Ep. 263: Ziggy Marley on Family Rules for Life, Music, and Success

Today's guest is a Grammy-winning songwriter, bandleader and activist who has spent four decades inside the most famous name in reggae — but whose real story isn't the inheritance. It's the set of rules underneath it, the ones the family actually lives by, which turn out to have almost nothing to do with music. And The Writer Is... Ziggy Marley! Subscribe to our channel and follow us on socials @andthewriteris Every week we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. A special thank you to our sponsors for making these conversations possible. Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishers' Association. Your support means the world to us. And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period. Chapters: 0:00 He inherited a legacy and built a voice of his own 0:45 Why reggae heals 4:53 What makes the Marley family so consistent 6:43 Seven kids, and the family business that isn't music 8:36 Why the whole album is tuned to 432 12:32 The one song he left at 440 16:06 What makes this album different from the other fifteen 18:11 Finishing the songs before going into the studio 20:37 Why he wrote "Many Mourn For Bob" 45 years later 24:54 Umbrella or shadow: being a Marley 26:39 The funeral, and the drive to Nine Miles 30:54 NMPA + Splice 33:15 Breaking the four-bar on "Racism" 36:03 "It sounds light, but it's heavy underneath" 38:37 What "Beach in Hawaii" is actually about 43:37 How he found out "Tomorrow People" was a hit 46:14 The Melody Makers, and the line you don't cross 49:15 "Create your own space" 53:45 Advice to the next Marleys 55:27 "You can't just ChatGPT life experience" 59:12 "When the fridge was empty, I was happy" 1:00:26 "I know my value" 1:03:07 "It's always new. Still a kid." Credits: Hosted by Ross Golan Produced by Joe London & Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.