How Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” Came Together: Nathan East Breaks It Down

Nathan East was the guest on episode 64 of the Go with Elmo Lovano podcast, sharing stories from his remarkable career. The conversation covered everyone from Eric Clapton and Phil Collins to Quincy Jones – and more.

One segment (starting at the 10:28 mark of the video below) offered a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest hits of the 2010s: Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” While the track became a global sensation, topping charts, winning Grammys, and lighting up dance floors, it all began in a modest studio session among friends and peers.

And as it turns out, it was a session unlike any other.

“It was the spirit of it,” Nathan said, recalling the energy in the room. “We’re tracking in the studio… and everybody’s dancing around.”

The rhythm section for the track included Nathan on bass and Omar Hakim on drums. That pairing alone was already powerful before you even factor in Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, and Nile Rodgers. The session took place at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, where Nathan and Omar laid down the initial groove before the vocal and guitar layers were added.

“They just turned the Pro Tools on and let it roll,” Nathan said. “What you hear is just kind of an homage to Bernard Edwards.”

Nathan had the chance to revisit the bass part after Nile Rodgers added his unmistakable guitar style, which brought Chic’s influence front and center. Inspired by the new guitar track and the developing vocal melody, Nathan asked for another shot at the bass line. He channeled Bernard Edwards for what became the final take. According to the engineer, that performance made the cut exactly as played—one take, no edits.

“Your bass part? I didn’t edit it,” the engineer told him. “That’s one take, straight top to bottom.”

The process was deeply musical but also technically ambitious. Nathan described how Daft Punk recorded the session using several formats: analog tape, digital tape, and Pro Tools. Everything was captured to multiple sources, then reviewed to determine which one felt best. It was part of the duo’s meticulous approach to sound.

But perhaps the most surprising was a near-miss moment in the studio. Nathan almost revealed the famously anonymous duo’s identities while taking photos.

“I was gonna put this on Facebook… and they were like, ‘No, no, no, we don’t want people to know what we look like!’” Nathan said, laughing. “They caught me just in time.”

At the time of the initial tracking, the song didn’t yet have a topline. The musicians were working from a simple chord chart and laying down grooves, with no idea it would become the song of the year. Once Pharrell’s vocal and Nile’s guitar were added in New York and sent back to LA, the energy shifted. Everyone in the studio could feel it.

“I never know what a smash is going to be,” Nathan said. “But if you’re dancing, if everybody’s moving, you know something feels great.”

The track ultimately became a defining moment for Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories album and for modern music. It bridged eras and styles, combining the soul of ’70s funk with the polish of 21st-century production. And for East, it was another chapter in a remarkable career that spans generations.

“You start with a blank piece of tape,” he said. “And then something gets added… and next thing you know, it resonates all over the world. It’s still the magic of music to me.”