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“Sweet Disposition” started with someone practicing scales in a tiny rehearsal room. The music came together almost immediately. The lyrics were finished the next day. In this episode of Unfamous, The Temper Trap join Justin Tranter to break down how one of their most enduring songs was actually written — and what happened after something created almost entirely on instinct became the song everyone wanted them to recreate. They talk about reaching a point where, after nearly 15 years of writing, recording and touring, they were spent — creatively, relationally, all of it — and what happened after time apart gave them the opportunity to get back into a room together with no expectations. Within the first hour, they felt a spark again. The band also gets into what more than two decades of making music, stepping away and finding their way back to the collaboration has taught them about ego, compromise, resentment and trust, including the early “Temper Trap manifesto” that still shapes how they think about the work: it doesn’t matter who comes up with the part. It matters whether it’s the best part for the song. It’s a conversation about writing a great song — but even more about what it takes to return to a creative partnership with enough perspective to make something new. Chapters: 0:00 Preview: “Sweet Disposition,” Burnout & the Spark 0:38 Meet The Temper Trap 5:49 Why Being in a Band Is the Ultimate Collaboration 9:01 When a Song Keeps Refusing to Be Finished 9:53 How “Sweet Disposition” Was Written 14:38 Can You Recreate Your Biggest Hit? 16:59 When “Sweet Disposition” Found a New Generation 21:09 What Happens When a Band Runs Out of Fuel? 23:40 What Actually Brought The Temper Trap Back 26:25 How a Solo Song Became a Temper Trap Song 28:38 Compromise, Ego and the Creative Marriage 32:25 Serve the Song, Not Your Ego 33:38 The Temper Trap Manifesto 34:36 Does Great Art Need Conflict? 38:37 From Retail Jobs to Starting The Temper Trap 43:56 The 10-Hour Drives That Built the Band 46:44 The Songs That Made Them Want to Be Musicians 54:03 What They’d Tell Their Younger Selves 56:33 The Skill That Matters Beyond Talent Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, and Lily Golightly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Sorry” feel so immediately satisfying?In this Unfamous recap, Justin Tranter breaks down the songwriting math behind both songs — from where each section enters in the phrase to how verse, pre-chorus and chorus are built to feel distinct. Justin and Unfamous co-creator Morgan Stuart also revisit their conversation with Bongo ByTheWay and Ant Clemons about lyric structure, producer psychology, interpolation, publishing and artist development — including why structure can actually create more freedom for creatives, when an interpolation is worth giving up publishing for, and what artists need to be prepared for beyond making great music. Plus: Paul McCartney taking 100% of the publishing, why emotional production matters as much as technical production, and the creative decisions behind songs that actually connect. Chapters 0:00 Paul McCartney, Producer Psychology & the Rules Behind Hits 0:42 Why the Behind-the-Scenes Creators Connected 1:52 Paul McCartney Took 100% of the Publishing 3:24 Sample vs. Interpolation: What You’re Actually Paying For 5:32 When Should You Kill an Interpolation? 7:46 The Producer’s Job Is Emotional, Too 11:58 The Song Map: Who, What, Where, When, Why 14:22 Why Structure Creates More Creative Freedom 15:22 The Melodic Math Behind “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Sorry” 19:26 What Music Is Missing: Artist Development 21:22 Singer-Songwriters Need Development Too 23:33 How Do You Prepare an Artist for Success? Credits Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, & Cory Jasin. Chat with the Unfamous team: https://tr.ee/jwPZ3j Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The best-looking photo can still be the wrong cover. And one bad compromise can turn a bold creative idea beige. The Hollywood Reporter’s Maer Roshan and Alison Edmond join Justin Tranter to reveal what actually happens behind some of Hollywood’s biggest covers—from Angelina Jolie asking them to redo an entire lighting setup after one shot, to orchestrating The White Lotus cast across two coasts and pulling together a Mikey Madison shoot the morning after her Oscar win. They break down how a cover goes from an idea to the final image, what happens when talent or publicists push back, why the most beautiful photograph doesn’t always serve the story, and why great creative work can fall apart when too many people get a vote. It’s a conversation about taste, trust, fighting for an idea, knowing when to defer to someone else’s expertise, and developing enough experience to stop second-guessing your own. CHAPTERS 0:00 Why the Best Photo Can Still Lose 1:16 Meet The Hollywood Reporter’s Maer Roshan & Alison Edmond 7:31 How a Hollywood Reporter Cover Actually Gets Made 11:08 Why the Most Beautiful Photo Isn’t Always the Right One 13:21 Photographing a Controversial Celebrity Story 17:07 Why Celebrities Care So Much About Their Image 18:03 Angelina Jolie Made Them Change the Entire Lighting Setup 19:44 What Happens When the Talent Has a Bad Idea? 23:15 How Do You Avoid a PR-Controlled Interview? 27:16 The Insane Logistics Behind The White Lotus Cover 30:11 Shooting Mikey Madison the Morning After Her Oscar Win 32:08 How Do You Create an Iconic Image in the iPhone Era? 37:05 The Most Common Way a Great Idea Gets Ruined 38:47 Why Creativity Dies by Committee 40:17 How to Fight for a Great Idea Without Killing the Collaboration 44:39 How Alison Edmond Learned to Stop Doubting Her Taste 49:31 Their First Jobs in the Magazine Business 52:09 How They Spot Talent Before Everyone Else Does 54:16 Why a Print Cover Still Means Something 56:08 “Don’t Be Stupid”: Alison’s Path to British Vogue 59:28 Growing Up With Censored Magazines in Iran 1:00:46 Why “Manifesting” Still Requires an Obscene Amount of Work 1:03:08 The Prince Harry Cover That Got a Letter From the Palace 1:04:38 How The Hollywood Reporter Balances Print, Digital & Social 1:09:01 Gag or Drag: Celebrity Creative Directors, Publicists & Bad Covers 1:14:14 The Career Advice They Wish They’d Learned Earlier CREDITS: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Luke Burland + 2BEntertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Instagram DM became “Rush.” “Bloom” started with Troye Sivan thinking it wasn’t working. And after more than a decade of writing together, Troye and Leland are still trying to surprise themselves. On Unfamous, they break down their creative partnership, how Troye keeps evolving without repeating himself, the stories behind “Rush” and “Bloom,” imposter syndrome, writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race, and what makes the right collaborator click. Chapters are below so you can jump straight to your favorite parts. Chapters 0:00 Troye Sivan Introduces Leland 2:09 How Troye Sivan + Leland Met 6:27 Their First Song Together Ended Up With BTS 10:57 Why Troye Never Wants to Make the Same Album Twice 18:43 Why Songwriting Is Mostly Social Skills 22:10 How an Instagram DM Became “Rush” 26:57 Troye + Leland on Imposter Syndrome 29:46 Cirkut, Mark Ronson + Getting Nervous Around Your Heroes 32:34 How “Bloom” Went From “This Isn’t Working” to an Album Title 37:12 What 11 Years of Writing Together Teaches You 43:08 Writing Pop Hits vs. Writing for RuPaul’s Drag Race 47:33 Britney, Janet + the Pop Music That Changed Them 55:55 Why Great Artists Are Secretly Music Geeks 57:01 How Troye Keeps Evolving Without Forcing It 1:03:33 What Troye + Leland Would Tell Their Younger Selves 1:10:42 Gagged or Dragged: TikTok, Gay Icons + Pop Songwriting 1:16:31 The Best Advice for Creative Collaboration 1:18:52 Troye’s Advice to Songwriters: Not Every Collaboration Works Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Sherrae Rucker Special thanks to Mark Beaven and Jimmy Knehans Shout out to Leslie Tranter and Chloe Pappas on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rescues spent five years writing The Lost Boys for Broadway. They wrote nearly 60 songs, rewrote lyrics again and again, cut a song they loved after watching it stop the show cold in front of an audience, and reached a point where they had to ask whether they could keep working together after it was over. Justin Tranter reunites with Kyler England, AG and Gabriel Mann to break down what actually went into creating the musical, and what happens when three longtime collaborators with completely different ways of working take on the hardest project they’ve ever made together. They also trace the unlikely path that got them there, from forming for a $500 wedding gig and landing five Grey’s Anatomy placements to building separate creative careers before The Lost Boys unexpectedly brought them back together. Plus: why they needed “band therapy,” how they learned which creative battles actually mattered, why a great song still might need to be cut, and what five years of rewrites taught them about trust, ego and letting the audience tell you what isn’t working. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Wayne Wolfe, Hannah Wallace, and Nicolette Carcaldi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when pushing through stops making you stronger and starts getting in the way of the art? Justin Tranter sits down with Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer/songwriter Ela Melo and her partner and movement director Cat Cogliandro to unpack how movement, trust and recovery changed the way Ela and the band perform. They trace “Devil Like Me” from a homemade recording built with cardboard-box stomp claps to its live reinvention, revisit the 2022 Red Rocks performance that forced Ela to confront how far she had pushed herself, and talk honestly about sobriety, creative conflict and knowing when to ask for help. It’s a conversation about building a better show, but also a more sustainable way to keep making art without buying into the idea that suffering is what makes an artist great. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bailey Katler and 2BEntertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes a great song when everyone is trying to reverse-engineer hits, virality and the “right” way to be an artist? Justin Tranter sits down with friends and collaborators Sasha Alex Sloan and Amelia Moore, two artist-songwriters whose careers keep proving that some of the best creative decisions are the ones that look wrong on paper. They unpack how an imperfect choice became one of the most memorable parts of Camila Cabello’s “Never Be the Same,” why the “too complicated” riff in Amelia’s “See Through” became a TikTok singing challenge and helped lead to her second record deal, and what getting dropped taught both of them about failure, freedom and trying again. Plus: writing for other artists, the very different mechanics of K-pop, how to say no without killing a writing session, and why neither industry rejection nor industry praise can tell you who you are. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Shaina Botwin, Sam French and Mady Davis. Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes one song perfect for a scene while another, even a great one, just doesn’t work? Justin Tranter sits down with music supervisor Julia Michels and songwriter, producer and arranger Alana Da Fonseca to break down the judgment behind the music in Pitch Perfect, The Devil Wears Prada, Wednesday, Off Campus and more. They get into testing whether “Toxic” would still connect with a younger audience, knowing instantly that KT Tunstall’s “Suddenly I See” belonged in The Devil Wears Prada, reinventing “Paint It Black” for cello, and why writing for screen means serving the story instead of protecting your song. Along the way, they unpack taking notes without ego, navigating directors and creative politics, and why the best song you’ve ever written can still be completely wrong for the moment. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does a song actually make it into a hit TV show, and what makes the right placement capable of changing an artist’s career? Live from the GMS Conference, Justin Tranter sits down with Emmy-nominated music supervisors Amanda Krieg Thomas and Anna Romanoff to reveal the hidden process behind the music you hear on screen. They break down how Off Campus on Prime built its musical world from the scripts up, how artists like G Flip and The Beaches landed major moments, what it really takes to clear an iconic song, and why you can’t simply manufacture a viral soundtrack. They also share what songwriters need to understand about writing for film and TV, why the business side of creativity matters, and practical advice for anyone trying to break into music supervision: get close to the work, learn the craft, build your community, and don’t rush the process. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans and the Guild of Music Supervisors. Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/w4mqomzg #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bella Kay and songwriter-producer Alexis Idarose Kesselman break down the creative partnership behind Bella’s debut album, from meeting during one of Bella’s first-ever writing sessions to making “I Love It, I Love It, I Love It,” “Stop,” “Blur,” and “Karaoke.” They talk about learning the rules without losing what makes an artist unique, fighting for ideas, turning messy relationships into songs, handling criticism, and why the best collaborators make you feel even more like yourself. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Lizbeth Alvarez, Priscilla Felten, Justin Frazier, Mandy Weiss, Cyndi Williams, Adam Mersel, Tracy Wasserman and Deborah Radel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruth B’s career exploded with her very first song. Then came the harder question: how do you do it again? Ruth and producer Cole MGN join Justin Tranter to unpack the pressure that followed “Lost Boy,” why “Dandelions” unexpectedly going viral five years later changed Ruth’s relationship with success, and how the two built her most personal album yet. They break down abandoning the songwriting-session treadmill, reinventing Ruth’s creative process, taking nearly two years to finish “Breathe,” and finally completing “Storm,” the Vine-era song fans had been asking for for a decade. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Bobbie Gale + Nina Savio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host and co-creator Justin Tranter and co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit their conversation with artist Valencia Grace and manager Kyle Stuart to unpack what it really takes to build an artist from the ground up. They break down why getting dropped can sometimes unlock the artist you were supposed to become, why the right manager needs to be genuinely obsessed with the work, and why virality, a record deal, or industry attention can never replace creative identity, trust, and a team that actually believes in you. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Wendy Laister & Magus Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bea Miller joins longtime collaborator Justin Tranter to unpack growing up as a child star, surviving The X Factor, and finding her confidence as a songwriter. They break down how real conversations about depression, relationships, insecurity and bad decisions became songs like “Feel Something,” “Drunk Enough,” “Depressed on the Internet,” and “Sex for Attention,” plus sexism in writing rooms, Paramore’s influence, and the new album marking her first in a decade. This episode is funny, brutally candid, and basically a masterclass in turning your worst experiences into very good pop songs. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Tim Smith and Mike Powers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unfamous host Justin Tranter and his co-creator Morgan Stuart revisit Justin’s conversation with Kid Cudi, unpacking what it reveals about trust, creative risk, criticism, and longevity. From the chaotic first session that helped unlock “Saltwater,” to Cudi pushing himself vocally, to “Pursuit of Happiness” becoming something bigger than its original meaning, this minisode looks at how great artists keep evolving without losing what makes them singular. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Mark Beavan, Jimmy Knehans, Kasey Sobey and Sydnee Nanas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unfamous host Justin Tranter is joined by his co-creator Morgan Stuart to revisit their episode with comedian, actor, and writer Caleb Hearon and TV writer Caitie Delaney, whose credits include Big Mouth and Rick and Morty. Together, they unpack what Caleb and Caitie’s creative partnership reveals about writer room dynamics, ego, executive notes, knowing when to push back, and why the best collaborators care more about the work than getting credit. Credits: Unfamous is hosted by Justin Tranter Created by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Produced by Justin Tranter & Morgan T. Stuart Written & Researched by Morgan T. Stuart Director: Morgan T. Stuart Co-Director + Cinematographer: Olivia McCrary Audio Engineer: Mike Sabri Camera Assistant: Kolbi Samantha Special thanks to Caleb Hearon, Caitie Delaney, Jimmy Knehans, Mark Beaven and Michelle Kariuki Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices