Podcast Summary: Uncapped #30 | Alex Pall from The Chainsmokers

Podcast: Uncapped with Jack Altman
Host: Alt Capital
Guest: Alex Pall (The Chainsmokers)
Release Date: October 29, 2025

Overview

This engaging episode brings together Jack Altman and Alex Pall for a deep-dive exploration into music creation, the business of art, the interplay of creativity and entrepreneurship, and the shifting landscape facing both musicians and investors. Alex shares unfiltered stories from his journey as one half of The Chainsmokers and as an investor, weaving behind-the-scenes anecdotes, insights about the music industry, reflections on authenticity, and lessons learned from venturing into the world of tech and venture capital. Their frank conversation touches on everything from legendary collaborations to the power of momentum, self-awareness, and staying grounded amid fame and success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Creative Process & Collaboration

• No Formula for Greatness
  Alex describes how no two hit songs are created alike:

  "I don't think there's like a single song in existence that doesn't have, like, an insane story...the creative process is not ever formulaic..." (02:04)

• On Songwriting with Coldplay
  The making of "Something Just Like This" highlighted the power of in-person, organic collaboration:

  "...I think we needed that session...he wanted to get to know who we were. We wanted to get to know who he was...the energy in the room had, like, built up over the course of this day where there was pressure, but also this expectation where we were just like, we're going to get it." (08:56–09:56)

• Memorable Creative Moments
  Chris Martin’s spontaneous energy:

  "...He just walks in and it's like, there's only a few people on the planet, I feel like, would, like, have that gravity when they walk in...and just was like, hey, guys, you know, what are you working on? ...and you're just like, hold Mike." (06:16)

Stories Behind Iconic Songs

• "Something Just Like This" (with Coldplay)

  • Initial hesitation, creative “false starts” (06:38–07:33)
  • Chris Martin lays down “80% of the core of the song” in a single energetic, improvised take (08:14–08:30)

• "Closer"

  • Began on a tour bus with friends, “tipsy” late-night energy; the chords lived in Drew’s head for years:

    “There’s just like certain chords your hands just, like, gravitate toward when you sit down, and they were the closer chords.” (10:11)

  • Drew's first time singing—a risk emboldened by post-show relaxation:

    "Him singing might have, like, been a result of like having a few beers that night where he was like, fuck it, I'll do it." (14:08)

• "Don't Let Me Down"

  • Written without Alex present—describes the song’s “trap” and indie influences, and Emily Warren’s lyrical inspiration (getting lost at Coachella) (19:50–21:12)
  • Drew lost the entire session file and rebuilt the entire song from memory, making it ultimately better by stripping it to essentials:

    “He had to rebuild the entire song from memory...he didn’t include anything that wasn’t completely necessary next time around.” (22:05–22:44)

Creativity, Substance Use, & the Studio Environment

• On Substances and Creativity

  • Alcohol or drugs can loosen inhibitions and spark creativity, but also risk dependence:

    “It also becomes like a dependency where you think like, oh shit, I can't write anything great unless I'm tipsy or drunk...” (15:04–15:30)

  • Moderation and intention are essential:

    “We’ve both been very conscious over our career of like, maybe we need to tone this down a little bit.” (14:08)

• The Importance of Flow and Focus

  • The need to protect creative space:

    "...you have to be so much more protective about that stuff...is what you're about to say really important? Are they in the middle of something?" (16:25–17:31)

  • Reference to Paul Graham's "maker schedule vs. manager schedule" and urgency of flow state maintenance (17:31–17:40)

Navigating Art and Commerce

• Straddling Artist and Businessmind

  • Acknowledges the tension of “give people what they want” versus artistic internal authenticity:

    “We’re tormented inside...I think, like, for us...we both had really big ambitions, but we were very aligned...” (26:44–26:54)

• Entrepreneurial Mindset

  • Chainsmokers’ business efforts always envisioned as foundations for greater platforms:

    “...when we are successful in building The Chainsmokers, like, let’s only use that as, like, the stepping stone to, like, building a bigger platform of opportunity and entrepreneurial efforts.” (26:54–27:57)

Albums, Authenticity, and Musical Evolution

• The Enduring Art of Albums

  • Singles are hallways to nowhere—albums are what make an artist lasting:

    “You would be hard pressed to find an artist in the history of music that would stand the test of time that hasn’t delivered like an incredible album...absolutely essential...” (31:47)

• Isolation & Intention

  • Shares story of creating an album in Hawaii, emphasizing the need to unplug and focus for deeper creative work (with a little help from mushrooms):

    “...we went there for, like, four weeks and just did mushrooms and surfed and wrote music literally every minute of the day. And it was like, this is what, you know, we weren’t taking meetings. We weren’t getting interrupted...” (33:34–33:51)

• On Staying True While Evolving

  • “It’s so important to stay true to who you are. It doesn’t mean don’t experiment...but I think, like, it’s really important to stay...” (36:53)

Fame, Motivation, & Self-Awareness

• Staying Grounded Amid Success

  • Describes striving for humility and connection, not elitism:

    “I feel like we align with...the founder tech world a lot more acutely because we’re just like...let’s, you know, like, put hours in the gym...” (55:44)

• Dealing with Fame, Ego and the Pressure to Succeed

  • On not getting lost in status:

    “If we think we’re the greatest human beings in the world, like, is our music going to begin to feel like that?” (57:00)

• Momentum and Happiness

  • Emphasizing fun and incremental progress:

    “Momentum is just the most important thing with anything...I want to have fun when we make music in the studio...” (63:58–64:47)

Investing, Value-add, and Lessons from Music

• Mantis: Chainsmokers’ Venture Firm
  • Focuses on being helpful collaborators, not just check-writers:

    “...I’m not trying to be a starter right now. Like, I much...think it’s much cooler to come off the bench for a team that wins a ring than it is to be a starter on a team that’s not even in the playoffs.” (50:55)

  • Leverages showbiz relationships to create advantage, but insists on learning and value creation—not tourist investing (47:49–51:59)
  • Insights into resilience, pattern recognition, and cross-applicability of lessons learned from both failed songs and investments:

    “Most of your investments are going to go to zero...you have to let learn from that. You can’t let it be...can’t set you back...You have to, like, immediately get back...stop looking at the scoreboard. Just keep your eyes on the field.” (52:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On creation and magic:

• “He [Chris Martin] literally, like, lays down what is probably like 80% of the core of the song...progressively it’s just pouring out of him...and we’re just like, holy shit.” (08:28–08:42)

On seeking external validation vs. trusting intuition:

• "You have to, like, trust your gut...it's so easy to get talked out of something awesome." (18:54)

On balance between experimentation and authenticity:

• “It’s so important to stay true to who you are. It doesn’t mean don’t experiment…but I think it really [is] important to, like, stay [authentic].” (36:53–36:55)

On celebrity and humility:

• "Any two white guys can kind of be The Chainsmokers...but then you go around the world and people like, oh, I know who you are, and totally. And I'm so, like, grateful for that. ...Our brand has always been built on, like, acknowledging everyone in the room." (56:58–57:26)

On the value of momentum:

• “Momentum is just the most important thing with anything...I want to have fun when we make music in the studio...a couple steps forward is, like, very meaningful when you zoom out in the long run and try not to get wrapped up in the, like, hysteria of, like, damn, this song failed.” (63:58–64:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Something Just Like This: The Coldplay Story – 05:00–09:56
• Closer: Tour Bus Origins – 10:01–14:08
• Don’t Let Me Down: Missing the Session, Rebuilding from Scratch – 19:45–22:44
• Albums, Authenticity, and Bon Iver Discussion – 30:03–33:51
• Venture Capital, Mantis, and Value-Add Investing – 47:10–51:59
• Art, Fame, Motivation, and Self-Awareness – 55:02–57:57
• Reflections on Momentum, Happiness, and the Drive to Keep Going – 63:58–64:47

Final Reflections

This wide-ranging conversation showcases Alex Pall's blend of artistic passion and business acuity. His candor about creative struggles, personal growth, and adapting to new challenges reveals both vulnerability and drive. The episode is a must-listen for fans of The Chainsmokers, aspiring creators, and anyone interested in the intersection of music, business, and personal evolution.