It’s been a bumpy ride for Sookie Stackhouse and company in the crazy, supernatural world of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Once just a spunky waitress in a dive bar, Sookie and her friends have become so much more over six seasons of television.
Things have certainly changed in the HBO vampire drama over the years, and every season seems to be full of more and more craziness. Going into the last season of True Blood, no one is safe and there’s no telling what will happen.
Of course the one person who does know what happens isn’t exactly telling. For the last six seasons the person scoring the soundtrack to vampire politics and passion has been composer Nathan Barr. Barr, whose work also creates tension in the 80s spy thriller The Americans, has created the musical world of True Blood since the beginning.
With the show about to premiere its final season, BuddyTV caught up with Barr to ask his favorite musical moment and how it feels to say goodbye. Of course, because this is True Blood, we also asked the hard-hitting questions, like which love interest Sookie should finally choose before the show rides off into the sunset.
It’s been a really crazy ride for seven seasons on True Blood. What’s the feeling like now that the show is ending?
As someone recently pointed out, I have been on the show almost as long as my years in high school and college combined, so it’s really sad to see it end.
How did you initially get involved with the project?
My orchestral score from Eli Roth’s film Hostel ended up in the cutting room, and large portions of it were used in the pilot episode. So when it came time to interview composers, I was a natural choice.
I met with Alan Ball and his creative team, and pitched them the idea of steering the score away from traditional orchestral or obvious Southern style music, and letting the score find its own sound. They liked the idea, and I got the job!
What went into the process of creating the sound for True Blood? What were your inspirations?
All the inspiration came from what I saw on the screen in that first episode. The idea that vampires were “out of the coffin” and trying to live peacefully among humans was very compelling, as was the seed of love between Bill and Sookie.
There is that beautiful line early on when Bill tells Sookie, “I can smell the sunlight on your skin,” and that kind of powerful dialog just brought out the best I have to offer. At the heart of the show in the first season are the intimate relationships between characters, and so to me that called for a very small ensemble, and nothing too over the top, thus a lot of cello and guitar.
Obviously you can’t say much, but what can you tease about the final season? What should viewers be prepared for?
Viewers should be prepared for a very exciting season, full of all the twists and turns that fans of the show love. Musically, I am returning to the roots of the show with some focus on smaller ensemble material.
What’s been your favorite musical moment so far on the show?
There are many, but one of my favorites is the scene where Godric meets the sun, and Eric and Sookie have to say goodbye. It is such a powerful scene, and I so enjoyed writing the music for that moment. But honestly, I have so many!
One of the big questions throughout True Blood‘s run has been who Sookie will eventually end up with. Are you secretly rooting for someone? Who do you think Sookie should ride off into the sunset with?
I have always been partial to Bill and Sookie together as a couple, because of the beginning of their relationship.
What’s been your favorite part about working on True Blood?
Working on a show with so many passionate people for seven years is the best part of True Blood.
What are you looking forward to in the last season of True Blood? What was your favorite musical moment? Sound off in the comments!
True Blood airs Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO.
(Image courtesy of CW3PR)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
