Who is producing Paul McCartney’s new album?
By now, the hardest part of Paul McCartney’s career must be that all of his old regular collaborators are sadly gone. All the people he used to immediately turn to or rely on are no longer around, so when it comes to announcing a new record, like the upcoming The Boys of Dungeon Lane, a new cast is needed.
Throughout The Beatles’ career, there was only one man for the job when it came to production. George Martin was so essential to their trajectory that he was dubbed the ‘fifth Beatle’, as from their early label auditions to their final movements, he was there. He was one of the only names who believed in them in the start, giving them essential advice, like to sack Pete Best and bring in Ringo Starr.
But for McCartney, it was even more than that. “He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family,” McCartney said in 2016 at the time of Martin’s passing, adding, “If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George.”
With so much trust in Martin, he even played a key role in McCartney’s solo career. There’s something moving in the fact that in 1982, when the artist was clearly struggling for direction after the split of Wings and after so many years of self-production, he went back home. Martin produced Tug of War and then went on to be part of a run of records from then on to his retirement, reigniting their collaboration.
There are other regular figures at play, too, as obviously, there was Linda Eastman, the other Beatles, and his Wings bandmates. Overwhelmingly, McCartney was a man who liked to bring familiar faces in, but it has only gotten harder and harder. In 2020, for McCartney III, he called in Greg Kurstin, with whom he’d worked before, but for this upcoming album, it’s a brand new name in the production seat.
Who is producing The Boys of Dungeon Lane?
Behind the desk of McCartney’s new album is Andrew Watt, who, at only 35, is a remarkably young talent for the artist to not only entrust with such a major role, but such a major role on what seems to be a deeply important and reflective record for McCartney.
The album seems like it’s going to be diving into his past with The Beatles and his childhood, so bringing in a young producer is an interesting contrast; however, Watt has a strong résumé to prove his talents.
After starting out as a session guitarist, he quickly seemed to connect with legends, and in 2013, he started the band California Breed alongside members of Black Sabbath and Foreigner, which led him to connect with, and produce for, the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop, alongside modern acts including Lana Del Rey, Charli XCX and Justin Bieber.
In 2021, he took home the Grammy for ‘Best Producer’, and in 2025, he won for ‘Best Rock Album’ as part of the team behind The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds, even netting an Oscar, as the song he wrote with Elton John, ‘Never Too Late’, won ‘Best Original Song’ in 2025.
Clearly, despite being young, he’s got the chops and comes highly recommended from many of McCartney’s peers.
