Some producers find their niche and stick to it. Others, like two-time Grammy winner Andrew Watt prefer to challenge themselves with each new project.
He’s made himself at home while working with pop heavyweights like Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and Lady Gaga and rock royalty alike: see Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, and the perpetually shirtless Iggy Pop for evidence.
His ability to spearhead success stories has made him one of the most in-demand producers in the business. A guitarist first, he’s also played on most of the records he’s worked on and his chops have proved as versatile as they come each and every time. So how does he do it?
“It’s not about ‘your thing.’ In the studio, it’s about what’s right for the song,” Watt tells Guitar World. “There are so many musicians that you hear or see live that you could be blown away by, but once they get into the studio, they can’t come up with parts that will last forever.
“That’s what being in the studio is about. It’s about a great part, something that makes a kid want to go and play guitar, or something that’s just accentuating rhythmic accents or providing a good accompaniment to what’s being sung.”
The studio, he feels, is a humanizing experience. When the songs are in the can, artists can waltz onto stages across the globe, play rock star, and feel 10 feet tall. The experiences to get to that point, however, are where an artist can be challenged, and belittled even, if artistic struggles get the better of them.
David Gilmour recently said that his 2024 album Luck and Strange was the best thing he’d put out since The Dark Side of the Moon. That was thanks, in part, to the fact that producer Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Wolf Alice) didn't care about his prestigious back catalog. His role was to challenge Gilmour and ensure the record was the best it could be.
“He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that,” Gilmour explained. “He said things like, 'Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?' and 'Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?'”
Watt’s approach is wholly similar. For whoever he works with, he has but one burning question.
“What’s the part?” he asks. “That’s what leads everything – providing a groove for the song or a good chord base for the song to do its thing, and for the message of what’s being sung to hit someone in the heart. I’m parts-focused, and I would say that is the most important thing when being in the studio.
“It’s not just about the jam,” he continues. “Even the Grateful Dead had parts, you know what I mean? It’s about finding the part.”
Working on Patient Number 9 with Ozzy – a record that looks like it might be the Prince of Darkness’ last – saw Watt recruit a trio of guitar legends in Jeff Beck, Tony Iommi, and Eric Clapton. Still, when it comes to a player who understands this mentality better than the rest, he always refers to a British indie rock legend: Johnny Marr.
“That guy’s parts on every single song he’s on, no matter what the artist is,” he enthuses. “Whenever he plays, he has his tone and sound, but he’s just sculpting these perfect parts, weaving in and out of the song, even if the song is written to what he’s playing.”
Watt’s full interview with Guitar World, which charts the evolution of his producing career, his love of Black Sabbath, and his role in the band's star-studded final show, will be published in the near future.
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