In conjunction with the release of Iron & Wine's new album The Shepherd's Dog, the band's publicists sent out a press kit that included a list of all the TV shows, films, and commercials that have featured songs written and/or recorded by Iron & Wine. The A.V. Club thought it would be interesting to hear what bandleader Sam Beam had to say about how his songs were used, and whether he liked the end product overall.
The A.V. Club: Let's run through the names of these movies and TV shows and you can just talk about why you licensed your song to them, and whether you thought the song was used well.
Sam Beam: I'm probably going to say that I didn't think it was used well. [Laughs.]
AVC: Well, how about Michael Moore's Sicko?
SB: I think they used "Sodom, South Georgia," But I haven't seen it. I guess they liked that line, "All dead white boys say, 'God is good.'" I'm sure Michael Moore enjoyed that.
AVC: So you don't know the context in which the song was used?
SB: I haven't seen the movie yet. I have no idea. In commercials or major films, I'm a bit more of a stickler on how it's used, but for independents, I'm more generous about licensing, because I've been on the other side. It's hard enough to make a movie without having to worry about trying to get music, too. So I try to make it easy for people.
AVC: Do they contact you directly?
SB: They usually contact my label or my manager or my lawyer. There are a few different channels.
AVC: Next up is Garden State, which featured your cover of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights."
SB: Yeah, that was a total surprise. That was just another in a whole stack of indie movies that wanted to use my music. I still haven't seen it. I hear it was good, though.
AVC: The movie became sort of a surprise success.
SB: It's hard for me to comment about why it was so popular, because I didn't really see it. But bless them. Thanks for using it.
AVC: You were on the soundtrack, and it sold really well. Did that work out for you financially?
SB: Nothing hurts. [Laughs.] But that one, I didn't get to keep too much, because I didn't write the song. That makes a big difference.
AVC: In Good Company used three of your songs.
SB: Paul Weitz had my music in mind when he was writing it, apparently. He wanted some songs, and then he asked me to write something for it, so he screened the movie for me. I had already started "The Trapeze Swinger," and was about halfway finished, so I tailored the way I finished it. You know, the movie had very specific themes, so I tailored the song in a tangential way to the movie.
AVC: What did you think of the movie?
SB: It was a good movie. [Laughs.] It's not like Apocalypse Now or anything. But I think Paul is very talented.
AVC: Is it strange to be watching a movie and suddenly hear your voice?
SB: I haven't seen too many of them, to be honest with you, so I can't say. [Laughs.] Yeah, it is kind of surreal. But it's never really happened to me in a movie theater. I'm usually pretty well forewarned.
AVC: Next up is Wolf Creek. A horror movie. Not the kind of place you'd expect to find Iron & Wine.
SB: I think they used one of my songs for the trailer. I don't think it actually got into the movie. But it makes sense to me. You want to set up a contrast. A serene little beginning before all hell breaks loose.
AVC: Are you a horror movie fan in general?
SB: Yeah. I'm not a huge fan of the genre, but any genre has shining moments. I haven't seen Saw VI or whatever.
AVC: Can you think of one in particular that you like?
SB: I like the old ones. I liked The Omen. That's from the '70s. They don't hold up as well as they did when I was a child.
AVC: Here's a movie that hasn't come out yet, but is reportedly using one of your songs: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
SB: I don't know about that one.
AVC: You don't know if your song is even in it?
SB: Like I said, I'm pretty generous. Sometimes the names slip right past me. If it's a larger movie, sometimes I see it. But if it was an indie movie, I just kind of say "Yeah, whatever."
AVC: This one is based on a Michael Chabon novel. Have you read much Michael Chabon?
SB: Yeah. Well, I haven't read them, but I have them in the stacks to read. Are they making a movie of his?
AVC: The movie's made. It's coming out next year.
SB: Sounds good. [Laughs.]
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