Loren Bouchard On The Music of “Bob’s Burgers”

The musicality of Bob’s Burgers has been almost as instrumental as any other part of FOX’s Emmy-Award winning series for nearly eight seasons. So with a music album on the way, we decided to talk to show creator Loren Bouchard on the soundscape of the series and what fans can look forward to in terms of the show, music, and more!

Bubbleblabber:  The music of Bob’s Burgers has helped extend the charm that the show has been providing for audiences for almost 8 seasons now, what goes into deciding the type of artists and musicians that take part in the show?

Loren Bouchard: If you hear original music on the show it’s almost certainly been written and performed by our composers, our actors, and/or our writers. Cyndi Lauper and Carly Simon also very generously agreed to sing on our end credits. And those are exactly the types of people we’re looking for.

Bubbleblabber:  From Gene’s songs about farts to collaborations with Sleater-Kinney, music has been made part of the fabric of Bob’s Burgers. Was this intentional or by accident?

Bouchard: Intentional. Music and animation go together so well. Like sweet and salty. Once you’ve had ‘em both together, you never want to have one without the other ever again.

Bubbleblabber: Growing up, what were some of the musicians or music groups that have inspired you?Bouchard: I got lucky – the kids in the class ahead of me in high school had terrific taste. They were listening to all kinds of good stuff – Dirty Mind, This Years Model, “Let It Be” by the Replacements, bunch of punk bands. They made a big impression on me. I was also a child of the 70’s so I had Schoolhouse Rock and The Muppet Show and groovy Disney movies like The Jungle Book as an influence. I think those are baked into the Bob’s Burgers DNA.

Bubbleblabber: Do you have any artists or music groups that will be part of Bob’s Burgers future?

Bouchard: All of them. We hope to work with all of them.

Bubbleblabber:  Who are some “dream” musicians and artists that you would love to work with on the series?Bouchard: Prince.

Bubbleblabber:  Sub Pop Records…known for releasing legendary artists like Soundgarden, Nirvana, and now Bob’s Burgers. What’s it liked to be released via a label with such a legendary history?

Bouchard: Sub Pop also has a great history with comedy. They’re been working with David Cross forever. They have a long relationship with our own Eugene Mirman, and they put out the Flight of the Conchords record. More important than their back catalog, though, is their fundamental approach, which is that they truly just want to make stuff. When you talk to them they don’t say, “We’re Sub Pop, we put out Nirvana’s first record”, they say “What can we put in the Bob’s Burgers deluxe box set that would make people happy?” Which is why we wanted to work with them.

Bubbleblabber:  Bob’s Burgers has been successful in a number of different mediums, be it TV, comic books, and music. Would you like to explore the possibility of other mediums perhaps Bob’s Burgers video games, films, etc?

Bouchard: Yes, why not? Each medium is its own challenge and in theory, trying to get your head around a new medium makes you better at your first medium. It’s like Cross Fit for animation.

Bubbleblabber:  Bob’s Burgers is enjoying a very strong seventh season in terms of quality episodes. What has been the “secret sauce” that this franchise has employed to keep the show fresh and only getting better after so many seasons?

Bouchard: We work really, really hard – that’s secret sauce, part one. We have A VERY LOW TURNOVER, both on the writing staff, and in production – that’s part two. And finally, I would say we just enjoy going to work – being around each other.

Bubbleblabber: What can fans look forward to for the rest of Bob’s Burgers Season Seven, and can you reveal any details for the show’s eighth season in terms of guest stars or and/or other news in the upcoming near future?

Bouchard: You can look forward to an Easter egg hunt that goes to shit. You can look forward to a Mother’s day episode that’s all about lying to your mother about what happened at the school Mother’s Day pageant. And you can look forward to a “reveler’s parade” called Bog to Beach, that involves near nudity, float on float violence, and disco music.

In season 8, you can look forward to an episode drawn and animated by the fans.

Bubbleblabber: It took six seasons to get Bob’s Burgers music on an album, however notable exceptions from the track listings include some the stellar instrumentals during the show’s run, Teddy’s cover of “Wonder”, and even the season seven music highlights. Are there plans to include any of the aforementioned in an another record?

Bouchard: We would love to release another record. We’d love to keep making records as long as the show is on the air, and maybe longer. The deep cuts would be a fun record to do by itself. Hey, we could do a whole “Wonder” record! Teddy’s version and then songs inspired by Teddy’s cover of “Wonder”. (But we’ll do seasons 7 and 8 first.)

 

The Bob’s Burgers Music Album is produced by the series creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard’s Wilo Productions in partnership with Bento Box Entertainment, with Sub Pop licensing the rights from Twentieth Century Fox Television. The Bob’s Burgers Music Album will be available on May 12th, and you can preorder here.

A new episode of Bob’s Burgers is all-new this Sunday Night @ 730 pm ET/PT only on FOX, check your local listings. 

A new episode entitled “The Date Escape” has been announced by Bento Box Entertainment.