December 1, 2025 • 16 mins
It has been WAY too long.. the icon ILLENIUM joins us again on America's Dance 30 to celebrate all things "Forever"! ILLENIUM shares how the smash was born w Tom Grennan & Alna, and how long ago they started working on it. He also talks about the feeling of finishing a song that has the OG ILLENIUM sound to it.
ILLENIUM also shares about eating fried crickets, what Illenials can expect from his upcoming Sphere shows, answers a question he's never been asked before, AND we get to know him better w #FinkysFavorites!
Find out about:
Follow: @AmericasDance30 on all socials!
Count down the biggest dance songs in the country every week with Brian Fink on America’s Dance 30; listen on stations around the world!
ILLENIUM also shares about eating fried crickets, what Illenials can expect from his upcoming Sphere shows, answers a question he's never been asked before, AND we get to know him better w #FinkysFavorites!
Find out about:
- his favorite way to start producing a song
- his favorite way to celebrate his birthday
- a favorite piece of advice he was given
- his favorite foreign delicacies
- his favorite collab
- what favorite sound he would listen to forever
Follow: @AmericasDance30 on all socials!
Count down the biggest dance songs in the country every week with Brian Fink on America’s Dance 30; listen on stations around the world!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, Elennium, I don't even want to talk to
you about your smash Forever. I don't want to talk
about your album. I don't want to talk about your
shows at the Sphere coming up. I don't want to
get to know you better and ask you a question
you have possibly never answered before. My only question for
you is that fried cricket was that real?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh yeah, yes, sir, the first time, first time I
had fried cricket, the texture was a bit interesting, a
little bit crunchy, a little.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Bit Oh no no, just stop, just stop. I don't
want to be.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Very good tasting. Then it was like delicious garlic butter.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't want to get nauseous this early in the chat.
We'll talk about it coming up.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Nick A Lenium, Welcome back to America's Dan's thirty.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Thank you, Brian, thank you. I'm stoked to be.
Speaker 5 (00:48):
Here counting down the biggest dance songs in the country.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
This is America's Dance thirty.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It is great seeing you again.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Congratulations on the incredible success so Forever with Tom Grennan
and Alma.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Let's go one of my favorite songs I've worked on
the past, like honestly a while I've really when we
wrote that, it just felt so special and freeing and
just felt so good.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And you know, speaking of that, you've had songs across
all the sound spectrums. But when you do a song
that's got that og a Lennium sound like Forever, is
it even more satisfying?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Does it just feel amazing?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
It really does.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I mean, I feel like when it comes down to it,
with those type of songs, I feel like the song
has to come first, the lyrics, the melody, the you know,
the simple stuff, because I've written so many songs in
that realm that I don't feel good at, Like I
have to be obsessed with it to enter that realm
because I've and I just that way with Forever, I
was like, this is a song that I totally want
(02:03):
to do more of an original sound. I feel like
it's just a really strong structure and bassline.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, everything about it is just so incredible. I can't
wait to talk about how it was born coming up.
But for us, let's get to know a Lennium again.
With Finkey's favorites. He hit me, you know, speaking of
the melodies and the chords and the lyrics of Forever.
(02:29):
You know, all of your songs have such incredible textures
to them, But what's your favorite way of starting to
work on a song?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Is it the melody? Is it the lyrics first?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I think finding, you know, simple chord progression or a
really nice sonically pleasing sound, or a guitar riff, something
in the instrumentation first, for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Some people are wizards and can just sing a beautiful
melody without any.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Chords or anything. And I'm not one of those people.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Need like a I need a good bassline that I
can listen to addictively and like listen to Verse seven
hours without getting sick of it while we write this song, you.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Know, And how long did you listen to Forever before
it came out?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It was just a I mean, it was just that
little intro guitar and the some piano chords, had zero production.
We wrote it in pretty quick amount of time, maybe
four or five hours, which is fast for that. So
it was I listened to the demo a lot and
was like, what do I want to do? And I
tried a few different production you know, routes, and I
(03:34):
just I tried doing the drop with the chorus with.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
The vocal over it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
But I was like, if I feel like I just
want to have that vocal be open and.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Really epic, and so that's where I went.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But yeah, gotcha. Well, happy early birthday.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yes, let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Now, what is your favorite way to celebrate your birthdays?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
If I can have day off, that'd be fantastic and chill. Maybe. Uh,
you know, it's right after Christmas, so I'd love to
go skiing or get in the mountains somehow get out
and not really have my phone, just show with my
wife and my friends and whatever I can do to
be kind of disconnected.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Sounds amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well side note, I know you're in sphere mode and
I know you're in album mode, but I'm super stoked
because it was just announced you're going to be making
your return pool side to the hard Rock Tampa right
after your birthday, which is incredible. Are we going to
be celebrating your birthday a couple of days late?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Hell? Yeah, yeah, I mean it's after Christmas. Anyways, I
feel like it's forgotten. It's the most easily forgotten birthday,
which makes me really bad, Like I don't really care
about birthdays.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
So I guess we'll have a little bit of a
late celebration.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I'm good with it absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Now, do you have a favorite piece of advice that
somebody gave you that has stuck with you.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
That's a good question.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I think I have to put my passion and like
what is my purpose first? I think, I think I
maybe I can't remember an exact instance, but I've been
given the advice like doing this, doing this career, having
a life in music has to be just backed by
I had a in like twenty fifteen I first met Cascade,
(05:10):
and I think we really see eye to eye in
like passion and like having that be the basis of
making music and having a career music. And it comes
down to the music first and not really the scene
or Instagram or so like social media.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
It's just like what kind of music can we create?
What kind of story can we create?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And I'll tell you what if anybody, I mean, Ryan
is a perfect one.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
He is a goat absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Now, as I mentioned, you had fried crickets, which is
still absolutely disgusting.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yes, sir, it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I promise, well go into details now about it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I mean, getting the looking at the platter, I was like,
this is gross. But then all my friends I was
playing golf and it's like a I was down in
Mexico and it's a tradition in the area, and I
was like, I gotta gotta give it a shot. I'll
try most things, you know, there's something that I'm a
little scared of, but I.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Normally I'm pretty not cool with bugs.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But I didn't really. I was a good I was
in a good mood, so I was like, whatever, let's try.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So I did this promotion with bush Gardens here for
Halloween where they gave us fried crickets what I think
were fried crickets in ice cream and we had to
eat it. But I don't know if the fried crickets
were real or not. It just with the ice cream.
It had really good texture. How what was it like
(06:30):
biting in?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
And how did you not just vomit at the thought
of it?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
It wasn't bad.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It was literally like a mixture of like a chip
or it's like kind of a similar texture, is like
a like a Cheeto puff or something like that.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
It wasn't that bad, and the taste was good. Don't
knock until you try it.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Well, I'm not trying it, so I'll knock it all day.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
But speaking of foreign delicacies, what I mean, you've been
all over the world. What is some of your favorite
foreign delicacy.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I am obsessed with Japan and the food in Japan,
the meat, the sushi, and the ramen.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I'm like, I'm a huge ramen.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I had ramen for dinner last night, and I get
ramen at least once a day when I go to Japan.
Japan is like my food mecca, closely followed probably by Italy.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
But yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
That's so awesome. Now you have had it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
You have had some incredible collabs, including your brand new
song with Ryan Tedder. Congratulations on that.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Thank you. We're so stoked.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
This is gonna be a tough question to answer, but
do you have a favorite collab that you've done.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Oh, that's a hard one.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
It's almost as hard as asking what's your favorite song.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I mean, I'm a yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
If you put a gun to my head and we're like,
what's your favorite song, I think I would probably choose
good things.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Well, apart with John Bellian. I love John Bellian, one
of the.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Most talented songwriters artists in like of our generation, and
we actually share the same birthday, which is funny.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Wow, yeah same, I think same year and everything. But
uh yeah, he's he. I.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I think that collaboration was just like so genuine and
so like it was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
It was just perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I think if I had to pick something, but
there are some really cool collaborations on this album that
I would probably choose second, definitely second or third.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Gotcha. I can't wait to hear the album when it drops.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
I'm pumped. Man.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
What would be a favorite non musical thing that you're
obsessed with that allennials would be so surprised to learn about?
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Interesting? I mean they kind of know. I'm a big gamer.
I'm a really big gamer. I golf a lot too.
I really love golf.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
It's a great way to just like get out, have
out how outside time for four hours, be kind of
checked out, but focusing on others. I really need to
whatever I'm doing, I really need to like focus. I
love I love getting in to things at an addictive level,
and it's just yeah that those type of things are
just really fun. Snowmobiling, I love skiing. I love stuff
(09:09):
that gets me out there.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
All that sounds fun, just disconnecting and enjoying it.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Now finally, in honor of the success of Forever, if
you had to listen to one thing forever, what would
be your favorite sound to listen to forever?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
If it's forever, I think just I listened to a
lot of like piano, just straight piano, beautiful, Like there's
one progression that I am obsessed with and like really
nice textured piano.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I have a piano in my studio.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
That's like a eighteen ninety one upright Steinway and I
love the sound of it. I think I could listen
to like my favorite progression on that for forever.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
See, when I was thinking of that question, I couldn't
decide between a cat's perr, which is I would just
listen to that on loop, or silence. Like I was
sitting in silence and I'm like, wow, I can actually
enjoy this forever.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
That would get I don't know if I could do
a silence that would get to I need something like
a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Background, yeah, because then your brain starts going overactive, which
is insane because you can't distract it. Well, let's talk
about this smash. You know, you gave us a little
taste of Howell was born. How did Forever come together
with Tom Grennan and Alna.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Yeah, we wrote that.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I'm trying to think we wrote that this year, maybe
March or April in my LA house, in my LA studio,
where I was writing like most of my album, and
that one just like just came out of pure genuine
like wanted to write a really fun, huge chorus. I
typically start with writing the chorus after I do like
(10:46):
the guitar riffs or something that's like fun, and it
was at a really good tempo for me to just
like the writing was done so fast that I was
already working on the production like later that night and
messing with different stuff, and it just came.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Everything came really organically.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That is incredible.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
It wasn't like chasing for anything. It just felt really good.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
And how far into the album was that song.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
So when we kind of got into doing the Sphere conversations,
it really kickstarted me to be like, I need to
finish my album by July, at least finished the songs
of my album, Like have the songs written, maybe not
all the drops perfectly done, but I needed all of
that for so that I could make my Sphere set
(11:30):
and time with the timecode and the visual creation. I
needed that baseline, which is kind of backwards for me.
Normally I finished an album, then I make the show.
This was like finish the album sorta not really, and
then but I have to get the show to a point.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
So I was in just go mode from February until July.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Session sessions so so and we wrote so much stuff,
was producing a ton, had awesome co producers, was in
the studio NonStop.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
It was a really it's fun. It was fun time.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Well, you're speaking of this incredible show, set of shows
that's going to be at the Sphere next year. This
is going to be amazing. I saw your post that
you had to dream about this like four years ago.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And yeah, I mean we yeah, we did a first
tour right before I did the stadium in Vegas. We
did our first like construction tour of the Sphere and
so that was when we got to see everything and
kind of learned about the venue. And the first show
I saw was Debt and Co In like June of
last year, maybe a little earlier, and I was just
(12:32):
blown away by the by the capabilities. I've seen three
shows since then, and I mean, this place is a
whole new territory in terms of in terms of immersion
and how to create just something that can be truly
mind blowing. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, all the videos that I've seen come from the
Sphere are just mind blowing. So what kind of Llennials
expect from your show?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Is there?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think it's I mean I called the album Odyssey
because because it truly is a journey of like, you know,
there's a really deep story of like self love and
finding acceptance with yourself, and that's kind.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Of what I wrote the album.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
It was really fun, like we had a story for
the Sphere show and we could write songs for the
scenes in the story. You know. It was really fun
and cool, like different kind of almost writing for film
to an extent, but different endeavor, like really different endeavor
than I've ever done. And I think it's just going
to be really immersed and that the sound effects we're
building for all the scenes and everything, I mean, next
(13:33):
level tedious but amazing, I think, amazing end goal project.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Yeah, we're working on it right now. We're working on
the strings. Wow.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Now, stupid question, but do you have to go there
and kind of play all the visuals out to make
sure that it works.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, so I do all of my like ninety percent
of it is in VR.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Gotcha with yep? Ninety yep.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
And like with the the sound, it's a whole another
endeavor where we kind of have to set up, you know,
a we set up kind.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Of a makeshift how is this going to sound?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Because we're mixing it all in spatial audio, which a
lot of shows that have not done yet, and so
there's a lot of learning curve and how to properly
do that, and we're you know, we get a few
little test runs at the ashlesphere. But yeah, it's a
it's an awesome process, man, so.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Fun cannot wait for that. Congratulation on those shows coming up.
Congratulations on the album, Congratulations on the new song with
Ryan Tedder, Congratulations on Forever with Tom Grennan and Alna
A Lennium. Before I let you go, I asked chatch
ept to give me a question that A Lennium has
(14:48):
never been asked before.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
So I got to test this out. Okay, do it.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
If your songs became self aware, which song would hate
you for the way you produced it?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
If I oh my god, my my manager would be
so mad at me for saying this, but I would
probably have to choose. It's an old song from Ashes
that some people are obsessed with, but it's called only One,
and I just.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Like do not like the production of it anymore.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Like I don't think it just sounds it's very dated sounding,
and it just like has a I don't love the
drum production.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's just very like bright and I just don't love
I don't love the production of it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I'm gonna get an email right after this chat saying
can you please cut that out?
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I know, my It's okay, It's okay, people.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I mean I love the meaning of the song. I
think some of the musical elements are really cool. My
managers loves that song and he always asked me to
play and I'm like, no interest.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Sorry, sorry, But I mean it's the same way with
you know, I hear commercials or stuff that I produced
a long time ago, and I'm like, oh god, that
is so cringe.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Oh dude, there's so much like back in the day
in like twenty eleven thirteen, learning how to produce.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
There's like really bad stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I mean, I didn't even know like what a roote
note was, so I was putting like the sub on
a minor third and it was like, it's not proper.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Not proper music theory though.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Congratulations on everything A Lennium. It is so great seeing
you again. Thank you so much for your time with
us on America's Dance thirty.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Thank you guys so much, love, love you guys, Thank
you for the sport.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
America's Dance thirty counting down the biggest dance songs in
the country AM America's Dance thirty
You know, Elennium, I don't even want to talk to
you about your smash Forever. I don't want to talk
about your album. I don't want to talk about your
shows at the Sphere coming up. I don't want to
get to know you better and ask you a question
you have possibly never answered before. My only question for
you is that fried cricket was that real?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh yeah, yes, sir, the first time, first time I
had fried cricket, the texture was a bit interesting, a
little bit crunchy, a little.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Bit Oh no no, just stop, just stop. I don't
want to be.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Very good tasting. Then it was like delicious garlic butter.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I don't want to get nauseous this early in the chat.
We'll talk about it coming up.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Nick A Lenium, Welcome back to America's Dan's thirty.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Thank you, Brian, thank you. I'm stoked to be.
Speaker 5 (00:48):
Here counting down the biggest dance songs in the country.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
This is America's Dance thirty.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
It is great seeing you again.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Congratulations on the incredible success so Forever with Tom Grennan
and Alma.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Let's go one of my favorite songs I've worked on
the past, like honestly a while I've really when we
wrote that, it just felt so special and freeing and
just felt so good.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And you know, speaking of that, you've had songs across
all the sound spectrums. But when you do a song
that's got that og a Lennium sound like Forever, is
it even more satisfying?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Does it just feel amazing?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
It really does.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I mean, I feel like when it comes down to it,
with those type of songs, I feel like the song
has to come first, the lyrics, the melody, the you know,
the simple stuff, because I've written so many songs in
that realm that I don't feel good at, Like I
have to be obsessed with it to enter that realm
because I've and I just that way with Forever, I
was like, this is a song that I totally want
(02:03):
to do more of an original sound. I feel like
it's just a really strong structure and bassline.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, everything about it is just so incredible. I can't
wait to talk about how it was born coming up.
But for us, let's get to know a Lennium again.
With Finkey's favorites. He hit me, you know, speaking of
the melodies and the chords and the lyrics of Forever.
(02:29):
You know, all of your songs have such incredible textures
to them, But what's your favorite way of starting to
work on a song?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Is it the melody? Is it the lyrics first?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
I think finding, you know, simple chord progression or a
really nice sonically pleasing sound, or a guitar riff, something
in the instrumentation first, for sure.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I don't.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Some people are wizards and can just sing a beautiful
melody without any.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Chords or anything. And I'm not one of those people.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Need like a I need a good bassline that I
can listen to addictively and like listen to Verse seven
hours without getting sick of it while we write this song, you.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Know, And how long did you listen to Forever before
it came out?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
It was just a I mean, it was just that
little intro guitar and the some piano chords, had zero production.
We wrote it in pretty quick amount of time, maybe
four or five hours, which is fast for that. So
it was I listened to the demo a lot and
was like, what do I want to do? And I
tried a few different production you know, routes, and I
(03:34):
just I tried doing the drop with the chorus with.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
The vocal over it.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
But I was like, if I feel like I just
want to have that vocal be open and.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Really epic, and so that's where I went.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
But yeah, gotcha. Well, happy early birthday.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Yes, let's go.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Now, what is your favorite way to celebrate your birthdays?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
If I can have day off, that'd be fantastic and chill. Maybe. Uh,
you know, it's right after Christmas, so I'd love to
go skiing or get in the mountains somehow get out
and not really have my phone, just show with my
wife and my friends and whatever I can do to
be kind of disconnected.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Sounds amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Well side note, I know you're in sphere mode and
I know you're in album mode, but I'm super stoked
because it was just announced you're going to be making
your return pool side to the hard Rock Tampa right
after your birthday, which is incredible. Are we going to
be celebrating your birthday a couple of days late?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Hell? Yeah, yeah, I mean it's after Christmas. Anyways, I
feel like it's forgotten. It's the most easily forgotten birthday,
which makes me really bad, Like I don't really care
about birthdays.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
So I guess we'll have a little bit of a
late celebration.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
I'm good with it absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Now, do you have a favorite piece of advice that
somebody gave you that has stuck with you.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
That's a good question.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
I think I have to put my passion and like
what is my purpose first? I think, I think I
maybe I can't remember an exact instance, but I've been
given the advice like doing this, doing this career, having
a life in music has to be just backed by
I had a in like twenty fifteen I first met Cascade,
(05:10):
and I think we really see eye to eye in
like passion and like having that be the basis of
making music and having a career music. And it comes
down to the music first and not really the scene
or Instagram or so like social media.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
It's just like what kind of music can we create?
What kind of story can we create?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
And I'll tell you what if anybody, I mean, Ryan
is a perfect one.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
He is a goat absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Now, as I mentioned, you had fried crickets, which is
still absolutely disgusting.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yes, sir, it wasn't that bad.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I promise, well go into details now about it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I mean, getting the looking at the platter, I was like,
this is gross. But then all my friends I was
playing golf and it's like a I was down in
Mexico and it's a tradition in the area, and I
was like, I gotta gotta give it a shot. I'll
try most things, you know, there's something that I'm a
little scared of, but I.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Normally I'm pretty not cool with bugs.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
But I didn't really. I was a good I was
in a good mood, so I was like, whatever, let's try.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So I did this promotion with bush Gardens here for
Halloween where they gave us fried crickets what I think
were fried crickets in ice cream and we had to
eat it. But I don't know if the fried crickets
were real or not. It just with the ice cream.
It had really good texture. How what was it like
(06:30):
biting in?
Speaker 3 (06:30):
And how did you not just vomit at the thought
of it?
Speaker 4 (06:34):
It wasn't bad.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It was literally like a mixture of like a chip
or it's like kind of a similar texture, is like
a like a Cheeto puff or something like that.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
It wasn't that bad, and the taste was good. Don't
knock until you try it.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Well, I'm not trying it, so I'll knock it all day.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
But speaking of foreign delicacies, what I mean, you've been
all over the world. What is some of your favorite
foreign delicacy.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I am obsessed with Japan and the food in Japan,
the meat, the sushi, and the ramen.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
I'm like, I'm a huge ramen.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I had ramen for dinner last night, and I get
ramen at least once a day when I go to Japan.
Japan is like my food mecca, closely followed probably by Italy.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
But yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
That's so awesome. Now you have had it.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
You have had some incredible collabs, including your brand new
song with Ryan Tedder. Congratulations on that.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Thank you. We're so stoked.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
This is gonna be a tough question to answer, but
do you have a favorite collab that you've done.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Oh, that's a hard one.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
It's almost as hard as asking what's your favorite song.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
I mean, I'm a yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
If you put a gun to my head and we're like,
what's your favorite song, I think I would probably choose
good things.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Well, apart with John Bellian. I love John Bellian, one
of the.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Most talented songwriters artists in like of our generation, and
we actually share the same birthday, which is funny.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Wow, yeah same, I think same year and everything. But
uh yeah, he's he. I.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
I think that collaboration was just like so genuine and
so like it was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
It was just perfect.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I think if I had to pick something, but
there are some really cool collaborations on this album that
I would probably choose second, definitely second or third.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Gotcha. I can't wait to hear the album when it drops.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
I'm pumped. Man.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
What would be a favorite non musical thing that you're
obsessed with that allennials would be so surprised to learn about?
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Interesting? I mean they kind of know. I'm a big gamer.
I'm a really big gamer. I golf a lot too.
I really love golf.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
It's a great way to just like get out, have
out how outside time for four hours, be kind of
checked out, but focusing on others. I really need to
whatever I'm doing, I really need to like focus. I
love I love getting in to things at an addictive level,
and it's just yeah that those type of things are
just really fun. Snowmobiling, I love skiing. I love stuff
(09:09):
that gets me out there.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
All that sounds fun, just disconnecting and enjoying it.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Now finally, in honor of the success of Forever, if
you had to listen to one thing forever, what would
be your favorite sound to listen to forever?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
If it's forever, I think just I listened to a
lot of like piano, just straight piano, beautiful, Like there's
one progression that I am obsessed with and like really
nice textured piano.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I have a piano in my studio.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
That's like a eighteen ninety one upright Steinway and I
love the sound of it. I think I could listen
to like my favorite progression on that for forever.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
See, when I was thinking of that question, I couldn't
decide between a cat's perr, which is I would just
listen to that on loop, or silence. Like I was
sitting in silence and I'm like, wow, I can actually
enjoy this forever.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
That would get I don't know if I could do
a silence that would get to I need something like
a little bit of.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Background, yeah, because then your brain starts going overactive, which
is insane because you can't distract it. Well, let's talk
about this smash. You know, you gave us a little
taste of Howell was born. How did Forever come together
with Tom Grennan and Alna.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Yeah, we wrote that.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I'm trying to think we wrote that this year, maybe
March or April in my LA house, in my LA studio,
where I was writing like most of my album, and
that one just like just came out of pure genuine
like wanted to write a really fun, huge chorus. I
typically start with writing the chorus after I do like
(10:46):
the guitar riffs or something that's like fun, and it
was at a really good tempo for me to just
like the writing was done so fast that I was
already working on the production like later that night and
messing with different stuff, and it just came.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Everything came really organically.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
That is incredible.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
It wasn't like chasing for anything. It just felt really good.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
And how far into the album was that song.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
So when we kind of got into doing the Sphere conversations,
it really kickstarted me to be like, I need to
finish my album by July, at least finished the songs
of my album, Like have the songs written, maybe not
all the drops perfectly done, but I needed all of
that for so that I could make my Sphere set
(11:30):
and time with the timecode and the visual creation. I
needed that baseline, which is kind of backwards for me.
Normally I finished an album, then I make the show.
This was like finish the album sorta not really, and
then but I have to get the show to a point.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
So I was in just go mode from February until July.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Session sessions so so and we wrote so much stuff,
was producing a ton, had awesome co producers, was in
the studio NonStop.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
It was a really it's fun. It was fun time.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Well, you're speaking of this incredible show, set of shows
that's going to be at the Sphere next year. This
is going to be amazing. I saw your post that
you had to dream about this like four years ago.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And yeah, I mean we yeah, we did a first
tour right before I did the stadium in Vegas. We
did our first like construction tour of the Sphere and
so that was when we got to see everything and
kind of learned about the venue. And the first show
I saw was Debt and Co In like June of
last year, maybe a little earlier, and I was just
(12:32):
blown away by the by the capabilities. I've seen three
shows since then, and I mean, this place is a
whole new territory in terms of in terms of immersion
and how to create just something that can be truly
mind blowing. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
Yeah, all the videos that I've seen come from the
Sphere are just mind blowing. So what kind of Llennials
expect from your show?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Is there?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
I think it's I mean I called the album Odyssey
because because it truly is a journey of like, you know,
there's a really deep story of like self love and
finding acceptance with yourself, and that's kind.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Of what I wrote the album.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
It was really fun, like we had a story for
the Sphere show and we could write songs for the
scenes in the story. You know. It was really fun
and cool, like different kind of almost writing for film
to an extent, but different endeavor, like really different endeavor
than I've ever done. And I think it's just going
to be really immersed and that the sound effects we're
building for all the scenes and everything, I mean, next
(13:33):
level tedious but amazing, I think, amazing end goal project.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Yeah, we're working on it right now. We're working on
the strings. Wow.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Now, stupid question, but do you have to go there
and kind of play all the visuals out to make
sure that it works.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, so I do all of my like ninety percent
of it is in VR.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Gotcha with yep? Ninety yep.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
And like with the the sound, it's a whole another
endeavor where we kind of have to set up, you know,
a we set up kind.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Of a makeshift how is this going to sound?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Because we're mixing it all in spatial audio, which a
lot of shows that have not done yet, and so
there's a lot of learning curve and how to properly
do that, and we're you know, we get a few
little test runs at the ashlesphere. But yeah, it's a
it's an awesome process, man, so.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
Fun cannot wait for that. Congratulation on those shows coming up.
Congratulations on the album, Congratulations on the new song with
Ryan Tedder, Congratulations on Forever with Tom Grennan and Alna
A Lennium. Before I let you go, I asked chatch
ept to give me a question that A Lennium has
(14:48):
never been asked before.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
So I got to test this out. Okay, do it.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
If your songs became self aware, which song would hate
you for the way you produced it?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Oh, that's a good one.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
If I oh my god, my my manager would be
so mad at me for saying this, but I would
probably have to choose. It's an old song from Ashes
that some people are obsessed with, but it's called only One,
and I just.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Like do not like the production of it anymore.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Like I don't think it just sounds it's very dated sounding,
and it just like has a I don't love the
drum production.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's just very like bright and I just don't love
I don't love the production of it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I'm gonna get an email right after this chat saying
can you please cut that out?
Speaker 4 (15:34):
I know, my It's okay, It's okay, people.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I mean I love the meaning of the song. I
think some of the musical elements are really cool. My
managers loves that song and he always asked me to
play and I'm like, no interest.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Sorry, sorry, But I mean it's the same way with
you know, I hear commercials or stuff that I produced
a long time ago, and I'm like, oh god, that
is so cringe.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Oh dude, there's so much like back in the day
in like twenty eleven thirteen, learning how to produce.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
There's like really bad stuff.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I mean, I didn't even know like what a roote
note was, so I was putting like the sub on
a minor third and it was like, it's not proper.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Not proper music theory though.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Congratulations on everything A Lennium. It is so great seeing
you again. Thank you so much for your time with
us on America's Dance thirty.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Thank you guys so much, love, love you guys, Thank
you for the sport.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
America's Dance thirty counting down the biggest dance songs in
the country AM America's Dance thirty
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