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OTH MUSIC INTERVIEW WITH:
LINDSAY WOLFINGTON

Check out our interview with the OTH music supervisor! Read as she answers your burning questions about the process in choosing the songs you hear and the performers you see!

Exclusive - Interview with Lindsay WolfingtonOne Tree Hill Music: How did you get involved with working on One Tree Hill?
Lindsay Wolfington: I used to be a coordinator for 2 music supervisors (Jennifer Pyken & Madonna Wade-Reed) who worked on Smallville with Tollin/Robbins Production, the same production company that makes One Tree Hill. So when OTH came along, they hired us. And now the three of us have all started our own companies, but since I had worked really closely with OTH in particular, now I do the show by myself.

Do you work with music supervising on any other shows or movies?
LW: Right now, I am working on a half hour comedy for midseason called Crumbs, and a documentary called "Swing State Ohio." I hope to do more shows and films, but this is my first year with my own company, so it's just a matter of time.

A lot of people think it's simple to get music for a television show, but on the real side, what kind of process do you go through to get songs played?

LW: Music supervision includes much more than just picking songs that you like. Here are the essential steps:

  1. The song has to work in a scene this is the most important part.
  2. The producer has to like the song he gets final say over what makes it in.
  3. I have to get permission from record labels and publishers for each song and agree on a fee that the label and songwriter will get paid if the song is used. Often I have to get permission within a very short time period, so that makes the job even trickier.
  4. I have to keep each episode within a certain budget, so we cannot use all popular and expensive music. We balance our budget by using smaller, independent artists who don't cost as much and need the exposure. It is often most rewarding using an indie artist b/c we get to introduce our audience to a new talent that they probably haven t heard before and don t get to hear on the radio.

Exclusive - Interview with Lindsay WolfingtonHow long does it take to gather music for one episode?
LW: The whole process for one episode is about 3 weeks long: I send music to the editors based on the script for them to put in the episode; then the producer comes in and revises the episode and music as he sees fit; then we have a meeting with me, the composer, the music editor and Mark Schwahn and decide what songs we will use and can afford and what scenes we will score. After that, I have about a week to clear the songs with labels and publishers before we mix the episode.


Does it add pressure in picking songs because of the growing popularity of the music on the show?

LW: From the start, it's always been about finding the songs that work best for each scene. So the only pressure is to remain true to the sound of the show. And the popularity of the show's taste in music only encourages us to take risks and do what other shows aren't doing, which hopefully, only improves the episodes.

We know that Mark Schwahn has input on what gets played -- but, do any of the cast members ever bring you ideas for new music to use?

LW: Every once in awhile, a cast member will recommend an artist or album to Mark. But whether that artist gets used is just a matter of if we find a song on that album that fits in a scene.

What is some of your favorite music that has aired so far?

LW: Gosh, that's a tough one! But everyone has their favorites, and I admit that I have mine. I'll go through each season and name a few.

 Season 1:
"so glad to be alive" by Low Flying Owls when Peyton almost gets hit running a red light in ep. 104; "maybe tomorrow" by Stereophonics when Peyton and Lucas make out; "run" by Snow Patrol as the first season finale coda song.

 Season 2:
"lie in the sound" by Trespassers William over Haley and Nathan's vows; "she has no time" by Keane when Haley left for the tour (it took me forever to find the perfect song for this one, but I looked at the Keane CD and saw the title and was knew it was going to be perfect!); "so here we are" by Bloc Party opening the two-hour finale and "lavinia" by The Veils closing it perfectly. I also loved having Jimmy Eat World on camera they are one of my favorite bands!

 Season 3 (so far):
"more of the shame" by Buddy in Peyton's room in ep. 304; "this is for keeps" by The Spill Canvas and "always love" by Nada Surf in ep. 303; and "please please please" by Shout Out Louds in ep. 306.

Where do you find all the awesome 'underground' music featured on the show?

LW: I get a lot of packages... More than I can handle! Some of the underground music comes from smaller labels who have a particular sound that I will turn to for certain scenes. And then some of the indie artists come from managers and companies that pitch indie bands. The "finding" comes from actually listening to the albums and finding the gems on it. And that just takes effort.

Exclusive - Interview with Lindsay WolfingtonHow do you know which is the perfect song to end each episode with? What do you look for to make it fit?
LW: Usually the end montage, or Coda as we call it, ties together the emotions of several plotlines, so I try to find a song that mirrors that. Songs that have ups and downs that start out quiet, then get bigger for the chorus, but come down again or songs that build momentum are usually the best ones for the Coda. And if I can find lyrics that match what's happening, even better!

We've heard a lot of talk about a new soundtrack for this season -- are there any certain artist or type of music we can expect to hear, and do you know when it will be released?

LW: We are working on a soundtrack that we hope to release in February 2006. It's tied in with a plotline and is going to be a really cool project. Some of the songs you've heard so far this season and maybe a few from last season will probably be included, but you'll find out soon enough! And of course, we'll throw in some OTH exclusives!

Do you know if we'll hear any new material from Bethany Joy Lenz?

LW: Yes, we are planning on it, and Joy has recorded an album with Epic, so you can get your fill when it is released next year.

So many great artist have performed on the show, from Sheryl Crow to Jimmy Eat World ... and more recently, Fall Out Boy! Who decides which artist they want to perform and can we expect to see and hear anymore rock-stars popping up in Tree Hill?

LW: Mark, Joe Davola and I decide who will perform on camera. We are all music lovers, so it's a treat to watch our favorite bands be integrated into our favorite show! Yes, you can expect to see more performances soon.

Before we end this interview, how can independent bands/artist submit their music for the show?
LW: As I mentioned before, the submission process is overwhelming for me. So I'd prefer if they submitted music through companies that already pitch to me. Check out lukehits.com.

Conducted by: Fanvasion.com & One Tree Hill Music

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