Severanceseason 2 ended in a way similar to the show’s first–that is, with a cliffhanger destined to leave audiences wondering what in the world might happen next. Despite having a high bar to clear after the runaway success of the first season,Severanceseason 2 managed to contribute some of the series’ most memorable moments, from an outdoor Lumon retreat full of twists and turns to a viral finale moment that saw Mr. Milchick leading a Kier-themed marching band. The season also further explored the mythology of the enigmatic Kier family through hymns and sequences spent with Lumon higher-ups.
From its first moments,Severanceseason 2 opening creditsmay have visually primed viewers for a different experience this time around, but they were also brought right back to a Lumon state of mind thanks to the now-iconic theme music by Theodore Shapiro. Shapiro is not only an incredibly prolific film and television composer, but also a long-time collaborator of director Ben Stiller, and began working with Stiller back when the actor was a star vehicle for early 2000s comedies. Shapiro’s work with Stiller includesTropic Thunder, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and even films likeAlong Came Polly.
ScreenRantinterviewed Theodore Shapiro about the season whichScreenRant’sSeveranceseason 2 reviewstated“actually surpassed”the first. Shapiro discussed branching into new musical places, especially with the Kier mythology, what he actually knows about the story ofSeverance, and how piano is key to the sound of the show in ways most people wouldn’t expect. Plus, Shapiro reflected on his longstanding relationship with Ben Stiller and discussed collaborating on some key past projects.
You Can Get Own Sound Of Severance For $40
Plus, A Surprising Death Cab For Cutie Connection
Severanceis a massive hit for Apple TV+, but also a massive investment, with reports stating that each episode of season 2 cost $20 million to make. Such a high budget makes it all the more surprising that the show’s iconic theme melody is the sound of a virtual piano plugin that, at the time of this writing, costs under $40.“All of the pianos in Severance are actually virtual,”Shapiro said.
“The main title theme–that’s actually played on two pianos,”Shapiro continued, adding that“the chords are played by an upright piano sample library, and the melody is played by a grand piano library. Those are the two main ones I use in the show, but then there are other ones that I mix in sometimes.”
Shapiro revealed that the melody-playing grand piano was The Grandeur by Native Instruments (currently on sale for $39.60), and the chord-playing upright piano is part of a larger, more expensive library called Keyscape. The piano that was recorded to create the Keyscape instrument was“owned by a friend and colleague of mine, Zac Rae,”Shapiro said, who has even helped Shapiro out with music for the show on several occasions. Fun fact: Rae is also a member of the band Death Cab for Cutie, having joined the band in 2015, givingSeverancea very small connection to the band.
How Piano Secretly Defines The Sound Of Severance Season 2
Severance’s “Wumps”, Explained
In an age where a button click automatically skips the opening titles of any streaming series, Theodore Shapiro’s piano-driven theme music forSeverancehas managed to capture the attention of millions. But that’s only the most obvious way in which the instrument has shaped the tone of the series. In season 2, the composer revealed,the piano even defined the sound of Lumon itself, with Shapiro working closely with sound designer Chris Lane on unorthodox ways to enhance the show’s very specific atmosphere.
“When I huddled with Chris between seasons one and two,”Shapiro said,“the thing that we talked about is that the piano was so much the foundation of the sound of the score. [We asked ourselves,] ‘What if we lean into that even more?’”This line of thought turned into a bold creative decision about the show’s sound design–not just its music. In Shapiro’s words,“For season two, we generate all of our sounds from the piano.”
“So, Chris did a day of recording at the studio,”Shapiro shared,“and sent me, as he always does, a huge library of sounds. Some of them are him hitting the strings with brushes and making a loop that’s tonal–that has a pitch–[and] some sort of a rhythmic element; something that I can layer into what I’m writing and then manipulate as I need.”This means, peculiarly, that the piano used in the sound design is real, while the piano used in the actual music is virtual.
One trick the piano was used for is particularly easy to imagine if you’ve seen the show.“A really important element of the sonic palette of Severance is something [Chris] refers to as the “wumps”. Wumps are rhythmic loops made up of very, very low end percussion impulses, [and] they undergird what you’re writing in a way that’s both sort of propulsive and subtle. They can sit under dialogue, basically.”
“That stuff is everywhere in the show, and in the case of season two, he built all of those using piano sounds.”
Turning a piano into sound design wasn’t only done for the sake of it, either, as Shapiro shared:“It provided me with this huge library of sounds unique to the show. You’re not going to hear it in somebody else’s piece, and it’s just part of the fabric of the sound.”
Most Of Severance’s Music Was Written From Scripts Alone
Some Themes Were Composed “With [No] Particular Storyline In Mind”
Although piano as sound design has been more of a season 2 development, Shapiro’s approach to the series’ music has always been somewhat unorthodox. In contrast to how film and TV composers traditionally operate–composing music directly to the picture, timing it out to hit certain spots–Shapiro shared that“in both seasons, the strategy that we employed was that I was going to write a big library of music before they started shooting.”This includes not only theme and suite writing, but“improvisational recording sessions … to get sounds,”like ones featuring Death Cab keyboardist Zac Rae and violinist Rob Moose.
A major bonus of getting in early on each season ofSeverancewas that no other temp music, or music by other composers that is put into early cuts as an example of tone, was used to potentially sway the desires of those in charge of the final cut.“It’s really worth it to do the extra work … for the benefit of not having any music from other films or TV shows cut into the show,”Shapiro said, adding,“I think that it really helps whatever it is that you’re working on have a unique identity.”
“It’s just too easy, when you have temp music from other shows, to be subtly influenced, even when you don’t want to be influenced.”
Coming into the editing room with a bunch of pre-recorded music also made for some happy accidents.“I worked so closely with Geoff Richman, the principal editor, and Ben, and it really was a process of … seeing what worked and what didn’t work,”the composer shared.“The [melody of the] new Dylan/Gretchen theme … is just a variation on the main theme,”Shapiro said,“and I did not write it with any particular storyline in mind.”
“They cut it into the first scene where Milchick introduces the idea of the visitation suite to Dylan,”the composer continued,“and it worked great, so that became the theme of Dylan and Gretchen, that relationship, and the complications in that relationship. So, it really is truly a collaboration.”
How The Kier Family Music Became Accidentally Hebrew
“Clearly, There’s Something In My Past History”
One of the standout aspects ofSeveranceseason 2 is its exploration into the mythology of the Kier family. While audiences were left with just as many mysteries as answers, the bizarre quasi-religious culture of Lumon and its founding family were elaborated on through a work retreat and even celebrated with the finale episode’s “The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel”, performed by a Mr. Milchick-led marching band. When asked if Shapiro had constructed rules for the Kier mythology music, he replied with“Not rules, but there’s a type of melody that my brain is clearly gravitating towards.”
“I think that there’s some sort of a commonality between the Kier Hymn and the Woe’s Hollow theme and ‘The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel’."
Guessing what that commonality is, Shapiro continued to say“It’s probably subtly influenced by songs from Hebrew school–religious songs that are part of my background.My sister referenced one Hebrew song and asked if [“The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnel”] was supposed to be an homage to that.”“It’s not,”Shapiro clarified,“but I could see what she was talking about, so, clearly, there’s something in my past history that’s angling it towards a minor key religious song.”
Theodore Shapiro Has Faith Severance Will Make Sense
“In Many Ways, The Story Is Fairly Straightforward”
With each new mystery introduced to audiences,Severancemay seem like it’s running the risk of biting off more than its creators can chew. Skeptical viewers may voice their concerns by invoking the famously divisive series finale ofLost, which didn’t tie up all of the show’s mysteries upon mysteries with a bow. When asked if he knew thatSeverancewould in fact wrap up its many mysteries, Shapiro said“So, first of all, I don’t know [the answers]. I know as much as you do.”
“I think that Dan [Erickson] has said publicly that he knows where the story is going. So, I have a lot of faith in that.”
“As far as the Lost comparison goes,”Shapiro continued,“Yes, there are a lot of things that feel like riddles in the show, but if you look at the first two seasons, there’s a very straight and simple throughline to following these characters–following Helly from her birth on the table to what Dan would refer to as her adolescence and breaking away from her family and becoming an independent person and a rebel.”
“In many ways, the story is fairly straightforward,”the composer added, saying,“It happens to have a lot of curiosities that get you thinking, but the thing that gives me so much faith in Dan and the team and where this is going to go is that I really think, in many ways, the storytelling has been very contained and very tight. And I have faith that it’ll continue that way.”
Shapiro Reflects On The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty’s Underappreciated Score
The Composer Collaborated With Swedish Singer-Songwriter José González
Ben Stiller’s 2013 filmThe Secret Life of Walter Mittywas not a critical success, but the crowd-pleasing, heartwarming adventure story is worth a watch–and that’s even before taking into consideration its underappreciated soundtrack. The movie boasts a score by Theodore Shapiro, but the composer wasn’t alone; he scored the movie in collaboration with Swedish singer/songwriter José González, who also has a number of songs on the movie’s soundtrack.
“That was a wonderful experience,”Shapiro reflected,“and José was a great collaborator. He’s a fantastic person–he’s one of those people [with whom] the beauty of his music is matched by his spirit as a person, I’m happy to report. It doesn’t always work that way in music, but, in his case, it does.”
The Secret Life of Walter Mittycertainly benefitted from the creative marriage of Shapiro and González, and the composer revealed that a unique pairing of that sort was always the idea behind the film’s music.“When Ben and I started talking about that project,”he said,“we both had the thought that it would be the right approach to have the music be centered around an artist; somebody whose voice could be part of the fabric of the score, and somebody where the songs would be part of the palette.”
“The voice could be part of the score and the songs, and it would all feel like a cohesive whole.”
“We landed on José [because] I was already a big fan of his,”Shapiro shared,“and Ben was too. And we were just very fortunate to select somebody who ended up being such an easy and generous collaborator. He was just always up for trying things, and he has such an incredible voice and is such an amazing and unique guitar player. And so all of those things ended up just being such a beautiful part of the score. Fortunately, it was just very easy.”
Shapiro Doubts A Tropic Thunder Sequel Will Happen
“But If Anybody Can Find A Way In … I’m All In”
In addition toThe Secret Life of Walter Mitty,Shapiro wrote the music for multiple Ben Stiller projects which have been rumored to get the sequel or spinoff treatment. But the composer’s hops are not high for a return toTropic ThunderorDodgeball: A True Underdog Story:“I have no idea what is likely,”Shapiro said. And although he, in his words, is“the last person that you should be asking that question,”he did share that“it would be fun to do any of them.”
“I keep hearing over and over again that it would be impossible to do Tropic Thunder today, and that’s probably true.”
“But if anybody can find a way in to do a Dodgeball sequel or a Tropic Thunder sequel,”Shapiro said,“I’m all in for that.”When told that some rumors have discussed a possible spinoff about Tom Cruise’sTropic Thunderstudio exec character Les Grossman, Shapiro said“That would be amazing. That is an incredible character.”
Theodore Shapiro Explains His Journey Into The Stiller-Verse
“It Has Been Wonderful To Be Along For The Ride”
Severanceis Theodore Shapiro’s seventh project with Ben Stiller, and marks over two decades of collaboration that began when Shapiro scored the 2004 comedyAlong Came Polly.As it turns out, Shapiro went to college withAlong Came Pollywriter/director John Hamburg, which led to a job on that film and his music being heard by Ben Stiller.“I feel like Ben was in to do ADR, and he noticed the score that I had written for some scene and was like, ‘Oh, that music is cool. Who did that?’”
“At the same time, maybe he had heard some of the stuff from Starsky & Hutch,”the composer added regarding another Ben Stiller film he scored around the same time,“and I think that’s what made him interested in working with me.”When Stiller then producedDodgeball: A True Underdog Story, he recommended Shapiro for the role, and the rest is history.
Shapiro reflected on what he’s seen and experienced in 20 years of collaboration with Stiller, especially with Stiller’s seeming journey away from straightforward comedies.“I think that Ben’s taste has definitely just evolved over time,”the composer said, continuing,“If you look at Tropic Thunder, there’s just so much energy all of the time. So much of the impetus of the music was constantly ratcheting up, constantly building, and that was absolutely the right thing for that movie, but it was very, very driving.”
“Clearly, Ben has found, in his filmmaking, a different tone and a lot more space, a lot more openness. I find, as a viewer, that’s really thrilling.”
As much as Stiller has changed, Shapiro’s role is unchanged.“There’s no doubt that my job is always the same. My job is to support the filmmaker, whatever it is that they’re doing, but it has been wonderful to be along for the ride with Ben in his evolution as a filmmaker.”
