As season two premiere of WGN America’s scripted drama Underground premieres, the network has partnered with RED Interactive Agency to collaborate and create Underground: The Music, a central hub that brings to life exclusive content and music from the second season of Underground.
Underground tells the story of a group of slaves from a Georgia plantation who plan a 600 mile escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad. The show features a cast including Christopher Meloni, Mykelti Williamson, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell, sister of “Empire” star Jussie Smollett.
Because music is such a central theme of the show, WGN and RED Interactive Agency chose to leverage Spotify’s API to provide fans of the show an opportunity to access the music they hear and further connect to the characters and their struggles, while adding value to the fan’s viewing experience.
Each Underground episode playlist will feature exclusive photography, video, and interview content, including insights from one of the show’s composer, Laura Karpman, as to why songs are selected and how they relate to the episode or scene.
DIVERGE talked to the team behind the project to find out more:
Where did the idea for this come from?
AgencyMusic is a huge part of Underground. The producers spend a lot of time picking exactly the right piece for each scene of the show, to forge the strongest emotional connection with the audience. Normally, show recaps tend to focus on characters and plot but don’t give much attention to music, but in this case, where music is almost its own character within the show, we thought a music feature would be perfect. Especially with the musical selections already resonating so much with audiences. – Donna Farmer, VP, Client Partner, RED Interactive Agency
Why is the idea significant to the show?
As the season unfolds this playlist becomes a musical journey through all of the significant events of the show. Fans can enjoy the music on its own, but also have a strong sense memory of these big moments for the characters.
Secondly: Underground is constantly drawing parallels between the America of the 1850s and the America of today, especially relating to social justice and equality. The music, which often speaks to these themes, reinforces that bond. – Brad Mettey, Associate Creative Director, RED Interactive Agency
How did Spotify API play a role in this?
We wanted the experience to do two main things: deliver in-depth content about songs from each episode, and allow fans to hear the music, wherever they are. The two had to be mixed seamlessly. By using the Spotify API we are able to integrate the audio tracks from Spotify within our website, as well as link out to a full playlist on Spotify that fans can follow. – Donna Farmer, VP, Client Partner, RED Interactive Agency
Why is content key with this playlist?
The song selection on the show is a fascinating mix of familiar songs from popular artists, more obscure tracks, and original compositions. We wanted to take this opportunity to go beyond just the tracklist but instead do some storytelling about the artists, the inspiration for the song choices, and how the tracks are woven into the narrative of the show and the journey of the characters. – Donna Farmer, VP, Client Partner, RED Interactive Agency
Why did you choose to include modern day music for a period show?
Using contemporary music was Mischa and Joe’s (Underground’s creators) idea from the beginning. The show may be set in a period, but its themes are universal to all eras of American society, especially today’s. Using modern music helps reinforce that bond. –
Laura Karman, “Underground” Composer
What kind of response have you received/seen?
There is so much social conversation about the music that is featured in each Underground episode. People want to talk about and listen to the music. They also want to know why certain songs are featured and how we pick these songs. Underground: The Music is the perfect platform to feature all of that in a unique way that no one has done before. – Brian Dollenmayer, EVP Marketing and Promotion, WGN America
Why is it becoming important to have audience connect more closely with characters?
That is the purpose of filmed entertainment. Whether you’re laughing or crying or being scared or looking at society or learning history, human connection is the power of film and television. Period. – Laura Karman, “Underground” Composer
Additional thoughts?
The Music is one of the ways each Underground episode lives on beyond the broadcast. We present Underground: The Music and other immersive experiences to provide our audience with unknown facts and details about the show and time period. The website is a place to entertain and educate our audience, which allows them to build deeper connections with the show. – Brian Dollenmayer, EVP Marketing and Promotion, WGN America
