For nearly two decades, the gears of the mighty Rolling Stones’ recording machine had ground to a halt. While they remained an indomitable force on the touring circuit, the creative wellspring that had produced some of rock and roll’s most iconic anthems seemed to have run dry. Eighteen years is an eternity in the music industry, and for a band that had once been relentlessly prolific, the silence was deafening. The world had changed, but The Rolling Stones, it seemed, were content to rest on their laurels. That is, until a 34-year-old super-producer with a fanboy’s heart and a drill sergeant’s focus entered the picture. Andrew Watt, the Grammy-winning studio wizard behind hits for everyone from Ozzy Osbourne to Dua Lipa, was about to give the legends the “kick up the ass” they didn’t know they needed.

The road to Hackney Diamonds, the band’s first album of original material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, was long and fraught with creative inertia. Sessions had been attempted, material had been amassed, but the spark, the unifying force that had always defined their music, was missing. As Mick Jagger himself admitted, “We had a lot of material recorded, but we weren’t very excited with the results.” It was a sentiment that echoed the frustrations of fans who had waited patiently for a new chapter in the Stones’ storied career.

The turning point came from an unlikely source: a friendly suggestion from a fellow rock icon. In mid-2022, Paul McCartney, who would later contribute bass to a track on the album, recommended Andrew Watt to Ronnie Wood. Jagger, familiar with Watt’s work in revitalizing the careers of legacy acts like Elton John and Iggy Pop, was intrigued. Here was a producer who not only understood the contemporary musical landscape but also possessed a deep, almost encyclopedic knowledge of rock history. He wasn’t just a technician; he was a true believer.

For Watt, the invitation to work with The Rolling Stones was nothing short of a dream come true. “You have this moment where you’re like, ‘Am I even capable of that?’” he recalled. “It’s the greatest honor as a kid with a guitar who grew up idolizing every single thing Keith Richards ever did.” This reverence, however, was not to be mistaken for deference. Watt understood that to produce The Rolling Stones, he couldn’t simply be a sycophant. He had to be a catalyst. “These legends don’t owe anyone anything,” he explained, “so the only reason they’re making a new album is for themselves.” His mission was to help them create a record that was not just a nostalgic victory lap, but a vital, urgent statement.

The initial sessions at Electric Lady Studios in New York were a test. Watt, armed with his intimate knowledge of the band’s back catalogue, had to prove he was more than just a fan. He had to earn their trust. Keith Richards, initially, was likely skeptical. “We call him the Kid,” Richards would later say, but he also noted, “if there was any residue intimidation from us, he certainly didn’t show it.” Watt’s enthusiasm was infectious, and his approach was refreshingly direct. He wasn’t afraid to push, to challenge, and to demand the best from his idols. As Jagger bluntly put it, “We got a producer called Andy Watt who kicked us up the ass.”

This “kick” was precisely what the band needed. For years, their recording process had been plagued by a lack of focus and a sense of aimlessness. Watt’s arrival brought a newfound sense of urgency and discipline. He helped them sift through the mountain of material they had accumulated over 18 years, identifying the gems and discarding the dross. But his most significant contribution was in fostering an environment where creativity could flourish. He encouraged them to capture the raw, live energy that had always been their hallmark. “Any fan wants to hear the greatest live rock ‘n’ roll band of all time,” Watt asserted, “so to do anything else with them in the studio is just letting everyone down.”

The result was a recording process that was both intense and incredibly prolific. The bulk of Hackney Diamonds was recorded in a whirlwind month of sessions at Henson Studios in Los Angeles and Sanctuary Studios in the Bahamas. The atmosphere was electric, with high-profile guests like Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and the aforementioned Paul McCartney dropping by to contribute. Yet, at the heart of it all was the core band, reignited and firing on all cylinders.

Watt’s production style was a delicate balancing act. He sought to create a contemporary-sounding record without sacrificing the band’s signature grit. His work has been described as being in the “producer is the most important artist in the studio” style, a stark contrast to the more organic approach of the Stones’ classic era. This led to some criticism from audiophiles who found the album’s sound to be heavily compressed and processed, tailored more for earbuds than for high-fidelity sound systems. However, for the vast majority of listeners, the result was a triumph. Hackney Diamonds was hailed by critics as their best album in decades, a stunning return to form that was both a nod to their storied past and a bold step into the future.

The album’s success, culminating in a Grammy for Best Rock Album, was a vindication of Watt’s approach. He had not only produced a great Rolling Stones record; he had helped them rediscover their mojo. His deep-seated fandom had given him a unique insight into what makes the band tick, and his skills as a producer had allowed him to translate that understanding into a tangible, and critically acclaimed, body of work.

The collaboration proved so fruitful that Watt is already back in the studio with the band, working on a follow-up. The creative floodgates have been opened, and it seems the Andrew Watt era of The Rolling Stones is just beginning. “I’ve said it before, but it’s like working for Batman,” Watt has said of his ongoing partnership with the band. “When the tongue is up in the air, you just go.” It’s a fitting analogy for a relationship that has seen a lifelong fan step out from behind the barricade to help his heroes shine brighter than they have in years. The story of Andrew Watt and The Rolling Stones is a testament to the power of passion, a reminder that sometimes, the greatest art is born from the collaboration of a master and a devoted student. And in this case, the student was just the man to remind the masters of the magic they still possessed.