. Pop, soul and singer-songwriters I got from my mom. And all the 90s stuff I got from my brother: hip-hop, grunge and rock. That was the mix until I started finding my own stuff.
Tell me about your bar mitzvah at the Copacabana in New York City with the theme “Andrew Rocks.” Did you actually entertain the guests by playing guitar?
I did. I did. I played a whole concert when I was 13. I think we played “Come Together” by the Beatles, a song called “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” [by Jet] That was very popular at the time, “Ziggy Stardust.” There's a big picture of me on my knees playing a guitar solo, and the guitar is bigger than me.
Is it true that you wore a different Rolling Stones T-shirt at every recording session?
Yeah, I have a lot of different Rolling Stones T-shirts. I probably have one of the craziest collections of vintage rock 'n' roll T-shirts in the world. I have thousands of them. You know, there are guys who come to my house like they're drug dealers, but they're T-shirt dealers. They come with plastic bags full of old T-shirts and they throw them on the floor. It's so funny to me how many days I can wear a different T-shirt. That's what I wear every day. Right now I'm wearing a Metallica T-shirt.
Are you thinking of doing another album with the Stones? I hear there's a lot of unreleased material and other tracks from the Hackney Diamond sessions that just need some tweaking.
It's like Batman; if they [flash] Tongue in the air and I see it, I'm there. All they have to do is ask. You know, the latest album [“Hackney Diamonds”] They took 18 years to make, so they would be almost 100 years old by the time we finish a second one. I hope the timeline is quicker. There's nothing planned right now, but it's definitely been talked about.
