3 6 S X S W O R L D | M A R C H 7, 2 0 1 9 | SXSW.COM
Songwriter Ross Golan knows that hits
aren't written by mistake. "Composition
is all about editing. That's when theory
thrives," he says. "Most of the time, I
trust the numbers over my instincts.
But to know when to stop editing is all
about intuition."
After penning songs for the likes of Ariana
Grande, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Nicki
Minaj, Lady Antebellum, Michael Bublé,
Selena Gomez, Keith Urban and CeeLo
Green, the Chicago native's approach to
composition revolves heavily around what
For Ross Golan, Theory and
Intuition Go Hand in Hand
By Chris Backus
continued on p.38
Ross Golan. Photo by Matty Vogel
3 6 S X S W O R L D | M A R C H 7, 2 0 1 9 | SXSW.COM
"Music
doesn't
have to be
expendable.
It doesn't
have to be
about skip
rates."
