Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
For the past few years, the 42-year-old songwriter and producer has been pop-countrys foremost translator.
That talent became apparent with Kacey Musgravess paradigm-shifting 2018 albumGolden Hour, which Fitchuk co-produced with Daniel Tashian.
Still, Fitchuk doesnt see himself as a country producer just a producer for songwriters.
Deeper Wellis far away from the pop touches we heard onGolden Hourorstar-crossed.
At first, she was curious about writing some songs that could just be performed on a guitar.
We were conscious to not overcook the material once we knew we had great songs.
And the studios that we have in Nashville, weve spent a lot of time at.
To me, old spaces where music has been made almost have a churchlike quality.
It could be just superstitious.
Shes somebody that the intention and the world that shes creating is very important to her.
Maggie was much more shoot-from-the-hip.
Tell me about meeting in the middle there.I grew up in Chicago, and my parents are classical musicians.
My exposure to country music was minimal before I moved to Nashville.
And even in Nashville, Ive only been on the periphery.
And then I was around for Nirvana and the Counting Crows and the Wallflowers or even Wilco.
I think about it more from a singer-songwriter standpoint: James Taylor, Jim Croce.
She really reacted tostar-crossed, before the record was done, and sent a beautiful email to Kacey.
In the end, it didnt work out.
I dont know if it was even described to me as a country record.
Would you be interested in writing some songs with them?
And theyd be interested in having Kacey come too.
So myself, Kacey, and the three of them spent a week in Nashville writing songs.
There were not a lot of parameters given.
I guess that was in the summer of 22.
Then, not uncharacteristically for Beyonces world, we didnt hear anything for a long time.
There were other people in Nashville that wrote songs, but amazingly, I scooted through.
So you werent thinking about Amen and Ameriican Requiem being bookends to the album.Oh, no.
I had no idea.
In fact, Ameriican Requiem was something that Cam brought in one day.
I want to ask you a question thatsbeen on my mindthat I havent been able to answer.
How do you wrap your head around that?Im still trying to.
That would be a guess, not an answer.
