The Season 2 premiere of True Detective was filled with exposition and set-ups to introduce the dark and rich tapestry that creator Nic Pizzolatto loves to weave. Amid all of the chaos and threats on bully’s fathers, we were finally hipped to the identity of the singer who scored the original trailer for Season 2. While originally rumored to be Fiona Apple or Aimee Mann, in a dimly lit and sad dive, we were introduced to singer/songwriter Lera Lynn, as she performed “My Least Favorite Life.”
Based out of Nashville, Lynn met with legendary producer and True Detective musical supervisor T. Bone Burnett and was immediately brought to L.A. to record with him, according to Entertainment Weekly. When the two started to work, he didn’t mince words on what the sound of the show should be like, either:
T Bone said, ‘Go as dark as you can. Just do it. Make it sad. Make it f–ked up.’…I think for a lot of musicians, in the back of your mind, there’s always this voice going, “Do you think this will ever get played on the radio? Are people going to want to listen to this when they get off work or trying to unwind?” I think when you’re writing for film, you don’t have to pay attention to those pressures so much.
In talking about her inspiration for “My Least Favorite Life,” which was co-written with country royalty Rosanne Cash, Lynn told the Wall Street Journal that Pizzolatto was “looking for a song about a lover who dies and comes back as a crow.” Who said this season wouldn’t have mysticism? She also spilled a spoiler that she’ll be performing in next week’s episode, as well, with a song called “Church in Ruins.”
Of course, as everything surrounding the show is tight-lipped, there’s no official full soundtrack listing, and we only learn about the songs after an episode has aired. Still, this tiny mystery unveiled is at least a small peek into what the season may have in store.
