Episode 319 - Linda Perry
6/20/202649 min
Songwriter and producer Linda Perry discusses Let It Die Here, her first solo album in over 25 years, and its accompanying documentary, which offers a candid look at her life and creative process. Linda explains the ways that grief and the loss of her mother are bound up in the work, the role of vulnerability in songwriting, and what she's looking for when she collaborates with an artist in the studio.
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First 90 secondsBrian· Host0:00
[funky music] Hello there. You're listening to So the Jerk on Songwriting. This is Brian and Simon, and joining us for episode 319 is a highly esteemed American singer, songwriter, and producer who first came to worldwide prominence in the early '90s as frontwoman of 4 Non Blondes.
Simon· Host0:32
She later became one of the most sought-after writing and producing talents in pop music, penning a string of colossal hits for the likes of Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Gwen Stefani in the early 2000s, and going on to collaborate with a stellar cast of artists, including Dolly Parton, Alicia Keys, Weezer, Celine Dion, Bono, Courtney Love, and Ringo Starr.
Brian· Host0:53
She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015 and was recently the richly deserving recipient of the International Songwriter Award at the 2026 IVORS. Her excellent new solo album, Let It Die Here, her first in over 25 years, is out now and accompanied by a candid feature-length documentary of the same name, directed by Don Hardy.
Simon· Host1:12
It offers an intimate look at our guest's creative process, but we also see how she navigates some seismic life events that took place during the filming, not least the death of her mother, which ultimately inspired the writing of the new record. We are honored to welcome the great Linda Perry to the show.
Brian· Host1:27
Linda was born in Springfield, Massachusetts,