On Thursday, singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno received an Emmy nomination for her work on Parks and Recreation’s wonderful theme song. It was one of two Emmy nominations the show received. (The other, of course, being Amy Poehler’s nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy).
Below is a Knope Knows exclusive with Gaby. Enjoy!
Congratulations, Gaby, on the Emmy nomination! How does it feel?
Absolutely amazing! I’m thrilled and still can’t believe this is happening. It’s an honor to be nominated. I’m a huge fan of the show and so happy Amy got a nomination too!!!
I’m curious as to how you arrived at co-writing the theme with musician Vincent Jones. Have you collaborated with him before? Also, did the show approach you to write it or did you contact the show with an idea for a theme?
The producers of the show were looking for the theme song and sent out a notice to different composers and agencies. I received it and decided I would take a stab at it not really expecting much. I wrote an initial idea on my guitar in a few minutes. I don’t have a studio and I had a specific idea in mind for the song. More orchestral sounding…so I called Vincent Jones to help me finish it. We got together one afternoon and finished it together in a couple of hours. He and I hadn’t really worked before, as far as writing. He’s an amazing keyboard, composer and producer and is also the musical director for Sarah McLachlan! It was wonderful to have collaborated with him on this theme.
What was your “goal” with Parks and Recreation’s theme? Or put a different way, what kind of atmosphere were you and Vincent attempting to create through the music?
We had the description of the show and the opening sequence to work with. We were going for quirky, upbeat, patriotic and with a lot of heart. Pretty much what the show is about!
I saw that you performed at Parks and Recreation’s wrap party last month. That night looked like a blast. Tell us a favorite moment (or moments!)
Oh, too many good and funny moments. Mouse Rat performing “Sex Hair”, Duke Silver sitting in with them playing the saxophone and a gag reel they showed to everyone. I was sitting right next to Amy and it was so cool to hear her laugh out loud at the bloopers. Also, when I played my set, Chris Pratt got on the dancefloor!! He’s such a cool and funny guy. We chatted with him for a bit after our set.
Currently, you’re touring Europe. How long have you been performing there, and what else do you have going on this year? Any new music material?
I played Roskilde Festival in Denmark on Juy 4th with Van Dyke Parks. It was fantastic. I got to sing with a full orchestra, infront of a huge crowd. This festival is the equivalent to Coachella in the US.
Shortly after that I played my very first show in Paris on July 9th. Now we have two more shows in Germany. When I get back in late August I’m gonna start recording my second album and I will continue playing live and seeking more opportunities to play in other countries.
Chris S., it’s your lucky day! Gaby has seen the Jabba the Hutt fan video and had this to say about it:
I love it! I think it’s hilarious and very creative the way they did it!
