Composer Interview: Jeff Russo (May 2, 2015)

Grammy and Emmy-nominated composer Jeff Russo takes some time to talk about his expansive slate of projects for 2015. Jeff has quickly become one of the most in-demand composers for television with shows like Fargo, CSI: Cyber, Power, The Returned, Battle Creek, and the upcoming mini-series Tut starring Ben Kingsley. Jeff also has two upcoming features called Surface starring Sean Astin and the Wilt Chamberlain Biopic titled Wilt. Jeff talks about the importance of scheduling and how his current slate was able to happen purely out of luck where none of the production schedules overlapped. Jeff goes into detail about how each of these different shows and genres stimulates different creative parts of his brain since the narratives vary greatly. We discuss the importance of season long arcs for certain shows, while something more serial like CSI needs to be treated a bit differently. Jeff also talks about still playing with his band that he co-founded and how performing and songwriting scratches a completely different creative itch. We also get to hear how far along he is on Fargo: Season 2, and when we might expect the series to return. It's so great to have Jeff back as a guest and always an immense pleasure to chat with him.

Interview Conducted By:
Kaya Savas

Special Thanks:
Jeff Russo
Jana Davidoff
CW3PR