I’ve been asked about what music I listen to when I write, or what songs I associate with The Clockwork Dagger. I figure it’s only right to answer those questions with the actual songs.
When it comes to my healer characters like Octavia Leander, there’s one song that sums them up: “Hands” by Jewel.
My brain is a weird place (I can picture my husband laughing at this and saying, “That’s an understatement”). I can listen to music when I do rough drafts but not when I edit. When I wrote The Clockwork Crown in January, I relied heavily on a Pandora channel that mixed up songs related to Mumford and Sons, Bruce Hornsby, and Foo Fighters. This in turn introduced me to some great songs by Wailin’ Jennies and Avicii.
The Foo Fighters connection came about, oddly enough, because of the Phoenix Coyotes. We’re season ticket holders. Through the first part of the hockey season last year, they started every game with a great pumped-up video that spliced in team footage with the Foo Fighter’s song “The Pretender.” I was starting work on Crown then and this song really connected with me as Octavia’s mantra. It evokes her growing maturity and rage as she fights against soldiers and terrorists in her pursuit, as well as her own self as her powers grow in frightening ways.
I can’t ignore the inspiration for the Lady’s Tree, either: the Super Nintendo game Secret of Mana. The music from it stands out so well 20 years later. Here’s a gorgeous version of the title screen music as performed by my dear friend, Lauren the Flute.
Good stuff, Beth. Most of my writing tunes are post-rock instrumental, but I do love me some Zoe Keating cello.