How do we make ‘Monarch’ unique? That’s the question music supervisor Amanda Craig Thomas asks herself before she begins work on each episode of Fox’s new drama series about the country music dynasty.
The three-pronged answer: by having the cast (which includes Susan Sarandon, Tracee Adkins, and Beth Ditto) take on country classics, by spraying a selection of unexpected pop covers, and on the licensing side, by supporting up-and-coming country artists.
“We really wanted to focus on covers because it’s a strong entry point,” Thomas says, before detailing her mandate: “Always be unexpected, and always showcase different eras and styles.” By these standards, Episode 3, which aired on Tuesday night, was a resounding success. Starting with a dazzling take on Lizzo’s “Juice,” the show was split into a stage play of Faith Hill’s “Breathe.” Enjoy guest star Tanya Tucker singing “Delta Dawn” and Miranda Lambert’s 2000s song, and you’ve got a decidedly eclectic lineup.
“In every episode, we make sure these different boxes are checked, and I really like Episode III because it works in full range,” says Thomas. She’s especially proud of Lizzo’s cover. “It’s a great way to start an episode because it’s not what you’d expect from a country show,” continues Thomas, who previously supervised music for music-led fare such as “The Prom” and “Pose.” Songs like “Breathe” and “Delta Dawn” cover more familiar areas – albeit from very different eras.
It came on Thomas’ slate as “Delta Dawn” appeared in the ’70s, Miranda Lambert’s “Kerosene” is more recent, and there’s also a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind.” So in the covers alone, you have a lot of different eras of country music represented. – Plus “Juice”, which is really fresh and not country at all. But we made a diagonal version of it that I think is really memorable and it really is ‘Monarch’.
Pure Synchronizations in Episode 3, titled “Show Them Who You Are, Baby,” are all miscellaneous.
“On the source side, you have Band Perry and Gretchen Wilson as well as a host of independent artists,” she says. “Again, it’s a great mix of songs – there are classics to rediscover, current songs, and artists you might not have heard of but will add to your playlist after the show.” Thomas refers to this as the “discovery element”, another guiding principle of the “Monarch”. It’s especially essential when it comes to setting up a Texas website and supporting local artists.
“We’re in Texas,” says Thomas. “We never rule out a great song because the artist is not from Texas, but we really tried to find opportunities for emerging artists from Texas where we could.”
Among the independent artists whose music has been incorporated into the show are Sugar & the Hi-Lows, Across the Wide, and Sean Wiggins.
Unsurprisingly, the Qatari production companies were very happy to take part in the show. “There was a lot of excitement because there wasn’t a lot of synchronized opportunity with country music,” she says. “We got a very warm hug from everyone who’s worked in country music.”
Monarch debuted on September 11th and airs at 9PM EST/PT on Fox.
