I Like Fun: They Might Be Giants | John Linnell & John Flansburgh | Talks at Google

TL;DR

They Might Be Giants discuss their collaboration process with music video directors, their Dial-A-Song project, and the influence of the internet on their music.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] [APPLAUSE] AARON ZEMACH: Awesome. And now everyone, again, let's welcome to Google John Linnell and John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants. [APPLAUSE] So I saw that music video for the first time this morning. It was fantastic. And it's got me thinking. I'm curious a little bit about when you are working on a music video or you want ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🎮 They Might Be Giants prefers to give music video directors creative control and collaborate with them freely.
• 👻 Their Dial-A-Song project allows them to release new music consistently and reach more people through social media.
• 🌍 They are influenced by the general state of the world, but their songs are not specifically topical.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does They Might Be Giants collaborate with music video directors?

They prefer to give directors free range and allow them to bring their own ideas to the music videos. They have had great results when directors have creative control and bring unexpected elements to the videos.

Q: Why did They Might Be Giants decide to do another Dial-A-Song project?

They feel that releasing songs consistently online is a way to reach more people and keep up with the changing ways people discover music through social media. They want to find new audiences and continue to be interested in what they are doing.

Q: How has the world in 2017 influenced the tone of They Might Be Giants' album "I Like Fun"?

While the songs on the album have a general influence from the world in 2017, they are not specifically topical. The songs have darker tones and use death imagery, which is not necessarily related to current events.

Q: How do They Might Be Giants find inspiration for their songs?

They do not have a specific formula for finding inspiration. They are constantly searching for something new and meaningful to say in their songs, but they want to avoid repeating themselves. The challenge of finding new and fresh ideas is a constant for them.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• They Might Be Giants prefers to collaborate with directors who have a free range and bring their own ideas to the music videos.

• They are doing another Dial-A-Song project, releasing new songs every week online, to adapt to the way people discover music through social media.

• Their music is not specifically topical, but they are influenced by the general state of the world.