Guest Playlist: John Houlihan (Music Supervisor)

For my first stint at hosting a playlist feature for IMF and getting other people’s music lists, I figured I’d go right to the top – of the Guild of Music Supervisors that is! I got John Houlihan to take time away from his hectic suping schedule to answer a few questions and hit me with what music is spinning his world these days.

After you Listen to Mr Houlihan’s tunes, don’t forget to stop by and hear this week’s creative control updated playlist. Fresh and new tunes every week – so be sure to subscribe and keep yourself cool!  — Joel C. High

What are you working on?

I’m working on John Wick 2 which is exciting because we created the first film as a true independent and now with Lionsgate on board as major studio partner, it is growing and being appreciated on a much bigger scale. The music is dark, brooding and gnarly and it is really fun to explore those sounds. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have Ice Age 5 which is a pure family film and it could not be more different than John Wick. I’m psyched about Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates which is a hilarious R-rated destination wedding comedy. I’ve never seen people laugh as hard at our test screenings. The music is super eclectic from Hawaiian folk songs to contemporary hip-hop.

What is your favorite way to discover new music?

Whenever I’m in my car I surf satellite radio and regular FM like I have a severe ADD. Just trying to bounce through and discover as many songs as possible before I reach my destination. Los Angeles is also blessed with KCRW and KCSN which are dedicated to playing new music. But hands down, the biggest source of music for me is YOUTUBE. I’m addicted to clicking through video lists of people who love a particular genre of music so much they make a 60 song playlists of their favorites. That music fan becomes my eyes and ears in that particular world and I can get up to speed with anything from vintage Banjo music to Ibiza EDM.

Tell me a little about your 1st year as president of The Guild of Music Supervisors – what do you consider some of our biggest accomplishments?

The Guild Of Music Supervisors has grown recently because our infrastructure and communication to the world has been expanded. Our Membership numbers are up, as are our social media numbers, media news coverage and favorable recognition by many other crafts in the entertainment industry. We are a team made up of hard working guild officers, a Board Of Directors and individual committee members who all volunteer their time to elevate the organization to new heights. We are also grateful to have amazing Sponsors that support Music Supervisors and provide the financial base for us to run this non-profit organization. I’m particularly proud of the growth in our annual Awards show which not only gives us a special night to celebrate our creative achievements as a community, but we garnered over 240 Million internet news impressions which helps all of those working in our field. We also launched our first ever Music In Media Conference and received overwhelmingly positive feedback. We plan to hold the 2nd annual education conference in September of this year and hope to continue as a leader in educational and professional development of our craft.

About John:

JOHN HOULIHAN is a veteran Music Supervisor who has worked in film, television, advertising and politics. He has helped shape the music of more than 85 feature films including Mr. Holland’s Opus, the three Austin Powers films, Training Day, Looper, Let’s Be Cops, John Wick, Supermensch and Deadpool. Current projects include Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates, Ice Age 5 and John Wick 2. John is currently serving as President of the Guild Of Music Supervisors. He tweets from: @tastymm.