BoJack Horseman is a Netflix original series, an animated comedy about a washed up 90s sitcom star who’s trying to figure out his life and career without drowning in self-loathing and existential despair. It won the 2016 Critics Choice award for best animated series. The theme song for the show was created by Patrick Carney, who is one half of The Black Keys, and his uncle, Ralph Carney, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked artists like Tom Waits, St Vincent, The B-52s, Galaxie 500, and others. But the track wasn’t written for the show, originally; it was just something that Patrick and Ralph made without knowing what it was for. In this episode, the two break down how the song was created, and how it went from their long-distance collaboration to become a TV theme song.

You can buy or stream the full version of the BoJack Horseman Main Title Theme here.

BoJack Horseman – Main Titles

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

footnotes
Here’s the Ralph Carney tribute in the main title sequence of Season 5, Episode 1:

Patrick and Ralph Carney’s MySpace page

The Simpsons Theme

Ralph Carney’s Obituary in The New York Times

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Band of Horses released their 5th album in June 2016. In this episode, the band’s frontman, Ben Bridwell breaks down the song “Solemn Oath,” and how in the process of writing it, he confronted writer’s block, and balancing his life in the band and at home as a husband and father.

You can buy the new Band of Horses album Why Are You Ok at bandofhorses.com.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

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Grimes is the project of Claire Boucher. In 2015, she released Art Angels, her 4th album. In this episode, she breaks down her song “Kill V. Maim,” and how the experience of writing songs for other artists opened up the way she writes for herself.

You can buy “Kill V. Maim” on iTunes.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

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