It was different from working on “Underground,” which was more of a slave thriller, so you’d hear banjos and things like melodic piano, warm strings - some things you’d heard before some things you hadn’t heard before. And as the show goes you’ll see more of that in little splices. And I know for myself, when I hear James Baldwin’s voice in anything, it triggers me off to something warm and something melodic. We really wanted to bring a lot of piano and analog equipment and basic guitar stuff mixed with strings and piano. We loved working with Misha on “Underground,” so when this came down the pipeline we were like, “Yeah, let’s go for it.” We saw some of the first episode and we could tell it was going to be a great thing to be a part of.
How did you and Laura Karpman get involved with this score, and what type of tone did you want the score to take given the show’s blend of the 1950s early civil rights movement with supernatural elements? The conversation has been edited for length and clarity, as Saadiq had just completed an unexpected wisdom tooth surgery prior to the call. Songs for Screens caught up with Saadiq over the phone the morning after “Lovecraft” premiered to learn more about the unique creative process, revisiting the Aretha catalog and the silver sync lining that can come with writing songs that get passed over for film projects. Billie Holiday,” recently acquired by Paramount. Blige scored an Academy Award nod for 2017’s “Mighty River.” Up next on his slate? Finishing an original song with Andra Day that’s in contention to accompany her starring role in Lee Daniels’ upcoming biopic, “The United States Vs.
He executive-produced Legend’s “A Bigger Love” album earlier this year, and has seen his original song dance card fill up after he and Mary J. Like the career arc of “Lovecraft’s” executive producer, Saadiq has established himself in recent years as the Jordan Peele of music - equally adept at creating some of his career-best work as a lead performer and producer as he is moonlighting for movies and TV. “Lovecraft Country” and “Genius: Aretha” are just the latest projects in an extensive musical filmography for Saadiq, whose recent work as a composer also includes HBO’s “Insecure” (which wrapped its fourth season in June), as well as his collaborations with Karpman on scores for Spectrum’s “L.A.’s Finest,” Sundance documentary “Step” and WGN’s “Underground” - the latter of which marked their first time working with “Lovecraft” showrunner Misha Green and star Jurnee Smollett. “I was double-dipping out there,” says Saadiq.
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