<p>Today’s world builder builds worlds worldwide to make her own universe! Dark and whimsical meets bubblegum grunge when this artist broke out on the scene to create her own cult following.&nbsp;</p><p>When doors didn’t open, she built her own.&nbsp;</p><br><p>And The Writer Is……Melanie Martinez!</p><br><p>In this episode, Melanie opens up about:</p><p>• Materializing ideas and her entire creative process</p><p>• Why she never approached music as a game</p><p>• The reality behind shows like The Voice</p><p>• How she built her identity before the industry caught up</p><p>• Her philosophy on songwriting and the importance of your truth</p><p>• Protecting your creative voice in a commercial system</p><p>• Why being yourself is still the most important advantage</p><p>• And much more…</p><br><p>Hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications.</p><p>Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.</p><p>Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris</p><br><p>A special thank you to our sponsors…</p><p>Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us.</p><p>And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period.</p><br><p>Chapters:</p><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>2:00 The Real Meaning Behind “Disney Princess”</p><p>4:30 Introversion vs Performance</p><p>6:00 The Magic of Creating and Materializing Ideas</p><p>7:45 Her Creative Process — Titles, Concepts, and Staying Inspired</p><p>12:00 The Songs That Defined Her Early Career</p><p>12:48 Growing Up Writing — Her First Songs and Backstory</p><p>16:45 World-Building and Creating a True Artistic Identity</p><p>18:30 Rejection, Independence, and Dollhouse</p><p>20:00 “Blind Dating” in the Music Industry</p><p>24:00 Stage Fright and Early Creative Influences</p><p>26:00 What She’d Tell Her Younger Self</p><p>26:45 Advice for Artists Trying to Break Through</p><p>27:30 Hitchhiking to The Voice — And What It Really Was</p><p>30:00 The Reality of Music Competition Shows</p><p>31:42 NMPA — Our Lead Sponsor This Season</p><p>32:23 Splice</p><p>33:00 Ross on Music Competition TV</p><p>34:00 Performing Live and Managing Nerves</p><p>36:00 Finding Herself Through Dollhouse</p><p>37:20 The Story Behind Dollhouse</p><p>38:00 Fighting for Her Creative Vision</p><p>40:00 Where Her Ideas Come From</p><p>42:00 How She Builds Albums and Story Arcs</p><p>44:20 Writing Honestly Without Overthinking It</p><p>45:00 What Songwriters Get Wrong About Meaning</p><p>49:30 Are You Happy?</p><p>51:30 The Priorities That Changed Everything</p><p>54:00 Final Advice</p><p>55:00 Portals</p><p>57:47 Hades — A Dystopian World</p><p>1:00:20 The Utopian Album to Come</p><p>1:00:51 Her Favorite Songs on the Album</p><p>1:01:50 The Story of “Weight Watchers”</p><p>1:06:00 An Emotional Reflection — Her Message to Others</p><p>1:07:30 Her Inspirations</p><p>1:09:00 Social Media, AI, and Staying Human</p><br><p>Hosted by Ross Golan</p><p>Produced by Joe London &amp; Jad Saad</p><p>Edited by Jad Saad</p><p>Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki</p><p>Watercolor Art by Michael White</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>