Living Life on Life's Terms
Gordon Raphael, Producer of The Strokes, joins the Podcast to discuss Creativity, Overcoming Blocks and Social Media
In today’s Podcast, I sit down with Gordon Raphael, the iconic producer behind The Strokes. In it, he shares key insights for creatives:
🎸 Breaking through as a modern musician
📱 Social media for artists
🎧 Spotify and its impact
🎛️ Studio philosophy
💡 Creativity & boredom
🧱 Overcoming creative blocks
✍️ Writing process
⏰ Daily routines
Living Life on Life's Terms
I asked Gordon, sitting opposite me—beatific and a little tired after a long day—what his advice would be for anyone at their lowest point.
“Just when you can’t stand any more, or take any more, and everything’s over, and you have no idea what’s going to happen, you never know when you’re going to turn the corner, and the next best thing happens, and you’re suddenly within a very short amount of time in a completely different place that’s extremely powerful and good.”
Gordon Raphael
It was the closing moments of today’s podcast, where I had the rare opportunity to dive deep into his life and uncover meaning from the darker corners of his past.
Beforehand, I’d asked it if it was okay to probe into these spaces.
Sure, people want to know about his time recording “The Strokes” in New York.
But how I asked myself, could that chapter be understood without exploring the life which brought those young men to his door?
What about the things that preceded it? The heroin addiction, the escape from the burning church, the times he stood at the edge of the precipice?
I wanted to explore these corners not only because they’re intertwined but because so many of us hit walls in our own lives—walls we think we’ll never break through.
While “hero” stories can inspire, they often feel distant and disconnected from the mundane struggles of our everyday lows.
But with Gordon, you never feel that distance.
As if his soaring highs and desperate lows are our own.
That is something to inspire.
That is something to be.
Gordon made it clear that he was open and that we could go where the conversation took us.
And that we did.
Sitting there is Mercy Sound Studios in New York.
My voice recovering after a blistering session recording new song “Wicked Things”.
It felt so special to warm up for the podcast by having Gordon produce a tune.
The conversation which followed has its origin in his concert in our little squatted flat on Friedrichstrasse in 2007.
The place was pounding so hard that I wondered if the creaking DDR floor could take it. We kept on dancing, and never went through it.
Today’s podcast is the culmination of a friendship which started that day.
I recount its origins in the intro and even rummaged through old DVDs to bring the story to life in the YouTube version (I recommend watching there!)
As someone who doesn’t spend enough time looking back, it was moving to take an evening to look through the rearview mirror.
And more so, to notice the profound effect one person can have as they drift in and out of your life.
It just happens that this one was called Gordon Raphael.
One of the most beloved producers in the world.
And one of its most special humans.
I really hope you enjoy the conversation. As always, thank you all for your support—your messages and comments are lifeblood to me!
Love, Jim
Pictures Contextualising the Podcast
Working with Gordon on “Wicked Things” at Mercy Sound Studios in April 2004
Gordon laying down a synth part on “Final Call” in 2009 - he’d taken over production.
Attempting to run Pro Tools while Gordon made mad sounds on the Juno!
“Stills” from one of the gigs in our little rehearsal space.
This gig was with “The Kooks” who’d heard it was the place to play and wanted to jam. We did: loudly. I’m playing bass because their bassist was too out of it to play.
The room I took over in the abandoned building on Friedrichstrasse. The view looked over the Tacheles, where we’d often play. Below was our rehearsal room. At night I felt in the heart of life, and in the day wondered what happened to it.
Gordon producing “Like a Human Heart” in 2016. He was contributing to the “Boat for Sara” project which raised the money for a Search and Rescue Boat during “The Refugee Crisis”.
Gordon dialled in while producing that session. The ten songs were recorded in 48 hours and released shortly after to raise the money.
A hug with the maestro at the end of the podcast!
2 weeks ago I saw the kooks in Arbon and because one concert is not enough I travelled the next day through Switzerland to Spiez for the second one. Why I‘m not surprised you already played with them? Good souls are always connected….