Adele is set to make a major comeback with the release of her new album 25 next week, and as previously reported, the highly anticipated release features a song called "When We Were Young" that was co-written by Canadian-born singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr.
The UK soul-pop queen recently caught up with Jesso Jr., interviewing the piano-playing troubadour for The Guardian. The conversation hears the collaborators discussing musical inspirations from Tracy Chapman to Bonnie Raitt — to Adele herself. Jesso Jr. revealed that "Someone Like You" was one of the first songs he learned on piano, calling it "great practice."
In addition to opening up about the recording process of his debut album Goon and working with Adele on the new record, he also divulged that Drake and Kanye West are on his bucket list of artists he'd love to work with. "I often find myself writing little ditties I can imagine becoming rap songs," he told Adele. "Not the actual rapping part, just the chorus. I think a couple of the ideas we had when we worked together would be good for rap songs!"
The songwriting pair also exchange what songs they put on in certain situations — like inciting mass sing-alongs (Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" for Adele, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" for Jesso Jr.) or wallowing when you "feel like shit" (Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" or "Me'Shell N'degeocello's "Liquid Moon" for Adele, some Nick Drake or Celine Dion's "All By Myself" for Jesso Jr.).
Adele also grills Jesso Jr. on his favourite album, movie, book and colour, before things wrap up with the final question: "When did you first realize you could walk backwards down the stairs with your feet forwards?"
"I had a bunch of party tricks when I went to school — I always tried to be the class clown," said Jesso Jr. "I think the backwards walking happened sometime in late elementary school, after I stopped being able to fold my ears inside themselves and flick erasers out of them."
Obviously, Adele's creative partnership with Jesso Jr. seems to be a more amicable and productive one than her experience with Damon Albarn earlier this year. Read the full interview here and hear a preview of "When We Were Young" from 60 Minutes Australia in the player below.
Adele's 25 arrives on November 20.
The UK soul-pop queen recently caught up with Jesso Jr., interviewing the piano-playing troubadour for The Guardian. The conversation hears the collaborators discussing musical inspirations from Tracy Chapman to Bonnie Raitt — to Adele herself. Jesso Jr. revealed that "Someone Like You" was one of the first songs he learned on piano, calling it "great practice."
In addition to opening up about the recording process of his debut album Goon and working with Adele on the new record, he also divulged that Drake and Kanye West are on his bucket list of artists he'd love to work with. "I often find myself writing little ditties I can imagine becoming rap songs," he told Adele. "Not the actual rapping part, just the chorus. I think a couple of the ideas we had when we worked together would be good for rap songs!"
The songwriting pair also exchange what songs they put on in certain situations — like inciting mass sing-alongs (Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" for Adele, Outkast's "Hey Ya!" for Jesso Jr.) or wallowing when you "feel like shit" (Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" or "Me'Shell N'degeocello's "Liquid Moon" for Adele, some Nick Drake or Celine Dion's "All By Myself" for Jesso Jr.).
Adele also grills Jesso Jr. on his favourite album, movie, book and colour, before things wrap up with the final question: "When did you first realize you could walk backwards down the stairs with your feet forwards?"
"I had a bunch of party tricks when I went to school — I always tried to be the class clown," said Jesso Jr. "I think the backwards walking happened sometime in late elementary school, after I stopped being able to fold my ears inside themselves and flick erasers out of them."
Obviously, Adele's creative partnership with Jesso Jr. seems to be a more amicable and productive one than her experience with Damon Albarn earlier this year. Read the full interview here and hear a preview of "When We Were Young" from 60 Minutes Australia in the player below.
Adele's 25 arrives on November 20.
A WORLD EXCLUSIVE | Music superstar @Adele opens her heart and her studio - 8.10 SUNDAY on #60Mins https://t.co/VCri6PZQh8
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) November 16, 2015