Exclusive: Interview With Music Supervisor Alex Patsavas + The Republic Tigers Download
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If you look up music supervisor in the dictionary you will find a picture of Alexandra Patsavas (not really, but probably in Webster's next edition). She has made quite a name for herself and her company Chop Shop Music Supervision over the past few years, shaping the sound of a long list of hit shows including; The O.C., Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Mad Men, Rescue Me, Chuck, Carnivále, Without A Trace and Shark.
Jumping off from her success supplying a hip soundtrack to prime time TV, she recently started a label called Chop Shop Records as a partnership with Atlantic Records. Their first two signings are singer/songwriter Jade McNelis and indie rock six piece The Republic Tigers and this Saturday, March 15th at 4pm, Chop Shop Records are having their first public showcase at the West Tent, Brush Square Park in Austin. We were fortunate enough to catch Alex in a (somewhat) quiet moment while she was taking a break from the SXSW festivities to ask her some questions about her work, her label and her favorite soundtrack. She was also gracious enough to give us "Buildings And Mountains" by The Republic Tigers which we are passing along to you.
SEEN: You've been one of the biggest pioneers of music in TV. Can you remember
the first time when you discovered how important music was to television?
Alex Patsavas: I was more aware as a kid of music in film. The first time music really resonated with me was in the John Hughes movies, which came out when I was in junior high. They had great soundtracks with songs that I identified with and characters that were the same age as I was.
Later on in television I certainly admired the work of my colleagues, especially The Flaming Lips performance on 90210. Bands used in that context was totally interesting.
S: What is it that music adds to television?
AP: A great musical selection that's totally appropriate can really elevate a scene. If the scene is not done well, if the acting is bad and the writing is not up to par then it's difficult for music to save something like that. However, that special alchemy of a really well done scene and a perfectly chosen song is really memorable.
S: How do you find new music? Do you use the internet in that process? How
does your Myspace page work in the process of finding music.
AP: I certainly use the internet. When I started as a supervisor the internet was still in it's infancy and you couldn't really find bands like you can now. I use it not only in my clearance work where I'm able to clear music much more quickly, but I can also research any band and interact on with them. I have a Myspace page where I receive submissions and I can interact with bands and ask them to submit full length CDs. It's really been a time-saver and a space saver. As any music supervisor knows there's only so many CDs one can put in the apple cart.
S: Is TV still the new radio?
AP: I find that quote so hard [to agree with]. Fans are finding music on TV. The music business is saying that radio has become more limited, except for the great NPR stations and any stations that can create their own playlists and freely play whatever they want. With the exceptions of those stations there is definitely a lot of repetition in radio and therefore fans turn to TV. I also think the internet has allowed immediate access to fans and a fan can check out a song on a show, love it and immediately google it or check out the website for a show and buy it on iTunes or learn more about a band. I don't think TV is the new radio. I think it's a different forum, rather than just a reinvention of something that's already out there.
S: You recently launched a record label called "Chop Shop" records and you are having your first public label showcase at SXSW this week. What's that like and can you tell us about your bands?
AP: It's been really fun. John Rubeli is the label manager and he is an old friend and a former VP at Atlantic so I certainly have a great, experienced shoulder to lean on. The first band is Jade McNelis who is a Floridian relocated to Montreal. She has a beautiful, unique vocal and really compelling lyrics and it was music that I responded to really quickly. The other band is The Republic Tigers from Kansas City. One of the gals in my office, my music coordinator Brittany, brought the band to my attention by sending a link to their Myspace page to John and I before she came to work at Chop Shop and we just really loved it and went to Kansas City to see them last summer.
S: How does a live performance event like SXSW help you make your decisions
about placing music?
AP: I have to be honest, I definitely am interested in a live band just as I'm interested in seeing packaging and a bands aesthetic choice or artwork, but I really prefer listening to the quality of a recording and how that recording can enhance an already edited and shot piece of film. So that's my first goal really, to really listen closely. I think the live experience can tell you so much about a band, and that's important but it's secondary to how it sounds.
S: What's your favorite classic soundtrack?
AP: Breakfast At Tiffany's
S: You've had some amazing success in the soundtrack records world? What
makes a successful soundtrack?
AP: A successful soundtrack really captures the music culture surrounding a property. Whether it be a TV show or a movie, it's not inspired by, it's music that's really been utilized in the property or project and something that fans can identify singularly with that project. Of course some songs have had a long life before, especially with older catalog that's been used many times in the past, but there is some sort of defining moment that allows the fans to really connect the visual and the song.
S: How do you think soundtracks to films and TV shows will perform in the
future? Is there still a market for that?
AP: I think there is and I think that Juno and Once proved that. If music is artfully combined with picture there's nothing more powerful.
S: Apart from your own bands what are you listening to at the moment?
AP: I'm listening to Ra Ra Riot, Alberta Cross, Little Birdie and 250 other things a week.
S: Which artist have you not licensed that you would most like too?
AP: Neil Young
S: Who's your favorite film composer and why?
AP: Bernard Herrmann because of the way he brought so many films to life.
S: If you weren't a music supervisor, what would be your dream job?
AP: I'm really obsessed with architecture so maybe an urban planner.
S: What's your fascination with Neutra?
AP: It's the beautiful, clean lines and it's art you can live in.
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