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Then theres literature in translation, an interest Darnielle has shared with Johnson during their decades-long friendship.
There could be no winking or hand-waving about music history: Who are these characters?
How did they get here?
Who were their peers?
How could they have had a hit song in the early aughts?
Its an episode that makes it easy to remember why procedural television can be so fun.
It also makes you long for a full-length version of Merch Girl.
This is your first role as an actor.
We only did one run of T-shirts ever, and Rian was a Mountain Goats fan.
When the credits rolled, the music said Music by the Hospital Bombers Experience.
Thats a reference toone of my lyrics,a song called The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton.
That guy ordered a T-shirt.
What Rians good at is seeing a globe and being able to ascertain all the points on it simultaneously.
Hes got this 360 vision.
So yes,Brickwas amazing.
Guess what his next gig is!It wasLast Jedi!
So weve stayed in touch over the years.
Its basicallyColumbowith her as the detective.
Doing an episode with a metal band on tour.
May seek your musical expertise.
It just sort of spiraled from there.
So you began just as a consultant about the episode?Im a metal fiend.
I hate it when all metal is cartoonified.
But then I was able to situate it.
I listen to lots and lots of heavy metal.
But I dont write that kind of music.
If a famous actor decides he wants to make a metal record, labels will say, Sure!
Your fans will buy it!
When I gota book contract,I wished I couldve done it anonymously.
Then he texted me, Whats your schedule look like for the next few months?
I wanted to see if you wanted to act in this episode of my TV show.
We worked it out.
So I sent him a half-remembered swatch of Shakespeare.
I dont consider myself an actor.
But I think I did okay!
I think so too!
But, wait, so you started by writing all the songs for the episode first?Yeah.
I was writing backstory thats not in the show.
How did they have a hit when metal doesnt chart?
Well, maybe they were touring in the early 2000s, when TV placements were the biggest deal.
If you had a song onOne Tree Hill…
OrThe O.C., maybe.Yeah.
Anyhow, this metal band had a song that placed there, which puts it about 2002, 2003.
And that was a pop-metal moment, when you could see Lacuna Coil shirts at Hot Topic.
I wrote vocal melodies and sang scratch vocals on his stems.
Which gives you the impossible job of writing a hit song.I had the same question!
But even so, like, if I could just write a hit, I would write a hit!
But I thought the backstory I wrote was pretty good, and the vocals were nice.
I thought Staplehead was a believable early-aughts hit!
And that was harder for me I like my stuff!
There are two of those, little songs where youre noodling around in the van.
Theres one where your character is singing about his divorce.Oh, yeah, that is acompleteearly Mountain Goats song.
I cleared that with Rian first, when I was ad-libbing ideas.
Its easier to act someone elses lines than it is to sing someone elses lyrics.
Usually if youre singing someone elses lyrics, unless youre a professional singer, youre picking a song youlove.
To sing someone elses lyrics and just venture to sell them, thats an actors job.
We electrocuted a lamb for the keys to the kingdom?That one was in the script.
And was like,Well, but its going to be great, though!I like the lyrics!
I really want a full version!We should Kickstart the full version!
Because thats all we wrote.
I was very pleased, I have to say.
So Jamey put the music together in an afternoon and sent it to me to put vocals over.
Which is the part I really liked.
In Mountain Goats land, Im the boss, but I dont really like being a boss.
But it was a real pleasure to have someone say, Stand here.
Say what youre supposed to say.
It was a real treat.
You get enough relationship with the lens, with the director.
A large amount of it has to be self-knowledge.
I dont have any of that for acting.
I assume everythings going to end up on the cutting-room floor.
They kept telling me I was doing well, and I assumed they were being nice to me.
it’s crucial that you be pursuing those places or youll go stale.
You have to be doing stuff that makes you work harder.
What actors get paid?
I dont begrudge them apenny.
Six a.m. every fucking day!
Because half more than half of it is just waiting to do stuff.
And remember, youre part of a very big thing.
Its very different from being in a band or writing.
In this, youre a cog.
I found that very enjoyable.
Even though the whole time I thought,This is nuts.
Im never doing this again?
I wouldtotallydo this again.
