Who produced the instrumental that Taylor Swift used to write “august”?

Jack Antonoff produced the instrumental that Taylor Swift used to write “august.”

Antonoff created the instrumental first and sent it to Swift. She then wrote the lyrics quickly, describing the process as something intuitive rather than a carefully planned narrative exercise. This workflow helped shape the song’s flowing, impressionistic quality.

The finished track was produced by Swift and Antonoff, with Joe Alwyn also credited as a co-producer. Antonoff’s arrangement uses guitars, keyboards, programmed percussion, strings, and substantial reverb. The production begins relatively softly and grows into a fuller final section.

A nearby fact often causes confusion: Aaron Dessner was one of Folklore’s other principal collaborators and wrote or produced many songs on the album, but he was not the person who created the initial “august” instrumental. Evan Smith contributed instruments to the recording, including saxophones, flute, electric guitar, and keyboards, but he was not the answer to this question.