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You've grown. I swear you've grown. It's impossible.
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It's I know it's physically impossible medical every year and I did it the other day and I'm exactly the same height.
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What's interesting is you had to ask the question cuz deep down you know you've grown.
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They just do it as standard to see if you've shrunk. I did.
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When I saw you at the Rock Nation brunch, man, I felt like Froto Beck.
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Yeah, I cheer said it last week.
0:20
Calvin Harris is that Friday vibe. What's going on, man? How are you? I'm really great. You are. You are. You are. I'm happy. Yeah. How are you? I'm great. No, it's good, man.
0:27
I mean, obviously there are people listening in in countries all over the globe right now who'll be thrilled to hear your voice because you don't do a lot of talking.
0:34
Um, you let your music do most of that. How deep is your love?
0:36
Yeah, clearly not worried about the Google search on that one.
0:39
So, let that go all together. That's totally fine.
0:42
Yeah, I think we got away with it.
0:44
So far, that's a sort of lose-lose situation cuz if the song or when the song is a colossal worldwide smash, then ultimately you probably will at least temporarily replace one of the greatest songs of all time in Google search.
0:56
And so your success will be somewhat bittersweet because no one really wants to diss the BeeGees.
0:59
I'm happy if it replaces the take that version, right, of 1996, was it?
1:03
I feel like that was the the first time we saw boy bands on stools and subsequently then it's become a standard maneuver and just to let people behind the curtain just a little bit who missed this opportunity to see Calvin sus out whether he was going to sit or stand.
1:20
You opted against the store for that reason.
1:22
instantly regretting my decision as well cuz I really feel like I' I'd a sit down. We can sit. I might do that. Should we adjust? Yeah.
1:28
Well, now that we've mentioned it, I feel Should we adjust?
1:31
Let's adjust in real time. Yeah.
1:33
I'm going to go to the stool right now, ladies and gentlemen. And now to sing. Calvin Harris. Here we go.
1:39
I'm only as tall as you now sitting down. You've definitely grown. I don't buy it. How deep is your love? Yeah. Tell me about this song.
1:46
This might be one of my favorite songs that you've released melodically, musically.
1:51
I love the tone of it, the texture.
1:51
It's almost a dance ballad with positive overtones.
1:55
That's what I've been saying. Yeah. Wow.
1:56
That's exactly what I've been saying.
1:58
I've been like it's it's like a love song ballad dance tune. Yeah, it is.
2:03
It's like um it's obviously a bit a bit deeper like the deep house everyone's talking about now.
2:07
Putting a song like that together and and adjusting to all those textures and trying something new and going and going somewhere different inside to get it outside. Do you know what I mean? Was that fun? Was that fun?
2:17
Kind of like I did this with Disciples.
2:18
They sent one of the roughest demos I've ever heard. Okay.
2:23
They had Now, what is that?
2:24
Because I've heard some some rough demos, and I need to know what what the standard of rough is.
2:27
It was like It was like a a drum loop.
2:32
Um, and it was some chords, but it had the vocal, right?
2:35
And the vocal was just insane.
2:38
Like the vocal blew my mind.
2:39
Like the tone of it and the content and the way that she sung it.
2:42
I'm like, "This vocal is like it's killer. It's so good."
2:46
That's such a boss move to know how good your vocal is to just send it in basically wrapped up. Yeah. Yeah. In in newspaper. Yeah. Mad.
2:52
Um so I so I had that and I was like we need to finish this somehow cuz they sent me a bunch of mixes over cuz um I published two of the guys that were on my publishing.
3:06
Oh my god, you're such a boss. It's unbelievable.
3:08
But I sent really long emails trying to get trying to like get them to to do it themselves and then I'm just like, you know what, just give me a send me the roll call. What does it allude to?
3:18
Anything or you in single mode right now, professionally speaking?
3:22
Hey, I see I see what you mean. Uh, took me a while. Get that. Hey. Um, yeah.
3:26
I'm not even thinking about an album.
3:29
I think if anything, this is like an anti- album situation because it's come so soon after my album came out. Mhm.
3:35
So, it's like it's like I've drawn the line, the album's done.
3:38
Y to me, that's one of those things that's now in the discoraphy on Wikipedia, and now I can carry on and just release like one song at a time, which is the method.
3:52
That is the Calvin Harris method.
3:52
It's the method since 2011. Yeah.
3:53
Um and I went slightly off the method for the last album. Yeah, that's true.
3:58
Because, you know, you kind of came through with an album as a whole, which was a bit of a sneak attack for did two singles and then I released it which is compared to what I did before which was eight. Yeah. It felt wrong.
4:11
And also I feel like when with music like mine I feel like the single is the format.
4:15
It does the job well because I feel like people need to hear certain things a lot like outside for me would have done so much better if it had been a single and not come after the album.
4:29
And I regret that in a way because I feel like that's my favorite thing I've ever done.
4:33
Reaction to that song though when you perform it live and I've seen it as strong. Oh, for sure. Yeah.
4:36
No, I'm just I'm just picking holes in it.
4:39
Picking holes in otherwise flawless career.
4:40
It's important to do that though.
4:42
And a a progressive album from Calvin Harris at some point would be nice though because you have the musical chops. In what way?
4:47
You could write anything you wanted to write.
4:50
It's not like, you know, you are restricted by a chord structure or a method of writing and therefore you put it over a certain type of beat.
4:58
You found a rhythm that works for you, but we everyone knows how musical you are. Oh, yeah. Everyone knows that. Well, they they do now. Well, they do now.
5:06
I think um I mean I was listening to some of my second album the other day cuz I like to research things.
5:12
So, I decided to research myself.
5:14
Basically what happened since maybe 2006 to 2011 I was just making anything and I was just making music and there was no direction and it was just me making a tune because I wanted to make a tune that sounded like this or this or this.
5:28
And then end of 2010 I decided to focus whatever ideas I had into basically one tempo and try and work out the ideal structure for a dance record like a radio dance record.
5:41
I feel like I watched you do this in real time. Yeah, you did basically. Yeah, completely.
5:47
Cuz you know, we were quite we we hung out a few times around that time and I and I watched you kind of just basically forming the plan in your brain. Mhm.
5:53
And and then Wugger and then Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
5:56
I have a list of songs here that you put up.
5:57
You put up one playlist on Connect so far.
5:59
It's a little bit a little bit slow, but we appreciate you doing that in the first place. Thanks very much. Slow.
6:03
I'm just saying, you know, a little bit more would be good. You know, what one?
6:06
Well, just another one at some point, but it was a great playlist.
6:13
And this is it's not quantity, it's quality.
6:16
And this playlist is exceptional.
6:17
There are 10 songs that we've picked here.
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And you put them This is why this is such a good playlist.
6:22
You haven't seen this right now.
6:23
This is Calvin's greatest hits as chosen by Calvin in order of importance of love that you have for the tracks. Yeah. Amazing. Honest 10.
6:28
I want to go through it because Balance is at number 10. Oh, it's great. No, I love that song.
6:34
I was thinking about that song the other That was one of the first riffs that had the crowd doing the Well, that was that's been that was been the goal for a while because the first track we call that the cassavian effect. Yeah. Yeah.
6:49
Or the white striped seven army effect.
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The um the first thing that I that I first track that I did that I achieved that with was I'm not alone.
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I remember when I used to play with the band and then we come off stage and I think we were in Ireland doing Oxygen Festival. Perfect start.
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As we left the crowd was just going Exactly. And it was amazing. I was like, I did it. Yes.
7:16
And now just ever since then, I've been trying to do it again and again. At number eight, Summer. I like that one. Good song. Yeah. One of my favorites. Big record. Yeah. Um slow burner in a way.
7:28
Big song came out boom, but in terms of live, I remember seeing you about a year after that record came out and it was it was the moment. Yeah.
7:37
Nowadays, it's Blame But Summer is still up there.
7:39
It's cuz John Newman is a boss. Yeah.
7:43
One of the best vocalists you've ever recorded. Yes. Unreal. Yes. Unreal. Amazing.
7:48
When he goes guttural, it's unbelievable.
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Like it's noises that you've never heard a guy make.
7:52
And he's extra amazing because he's so into it and he's so emotional.
7:56
Yeah, it's really it's really great to watch him work.
7:59
Did he stand over your shoulder and start moving music, but we did the vocal together.
8:11
We re-recorded the vocal that he sent me and it was just amazing.
8:15
Calvin Harris is with us right here on Beats One.
8:16
We're currently going through his greatest hits as chosen by Calvin Harris in order of importance and love by Calvin Harris. We're only at the 10.
8:24
I don't even want to look at the previous 10. They don't even qualify. It was patchy. It's pretty patchy. Thinking about you. Oh yeah. At number seven. M interesting. You're not a fan. I like it.
8:36
I like it for a few reasons.
8:38
It was a bit It was a bit houseier before the house explosion. You were pre-house. Well, you were.
8:43
Oh, I mean before the re re the re-up.
8:45
It's upsetting, isn't it?
8:47
It kind of is a little a little a little. It's okay. It's fine. It is what it is. It's going up.
8:54
It's going up in flames literally every single night. In what way? A lot of flames.
8:59
A lot of confetti cannons.
8:59
A lot of confetti cannons.
9:01
You play it really smart because a you write real music, real pop songs that are successful in their own right, irrespective of whatever genre they're in, you could play any of these songs on acoustic guitar and they would connect with people.
9:12
But then when you go and you take them to that environment whereby you excel and you put them on a stage and you project them out to 70,000 people and they react, you're selective and I really respect that.
9:21
There is a lot of people out there that are hustling it right now and why wouldn't you?
9:25
I can't knock the hustle, make the money. It's out there to get.
9:27
But you seem to be really kind of protective of that environment and where you play those songs and what kind of environment you put them on. Yeah.
9:32
Also, I'm lazy, so I don't like to play a lot of gigs. And there it is. You know, I'm very lazy.
9:39
Well, you did that a lot, didn't you, in the early stage of your career and and then I saw you one time and you looked exhausted.
9:43
So, I guess now you don't have to. Oh, man. Yeah.
9:44
Like for the first maybe 5 years cuz there was the moment where you're in a band and you're trying to establish that band.
9:50
to tour and tour and tour and then when I did the whole DJ thing, I did the same setup.
9:56
So, I did a lot of touring, but that that experience kind of fed the music as well.
10:02
It's what led to me um coming up with the arrangement that was perfect for the songs I was making.
10:07
So, it was all good, but now let's play Vegas. I love it. That's it. LA to Vegas and back. Yeah. In a night.
10:13
I play festivals still, but no, I I I love being in studio.
10:17
So, I don't want to do club tours.
10:19
I want to make music instead and I have the luxury to make the choice so I do that. Do you love LA? Oh yeah.
10:26
What do you love about LA?
10:26
Um I feel like when I lived in the UK, even going out the front door was like a battle, you know? It is. You're jacked. You're jacked in.
10:35
It's It's an intense experience. Yeah, it is.
10:37
It's It's like being strapped in a chair. Like it's real life.
10:41
And um when I when I went back there a few months ago from LA, it's like cuz I lived in a place called Camden, you know, like a lot of a lot of places in London, it's like there's a nice part and there's a very real part.
10:57
So going back and like being in the real part from from a from a city like LA is like um it it just it didn't become much fun.
11:09
But it was important to live there when I did because I got a lot of work done because I had nothing else to do.
11:12
You know, it was raining, the weather was great.
11:16
I wanted to get out of there.
11:16
So, I just spent time in studio and just made songs. Life is good for you. It's great. Living good. Yeah. Got a nice view. Mhm. Lovely girlfriend. Mhm. Seems like a nice lady. Amazing. Yeah. Happy. Very. Yeah.
11:34
What are you going to do now that you kind of make him, you know, you sort of let that album go?
11:36
What's the What's the next 6 to 12 months for you?
11:38
Well, I'm just doing one song at a time.
11:40
I don't know what style it's going to be in.
11:42
I know that it's still going to be dance music because I'm not ready to do make anything that I want to make like how I used to.
11:51
Um, and I want to be able to play the tracks in shows.
11:55
That's important to me cuz I still play a lot of shows.
11:58
Um, so yeah, I'm doing one single at a time.
12:02
I'm just trying to make music that maybe is a little different but still fits the the genre.
12:09
So the people who have known you for some time and and who appreciate all the success that you've had and and take a look at the life that you've built for yourself through great music, they see you now living out in LA and they're like that's fantastic, but they know that there's been a huge shift, a huge transition from from where you've gone to where you are.
12:23
And you seem to handle it with real grace.
12:25
And I was talking to someone about someone about this the other day.
12:28
Both you and Taylor seem to handle the attention with ease.
12:29
She goes a lot more than me. She does. She does.
12:33
But, you know, it comes with the territory.
12:34
And it for people who don't know, who just read this stuff, is it is it difficult to deal with that kind of intentional?
12:39
Can you just walk your way through it?
12:41
Can you can you get through it?
12:42
Like I said, she gets I mean, you can't compare it.
12:45
And now that I've seen it up close, it's wow.
12:47
Like, you couldn't say that I got in attention based on what she gets. But yeah, you're right.
12:54
She handles it incredibly well. Really well, man.
12:55
For me, I might go Whole Foods and a guy wants a picture.
13:00
Does that sound like a hardship to you? No. No.
13:01
Whole Foods on a hot day on a Sunday, though.
13:04
It can be a little difficult, you know. Yeah.
13:04
I mean, you wouldn't catch me another one on Fairfax on a Sunday ever.
13:08
That's got the best selection. It's incredible, man.
13:09
You don't get that brisket up in Santa Monica.
13:12
You don't get that brisket up on Santa Monica or Brentwood, but you can't get in the car park.
13:16
So, no, it's honestly, it's I have no complaints.
13:19
My complaints are so minor, and they're not to do with people.
13:24
They're to do with like the industry. What industry? You're the industry.
13:30
You're your own industry, aren't you?
13:33
I mean, really, with the greatest of respect, you're in a situation whereby you can call whatever shot you want, surely.
13:39
Or there's still restrictions that you feel that frustrate you.
13:42
Oh, you know, things like release dates and stuff, all that stuff gets really, really crazy.
13:46
Everyone's fighting with each other.
13:48
Radio stations are fighting each other.
13:50
There are stations, especially in the UK, that make things very difficult. Very difficult. Very difficult.
13:55
Um, so there's all of that.
13:57
I mean, we had we had to sacrifice one of the stations in order just to play like have the song play and then it be released on the same day, what they call it, day and day.
14:06
Um, so there's a station that just won't play records that aren't on pre-order. That was 10 years ago.
14:12
People stop pre-orders a very long time ago.
14:14
You know, UK is the only place that does pre-orders. What's the point?
14:17
That's the things that frustrate me.
14:19
It's just like, let's all let's all get on the same page. It's music.
14:24
Number six, this is a good one. I need your love. Oh yeah. Yeah, I like that. That is a big record.
14:33
[Music] That is a big record.
14:34
I mean, really though, with Alli and one of Alli's best guest turns as well.
14:39
Yeah, she's got a great voice and a great tone. It's very different.
14:43
It's that thing when you want to do a record with someone, you want them to stand out on it.
14:47
And like I think the reason certain singers are so successful is because they sound so unique.
14:53
She's totally unique and she's totally, you know, she's learned to work within her range and her range has improved as a fan as well.
14:58
When you hear her new records that she pushes herself much further now, confidence in it. Yeah, exactly.
15:04
It's comfort and confidence and that leads to pushing herself to an uncomfortable place, you know. She's brilliant. I'm a fan.
15:08
We're all fans of the station. His show is great, too.
15:11
At number five, Under Control Big Record.
15:13
Yeah, Theo's Theo's great. Theo's amazing, man. Theo's underrated. His voice is is insane.
15:19
Like again, it's that distinctive thing.
15:22
I can't compare him to anyone that's around.
15:25
He's such a nice guy, too, and so good-looking. It's ridiculous. He's a handsome man.
15:30
At number four, surprised this is only at number four. Blame.
15:34
Well, I mean, lot of hits. Yeah.
15:34
I mean, I don't want to say, but the top three is pretty strong as well.
15:40
Number three, Feel So Close. Yeah.
15:43
Featuring the nimble guitar work of Calvin Harris. Yeah. One note at a time. It doesn't matter. Put a little bit.
15:50
put a bit of Bit Crush on that and you got a hit.
15:54
There was Bit Crusher on that. All right.
15:58
That was the game over moment because the American radio picked up on your sound. It wasn't the song.
16:00
It was like, "This is the sound. This is it."
16:02
And I think between you and Lady Gaga, Mike Skinner told me this cuz we were having a debate about Lady Gaga and he was like, "One thing you got to remember about Lady Gaga, she put Four on the Floor back on American radio." Yeah.
16:11
Her and um her and Will I Am. Yeah.
16:13
Up until Black Eyed Peace. Yeah.
16:15
Up until that moment there was nothing resembling a four floor in pop music. 100%.
16:18
They even had a hip-hop version of Poker Face for radio. Did they? Yeah. I didn't know that.
16:26
They were playing that cuz they couldn't handle the dance group. Oh my lord. Yeah.
16:30
They made two versions and then it was the 441 that hit.
16:32
It hit and then it just went ridiculous. Great record. Feel so close. Huge. One of my favorites.
16:39
Changed the game in dance music.
16:41
I think everyone after that was bring, you know, all that kind of like boleric sort of um German tropical house that has all the guitars in it.
16:46
Nah, you're to blame for that. I don't think so. I do. I disagree.
16:49
I actually think that's the one thing that people couldn't replicate.
16:52
I think there thing, you know, when I'm Not Alone came out and before that, no one really did that riff since, you know, 96 or whatever and everyone copied it cuz it was quite easy to do.
17:02
Nobody copied feel so close.
17:02
How is I'm Not Alone not on here?
17:05
That is one of the greatest riffs of all time.
17:08
I think that the the production hasn't stood the test of time because at the time I was trying to make it sound older than what it was anyway.
17:17
So, oh my god, overthinking a much.
17:20
Well, you know how people do house music now and they intentionally sound like rough and old and bad production.
17:24
And that's what I was trying to do there.
17:30
Thing is that you've always walked the line, I think, very well between house hands and trans hands. Yeah. And trans trousers. And trans trousers.
17:38
Paulo composed trans trousers. I try.
17:40
Who is your favorite making dance music right now?
17:44
Who is your absolute favorite?
17:44
I'll tell you mine and tell me yours. Making dance music. Yeah.
17:48
God, that's a really difficult question cuz which makes it great.
17:52
It's the sort of thing that I'm going to need to think about and come back to. Okay.
17:56
Well, I'll tell you what.
17:57
I really listen to dance music.
17:57
Is there a way is Future dance music? Future is a rapper.
18:00
I know, but is he dance music?
18:02
Well, you could dance to it, right? A come on. Future 56 nights. Unbelievable.
18:07
I sit on the radio today.
18:11
He's the omnipresent influence. Everyone just rips him. Yeah. everybody. Yeah.
18:15
But now finally he's getting his dues. Yeah. Incredible. Yeah. Outside at number two. Surprising that. Well, here's the thing.
18:22
Like I'm obsessed with that string part.
18:23
And I think that string part is awesome. I'm really proud of it. Right.
18:28
So that's the only reason I think and I really like the production as well.
18:31
I think I did a good job.
18:33
And if I'm going to make a greatest hits and pat myself on the back like that, then I might as well congratulate myself individually on each track.
18:41
I think that was a really good one.
18:43
She sounds great on it as well.
18:45
Really nice harmony part in the second verse that also I'm proud of that we nailed.
18:51
Speaking of nailed, I was having dinner with you in Australia and you said I'm on this Rihanna tour. Yeah.
18:58
I've got a new song coming, which was Bounce.
18:59
Then I have this other one coming.
19:01
Not sure it's your thing to play, but see if you like it. You know, feel so close.
19:05
I'm going to make some hits. Mhm.
19:06
And then We Found Love happened.
19:08
Was that already underway?
19:08
I hadn't made that then when I was on Rihanna tour and she said she wanted to do a song with me.
19:13
I hadn't even made Feel so close.
19:15
I like and that came out before we found love.
19:17
No, I think it took me like maybe 6 months before I even tried to do something for Rihanna.
19:24
So you parked that thought knew that you had to take the opportunity but you just didn't want to rush it cuz you get that opportunity once, right? To smash it. Yeah.
19:32
And I didn't know what it should sound like.
19:34
And in fact, I don't think when I was writing it, I knew that it was going to be a Rihanna record.
19:40
I was trying to get a female singer on it, you know, that it was going to be Calvin Harris featuring whoever wants to sing this song.
19:46
Um, but I mean, the the reason for the organ riff is cuz I was trying to do like an old school rave thing, you know, like Prodigy organ. That's what that was.
19:56
But then when I added that offbeat to Tom thing, that made it kind of tropical.
20:01
It kind of made it like an island vibe.
20:06
the organ and the bit and I'm like, "Oh, hang on.
20:08
I don't really rave anymore, is it?"
20:11
It's kind of like a It's a little It's a little Beijian vibe, but then on top of that, it was like a song.
20:17
It's like an emotional song with I just think it's the lyric.
20:21
It's one of the great lyrics of modern pop music. It's amazing.
20:23
Where were you at the time when that lyric came to mind? I was in London.
20:27
I was in my little studio on Horny Road.
20:29
I found the original project file that has me doing falsetto like nonsense lyrics over the top. It's really fascinating.
20:40
I forgot that it even existed.
20:43
But when I come up with that line, it took like 6 minutes really of going round and round and round and round riffing riffing riffing riffing.
20:52
Subconscious subconscious looking for it looking for it.
20:53
It's just that thing where I didn't know what it meant when I said it and then you try and fit the words into the nonsense sounds that work so well with the music and then you come up with that line and you don't know what it is or or if it makes sense at all.
21:09
So, it's actually a lot less clever than you think.
21:11
When you did you write that for Rihanna? No. What? This is ridiculous. I mean, come on.
21:17
I was just Come on, Calvin.
21:17
I was just writing songs.
21:20
You got even though she said she wanted to do a record with me, I've got I did the band stuff done.
21:26
I've got Bounce and I got Feel So Close about to come out. That's all I had.
21:29
So it's not like I had this track record like I can approach Rihanna with a song and she's going to definitely sing it.
21:37
Like but um I was lucky that my manager had direct contact with Jay Brown, her manager.
21:43
So that's how I got to her.
21:46
That's that's if he didn't have the the Jay Brown connect then it wouldn't have happened.
21:50
I've got no How am I going to get in contact with Rihanna?
21:52
When did you realize it had changed your life?
21:53
Um it's funny cuz I was on another Rihanna tour when it came out as number one ever in the world.
22:00
I was opening for her in Europe and they were like really bad gigs, really terrible gigs.
22:05
Like nobody was into what I was doing.
22:08
Um, so like on one hand I was at like the best point in my career production wise like in collaboration with the artist you're on tour, right?
22:17
And on the other hand, no one cares.
22:18
I was playing the worst the worst shows of my life.
22:20
I literally like kids standing in front of me booing me cheering like Rihanna. Thumbs down.
22:29
France was the worst one. It was crazy.
22:31
Like people literally third song they would start chanting Rihanna.
22:33
I'm like look she needs a support act.
22:34
Like everyone that would have been so I'm saying that to myself.
22:39
I'm like look everybody has support acts. Yeah.
22:41
She comes on at like 8:30 like like every other show. I don't care. But very gracious.
22:47
She let me play We Found Love at the end. Boom. Yeah. So that was really good.
22:51
That was really nice of her.
22:52
But when did you realize it changed your life?
22:54
Um maybe like my birthday that year.
22:57
It seemed like it was a good thing.
23:00
I hadn't done a gig all year.
23:02
Well, in fact, my birthday's on 17th of January, so I had 17 days off.
23:03
And then um I played Vegas, I suppose, cuz I've called Excess. Yeah.
23:08
And um and yeah, everyone knew the song.
23:10
It was when I was drinking, got really drunk, had an amazing time, played for 5 hours.
23:18
Don't know how many times I played We Found Love.