Jace Everett Says 'Bad Things' Brought Back his Career - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 01-31-2022, 08:44 PM

"True Blood" Theme Song Brought Singer's Career Back from the Dead: "It's a Mitzvah"
by Nick Romano
Jan. 31, 2022

Nashville-based singer Jace Everett was in a slump. He recorded a country album in 2004, but it failed upon release. By 2006, he had lost his record deal and was in what he refers to as a "tough spot financially."

Everett was getting some income from his craft, having written a No. 1-charting song for a different artist, but he was forced to go back to playing bass in various bands to make ends meet.

Then "True Blood" happened. Everett credits the sexy, sultry HBO vampire drama starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer for revitalizing his career after the network chose his song 'Bad Things', off that failed album of his, as its theme song.

"It's a mitzvah," he tells EW over the phone as part of a celebration of the best TV theme songs of the 21st century. "It's further proof that you can't control anything. All you can do is try to do the best you can. I've had plenty of ups and downs since then, but I've got Entertainment Weekly calling me today. That's crazy!"

The success of 'Bad Things' still surprises Everett, since he wrote the track in about six minutes to try to seduce a woman. "There's nothing to it," he remarks. "It's a synthesis of, what, maybe 20 other songs? The thing that's unique about is the chord progression because of it being in a minor key. It's just an old swingin' blues-type thing that I put my own spin on. And that tends to be what people like: things they heard before."

Everett's label didn't quite like it at the time. They felt the song was "a little too this, a little too that." But Everett put it on his self-titled album anyway. Then the album bombed. The singer played 'Bad Things' one time on "The Tonight Show" to try to drum up buzz, but that didn't move the needle much.

It wasn't until 2008, at a time when he was playing bass in a cover band, that HBO approached him. He got a call from "True Blood's" music supervisor Gary Calamar, asking about using 'Bad Things' for the opening theme. Calamar sent him a couple episodes, sans music, to see if there was any interest. Everett didn't know how the show would land, but he figured the song was just sitting there — "rotting," as he puts it.

When he finally saw the opening credits sequence, designed by Chicago-based Digital Kitchen, he was "flabbergasted."

https://ew.com/tv/true-blood-theme-s...-jace-everett/

01-31-2022, 08:44 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,235	Jace Everett Says 'Bad Things' Brought Back his Career *"True Blood" Theme Song Brought Singer's Career Back from the Dead: "It's a Mitzvah"* by Nick Romano Jan. 31, 2022 Nashville-based singer Jace Everett was in a slump. He recorded a country album in 2004, but it failed upon release. By 2006, he had lost his record deal and was in what he refers to as a "tough spot financially." Everett was getting some income from his craft, having written a No. 1-charting song for a different artist, but he was forced to go back to playing bass in various bands to make ends meet. Then "True Blood" happened. Everett credits the sexy, sultry HBO vampire drama starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer for revitalizing his career after the network chose his song 'Bad Things', off that failed album of his, as its theme song. "It's a mitzvah," he tells EW over the phone as part of a celebration of the best TV theme songs of the 21st century. "It's further proof that you can't control anything. All you can do is try to do the best you can. I've had plenty of ups and downs since then, but I've got Entertainment Weekly calling me today. That's crazy!" The success of 'Bad Things' still surprises Everett, since he wrote the track in about six minutes to try to seduce a woman. "There's nothing to it," he remarks. "It's a synthesis of, what, maybe 20 other songs? The thing that's unique about is the chord progression because of it being in a minor key. It's just an old swingin' blues-type thing that I put my own spin on. And that tends to be what people like: things they heard before." Everett's label didn't quite like it at the time. They felt the song was "a little too this, a little too that." But Everett put it on his self-titled album anyway. Then the album bombed. The singer played 'Bad Things' one time on "The Tonight Show" to try to drum up buzz, but that didn't move the needle much. It wasn't until 2008, at a time when he was playing bass in a cover band, that HBO approached him. He got a call from "True Blood's" music supervisor Gary Calamar, asking about using 'Bad Things' for the opening theme. Calamar sent him a couple episodes, sans music, to see if there was any interest. Everett didn't know how the show would land, but he figured the song was just sitting there — "rotting," as he puts it. When he finally saw the opening credits sequence, designed by Chicago-based Digital Kitchen, he was "flabbergasted." https://ew.com/tv/true-blood-theme-s...-jace-everett/