Presenting: Before The Moment with Nile Rodgers

Nile Rodgers (0:09)

A lifetime spent making music is a lifetime made up of individual moments. And no moment is more important than the one before the big change. That turning point where a hobby becomes a profession, when struggle becomes success, when pretty good becomes legendary. I'm Nile Rodgers, co-founder of the band Chic, and producer of Pop Hits with some of the industry's top artists. I'm driving around the country in my Lincoln Navigator SUV, talking to some of the coolest, most interesting people in music to discuss their journey before the moment.

Today, I'm in Los Angeles to meet up with rising star Alex Warren. This young man's ascent to stardom has been nothing short of meteoric. You had to be living on a rock to not have heard the smash hit Ordinary, which spent 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 I know hits, and that's a hit. He toured arenas, earned a Grammy nomination, and collaborated with artists like Jelly Roll, ROSÉ, and even an up-and-comer named Nile Rodgers. I can't wait to talk to him.

My first guest today is Alex Warren.

Alex Warren (1:44)

What's up?

Nile Rodgers (1:46)

I'm Alex Warren. I know his Before The Moment story is unbelievable.

It's something that I know I'm going to relate to because I've already read a lot about you and I've listened to the album. The only way I could say is I listen to the album hippie style, right? Except without the weed.

Alex Warren (2:07)

We should try it with the weed and see what it's like. I've never listened to my album live. That would be so interesting.

Nile Rodgers (2:13)

I'm going to have 32 years sober in a couple of days.

Alex Warren (2:15)

Congratulations, dude. My goodness gracious.

Nile Rodgers (2:19)

Yeah, Unreal, right? Wow. Your next album is probably one of the most consistent pieces of music that I've heard in years.

Alex Warren (2:30)

Thanks, man.

Nile Rodgers (2:31)

It is so good, man.

Alex Warren (2:33)

It means a lot coming from you. Holy shit.

No, I heard your part. It was the coolest day of my life. I was on tour. I don't even remember where I was. I was running around going, no fucking way. It was the coolest thing ever.

Nile Rodgers (2:45)

I loved it. So that's it.

Alex Warren (2:47)

Thank you. It took us a few months to even get the track list down because we were battling with it.

Nile Rodgers (2:51)

I could tell.

Alex Warren (2:51)

Dude, thank you. That means the world. Seriously, I feel like a lot of times, especially in today's day of music, when we make an album, you're just like, everyone's like, oh, well, people don't pay attention to that. I was like, no, this is important. This tells a story. When you go to listen to an album from top to bottom, it's not just the feeling you get from each song, it's how do they play into each other.

When my favorite album came out, I'd hop in the car with my wife and we'd drive around my neighborhood in a full circle for 45 minutes to hear the full album. That to me, you get the story.

Nile Rodgers (3:21)

Bravo, bro. Bravo.

I think there's a moment in an artist trajectory where music stops being a curiosity and becomes something bigger.

Alex Warren (3:33)

Whoa. Yeah.

Nile Rodgers (3:35)

We're storytellers. We want to know what's behind the closed door. Right. Do you need answers to your questions?

Alex Warren (3:42)

Always.

I'm like a kid when I play music and I make music and I'm constantly asking questions. Whether it's an instrument I haven't played or it's a melody that seems foreign, I get excited about it. If you've ever been in the booth or you had someone else in the booth and they're getting frustrated because they can't get that melody right and they keep going flat or sharp or they're hitting the wrong note. And most of the times, I've seen people and they're just angry. They need to take breaks and I find it amusing and fun because I feel like it's now my brain going towards something that's never gone before, which kind of brings that six-year-old kid who got that Fender guitar when he went for Christmas and all of a sudden, he wanted to do talent shows half naked because he was in love with the Naked Brothers Band at six years old. You know? And to me, it's just fun because now I feel like, you know this every night you play a show and it's the same set, but it's not the same show. And at a certain point, your brain kind of goes on autopilot. And from when I'm in the studio or if I'm making music, that's where that curiosity kind of comes back. You know? I haven't lost it yet, but I'm also on my sophomore album. So, and you, you obviously are the expert here.