Ambitions: Stadiums vs. Chasing Hits

Today's guest is a multi-platinum DJ, producer, and songwriter who turned personal devastation into one of electronic music's most emotionally resonant careers.

From opioid addiction in high school to wilderness therapy at rock bottom, he rebuilt his entire life in Denver—sober, alone, and teaching himself music theory from scratch.

Now 13 years clean, he's become a voice for mental health in a scene built on excess, collaborating with Jon Bellion, Halsey, Teddy Swims, and countless others to create music that connects survivors.

His latest album, Odyssey, is a cinematic journey through heartbreak, recovery, and the sessions that saved his life.

And The Writer Is... Illenium!

In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Nick Miller (Illenium) opens up about:

* Moving every two years as a kid and never having roots

* Falling into opiates at 15 and hitting bottom by 2011

* Moving to Denver alone and getting sober at 21

* The Good Things Fall Apart session (and demo)

* How music saved his life entirely

and much more...

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Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.

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Chapters:

0:00 Intro

1:00 Childhood and Moving Every Two Years

5:00 Getting Into Music Through Tiesto's Album

6:30 The Electronic Artist That Inspires Industry Musicians

9:00 Getting Sober—His Rough Patch in 2011

10:00 Escapism and Addiction

12:30 The Wilderness Program That Saved His Life

16:30 Getting Lost in Music and How He Learned to Create

17:30 Illenium's Roots

18:00 Learning From Other Producers and YouTube

20:00 Thinking of Sound as a Picture

21:00 World Building and Finding His Brand… and His Purpose

23:00 Ross Opens Up on How Music Saved Him

24:00 The Personality Trait All Successful Creatives Have

26:00 How He Popped Off

31:00 Working With Unknown Artists and How He Picks Them

33:00 How to Find Your Sound

34:30 NMPA and Splice Midroll

41:00 Touring—The Downs After a Show

44:00 Good Things Fall Apart

47:00 Collaboration in DJ Culture

49:00 Why He Doesn't Chase Big Songs

54:24 COVID

1:13:00 Gaming on Tour

1:17:00 Good Things Fall Apart Demo

Hosted by Ross Golan

Produced by Joe London and Jad Saad

Creative Direction by Jad Saad

Post-Production VFX by Pratik Karki

Guest Watercolor Art by Michael White

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.