Daniel Hart on Putting Together ‘The Vampire Lestat’ Soundtrack — And Getting to Tear It Apart in the Script
Categoria: Musica
The AMC series composer breaks down what it takes to craft a rock opera worthy of a 265-year-old French vampire.
Por Billboard | 24/06/2026
In The Vampire Lestat — an adaptation of Anne Rice’s book of the same name and a continuation of AMC series Interview With the Vampire — Lestat, played by a possessed Sam Reid, nearly wasn’t a rock star. Instead, when season one of IWTV was in production, showrunner Rolin Jones had originally planned for modern-day Lestat to be an orchestra conductor. “It was a big discussion,” says composer Daniel Hart, the architect behind the show’s musical identity. Eventually it became clear that, for their grand plot designs, the vampire needed to perform a popular form of music — though not popular enough to draw the massive crowds of, say, Jelly Roll and Post Malone. Hence, the choice of rock ‘n’ roll. The decision was also, of course, a tribute to Anne Rice’s vision for the Brat Prince’s music career: compared to 2002’s Queen of the Damned , which saw the greasy-haired immortal diva fronting a nu-metal band with tunes by Jonathan Davis of Korn , the show soundtrack is ( arguably ) a closer representation of the gothy glam-rock spirit of Rice’s 1985 novel. Because of this new musical focus, Hart scored an invite into the writers’ room for season three. His playwriting degree was put to good use there: especially in earlier episodes, Lestat gets his fair share of criticism from unamused vamps, meaning it was often Hart’s job to send up — in various voices — the very same songs he was in the process of making. Lestat’s music may have its haters, but the third episode, “Toronto,” features his best song yet. For all his centuries undead, it winds up being remarkably human, too, because as much as “The Loneliness” is a tale of uniquely vampiric solitude, there’s more than enough for us mere mortals to sink our teeth into. (Same goes for upcoming cuts “Stained Glass Eyes” and “Brutal Love,” each a gut punch in their own right.) But the work didn’t end with writing. After a stint co-producing on set in Toronto, making sure Lestat’s ragtag band looked legit on camera, Hart returned home to write the score. Fast forward to this year, and the musician — wearing yet another of his many hats — backed a wolfishly in-character Sam Reid on the guitar as the Australian actor sashayed, live, around the Beacon Theater’s stage in New York at the premiere. Below, Hart discusses these many pieces that went into making the soundtrack, taking Lestat’s lyrics less seriously than his own and which song from the season — besides “The Loneliness” — deserves a cake baked in its honor. Check out more influences in an exclusive playlist here . Why did rock ‘n’ roll still feel right for Lestat in 2026? It seemed like we needed some kind of popular music that’s on the back foot. It made it easier to make him an underdog of sorts, trying to climb a mountain that he’s never going to get to the top of. [Early on], I asked Rolin, “Has this Lestat lis