Very unexpectedly, I got fired, Malone tells Bustle.
But once she was placed at the dishwashing station, Malone wanted to quit.
I knew nothing about what a music supervisor did, she admits.
I was just like, That seems fun.
Himself, PeacocksQueer as Folkreboot, andJohn Wick: Chapter 4, among other high-profile projects.
Before getting into scripted TV, you worked as a music supervisor on MTV and VH1 reality shows.
Whats different about working in that realm compared to projects likeEuphoriaandUmbrella Academy?
Reality TV is a grind.
It was very, very different.
It was like a music supervision boot camp.
It sounds like the hardest, most intense version of the work youd later do on narrative TV shows.
ExceptEuphoria, but thats a different story.
Just for the sheer amount of songs?
[Rue rapping Hit Em Up by] Tupacwas not necessarily in the script from the beginning.
That cannot be an easy song to clear.
There are definitely easy songs to clear, but for the most part, its a lot.
Its 37 songs for an episode.
Its way more than some people may assume youre in charge of.
I have to manage the budget and collect all the assets.
Im the head of the music department of a huge show where music is a character.
What song has been the most difficult to get cleared?
If it was a newer artist, it wouldve been a much easier approval.
Once I finally found them it was easy, but finding them was difficult.
Its almost like music research.
What are the [radio] stations, and where are their playlists?
But remember, that is only maybe 30% of my job.
What would you say makes up the biggest part of your job?
Have you received feedback from any artists about how a film or TV placement has affected their career?
When it connects to the audience on the level it has onEuphoria, thats very special.
With Laura, it exploded.
She was trending on Twitter, which was so exciting.
As far as the reaction, I mean, whatever.
Why wouldnt [the characters] be listening to an iconic song byJuvenile or Notorious B.I.G.?
If kids are not listening to that at parties, then their parties are f*cking lame.
I know youre going to quote that, but thats fine.
I never once was like, This is too hard.
I knew it was hard.
Doing anything in the entertainment industry is hard, but there was not a moment where I doubted myself.
Now, youve been nominated for Emmys and won awards from the Guild of Music Supervisors.
Can you pinpoint a moment where you felt like you made it?
I give a shot to stay in a place of gratitude, especially because of where I came from.
Working on bigger shows, and shows where music is so important, its all been amazing.
I dont want to say I never dreamed about it, because I did.
It means more to me than anybody could ever realize, because of where I came from.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onJune 8, 2022
