Interview w/Joseph LoDuca - ASH VS. EVIL DEAD

And now a word from Joseph LoDuca, composer of the hit series ASH VS. EVIL DEAD on STARZ...

"I can’t tell you what a blast it is scoring Ash vs. Evil Dead. I was just out of college when I was introduced to Rob, Sam and Bruce in their “tree house” of an office space next door to a magic shop in Ferndale, Michigan. I had never written music for film, and I found these guys enormously entertaining, talented and driven. Plus they threw great parties. Hearing my music on the big screen for the first time was a turning point. Little did I know it would lead to a career largely as a result of their efforts.

So to see the three of them partnering together on the series, and to again sit in the music chair was coming full circle. I collaborated closely with Sam and Bob Murawski, his editor, on the score for the pilot. They attended the recording sessions, which really gave us the opportunity to finesse the details.

What makes the Evil Dead saga unlike any other franchise is its ability to jerk the audience between horror and humor. Bruce coined a term for this unique genre-Splatstick. The score is like films in its approach: The music plays the straight man. That means the drama is dead serious; the action is intense; and the horror is treated with shock and dread. As a result, the humor lies in its juxtaposition to the music, and only on rare occasions does the music give in.

There are a few recurring themes. The presence of evil is a three-note motive that blares on the title card. Ash, our hero finally has his theme, a retro-lone gunman-with-a-chainsaw voiced on baritone guitar. A melodramatic love theme on piano and violin (Linda) signals a false sense of calm.

I played a one-man 70’s rock band on some of the tracks. Fortunately, I also had a full orchestra and chorus on the music that appears on the album. My friends Lucy Lawless and Gia Warner on vocals, and Rayse Biggs on trumpet graced a few of the tracks.

I am super-excited for Season 2 and my upcoming Evil Dead related projects. Stay tuned!"