The live podcast episode celebrates the powerful musical identity of *This Is Us*, emphasizing how music became a core emotional force in the series. Composer Sid Harthakosla and songwriter Taylor Goldsmith are central to this achievement, with Harthakosla drawing on personal roots like his Indian heritage and Goldsmith contributing lyrically rich, poetic songs that mirror the show’s themes. The musical direction prioritized emotional authenticity and timelessness over technical perfection, allowing the songs to resonate deeply with viewers. Key songs like "Invisible Ink" and "Moon in the Water" were born from collaborative, intuitive processes rooted in character development and personal memory. The music doesn’t just accompany the narrative—it becomes part of the show’s emotional fabric, reflecting themes of family, loss, and redemption. The live event features performances of early works and highlights how the creative team’s personal experiences informed the music. Attendees and listeners are encouraged to explore the show’s music, which stands as a standalone emotional journey. The podcast underscores how the music’s success stems from a blend of heartfelt storytelling, shared vision, and deep emotional connection, transforming the series into a universal experience of love and memory.
This is a head gum forecast. [MUSIC] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the host of the hip-hawcast that was us. [APPLAUSE] Starring Chris Sullivan. [APPLAUSE] Mandy Moore. [APPLAUSE] And my dad, Sterling K. Brown. [APPLAUSE] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Wiltern Theater. [APPLAUSE] And the very first live episode of that was us. I feel like, this is cool. I feel like this is the dream we had, like, as we were starting the podcast. We're like, we haven't even really done an episode. We're like, let's do a live show. Yeah, we've been talking about it for such a long time. It's like, wouldn't it be fun? Wouldn't it be so cool? It's like, we had people here, and they heard us talk, and we did something interesting. And now people are here. They're here. And the pressure is on. Yeah, thank you so much for sharing the evening with us. We really appreciate it. And spending your Saturday with us. Yeah, if you're listening to the pod, you're going to get to hear us talk. It's a rewatch podcast, but we're not rewatching a specific episode tonight. We are talking about the musical world that is this is us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have some guests who are going to come out and talk to us. Thank you. So, should we introduce our guests? Let's do it. Yeah. Let's do it. First, we are going to bring out the composer for this is us. Sid harthakosla. Not only did he do the compositions for this is us, he did the compositions for pretty much. I mean, I think Dan Fogelman has been quoted this as none of my stuff works without him. Yeah. Please welcome Sid Kosla. Thank you. Thank you. I like hugs. Hugs are warm. Warm hugs. Olaf. We're hugging like we haven't been soundtracking for four hours. Like we haven't been hanging out. Exactly. We haven't got your hair. Hang out. Who's next? Who should we bring on next? So, the next gentleman that's going to join us today, I get to be the sole lady for the podcast panel. Look at you. This next gentleman is someone near and dear to me personally. Yeah. He's the frontman for a band called Dawes. Yeah, he is. I have three children with him. He's the most talented songwriter, singer, musician on the planet in my estimation. Mr. Taylor Goldsmith. T.G. Listen, last but not least. Me and this guy have three kids together. He is my work husband. He's my work husband. We've worked together on two shows in a row. I love him dearly. He has the cutest cheeks in the whole wide world. Please welcome your friend and ours, the creative. This is us, Daniel Eric Bokumben. (audience cheering and applauding) Yeah. (audience cheering and applauding) Come through. Come through. Yeah. Ah. Right there, big dog. Right there. Right between me and Sterling. Yeah, yeah. Well, we like you. The hot seat. All right. So, we brought you all here tonight to discuss the musical. Season 7. No, I'm kidding. Season 7 of Season 7. That's it. All of these people have signed a petition. They will accept a two-part movie. That's good. (audience cheering and applauding) Like, like, down in the avenue. I like it. (audience cheering and applauding) The musical environment of this is us became a world unto its own. Not just the compositions, not just the original songs that were written by these two men down here. Not just the musical direction that was kind of fronted by this man. But the totality of the soundtrack. I was listening to all of it as we were preparing for this. And it has a tone that is full of hope and full of joy and full of love. And it's the way that we can all continue to get together. Yeah. And catch up. Thanks, Ster. (audience laughing) Thank you for talking to us here. With Dan, if we could. Yeah. Yeah. Woo. Woo. It's my dad. Because your musical taste, your musical fingerprint is all over this show. Yeah. Can you? Yeah. Can you please walk us through maybe the pilot, the first couple of episodes, the musical moments, or the artists that you wanted to include, that you just knew, because I know that you had them in mind. Well, 'cause oftentimes start interrupt, but stuff would be written into the scripts. Yeah. Like the mic drop here, or the needle drop rather. Right. So it is interesting. Obviously you're a deeply musical person, you're a deep music fan. So I am curious to hear where that started, where it comes from, and how you sort of infuse that in your work. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, ironically, I'm not sure I have great musical taste. My friends used to make fun of me growing up for my musical taste. Like, I remember when I was a kid, I would say, "You know what the best song of all time is? My life is a highway." Like. And my friends were like, my cool friends. You know, you're in high school, and your friends are always like, like, want to be cool, and different, and they would always make fun of me. And then I wrote the movie cars, and they got rascal flats, covered life as a highway. And it became like the coolest cars. You see motherfuckers? I know what I'm doing. No, but I think, you know, it's born out of a lot of things. I think I learned a lot about music, actually making the show, and how you pick music for a show. But I learned a lot about how you pick music. I now make playlists on Spotify, and I keep making them in the course of a year. I send them to sit a lot into the editors, but the Labby Siffray song, that's at the end of the pilot. Yes. Watch me. It was one that the directors of the pilot, John and Glenn had sent to me. They were like, "Oh, we were thinking about this as a vibe for the show." And I was like, "That's going to be the ending." When the guy starts smoking the cigarette in the hospital. And I remember playing it while Milo was shooting that. Like, I was sitting in the back. I was like, "Guys, because we cool listen." And Milo was doing a dialogue, and I was playing it on my phone, and everyone was like, the sound guys were like, "Shushing me." But it wasn't because I was a genius. I heard that song, and I was like, "That's going to be at the end." And that actually, in a weird way, for the needle job that Mandy's referring to, kind of set the pilot. I was like, "We're going to use timeless music. That kind of could play today. It could play 100 years ago. It could play 100 years from now." And I just started compiling with our music supervisors, like giant banks of songs. And then Sid became the real secret sauce of it. And that was a much longer process for us. The primary mandate then was timelessness. Was there any overriding sort of objectives besides timelessness that you were thinking about in terms of what you picked for the show? Not really. I mean, my thing is, like, I've never been able to work in theory a lot. You know what I mean? Like, I want this type of thing, or I want it. I just kind of know it when I hear it. Like, Sid is always sending me stuff. I'm like, "That's it." But I don't know why. Right? Like, I'm not good that way. I don't think, right? Like, you always met-- Sid always is like, "Talk to me about what you're thinking." I'm like, "I don't know." Like, "I don't know." And then he plays something. I'm like, "Yeah, that's it. That's it." But I don't know how to describe it. Okay. Yeah, normally your direction is, "Figure it out." Yeah. Yeah. I definitely don't like that. It's the most daunting thing to hear, too. You're like, "Okay." He's like, "Yeah." He's like, "Just figure it out." Yeah. I'll know when I hear it. All right. Yeah. So people who've listened to the podcast probably have heard a little bit of this story, but I'm curious for you guys to sort of like recount it, because we got Sid's side, but I'd love to hear how you and Sid sort of came into each other's lives and then developed such a close working relationship, because now you guys are sort of inseparable. Do everything together. Well, I've known-- we were college roommates our freshman year, basically. We lived in the same hall of college. Yeah. Yeah. What's your line you always say about like that? It's cute about us. I've known you longer than I haven't. Yeah. It's a very-- this is us line. Yeah. It is. But Sid was like this floppy-haired Indian kid at my college that sang "Acapella Music" in college, and he had a little electric keyboard in his dorm.
room and we were called off the beat. Yeah, I'm not mad at that. And but then we were here are the rest of your members, imagine, oh, next time. And I mean we lived with a bunch of like athletes and we were, it wasn't a fraternity just a group of guys and I was like, guys, we have to go to Cid's Acapella show and I was like, I don't want to, please don't make me go to Cid's Acapella show. And I was like, we're going and like we went and I remember thinking like, oh, that's the most talented person I've ever met. Like I remember very vividly at this Acapella show. I mean he also thought life is a highway. Yeah. That's the only thing I ever heard. I don't know. That's true. When you first said that, I thought you meant life is a fast lane, life in the fast lane. So I was like, oh yeah, life in the fast lane. And then when you mention rascal flags, like, oh, life is a highway. Differencies. Tom Cocker. Tom Cocker. One of the grades. You had me, you lost me. Yeah, but I mean, yeah, so I mean, we, and then I just was always be so tickled by listening to Cid perform because I mean his voice, you guys will hear it later. He's incredible. I mean, it's incredible. And then I was the guy when Cid had a really cool band out here in LA that was like a KCRW kind of darling. I was the guy going to the mint with like four other people to everyone of Cid's shows watching him. And I was like, how are people not here? This is the most talented man in the world. Did you guys, did you guys both come to LA at the same time or who came first? I definitely came first. You first. And how far behind were you? A year later. Like a year later. Okay. Okay. But Cid was in a rock band. He was a lead singer and like, kind of writer for a band. A man called Goldspot. Goldspot. Was that the one that was happening then? Guys, Goldspot. No. You see? Yeah. You're going to hear a Goldspot to action later. It's one of my favorite songs. It's one of our family's favorite songs. Goldspot. You're going to get into it. They were actually, they were really awesome. They were big on our own B charts. I know a lot about Goldspot. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's, so for a long time, I was like trying to figure my way through writing. And Cid was figuring his way through music out in LA and we were just like, young guys trying to figure out how to do it in different fields. Yeah. It was still like Apella and you're like, you got to learn an instrument. There has to be an instrument. We need a guitar. We need a piano. Something. Yeah. We'll be right back with more of that with us. There's always that moment for a trip when you're trying to wrap everything up, work, family stuff, packing. It's a lot. Right? Like when I'm packing for a trip, what I generally do is I lay everything out on the bed and then remove about 25% of the stuff. I start packing like a good week before. A week. Sorry. It's just like a whole family trip. Oh, well, because moms, moms have got the different piles, different kids. Yeah. Yeah. Rachel's got a whole system. I have a whole system too. Make a whole mental checklist. And when you finally leave, the last thing you want to do is worry about what's happening back home. Which is why while you're away on those trips, hosting your home on Airbnb can be a practical way to put your space to use. And with Airbnb's co-host network, you can hire a vetted local co-host to take care of your home and guests while you're away. So you can focus on making memories. What do I want off my plate when I'm out of town? Everything. Everything. Everything. The house is clean. I don't want to worry about a thing. And you know what? A co-host can help manage reservations. They can handle guest communication and provide on-site support so everything runs smoothly. And when you travel with family, finding a home to stay in together makes things easier. 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Come and show our show support. Let them know that we sent you after checkout. Again, that is Lisa.com promo code TWU. But you had that. I remember you saying this to us before you had this vision. It's like, "When I do shows, I'm going to have him do the music." And I remember you, something that said, "I've never done this thing before." And so you just kind of threw it at you, like, talked to us a little bit about that. You just believed, like, you knew that he could do it? He needed a job. I mean. [laughter] But we all did when this show started. Yeah. We always needed a job. Yes, sir. That's real. I don't remember how it started, honestly. I was in Goldspot. Oh, Goldspot. Goldspot. Not Coldplay? No, no. I was in Coldplay, actually. And the band sort of like, you know, it was like it never got super successful. It sort of hit like a hit of ceiling. And it was around that time where Dan called me and was like, "Hey, you want to come in and score the second season of my TV show?" There was a TV show called The Neighbors on ABC. Right on. And I remember being like, I think you got the wrong person. I can't do this. Like, I didn't study this. I, you know, I was a singer, songwriter, and a band. And that was like this orchestral score. And I was like, I wouldn't even know how to begin. And he's like, "No, I think you can do it." He's like, "You'll figure it out." You know, the way he talks. And I remember just like, in a complete panic for like just the entire year scoring that show. I just didn't know what the hell I was doing. And I just turned this stuff and you seemed to like it. Just two tracks were a capella, though, and he was like, "Get an instrument." Yeah, I was like, "Yeah, the whole time." And then like, should I score that show for that year? And then the show got cancelled after that second season. Yeah, but it's not because of your music. Like, Dan is still learning about it, right here. Absolutely. Or you're writing. No. You're giving this opportunity and you feel like a fish out of water. But clearly, what kind of notes were you getting? You were doing something right. Like, people weren't saying, "This is crap." Like, I think what it was was like, since Dan had seen me, he Dan was like one of five people that would come and see my band play. But he would come to these shows. And I think he just noticed that like, you know, he always liked like my melodic writing or like my melodies. And I think he was like, "If I connect to that in my interpretation of it, is that if I'm Dan, if I connect to your songs, I think other people will also connect to your melodies in my shows and films or shows." But, you know, he didn't let you do the film, so he didn't let you do the film. He only let you know. No, no, no, no. By the way, when I talk about the five person, I mean, Sid was playing "Sold Out," Reena's opening for "Deathcat for Cutie" and like, charting in different countries. Like, the band was right there. But I think what it was was his music always made me like really deeply feel something emotional. And I couldn't. Even when it was just like a kind of pop song, you felt something. And I think that's what the magic sauce of "This Is Us" became. It was such a big part of it. His music makes you feel emotional. You didn't want people to feel that in "Fried Claws?" Like what? That's then in "Fried Claws." Okay. I got it. He wrote "Fried Claws." That's right. Thank you, Sid. You're welcome. And at what stage in the process did Taylor come in as a partner? What was the first song that you guys wrote for the show? So we were at, it was just, it was a season one party, right? It was like an FYC event or for your consideration event, season one, where this, our band, sort of performed some of the music from the show season one. And afterwards, I just like, I went up to the bar and Taylor was there with Mandy, right? And you were, and I was like, and we, I went up to you because I was like the biggest fan of his band, Dawes.
And yeah, and I just loved, loved, loved that band so much and just in our conversation we just started to hit, we just hit it off, we started talking about music and the show and and I think we just left that conversation saying like, hey maybe like one day we'll write something together and that's how we left it. And then what was the first thing we wrote together? I think the first thing was Invisible Ink, right? Invisible Ink? Yeah. Like I was going and trying out for that record, exact or venue owner, I kind of forget which. It was the label. Yeah, I was record exactly. When you went out to LA. And it was like you don't have it. Yeah. The LA trip. I'm Pittsburgh Good. Yeah. Oh, it was in Pittsburgh. No, no. From Pittsburgh. I was the critique. I was Pittsburgh Good. Right, right, right. Yeah, you were Pittsburgh Good. That was it. Yeah. And it was, I was so thrilled because it was like I'm watching her build this character along with the whole operation with you and with the cast and watching her explore these emotions and then to be asked by you, like let's get into the mind of a young struggling songwriter Rebecca and what would she be writing about? What would she be singing about? So to be any small part of the subconsciousness of what I'm watching you bring to life was like what a cool opportunity. And I felt like, yeah, I'm psyched for this because I do feel like I have this unique insight into the way that this character is growing because I'm watching it in front of me. Not that I feel like I brought anything particularly special in that level. But I thought. Poor James. Sure. But I mean, even like, yeah, I remember when we wrote it, I thought like I'm I think we sat down, you have this musical idea and we and then I think we texted about like certain lyrics. What's the first lyric? What's the title? And you know, one thing I never knew is, is your involvement, Dan, for this stuff? Like I would always be dealing with, with Sid and then not with that song, but later songs. There was a couple of times where I was like, Dan's not sure about that word. I'm like, okay. So Dan is a part of this process. He is hearing this. He weighs in from a bar. Yeah. I love it. I love everything you do. He went like this and made a fart sound. Every once in a while, I come up, I come up with like some black shit, but the show's like, "Damn, what you think about putting this on?" He's like, "No, that ain't going on." I'm sorry. That's so nice. But that's an interesting process, right? Like, to be in a songwriting team with two guys who essentially just met, right? There's one thing. But then to have to be writing for a third entity, which is, this is us, which we can say Dan Fogelman is, this is us, right? That's an interesting feedback to have to take into your songwriting process. What was that like? And also, there's that feedback, but there's also like, well, we know that this has to be Pittsburgh good. So we want to write the best song we can, but we also have to make it track for what she's about to experience. No, it's slight against Pittsburgh. Come on. We love Pittsburgh. I didn't write the line. But for me, though, and now I'm remembering the call I made to you, because the music on this is us, the songs that we're used, the things that I had nothing to do with, the lobby safaries or Jackson Brown or Paul Simon or these artists that were being used in the show, the level of the music and the songwriting was up here. And so I called you, because I've said this to Dan for years, too, as I think the Taylor is one of the best songwriters on the planet, period. Second, that. What's that? Incredible. And his lyric writing and music, all of it, it's just like it's so elevated, and if you've not listened to Dawes, go listen to Dawes, because it's poetry. It's poetry set to beautiful music, and it just breaks you in the most perfect way. So it worked out perfectly, because Taylor was like a dream person to collaborate with, and then we could also elevate the stuff to where it needed to be, you know? So that's-- I appreciate hearing that. And that song, even when the-- I remember thinking about that song, the last line of the chorus turns out all the ink is invisible if you give it enough time. And when we wrote that, we had no idea what Rebecca was going to go through. And I remember when the show ended, I was like, oh, wow, that line, even though we definitely weren't thinking about it, because it wasn't something we could have possibly known, that line had a new dimension to it. And I thought, wow, it's so cool how the whole show is like talking to each other, talking to itself, in ways that are just pure accidents, but it felt really beautiful. There's also something so meta about the fact that you're at home with her, right? And you're helping write stuff for her character. It was just so cool. You understood her character, because you saw her develop that character at home, probably. You guys talk through that stuff together, or does he just kind of do his thing and then you wait and see? I mean, it was-- it's pretty separate. I feel like I get a sneak peek of, like, oh, that's beautiful. I love that melody. But, like, yeah, most of it's kept pretty-- you guys know how to do your job. You don't need me, Wayne. But I see-- I see how Taylor is, how he's just walking around with the guitar, just constantly playing. Like, is he doing that with, like, Rebecca's songs as well, like, around the house and just sort of listening a little bit? Yeah, he kind of can't help himself. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, sure. I dig that. The music flows from him. It's a babe. The kids need to eat. You need to put it down now. [LAUGHS] Grill cheese! Wow. You guys are feeding the beast. Yeah. There's going to be more than a musical moment. Yeah. First musical moment. So where did your musical taste start? Do you guys remember-- is it your parents who turned you on to certain things? What were the first artists that you remember? First concerts. Ooh. First songs you remember hearing growing up? I'll tell you, man, but I'm not the musical people. No way. We should all jump. Mine was the victory tour. Oh. That's Michael Jackson. The Jackson's. Okay. Wow. Because Randy was alive. There's six of them. To Nantesville, Tennessee, I was five years old, and I took my mom and my sister with me. And it was fruity, friggin' awesome. Get in the car, guys. We're going to my version. Yeah, yeah. You took them. Yeah, I took them. Come on, guys. I'm going to see the Jackson's. My first concert was I remember very vividly living in-- I lived out here for one and a half two years in Irvine. And case, thank you. Can I have the Irvine? Can I have the Irvine in a half? I've never heard about it. I lived here in third and fourth grade, I believe. Third and half. Wait, I never noticed. Just for a year and a half, third and a half, fourth and a half and a half and a half and a half and a half and a half. Really? How old are you then? Ten. Ten. Ten. Ten. So it was like 19 and a half. And I was Casey Clappin back across the street. Come on. Casey Clappin, bro. We used to perform the entire Born in the USA album. Casey Clappin it back. We were put out. And his parents got tickets to go to Dodger Stadium when it was ten years old. Yeah. I have a very vivid memory of two guys were sitting next to us. They must have been college-age kids and you couldn't see anything. And I didn't understand when he would sing like Thunder Road. I was like, where are the songs? Like what's, I only knew Born in the USA had no conception of any other song. But they put us on their shoulders the entire concert. No. I just remember that. And then I remember getting stuck in Dodger Stadium parking lot and looking at the clock. Nineteen years old. They're heavy too. Yeah. They're not. And I remember just looking at the clock and be like, this is the best day of my life and this is the latest I've ever been awake. Because it was like two o'clock in the morning in the parking lot. So then I have a very vivid memory. This explains a lot too because I remember you went to New York to see like the bosses. Yeah. And you were like, this is sterling. It's like the best thing I've ever seen. Yeah. So there was a full circle moment. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Wow. That's a great first shot out to the boss. You know, down. You guys. Yeah. For me, it was just, I lived in India when I was little. No one clapping for that. I know. India in the house. So I was talking about. Yeah. So I grew up listening to music that like my grandparents would play in India, like old Hindi songs. And that's a concert. Oh, yeah. What's that? Was there a concert there that you went to? No. Okay. Just your grandparents. Still never been to a concert. Never knew. Tonight's night. Tonight's night. But Sid grew up like singing Hindi music and like you hear it very much in the music of this show. Oh, for sure. I mean, because I feel like, I mean, I love all the work that you've done on different shows. But I feel like I feel the Hindi influence, and this is us more than the other shows that you've worked on. Is there, was that a conscious decision? Well, there was, I remember in season one, as I was trying to figure out like what I was going to do on the show. And I was just like trying to figure it out. There was one episode that sort of unlocked everything for me. And that was, episode was at 113, was at 13, the one the three sentences. Right. So that was the episode where, that was the episode where Kate is in that weight loss camp. Oh, I don't know. And she starts and she starts drumming and and and as she's hitting like the sticks in this class, all of a sudden she sort of freaks out and has this memory of Jack's funeral. And I remember seeing that footage all of a sudden, and and this is sort of why like Dan, our relationship.
sort of comes into play in the show is that at that moment, I was like, oh, and Dan, if you don't mind him to say it, but like, I was like, oh, this show is like, in a way, it's about Dan's mom that he lost. And I remember that moment, like, thinking, oh, this is like about something much deeper than what we're seeing on screen. And it's about something, it's about the guy that, like, wrote this and why he wrote this show. And so it became this, like, very meta moment for me. And in that moment, I did that jack's theme, the, whoa, whoa, I came up with that melody there. And I remember just like, in my studio jamming on it and playing it. And all of a sudden, like, I started singing like an Indian, that kind of thing over it. And I was like, why am I doing this? And I was just, for some reason, I channeled my own family history. And I brought it into the show in that moment. And I remember Dan calling me after he heard that score and that scene. And he was like, dude, like, what was, that was great. And I was like, is it too Indian for you? And he was like, he was like, no, I was like, he's like, just keep, now you keep going with this thing. And so that you opened the door for that to happen. So that's why there's, that's cool for me. It's kind of like, I remember you telling us that story on the podcast too. And it struck me in such a sincere way that there was an instinct prior possibly to a race part of yourself or like, maybe I don't bring that part of myself to this job. But in bringing your full self to it, he was able to hear something that goes like, oh, yeah, that connects with me. Like even though it was very much culturally rooted in what you grew up with listening to from your grandparents, like this Jewish cat over here who spent like a year and a half in Irvine before you like went back to his work was like, oh, that shit pops. And I feel like it's such an interesting thing because sometimes we feel like, in order to connect with other people, we have to erase a part of ourselves or not. Or not. Or not. Or not. Like the first version. But like the answer is like, not at all. Like, you're enough. Like when you bring that shit that is in her with in you, people will see and recognize something that's like, ah, I mean, I know exactly that thing, but I feel you on that. Yeah. In fairness, yeah. Yeah. The next piece, you send me, I was like, that's too Indian. Yeah. Yeah. That's too Indian. Too much. Period. Nothing else in the email. I don't want your full self on that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Taylor, you've been playing music since about 18 months old. Yeah. Yeah. It's been so what was your early musical inspirations, your your that was present in your life? It was really all my dad. I mean, he was, he was a singer, his whole life and and your dad is a bad man. Yeah. Yeah. He actually had a concert yesterday in his, um, he lives in like a facility for like for like older folks. He plays a 2 30. Just leaving it facility. He lives in a facility. They have a curfew. Max for security. Um, and, uh, but yeah, they had noise complaints. They're like, he's too loud. Rocks out too hard. He's in his wheelchair and he's ripping it. It's amazing. He can rip. Yeah. It's awesome. But like when, when, when I was young, um, he would be playing like the big potato here in L.A. or he'd be playing it like, uh, like an, like an AA picnic or something like that because he was like big in the program, like, which was great for him. And, um, and, um, and so, um, but it was, I would just grow up being around all of his, these, these, these musicians, friends of his, some of which were home from bigger tours, like the organ player was always out with Bonnie Raid and the bass player was out CSNY. And this was the band that they would play when they were home. And my dad would let me stay up and go see them all play. And, um, and then my dad would be like, you're going to come up and play guitar tonight and I could barely play guitar and, um, yeah. But, and all the, and his bandmates would be like, Lenny, don't do that. We're like, we're like, your kids nice, but like, we're not, that's not what we're doing here. How, how old would you be when you do this? This was like, like, yeah, like, I guess it for guitar, for singing with my dad, it was like from five or six. Okay. But playing guitar, it was like 11 or 12. Okay, guys. Um, and, and they, they all came around and we all became friends. But it was like, sometimes like, oh, here comes the kid. Um, and, so those were my first concerts. But in terms of me developing my own taste, like my, our dad had us on such a beautiful, perfect diet of like, here's Otis. Here's James Brown. Here's the stones. Here's the Beatles. And I'm like, dad, here's Matchbox 20. Here, and which, yeah. And I still love that stuff. Third eye blind. Third eye blind. Matchbox 20, semi-sounding, vertical horizon. I was just like, vertical horizon. Very, very, big nickel back. Baby, do it. I was very much 12 years old at 1997. Um, and so those were those concerts that I wanted to go to. And my dad to his credit was always like, cool, we'll, we'll, we'll do that. We'll go, we'll go. And, and, um, I, again, I, I, I don't want to sound like I'm disparaging those bands. I still listened to a lot of those records. But, um, it was just definitely not what he had in mind. Um, and, and, but yeah, he was so supportive of that. And then, then, of course, finally, I found my way to the more bedrock stuff. Like, uh, but took me a little while, but like, finding Joni and Leonard and Dylan and Paul Simon and all that stuff, where I was like, oh, now what a song can do, not just to my musical taste, but to my heart and to my sense of self. Like, kind of was busted, wide open. But, um, but yeah, he, he was, he kind of facilitated that whole journey. I love that. Hold on. Before I suddenly ask another question, I want to turn it on you, big dog. First concert. First concert that I can remember was the Beach Boys. That's good. That's a good one. Um, my parents took me too. Um, for a first artist, like, I got a, I got a solid steady stream of Paul Simon from my mom. Yes. And I got a solid set steady stream of John Prime from my dad, which if you listen to John Prime, it's not for five-year-olds. And that'll, um, it's, it's grown-up music. But it sounds like it might be four or five-year-olds, but it might be. Yeah. But it's not. But it's not. Is he, like, baby-making music? Or, like, what kind of song? No. He wrote all his songs about the Vietnam War. Not baby-making. Got about heroin addiction. I don't need to make it. Okay. I don't know. There's a whole, there's a hole in Daddy's arm where all the money goes. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was in Dad's car. When mom found out about that, it was a surprise. But John Prime is incredible, nonetheless. And it actually has a tie to this show. Yeah. Yeah. If you can speak to that, because he contacted John Prime in his older age, contacted the show and loved the show so much. So cool. I'm honestly trying to remember the story. I remember hearing second hand that he and his wife loved watching the show on, like, Tuesday nights or something like that. And then I'd always listened to John Prime. And then I was always, and then we found a couple of spots we used the music in. I'm trying to remember exactly where it's all a blur, but I remember then you meeting him, right? How did that all change? I mean, through the show. Through the show. We reached out and my dad and I, and my whole family went to a show of his here in L.A. and my dad and I got a chance to go backstage and meet him. When you guys started writing, when did you write your first song? You asking me? Yeah, you. Yeah, you. Yeah, sterling. Yeah. Grail cheese. No, you're not asking, right? No, asking these to do something here. I was, I was probably 16, 15 or 16. It was like, it was probably one of the, it was, it was, it was so awful whatever I wrote. It was, it was for like, it was my girlfriend, for the song for my girlfriend. It was so bad. It was great. And you? I was, I remember I, all I wanted, the only reason why I wanted to learn guitar was to write a song. So I, I learned a G chord, a D7 chord and an A7 chord. And like, because they're not the same as just A and D chords. Like, it's played a little different and it was a little bit easier. And once I knew those three chords, like, there's got to be some combination that works that I could write a song. Did you learn other people's music before you started writing your own? Like, were you playing other people's songs? What was the first song you learned on the guitar? Life is a highway. Yeah. No, I mean, I think I wrote it, like, once I knew three chords, I wrote a song and it was horrible. And I was, and I'd barely remember what it was even called. But, but I tried to start writing immediately. But then when I started learning more chords, then it was about just those, those beetle, cheap books and stuff that you could see, like, what chords go together. And that taught me a lot, just, just kind of seeing how other songs functioned. Or listening to records and trying to figure out how third I blinded it. You know what would have been great if you were like, well, Taylor and Sid, we found those first songs and you pulled it up. It's even better. There's a guitar right there.
We'd like to hear them. We could do that. More that was us after this short break. These days, I am all about quality over quantity, especially when it comes to my closet. If it isn't well-made and versatile, inane for me. Honestly, that is why I love quince. The fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful, and the pricing actually makes sense. Now, quince works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen. You're not paying for brand markup of fancy retail stores, just quality clothing. I have this incredible quince cotton cashmere sweater, which has become kind of my go-to right now. I mean, I feel like as we're transitioning into warmer weather, I still want to have that added layering piece that kind of can elevate and outfit, but also if you're going on an airplane or you're going somewhere where it's air-conditioned, you want to make sure that you have something that's comfortable, that's going to keep you cozy and warm as well. 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Returns are easy, but after feeling this level of comfort, you won't want to let them go. There's also a 10-year warranty built with care and precision because true comfort is meant to endure. To me, I feel like there's nothing better than slipping into comfy, cozy sheets at the end of a long day. And Cozy Earth really has you covered. Discover how care and every detail transform simple routines and the moments of true comfort and ease. Head to CozyEarth.com and use our code that was us for up to 20% off. And if you get a post-purchase survey, please be sure to mention that you heard all about Cozy Earth right here on the podcast. Experience the craft behind the comfort and make every day feel intentional. (upbeat music) - No, but if you gentlemen would be so kind, if there's something from your past that you love, maybe an early song that you wrote, maybe the most recent thing you wrote, maybe it's a song you never wrote. Maybe it's life as a highway. - Maybe this. - Would you guys treat us to some music? - Sure. - Come on. - Can we do it for us? - Rock paper scissors. - I'll open for you. - I'd like to prefer that. - All right. - Do you remember the song that you're going for? - It was so bad that she cheated on me after it. - Don't play it. - No play it. - So I won't play that. - That is, well, I don't even remember it. - Who, you want to call her out on the podcast? - Yeah, what's her name? - Do you want to say your name? - Guys, she wasn't real. - I'm just saying, no, stop. She wasn't real. - Stop. - She wasn't real. - She wasn't real. (laughing) - Stop it. - Oh my gosh, so good. - Quick, start playing. - Or I'll play like an early, it was like the first gold spot song that I wrote that sort of like, it sort of started my little gold spot career. And Dan liked the song too, so. You like this one, right? - You do. - Or you told me you did. - Just the right amount of Indian. - Yeah. (laughing) - Okay, it's called Friday. ♪ Today is Friday ♪ ♪ It is my day to do what I want ♪ ♪ Mama can tell me ♪ ♪ I'm going nowhere ♪ ♪ I'm just a prisoner of my fate ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Today is Friday ♪ ♪ It is my day to disappear ♪ ♪ To kings and queens and make believe it ♪ ♪ No demons in my head ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ If you were around in my sleep ♪ ♪ You could be found in my sleep ♪ ♪ In my sight ♪ ♪ In my sight ♪ ♪ Today is Friday ♪ ♪ It is my day to live a simple life ♪ ♪ Put on my makeup, dress up in color ♪ ♪ Maybe you might see me down here ♪ ♪ And you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ If you were around in my sleep ♪ ♪ You could be found in my sleep ♪ ♪ In my sight ♪ ♪ Give me a sign ♪ ♪ Maybe we'll walk into the rain ♪ ♪ To ease what's on my mind ♪ ♪ For you both hand in hand ♪ ♪ And you're living your life ♪ ♪ Over again ♪ ♪ Today is Friday ♪ ♪ It is my day to live a simple life ♪ ♪ Put on my makeup, dress up in color ♪ ♪ Maybe you might see me down here ♪ ♪ And you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ If you were around in my sleep ♪ ♪ You could be found in my sleep ♪ ♪ In my sight ♪ ♪ Give me a sign ♪ ♪ Today's Friday ♪ ♪ It is my day to do what I want ♪ ♪ Mama can tell me I'm going nowhere ♪ ♪ I'm just a prisoner of my faith ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ ♪ Would you come along ♪ ♪ Bring me in ♪ - Come on. - Woo! - Damn. (audience applauding) Your voice is perfect. It's crazy. Perfection. So good. - I know, like, you can't hit a bad move. - I know, I've been saying, so Sid has gone on and he's now won Emmys and we've done a bunch of shows together. But I think it's time for Sid to write a new album of original songs, actually. (audience applauding) And I've been on and about this, so. - You go. - With Taylor. I'm down. - Talk about writing more songs together. - Yeah. - Let's do it. Dan actually has to give Sid time off. - Yeah. - To do that. - Yeah. - He keeps on. - Yeah, he keeps on. - This is an earlier song of my band "Daws." I feel like this song, I think when I wrote this song, I felt like, okay, now I know, I at least have a better sense of what I sound like. I think I was sort of reaching and grasping at whatever I could until then, and this song kind of lined it up a little bit more for me. It's called "Moon in the Water."
When the wind is with me, but somehow out of sight, now know when where it comes from, or where it goes. That's the way your memory, shapes the middle of my nights, since the last time I saw you, in the words you chose. When I said this must be what love is like, I saw it in a dream. You looked into my eyes and said you don't know what you mean. Love is for the fishermen who cast his nets to fall upstream, fishing for the moon. In the water. So I act now as if I forgot, my efforts all in vain. I spent some time with a new girl who made the simple world seem fine. But like a rose placed in a flower pot, her true nature contained, not knowing what she asks for, or what she'll find. When she says if I've ever had love in my life, then surely this is it. I said anyone who talks like that, doesn't understand one bit. Love is for the fighter born to lose, but never quit, swinging for the moon in the water. So I left her with her dreams, where I thought that she belonged, not with my secrets. But she heard, but never knew. I hoped my loneliness found peace, I hoped my love would have been drawn, when all I wanted from her was to remind me of you. So I stay out in the streets hoping to find you anywhere, now that I understand the woman you need to be. I can feel you in the heat, I can change you in the air, and I can't help but find your face in everything I see. Once I can admit you're gone, I place it on a star, and wait for the day I'm what you need, and then reach out for your heart, because even if love is more my mistress, then my lovers ever are. You'll always be the moon in the water, you'll always be the moon in the water. It's not very often that you get to hear music by two of the greatest living songs. The song writers, back to back, live at the Wilton Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Cash requests are incredible. Cash, you guys a question. This is like really like on an anthropological, just sort of observational thing. How do you do that? It's something like that, but it's a little bit more nuanced than that. Do you think about the notes that you are singing at all, or is it just the meaning of the song and conveying that that carries you through it? I'm sure there's technical things to it, but it seems to me that you get lost in the message and the meaning of what you're trying to communicate, and then the other part just sort of floats along with that. Is that true or not true? Yeah, I mean I don't think about the notes when I'm singing, I really, if I'm honest I think about like absolutely nothing. Like I don't think anything goes through my mind. Nice. It's my boy. Sterling says well I could do that. Okay. This same could be asked about acting, do you think about your intentions, do you think about the word, what's your process? Hold on, hold on, Mandy Moore, I'm going to skip over Taylor. I want to hear husband's answer too. I mean I think, I mean what Mandy brings up is a good point where you study and you study and you learn structure and you learn theory and you learn what chords work and you learn how to play similarity over it, and then when you do kind of step into the ring it's really important to just not think about that stuff or else you're going to hear the craft. I mean I'm sure it's the same with acting where if I can feel the work then I don't, then I'm not as interested, but it's weird, it is a weird marriage, so much, at least for me, that sometimes the line, I'll have the first line and that will dictate the shape of the melody, like in that song, like when the wind is with me but somehow out of sight, like I have that written down, I don't know how I'm going to sing it, I have these chords. Okay, that's how that's the melody for that part, and so when I get to the second verse I know I have to work it within, so the rules present themselves as it kind of goes along, but also it's like you don't want to be too bound by that because then that can again turn it into more of an exercise than an exorcise, and yeah it's like think it's kind of juggling a whole lot of things at once, I often write, like I'll have a title, I had that title actually in my notebook for a month, I had Moon in the Water sitting there and I was like no that's a good song, I know that's a good title for a song, for what I like, I don't know how to write it and I just had to sit and wait until I found a way in, and it's like a desperation, it's like any way in I'll write it, even if it's a two-line song, like whatever gets that out then I'll just follow that thread, but it's usually lyric first before melody? More like concept first, it's not like a full page of words, it's like a first line, a title sometimes not always, but kind of like the crux, like oh this is what the song's about, but that goes back to like the John Prine kind of school which I feel like I learned most about songwriting from, like Kristofferson and John Prine where you start to feel like how did they filter this thing into this, like how did they land the plane, in their cases how did they land the plane so well, and so I feel like with that it's like, it's hard, but it's really fun and that's why I don't just sit down and start writing because then it's even harder, then I don't know how to funnel it into a unifying thought. Can I change my answer? Oh no you said I think about nothing, I felt like I could have been better. Do you ever start with the title, like what happened when you're like okay, cars, he was giving cars, he was giving cars, he was giving cars, can we say one of my top ten favorite movies of all time? Genius. Well, you and every other two-year-old boy. That's right. No, I never, I never have a title, I don't, I don't, I don't, I need to tell her his notebook, no. This is us to never title. No, it didn't, yeah. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. It was 36, untitled. It was never happy birthday. Okay, Dan Fogelman, you were not at that photo shoot where they tried to make us put on birthday house. I don't know, I know. It did. We named the show Happy Birthday at one point, but we all said no. But we didn't. We showed up to our first photo shoot. We showed up to our first photo shoot and there was a little trolley of like birthday hats and a cake and every streamers and we were all staring at it. What is that for? And somebody said, yeah, they were kind of the kind of thing to make a show. You want to be a team player? Yeah, you want to. Happy birthday. And I think it was you or somebody. It was my low who was like, my low was like, nobody touches the birthday shirt. It sounds right. My low texted me. It sounds right. My low texted me. He's like, I told them all under no, no one puts on a fucking birthday hat and I was like, you're the man. I love it. Because you know historically that is what they're going to use. Yeah. Yeah. They're going to use. We lost Sterling. As soon as you pose like this. Yeah. That's on the billboard. Happy birthday. I didn't forget about your mama. The slight difference that I see between your art and this acting thing is that you have somebody else to play off of. So you do all these things in terms of protein.
preparation. What is it that you want to try to affect from a person? How do you want them to receive this, et cetera, and communicate? And then that other person adds the last part of the magic. That you don't know what it's going to be until you're there in the moment. So it happens in a very live moment there, which is like, you always prepare as much as you can so that you can be free to play in that moment. But they don't have that. What we kind of do, like with an audience, that's always a factor of like, how is this feeling in the room right now? Sorry. And then it definitely happens with a band where when you're playing with other musicians and that, we're going to play it a little more lively tonight. But I know what you're saying. I mean, it's definitely not like a back and forth. It's not like a duet, the way that a scene would be. Yeah, especially on the right track. I come more from the SID school. Nothing. I'm just a blank slate. I like that. I want to go through me, working on the show. And this is something I noticed. It was consistent through how many we did 106 episodes, about six, yeah, man. Is that, you know, Dan gets all his compliments and music and all that. But I will say, like the show worked as we call it dry, like with nothing. I would, I would watch these episodes before putting the score on. And it all worked. Like it always worked. It always felt like it was already, it was perfect. Like it felt emotional. The performances were incredible. Like I, I think it's like one of the best ensembles like ever in television. And it's, you know what? It really is. Like it took, it was like a magical moment. And I, and I just like, you know, I don't think we'll ever have a gig like that again, or I won't. But like that was like so special. But the music, like it was always this balance of like just doing just, I was always trying to live under the skin a little bit and not do too much because it was there already, you know? And you guys brought it. Like it was, it was so inspiring to work to whatever you guys were already bringing to the screen. We appreciate the compliment. And as we rewatch the show, like all of us, we've been watching this show for the past. How long has it been? Years. Has it been two years? So we've been doing this for two years now, basically because we just really like hanging out with each other. And also it's sort of recounting like, wow, we made something really special. Like something that touches people in a really profound way that, that we weren't even really fully aware of while you're doing it. I mean, even Folkman will say this, he'll say like, like, I don't know if I got a chance to enjoy it as much as I wanted to while it was happening. And so I think for the three of us watching, it's like, wow, this is a really good show. And one of the reasons for this podcast, for this one live, is like the music slaps on that shit slaps in a really hard and delightful way. I've been listening back to all six seasons of music. Yeah. You can get those playlists on Spotify. And the music itself is a world. And it has this tone of, I was telling Mandy earlier, I was like, it feels like an old man who has lived a good life and who has lost the love of his life and who has reconnected with an old love and his driving cross country to see them. Like the whole of it, it just has this story of its own. And if you don't, I mean, a lot of you were here because you are rewatching with us, hopefully. But if you don't have time to rewatch the episodes, you put this music on and it evokes an emotional response in of itself. That is, that is so profound. And tonight, we have had the soul of the music of this is us with us. Thank you guys. Let's give it up for Dan Bohleman, Taylor Goldsmith, and Sid Posla. For those of you who listen to the podcast, we have an occasional segment on the podcast called "Hot Takes." I say, "Hot, you say, "Take, Hot, Hot." And we've been so obedient, this is wonderful. And we got some hot takes from the audience here tonight. We did it, we met it safely. And now we have hot takes here, pass and take one last piece. Oh, that's specifically for me, specifically for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hot! Oh, my gosh. It's Sully's face. Sully's face. Oh, guys, this is, I thought this was going to be a special night, but that's the most special, right? Before we do the hot takes, Mandy Moore was saying this before the show, Christopher Joseph Sullivan is really the driving force behind this podcast. Yes. He's the person who asked us to do it the first time. He's like, we should do a live one. And the man picks up the reins and he makes shit happen, so give it up for my man, Sully. It's why you're here tonight. He comes to mind, bro. The most beautiful part about any creative collaboration is that collaboration. So any chance I get to be creative with you two, with these musicians that you're about to see, with anybody in my life, it is my favorite thing. So thank you for coming along for the ride, and thank you for making it possible. Hot takes. Hot takes. We'll just go down the line. Let's see it right here. We got a hot take from Selena. What up Selena? Is there only one or there two? There's one Selena. Where are you at? Only one Selena. Here's a hot take. Rebecca never should have agreed to go on tour with Ben, and Axe is an Axe. I kind of agree. Hot take. I mean a little bit. Because the kids were young, because of what? No, the kids weren't young, but there's some weird tension there. Well, listen, if Ben was on the up and up, and wasn't trying to do nothing superfluous, for you as an artist, and trying to find your own purpose in the world. Correct, but we came to see that he had other intentions. I hear you. But he was one of them kiss things that way, I was like, and you could just push them off, and it seemed like he was fine after now, okay. Give us one. No, there's no going back. This is from Danielle. Miguel was the real hero. Jack was just toxic. Hot take. That is a scorching take. That's the hottest take I've ever heard. Hot take. I'll let the woman who was married to both of them go first. Mama, what'd you got to say to that hot take? I think that's too hot. I will agree. It's really hot. I will agree that Miguel never got his proper due, right? Yes. Yes. Little Miguel. I feel like people just in general came around to him a little too late. I always had the softest spot for Mr. Huerta's and Miguel, but I don't think, I don't, I don't think so. I think he was. What do you got, man, anymore? I would have loved to have seen one of those alternate reality episodes in which Rebecca never lost the third baby. I wonder why Randall never brought that scenario up to his therapist. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. That would have been an interesting. That would have been very interesting. I wouldn't have been a part of the show. But. We can't have that. You know, this is a hot take. I'd like to see what this looks like without Sterling K. Brown. You know, it's a pretty good show. He gets all the awards for it, but. But get him out of there. Get him out of there. Interesting. You got the next one mixed up, is that? All right. Miss, is it Mickey? Mikey? Mickey. Doesn't matter. It's anonymous. It could be anonymous if it takes too hot. You got it. I got any classes. You got it? Tell me. Tell me you're 45 without telling me you're 45. There you go. I got you if you need me. It is dark. The show? The show? And this podcast. And this podcast. And this podcast is my guilty pleasure. Why does Sterling wear his Stanford T-shirt so much? Get. Get new clothes, SKB! And wear quince! I cannot. I'm not wearing it tonight. I proudly represent the Cardinal. You know what I said? And I don't. I wear a lot of stuff over and over again. No, but this one guys also. It's very comfortable. Spoiler alert. We do record three podcasts, usually in one sitting. That's true. When you see. So you watch three in a row, it's like, "Why is this Negro in the same stuff?" It's because it's on the same page. I know he's at least wealthy. He could have two Stanford T-shirts. I do have exactly two. Here's the thing. At the beginning of the podcast, we were like, "Should we change clothes for each one?" And maybe we would all go in like a room. And Mandy would go around the corner, we changed clothes. I was like, "It's too hot for this shit, man." I'm wearing the same thing. It was like, it was, it was early summer, we were in a place that was
non-air condition, I was pregnant, I'm like, "Oh, you guys, you guys just have to change, shirts, I had wear a whole new outfit, so it was never going to work." Anyway. Okay, good hot take, you know, like Stanford, I got you. This is, Luce, Luce says, "We should have seen Kev and Sophie's wedding in either teen or adult timeline, or at least the mention of it in the future timeline." You know what? That's not a hot. I'm not mad at that. I agree. We had enough emotional energy on that relationship, we deserved an entire spinoff. We needed to pay off. Yeah. 'Cause I think for a long time, we didn't know who's going to get Sophie in the answers, like, "Well, let's not give them too much time." I was like, "It's Virgin Rivers." It may be one of these other blonde white women, so let's not go too far into it. He can have other relationships, but she's got to be blonde and she's got to be white. We already saw the kids, baby. We saw the kids. We saw the kids. We saw the kids. We knew it wasn't Zoe. That's all I'm telling. Okay, Bee says, "This is a hot take." Yeah. Jack purposely went back into the burning house, not just for the dog, but to get that box of pictures from Vietnam. I think he was going to tell his family about Nicky. You know what? That's. That's an interesting take. Because if ever there was something. Really toxic, huh? Now what do you think? Because if ever there was a moment where a life-changing event would have made him reconnect with his brother, that would have been it. What do you think about that in the moment? Probably not. Just. Not thinking about it in the moment. I think he wanted to keep sex that he knew the family would cherish, like history, but not necessarily to connect with Nicky, but maybe once he looked at it. Yeah. He was like. You know what I'm saying? I would like to think that if he continued to live, he probably would have said, "Hey, guys, guess what? I got a brother." You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. Right. This one's. Really hot. Okay. I hope Dan Fogelman is in conversation. Let's go, let's go, let's go. The train symbolism was overkill. We didn't need it. I take you. Hey, it's not called hot takes for a reason, people. Yeah. We're not booing. We're just discussing, thoughtfully. We listen and we don't. We're respectfully. Respectfully. I. She thought it was overkill. What do you think now? I disagree. You disagree? Yes. Yeah. I disagree. Um, I feel like it was. We don't judge, but we disagree. I feel like. I feel like it was one of the most exquisite episodes written, like what was on the page. It was just. It's right, it's right, it's a hot take. It moved me so profoundly and just like also the concept of you, understanding what was happening in a haze, waiting for sister to get there, you know, like, no, you're wrong. And. And you will see when we get through this episode, this is based on one of our writer's actual her life. Her mother-in-law. This was like. This is a story based on her life, so yes, maybe it does seem like overkill, but this was like a very true to life. Yeah, yeah. All right, let me just do this one real. I agree. Let me just do this one real quick, because there's nothing to even talk about because it is not the not the biggest hot take, but Siddhartha Kostler should have won numerous Emmys. Agreed. Agreed. Spoiler alert. A lot of times. We'll take that. We'll take that. Not for this is us. Uh, okay, so Emily Dartses says, "The show is really funny. The show is really funny, not sad. Once you re-watch the second time, you know the sad stuff and what to expect on that so you can appreciate the humor way more." Emily, that is. I agree. The first time I read the pilot, I was laughing hysterically until like you get to the end of it and you're like, "Oh my god, you're my mom." Also, I just wish. I wish everybody got to be around while we were shooting because like. We had a lot of fun. Oh my god, especially like I've said many a time, but like any time I was in age makeup, and I was with the whole family, the other side. We tried to keep it fun for you, Mom. It was too much. I was like, "My prosthetics are going to pop off, guys." When you have the prosthetics on, you can't smile or laugh, so you're like, "You can't really laugh, you can't really laugh." There's a lot of. [laughter] Not a lot of emotion. This is pretty hot. This is from Veronica M. Come on, Veronica. Kate? That's Veronica Mars? Yep. Veronica Mars? It until we were never good for each other. You agree? You agree? I am not saying that. What are you saying? I would not say that. Well, what are you saying? I would say understand why it's a hot take. It is a hot take. I mean, it's a hot take. There's this idea sometimes, and when people feel like marriages in that it was a failure, but maybe it was for that season. Maybe they were meant to be each other for a particular period of time in their lives. Beautiful children. And they brought their own issues and baggage to the relationship, and some of it got resolved and some of it certainly did not. 'Cause here's the thing that's the one I'm going to say to this one, because it is a hot take, and it's interesting. It just makes me think about marriage. I celebrate 20 years of marriage, March 18th of this year. And now say, Ryan Michelle Bathay is the love of my life, not because it's always easy, but because we keep choosing each other. Do you know what I'm saying? So even when you're not perfect for each other, you can still choose each other and just choose to be perfect for each other. That's it. There you go. There you go. I'll do will. How come you got so many more cards? No, no, because I'm not throwing them. We've been talking. Sorry, sorry, sorry. We're tossing cards out here, baby. Here we go. Well says, I think it would have been epic if Toby and Kate found their way back to each other after marrying other people years later. Lots of varying opinions. People feel in Katobe. There's a lot of Katobe. But there's a lot of Katobe. After they marry different people. Yeah. And then divorce them? And divorce them? Okay. Just check it. Sure. Or, yeah. Or the fair while they're married to other people. Yeah. No. That's not the show. Do you have the show? I do. I have one more. I almost hit you. Don't throw them too far. They're sharp. They're sharp. Listen. You don't put old people in the basement. It gets cold and drafty. You understand? I wanted him to be comfortable and warm. Yeah. And we didn't have a set down there most of the time. Yeah. We did. Most of the time we did not. But every once in a while. One episode you adjusted. Justin was downstairs and we had a reconciliation in the basement. I think he knocked boots for somebody in the basement of my house. And I was like, now it's time to close this set. Yeah. I can't have white people having sex in the bottom of my house. It's not right. Last one. It's a good one to end on. Michonne says, the show would have had a whole different vibe if someone in the family wanted to be an Eagles fan. Hot day. This has been an excellent episode of Hot Days. Thank you so much for coming out tonight. Yeah. That was us. That was us. That was us as film that rabbit grin studios and produced by rabbit grin productions. Music by Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
The live podcast celebrates the musical legacy of *This Is Us*, highlighting how music became a central, emotional element of the show's storytelling.
Sid Harthakosla, the show’s composer, played a pivotal role in shaping its timeless, emotionally resonant soundtrack, often drawing from personal experiences like his Indian heritage.
Taylor Goldsmith, a longtime collaborator and songwriter, co-created key songs with Sid, including "Invisible Ink," and brought lyrical depth and poetic authenticity to the series.
The music was developed through organic collaboration, with a focus on emotional truth, timelessness, and authenticity rather than rigid structure or theory.
The creative process involved deep personal connections—such as Sid’s memory of his early life in India and Taylor’s upbringing with a musical father—adding cultural and emotional layers to the music.
The show’s music reflects a meta-narrative, mirroring the show’s themes of family, memory, and emotional healing, creating a self-reflective, resonant experience.
The live event features performances of early songs, including "Friday" by Goldspot and "Moon in the Water" by Dawes, showcasing the creative evolution of the show's sound.
The success of the music is credited to the seamless integration of songwriting, performance, and emotional storytelling, resulting in a deeply moving and shared cultural experience.
Summary:
The live podcast episode celebrates the powerful musical identity of *This Is Us*, emphasizing how music became a core emotional force in the series. Composer Sid Harthakosla and songwriter Taylor Goldsmith are central to this achievement, with Harthakosla drawing on personal roots like his Indian heritage and Goldsmith contributing lyrically rich, poetic songs that mirror the show’s themes. The musical direction prioritized emotional authenticity and timelessness over technical perfection, allowing the songs to resonate deeply with viewers.
Key songs like "Invisible Ink" and "Moon in the Water" were born from collaborative, intuitive processes rooted in character development and personal memory. The music doesn’t just accompany the narrative—it becomes part of the show’s emotional fabric, reflecting themes of family, loss, and redemption. The live event features performances of early works and highlights how the creative team’s personal experiences informed the music.
Attendees and listeners are encouraged to explore the show’s music, which stands as a standalone emotional journey. The podcast underscores how the music’s success stems from a blend of heartfelt storytelling, shared vision, and deep emotional connection, transforming the series into a universal experience of love and memory.
FAQs
The music creates a tone of hope, joy, and love that feels timeless and deeply emotional, forming a world unto itself that enhances the show's emotional impact and connects with viewers on a personal level.
Sid Kosla composed the original music, Taylor Goldsmith co-wrote songs with the show's creators, and Dan Fogelman provided musical direction and vision, ensuring the soundtrack aligned with the show's emotional core.
The creators were inspired by specific songs they heard during production, like 'Life is a Highway' and 'Friday,' which resonated with the emotional tone of the show and were chosen for their timeless and universal appeal.
Sid Kosla drew from his childhood memories of Hindi music played by his grandparents, and this cultural influence was organically integrated during a pivotal episode about Jack’s funeral, adding depth and authenticity to the show's emotional arc.
They met as college roommates and shared a deep love for music; their collaboration began with casual conversations about songwriting and grew into a creative partnership that produced songs like 'Invisible Ink' and 'Moon in the Water.'
No, they focus on the emotional meaning and message of the song, allowing the music to naturally flow from feeling rather than technical precision, creating a more authentic and heartfelt performance.
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