Interview with Netflix’s The Crew & Black Summer composer Alec Puro

When he hasn’t been drumming for the band Deadsy, Alec Puro makes himself busy composing music for TV series and films,  Most recently, he’s done music for the Netflix sitcom The Crew, as well as zombie apocalypse series Black Summer.  We wanted to ask him about his experiences with these projects and plenty more.

Read on for our interview with composer Alec Puro

Show Snob: You are the founder of Gramoscope Music, which seems to have projects all over
television. How did that come about?

Alec Puro: Gramoscope Music is a full-service music production company with an extensive and diverse music catalog for licensing in film, television, and all other forms of media. I created
Gramoscope Music because early on in my career there could be significant downtime between
scoring a film or scripted show.

I never knew how long that downtime would last and, in some
cases, it lasted long enough that I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent. Starting Gramoscope Music
has given me the creative freedom to explore various film and television projects I might not
have been able to do without the support of the company and my team.

Show Snob: As a professional drummer, do you think about composition differently?  In my
experience, other musicians can be offbeat a little and get away with it but drumming
seems to require more tightness/discipline.

Alec Puro: When it comes to composing, the piano is my main instrument. Having a background in drumming definitely helps all around with the piano and composing in general. It’s a huge plus getting to play real drums on a lot of my scores. It brings an organic, human feel that can’t be mimicked by programmed drums.

The Crew, Black Summer, and beyond

Show Snob: It’s sort of an obvious question, but what’s it like alternating between making music for sitcoms like The Crew, horror dramas like Black Summer, and an animated series
likeThe Mighty Ones?

Alec Puro: It’s great to be able to score three shows that are so different from each other musically. It really keeps things fresh being able to switch gears between each project. If I only scored shows that were all in the same genre, it would definitely be difficult to keep the ideas fresh and new all the time.

Show Snob: You have played on albums and worked as a touring musician.  How much of a
departure is it to compose for a film or TV project?

Alec Puro: Composing for film and TV and being a touring / session musician are two completely different skill sets. Like with anything, when I really decided I wanted to get into composing I had to learn not only how to write music to picture but learn about story, themes, etc.

I always knew that becoming a full-time composer was something I was destined to do and I really started exploring that during my time in the band so it wasn’t an abrupt transition but more like one thing flowing fluidly into the next.

When I was on the road, I would bring a portable composing rig to do small jobs remotely whether it was scoring a friend’s short film or writing additional cues for a TV show. At a certain point, it really became apparent that this was what I wanted to devote all my time to.

Style and Genre

Show Snob: Stylistically, it seems like composing on demand might be challenging.  One might be expected to sound like Alice in Chains on one project, then maybe have some country music
the next.  How chameleon-like must one be to have success as a TV/film composer?

Alec Puro: I think you definitely need to be able to deliver on whatever is needed for a given project, but I also think it’s best to focus on what your thing or sound is going to be. Trying to be the jack of all trades usually results in being ok at a lot of things rather than being great at your thing.

On the flip side of that, it’s great fun to do something you aren’t always asked to do. It gives you the chance to learn how to write in a style of music you may not have worked in before.

Show Snob: Here’s a question about Deadsy:  Can you tell us about the “Ztar” and its role in
creating unique guitar elements for Deadsy?

Alec Puro: The ztar is essentially a midi controller that triggers a synth-type guitar sound that blends with the real guitars. It sounds really cool, makes the guitars sound even thicker and it’s a lot of fun to play. It definitely had a rough time on the road with all the wear and tear it went through on a daily basis. We would play shows and notes would stick during songs and there always seemed to be technical issues. We started using the ztar early on, so I’m sure at this point all the kinks have been worked out.

Show Snob: You’ve done additional music for MTV reality series like Bam’s Unholy Union and
Road Rules.  Do you think MTV will ever get back into emphasizing music again?  (For
the record, one of my cousins is a reality TV star named Lizzie Kommes, from Love After
Lockup, so it’s not like I hate everyone/everything associated with reality TV.  But
couldn’t MTV be a bit more about the music?)

Alec Puro: I doubt MTV proper will ever start playing music videos again like they used to, unfortunately. I believe MTV2, VH1 Classics, and other affiliate stations still play videos, right?

Show Snob: In addition to The Crew and Black Summer, you have contributed to so many films/movies.  Which ones stand out for you most?

Alec Puro: All the films I’ve scored are special to me in different ways and represent different times in my journey as a composer. I would say The Good Night which was the first big feature I scored, The Art Of Getting By, Higher Ground, and Like Water are a few that stand out for me.

A sinister track

Show Snob: The track “Nausea” from the score to Black Summer is rather sinister and dark. 
Was it fun to develop?

Alec Puro: That cue was super fun to make. I really tried to mimic the feeling of being nauseous or seasick.  I really wanted it to feel unsettling yet build throughout playing the same motif adding layer after layer until the end.

Show Snob: What instruments do you play, and do you have any musical advice for people wanting to get into the business? 

Alec Puro: Piano and drums are my main instruments and I play a little guitar and bass as well. Most of my time is spent on the piano since it all starts there for me when I’m composing.
As far as musical advice, I guess I would say do anything and everything that gives you the
opportunity to create music.

You never know where something might lead or what relationship
you create along the way could be the one that helps takes everything to the next level. Work
begets work and it’s all about your momentum and ability to put as much out there as
possible…you never know what might come back.

We’d like to thank Alec Puro for taking the time to answer our questions! 

Black Summer and The Crew are currently available to stream on Netflix.