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Season 3 of The Story Behind the Song continues with DJ and producer Zedd, who is fresh off of releasing his first new album in nine years, Telos. ON this episode, Zedd tracks the trajectory of his career from his beloved breakout hit “Clarity” to the lead Telos single, “Out of Time.” Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts, and watch a clip of the interview below.
Known for his distinctive fusion of progressive and electro house, Zedd’s tracks often feature skyscraping choruses, syncopated drops, and a percussive edge. Such is the case for his breakout 2012 single “Clarity,” which propelled the producer to EDM stardom and earned him his first Grammy win.
On this episode of The Story Behind the Song, Zedd shares the full story behind “Clarity,” which originally began as a discarded vocal from co-writer Matthew Koma’s “Lost at Sea.” He mentions how collaborating with Lady Gaga helped him find time to work on his own album and discusses how he connected with Foxes for the vocal on the final recording.
He then walks us through the origins of his new album Telos, and how working with Bea Miller led to not one but two songs — including the album’s lead single, “Out of Time.” Now approaching 15 years as a professional DJ and producer, Zedd also reflects how he’s found a healthy balance between DJing and partying as he’s gotten older.
That’s an equilibrium Zedd will be glad to have as he embarks on his North American “Telos Tour,” which kicks off in Boston on Thursday, September 19th. Get tickets to all his upcoming dates here.
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Listen to Zedd talk about “Clarity” and “Out of Time” above, or on your favorite podcast platform. Then, make sure to follow The Story Behind the Song, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Fans can also check out the new TSBTS merch — including a killer poster and jigsaw puzzle — available now at the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below!
Follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media, and keep up with the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.