Rhode Island-born, N.Y.C.-raised Lukasz Gottwald, 36, better known as pop hitmaker Dr. Luke, started out as a DJ, then played guitar in the Saturday Night Live band for 10 years until 2007. His big breakthrough was Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 hit, “Since U Been Gone,” with Max Martin, and since then, he’s had #1 hits with Pink (“U + Ur Hand”), Daughtry (“Feels Like Tonight”), Avril Lavigne (“Girlfriend”), Flo Rida (“Right Round”), Miley Cyrus (“Party in the U.S.A.”), Ke$ha (“Tik Tok,” “Your Love Is My Drug”) and Katy Perry (“I Kissed a Girl,” “Hot N Cold,” “California Gurls”), among others. Ke$ha is signed to his Kemosabe label. Dude threatened that hot streak by agreeing to talk to HITS’ own teenpop phenom Roy “Oy Vaikin” Trakin.

How did you go from playing guitar with the SNL band to becoming the go-to guy for female pop divas?
I was writing the whole time I was there. When I was a DJ, I’d mix in my own songs to see how they’d work with a crowd. I traveled around the world doing that, playing for 5,000 people at a time. That was satisfying, but I thought, what if I could reach millions? It took about three or four years before I could get people to return my phone calls.

How did you end up working with Max Martin?
“Since U Been Gone” was the first song Max and I wrote together. I met him while I was DJ’ing in N.Y., and we became friends before we ever started collaborating. Essentially, I was Max’s concierge. I took him to the best clubs and restaurants. I made a conscious effort not to ask him to write with me.

How did you come up with your signature “hip-pop” sound?
I don’t know if I came up with it. I come from doing both hip-hop and guitar-driven pop-rock. When I talked to radio promotion guys, they’d tell me how difficult it was to get the Rhythmic-leaning Top 40 stations to play songs with guitars

Why did you end up working with mostly female artists?
I’d love to work with guys, if you could show me one with the same talent. Most male artists write their own material. I’m not cool enough to write with Kings of Leon.

Do you have a teenage girl lurking inside you?
That’s a dangerous question. I better be careful how I answer. I grew up with three sisters. But I do feel like a kid—my brain still thinks I’m 17.

How did you come up with “I Kissed a Girl”?
Katy’s a phenomenal writer. At one point, when Max and I were working on it, it was, “I Kissed a Boy.” And she was like, how about “I Kissed a Girl”? The only credit I deserve is for allowing it to happen. It’s important to put your ego aside and realize your own strengths and weaknesses. My oath is to try to make great songs that work. For every hit song, that’s one more hit song you can’t make again. And that forces you to learn how to do new things.