Here at GoSeeTalk, composer Jeff Danna‘s music has a history of living rent-free in our heads. From TV to films, projects whimsical and fun to those with a very heavy-handed subject matter, his unique approach to melody and themes never ceases to amaze us. Moreover, it’s his selection of instruments that takes those compositions to another level.
He first popped up on our radar all the way back in 1999 when he crafted a gritty and driving sound to a tale about two Irish brothers. The supercharged music helped Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints reach legendary cult status. Over the years, Jeff has paved his way in entertainment circles, and as one half of the aptly named “Danna Brothers” he does a project here and there with Mychael (Onward, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and others) when it works out. This year, Jeff crafted something that hits pretty close to home for us.
His work for The Hunting Wives on Netflix gives us something that feels like Texas but avoids cliches. The series is dripping with dark drama, and Danna was able to give us grungy strings and keys to match the over-the-top narrative beats and wild plot. It was a fine line to walk as the story both allowed and called for something unexpected. Each of the four characters pictured above are like a wolverine in a dress, so the music had to match the tone of these vicious and rotten people.
To achieve that, Danna used a Croatian Prim, a Cuatro, a Telecaster, even a broken piano. The result is something that goes from nebulous, twangy, and innocent to something dirty, steely and, well, crazy. So enjoy this chat with Jeff as we talk about his process manifesting these oddly captivating themes on this episode of The GoSeeTalk Podcast Experience!
The score to The Hunting Wives is being released by Lakeshore Records. You can stream/purchase it from most digital platforms as well as other sizzling and sensational titles at the official Lakeshore Records store.
