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Welcome to Vents, gentlemen! We’re pleased to quiz you and pick your collective gray matter on your brilliant new song Home With You! Before we go down that particular rabbit-hole though, how have you both been thus far in the New Year?
NJL: Thanks! Gray matter means brains right? I don’t have any of that. New Year is pretty good so far… thankful to be busy.
EK: New year, new me!! It was a crazy 2020 and 2021 seems to be steering back towards “normal”- whatever that is.
Congrats and major kudos are in order for both of you: Home With You has just broken wide on both Apple Music and Spotify and is a real nice piece of music! Now that the song is out there for the world to listen to and enjoy, do you feel relief that all of your efforts have now taken actual form, or is there a little trepidation as you await the reactions of the fans?
NJL: To be honest, no, the fan reaction isn’t all that important. I am just happy that it hit the mark for what Julio needed for his lovely film. If more people end up liking it, that’s just an added bonus.
EK: I’m so excited that this song is out in the world! It was such a pleasure to work on it. Every song I work on is like a baby, and it’s so awesome to see your little creation grow up and go out into the world to do its thing.
Home With You was exclusively penned for the new Julio Vincent Gambuto film Team Marco. Nicholas, this question is specifically for you: Were you able to see a rough cut of the film before writing Home With You, or did you simply have to go by a script and/or description of the film itself from the director?
NJL: Yeah, I got a cut of the finished film, so the dramatic context of the song was really clear.
EK: Yes, we got the film in advance. And we were able to work to the scene.
For the both of you: What was it like to collaborate with Julio Vincent Gambuto for Team Marco?
NJL: Julio is kind of a dream collaborator, in that he knew exactly what he wanted from the beginning. He was able to articulate precisely what the song needed to accomplish dramatically, and exactly how it should feel stylistically, so it was pretty easy to churn out. I think once I turned in the first draft, he had a lyric tweak or two which I happily made, but that was that.
EK: Julio is such a great director and film maker that he knows exactly what he wants. He made the collaboration process so easy and creative. He was a dream to work with!
Laura Dickinson really poured herself into Home With You and her style and the style of the song really felt reminiscent to my oversized ears of the sounds of Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee and Kay Starr circa the 1950s; it’s very heartfelt, lush and romantic. Was this what you were going for when writing it Nicholas, especially considering your past work with Michael Buble? And was that on your mind as you produced this beautiful tune, Erik?
NJL: Yeah it’s definitely meant to sound as if it were written in that era, from the simplicity of the lyric, to the jazzy/broadway harmonies, to the busy orchestrations, to the way Erik mixed it. I conduct Buble’s orchestra on tour, so my head is always buried in his wonderfully-orchestrated scores… to some degree, I’m sure some of those classic old school arranging tropes seeped into Home With You.
EK: Yes! That was exactly the vibe we wanted. After studying and playing jazz for many years, I’ve spent a lot of time with old recordings and really tried to capture the nuance that lives in those classics.
Since we’re on the subject of the ever-resplendent Laura Dickinson, may I ask you both what it was like collaborating with her on Home With You?
NJL: Laura is sort of a vocal freak of nature… she has this uncanny chameleon-like ability to sound like just about anyone, and yet she doesn’t sound like a mimic… she still sounds like herself. It’s kind of mind-blowing. I really didn’t have to explain much to her, she just learned the tune super-fast, understood exactly what we were going for, and then performed the shit out of it.
EK: Laura is such a pro at capturing different sounds. She really is the best of the best. She can literally do anything. I’ve worked with her with Michael Buble over the years and have even worked with her in her own band and I can say that she is as professional as it gets.
Home With You is a perfect companion piece to Team Marco, yet it also feels as if it has a life beyond the film; it’s quite alive and vital. Again to both of you: Was the intention to sort of be multi-faceted with the song so that it could stand on its own? Was that what both of you were ultimately going for?
NJL: Originally I was just trying to write the best song for the scenes, but now that we have some distance from the writing process, yeah, it would be cool to see it have a life beyond the film.
EK: I believe the best songs can live anywhere, and I think that’s true of HWY. It’s great as a song for a film, and it’s great on it’s own, playing on your Apple music (or whatever your streaming services are).
Have the two of you seen Team Marco yet and, if so, what were your impressions?
NJL: My wife and I watched it the day it came out, and we loved it. Made us want to play bocce ball.
EK: I saw it and I loved it. Julio really captured a beautiful story. A feel good family success!
Again, another question for both of you: What are the benefits to writing and producing music for motion pictures? What are the cons?
NJL: I think I’m drawn to film music because it necessitates a lot of stylistic variety. I love so many different types of music, and it’s fun to play around in these different genre sandboxes depending on the project. Like, in 2020 alone, I think Erik and I have collaborated on everything from traditional symphonic music, to funk, to mariachi, to electronic… the variety keeps it interesting and keeps you on your toes.
The cons can vary widely… sometimes you have really tight turnarounds, sometimes you take “bill-payer” jobs that you’re not super stoked on artistically… but the cons are usually eclipsed by the pros.
EK: It’s such a fun challenge to write to picture and make sure that you’re contributing to enhancing the scene. It can always be difficult to capture what a director wants, but Julio really made it easy and fun.
I know that Home With You came about ultimately because of a jettisoned international tour with Michael Buble that both of you were set to be a part of. That’s as good of a segue-way as I can think of to ask the two of you how your lives as entertainers and creative artists has altered in light of the worldwide pandemic?
NJL: We had actually been touring with Michael for all of 2019, and that same tour was supposed to continue well into the fall of 2020. But Erik and I have both been really lucky to work steadily through the past year. And keeping it in the Buble fam, we even recorded a stripped-down version of “Home With You” with our talented buddy (and Buble’s music director) Alan Chang on piano, and the wonderful Dannielle de Andrea on vocals, which will be coming out sometime this spring I think.
I’m like the ten billionth person to say this, but the thing I miss most is making music with other people in the same room. Multi-tracking just isn’t the same as getting an orchestra together all under one roof and waving a stick around at them.
EK: Yes- I met Nick playing with Michale Buble and I also tour with Shakira and other big artists. Unfortunately the whole touring world has basically stopped. Luckily I also write/ produce/ mix/ engineer and am a studio owner, so I’ve been able to keep working during the last year. But many of my friends and colleagues have not been able to and it’s a really tough situation. Hopefully touring will start again soon.
Can we expect more film work from both of you in the future?
NJL: Hopefully! We really enjoy annoying each other when we collaborate, so any opportunity to continue annoying Erik is a welcome one.
EK: Yes! Nick and I have been collaboration on many films together and are looking forward to many more!
Nicholas and Erik, who inspires you musically?
NJL: Erik Kertes.
EK: Nicholas Jacobson Larson
Final (Silly) Question: Who would win in a Big Band/crooner throw down: Michael Buble or Harry Connick, Jr.?
NJL: I think that’s the question on everyone’s minds… Erik?
EK: That would certainly be a fight to the death! My money’s on Gaga!
