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Theres always more to uncover, more to experience, more artists to find.
I have a go at find some of those rare gems, Roe says.
Here, Roe explains some of the series most fist-pumping, plaintive, and forward-looking song choices.
.We can bring our interpretation to it, and it works
.
This one Im really proud of.
There were a few things going on in discussions with the editor of the episode.
It all sinks in as youre seeing it unfold, and definitely if you give it a second viewing.
The lyrics connect well to the story line.
Musically, it hits these slower, emotional gut punches.
Its hard to get the exact pacing for those moments when youre not using score.
Music editing is really important.
The editor as a placeholder, knowing it would change, had Nick Drake.
Im listening to what I feel is every single song from those years.
But that Creedence song is really what worked best.
I loved that it wasnt an overplayed Creedence song.
John Fogertys vocals hit hard on that.
And then we end with Karens devastated face, and the songs perfect for that.
But some of the most impactful songs of the season are from years before.
Were with Tracy in her mundane existence, so we have to feel that repetitive mundanity.
If you had a much shorter moment, you might not be in it as much.
The episode was named The Weight, and that song was scripted.
The discussion around that was, This is what we have, and it works really well.
I sent a few options, that and a New Order song; they hadnt even shot it yet.
But The Weight and that time period in music history, you cant replicate that.
You cant find that exact sound and emotion exactly in the 80s.
They wanted to keep it, and its an undeniable song; it works perfectly.
Thats how we listen to music.
Those songs were scripted.
But for me, the Elvis recording of it works for Karen.
Thats true to life.
I think the Billy Swan recording is beautiful.
I love the slower pace.
It makes the song so much more emotional.
Then we hear Billy Swan again in season three,when Danny gets married.
Youre with Karen and its just a shock hes really doing this.
I had to speak to three different publishers to scrub the Elvis song.
(Fade Into You is an undeniable track, but its been in everything, Roe says.)
Soundgarden matters to everyone.That was the only choice, Black Hole Sun.
Its one of my all-time favorite songs.
Ive loved it since I was a wee little girl.
Black Hole Sun is undeniable, and it puts us there.
Its musically vocally strong.
It has an emotional base to it.
Were living in that time, and its perfect.
Its one of those classic, all-time, never-goes-out-of-style, kick-ass songs.
Matt and Ben are open musically.
Toadies Possum Kingdom is another highly nostalgic song for me, and it was on my first playlist.
When youre visiting a few different moments, you need a song to tie it all together.
A Tribe Called Quest was in the script.
We explored other options.
We explored other things, even though we started with A Tribe Called Quest.
Everyone knows Can I Kick It?
; its a sing-along song.
Watching that moment, youre going across all those characters.
It has to be something that we all love; it wasnt a moment for a deep cut.
It was a moment for this big iconic song that we all know.
(Peter, Im Yours) by Bad Balance.
Matt and Ben and the editors really spent a lot of time on that moment.
It worked better than English-speaking vocals.
Margos getting-ready songs are an evolution of jazz to hip-hop.
Herbie Hancocks Rockit in season two is very 80s.
When youre exploring for a scene, you dig up so much, then you hold on to it.
One of those songs was Queen Latifahs Ladies First.
Sometimes Im just open in exploration, floating in space, looking for a song.
Its a strong scene and a subversive discussion about what those two characters are going to get up to.
Both story and music hit you in an excited way.
What song is gonna support that from the time period?
I had X Gon Give It to You on the first playlist.
They responded to it, but we did keep exploring for a while.
One of my playlists was more lyric-focused.
One of my playlists was more about how you feel when a song kicks in.
We were really exploring different approaches to that moment, that look on Eds face.
Matt and Ben kept going back to DMX.
It was worth trying a few more songs to picture.
But then when your brain keeps going back to, Lets watch DMX again, you know.
Nirvana is not easy to clear.
I felt like I accomplished a personal goal by clearing it.
Season threewas a totally different situation.
That conversation for the end of season three went on for months and months a very long time.
Radiohead dont repeat themselves.
Every album is different.
You are traveling from the 90s that you just watched to the 2000s.
Season four, Matt and Ben really wanted an era-defining song.
Midnight City by M83 takes us to that time and that place.
Musically to picture, the pacing of it, the instrumentation it all works.
Each season were launching from where weve been to where were going to go.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
