If I could talk to any musician, songwriter, artist, or producer, I’d probably go for someone who could teach me something while I'm not too starstruck by them. Instead of choosing one of my heroes just because I’m a fan (like John Mayer or Damien Rice), I’d want this conversation to be about learning and understanding their creative process.
I think I’d love to sit down with one of the top producers of our time, like Dr. Dre, Mark Ronson, Rick Rubin, or Jack Antonoff. They’re all doing good stuff and have influenced so much of today’s sound. And then, of course there’s George Martin, the fifth Beatle who had such a huge impact on the music we listen to even now. Learning from someone with that level of influence would be incredible.
On the other hand, I’d also love to talk to some top songwriters and musicians to understand their creative process. Benny Blanco comes to mind since he’s written so many songs and collaborated with a ton of people. Sia would be amazing too, or even Eminem—his lyric writing is just out of the world.
So yeah, it’s hard to pick just one, but I’d probably go with someone whose work could push me further creatively.