Soundtrack had the opportunity to sit down with Nic Harcourt for an insightful interview. Nic just wrapped up music supervising the new MTV show I Just Want My Pants Back and is currently in the midst of working on another one as well as outside music projects
ST: What was your first music-related job?
NH: I guess being the singer in the band Bloop 79, I think we got paid in beer most of the time but I also remember gettin’ a check for one hundred punds once, so I think that can qualify as a job?
ST: What’s your outlook on the record industry today?
NH: The record industry as we knew it is dead. I believe that with one or two exceptions labels are largely relegated to the role of marketing and promoting pop dregs. Having said that, I think that there is an amazing amount of great independent music out there if you’re prepared to look. I love the fact that with the advent of cheap digital recording techniques and self-distribution artists can now control their own destiny.
ST: What current artist do you think will have a long career? Why?
NH: Jack White would seem the obvious choice here and I don’t think I need to explain why
ST: What current TV show do you think has great music in it?
NH: I don’t watch TV, oh I mean I Just Want My Pants Back and The Inbetweeners
ST: Describe your role as MTV’s Music Supervisor In Residence.
NH: The role is ever evolving but in essence it’s to help define the musical direction of some of MTV’s new scripted shows
ST: What MTV shows are you working on? What is the musical tone of these shows?
NH: Pants is cool indie music and Inbetweeners has great get your attention songs
ST: What makes a good partnership between a Music Supervisor and the producer of a show?
NH: Umm, communication, and mutual respect
ST: What other projects are you working on outside of MTV?
NH: I host a TV show called Guitar Center sessions on DirecTV’s Audience and 3D channels and also a series of interview/performance podcasts also for GC. I also host a weekly radio show called Connections on 88.5KCSN and kcsn.org Saturday’s 3-6 and just worked as a music producer for the first time cutting an ep for an LA band called Lestrange. It’ll be coming out on Carved records this spring.
+++ Interview by Ryan Aceto
+++ Follow Nic Harcourt on Twitter | Follow Soundtrack on Twitter
+++ Watch Nic Harcourt discuss music in Episode 2 of I Just Want My Pants Back +++