{"id":55451,"date":"2026-01-12T16:35:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T16:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/how-country-music-became-the-soundtrack-to-the-show\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T16:35:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T16:35:28","slug":"how-country-music-became-the-soundtrack-to-the-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/how-country-music-became-the-soundtrack-to-the-show\/","title":{"rendered":"How Country Music Became the Soundtrack to the Show"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tA primary arc in the second season of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/landman\/\" id=\"auto-tag_landman\" data-tag=\"landman\">Landman<\/a><\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/taylor-sheridan\/\" id=\"auto-tag_taylor-sheridan\" data-tag=\"taylor-sheridan\">Taylor Sheridan<\/a>\u2019s Paramount+ series set in the Texas oilfields, focuses on the character Cami Miller, played by Demi Moore. Navigating the personal and economic fallout from the death of her oil tycoon husband, Cami is wracked by loneliness and stress and, in an intense scene late in the third episode, collapses on the marble patio of her mansion while holding a photo of herself and her late spouse. As she does, a heavy acoustic guitar gives way to Drayton Farley\u2019s muted voice singing, \u201cEverything about this place has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tIt\u2019s a pivotal scene in the series. As it turns out, it\u2019s also a pivotal scene in Farley\u2019s career \u2014 and in those of Sunny Sweeney and Dani Rose, too. The three artists co-wrote \u201cTouch and Go,\u201d the song heard in the scene, in 2023 at a writing camp organized by Andrea von Foerster, the music supervisor who curates the music in <em>Landman<\/em> just as she has done for Sheridan\u2019s juggernaut series <em>Yellowstone<\/em>. It was Farley\u2019s first-ever co-write, and von Foerster held onto the song for more than a year before deeming it a fit for Cami\u2019s emotional breakdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cWe all talked about watching our parents growing older and how hard those emotions can hit you,\u201d Farley says of the song. \u201cThere\u2019s this one line, \u2018Wish I could stop the age in my daddy\u2019s eyes,\u2019 that really stands out. That one, I believe, was born from Sunny. It\u2019s the kind of line that keeps the song true and the writer on track. I\u2019m really proud of this song, and honestly Andrea could not have placed it in a more fitting scene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWithin a week, \u201cTouch and Go\u201d topped Shazam\u2019s Top 200 U.S. chart for all genres. Out of nowhere, Farley, Sweeney, and Rose had a viral hit. In the month following its placement in <em>Landman<\/em>, the song received more than half a million streams on Spotify alone.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u201cTouch And Go\u201d by @DraytonFarleyMusic has got us in our feels. #Landman #LandmanPPlus\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g7w6Soer4Dw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tSuch is the power of the alliance that Sheridan and von Foerster have forged in soundtracking <em>Yellowstone<\/em> and <em>Landman<\/em> with music from outside country\u2019s mainstream. \u201cThe Taylorverse\u201d as von Foerster calls it, has been instrumental in elevating Zach Bryan, Whiskey Myers, Shane Smith and the Saints, and Ella Langley \u2014\u00a0and just about any other artist whose song she picks to help develop Sheridan\u2019s characters.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ editors-pick-module lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWhen <em>Landman<\/em>\u2019s second season wraps up Jan.18, more than 100 songs will have been featured in the series. Iconic names like George Strait and Chris Stapleton blend with rising stars like Farley, Noeline Hofmann, and Danno Simpson on the series\u2019 official Spotify <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/37i9dQZF1DWYoTu5gCZfCn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">playlist<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThe Taylorverse is not the only streaming home for Red Dirt, Texas, and Americana artists \u2014 Sterlin Harjo\u2019s FX projects <em>Reservation Dogs<\/em> and <em>The Lowdown<\/em> were instrumental in showcasing the music of Ken Pomeroy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/blaine-bailey-cherokee-singer-indian-country-1235494623\/\">Blaine Bailey<\/a>, for example \u2014 but it\u2019s the gold standard. There\u2019s an argument to be made that nothing has played a greater role in the rise of independent country artists than being heard in one of Sheridan\u2019s shows since <em>Yellowstone<\/em> premiered in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThat\u2019s the vision that von Foerster had from the outset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cWhen you work on a hit, you get to help launch and further artists\u2019 careers,\u201d von Foerster tells <em>Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s amazing. When you\u2019re choosing soundtracks for your characters\u2019 emotional arcs and storylines, you get to take the audience along for the ride. The success of the music doesn\u2019t change the show\u2019s musical identity, but it\u2019s a nice nod of approval.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tBefore teaming up with Sheridan, van Foerster was already established as one of the top music supervisors in television and film, having overseen the song choices for movies like <em>500 Days of Summer<\/em> and <em>Air<\/em>, among dozens of others. During the planning stages for <em>Yellowstone<\/em>, von Foerster says dozens of phone calls and a few in-person meetings with Sheridan made them realize they shared the same musical aesthetic. From there, she maintained a steady focus on Sheridan, taking her cues from how he creates his storylines.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cHe writes very clearly,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s really just listening to what the page says it wants and the characters, and following that emotional arc. Sometimes, it\u2019s a montage \u2014 but less so in <em>Landman<\/em> than <em>Yellowstone<\/em>. Sometimes it\u2019s sourced from its location. Is the feeling over a scene at the end of the episode like \u2018Touch and Go\u2019? Are you playing to the emotion or are you trying to misdirect? It\u2019s always just paying attention to what\u2019s on the page.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tStill, even a well-curated selection does not automatically mean the songs are going to resonate beyond their accompanying scenes. Ryan Bingham, who had an acting role in <em>Yellowstone<\/em>, recalled having mild trepidation when he learned the series would skew heavily toward Texas, Red Dirt, and Americana. \u201cAt the time, you know, it could have gone either way. It could have been really cool for this music, or it could have been really bad for it,\u201d Bingham <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/ryan-bingham-yellowstone-last-waltz-tour-1235138052\/\">told <em>Rolling Stone<\/em> in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tFor von Foerster\u2019s part, though, the need to match the tone of Sheridan\u2019s work rendered those concerns secondary. There was no reason to, say, fill the series with artists constantly at the top of the country music charts. Plus, she figured, if she and Sheridan liked a song, fans of their work would like it, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cWe never said we were <em>not<\/em> going to do something,\u201d von Foerster says of how she and Sheridan ended up steering largely clear of the mainstream. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t that. It was that these stories don\u2019t call for it. If we use music that\u2019s everywhere, it makes it seem like the show is a playlist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cWe\u2019re not matching the show to songs. We\u2019re matching songs to the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tThat process, she says, is mostly intuitive. \u201cWhen you love something, you don\u2019t try, you just do,\u201d says von Foerster, who collects music on playlists and has an inbox overflowing with pitches from artist representatives. She and Sheridan both keep abreast of new artists who may be a fit. When Sheridan attends a concert in Texas and an artist catches his ear, he lets von Foerster know quickly. The songwriting camp that led to \u201cTouch and Go\u201d is one of many that van Foerster holds in hopes of finding music that will match the right moment in a script.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cMusic is my first language,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s what I\u2019ve dedicated my life to. I don\u2019t have the talent to make it, but I have the talent to have it created, and matchmaking is my thing. Matching the audio to the visual is what I\u2019m good at. When that\u2019s the case, either you find it or it finds you, but somehow it just happens.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cI have been in line for a restroom at a restaurant in Nashville before, looked at a guy in a cardigan and said, \u2018Great cardigan! What band are you in?\u2019 And he <em>was<\/em> in a band of course. Then, I got to know that band, and I used that band in a show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tSweeney was already riding a high from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/sunny-sweeney-landman-sirius-xm-outlaw-country-1235488037\/\">near-universal praise<\/a> for her 2025 album <em>Requiem for a Dream<\/em> when \u201cTouch and Go\u201d had its viral moment. She was struck by the sheer speed at which the song resonated with <em>Landman<\/em> viewers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThe show is solely responsible for introducing this song to a wider audience and shows how music can really travel when it\u2019s paired with the right story,\u201d Sweeney says. \u201cMusic supervisors have such a crucial job pairing their vision with what\u2019s happening on screen. Suddenly, people are connecting their own moments to it, and to me, that\u2019s been the most powerful thing to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules trending-in-article lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tSays von Foerster: \u201cWe like Red Dirt country and outlaw country in the Taylorverse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t<em>Josh Crutchmer is a journalist and author whose book <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/backloungepublishing.com\/almostalmostfamous\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><em>(Almost) Almost Famous<\/em><\/a><em> will be released April 1 via Back Lounge Publishing.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-country\/landman-billy-bob-thornton-songs-soundtrack-1235498080\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A primary arc in the second season of Landman, Taylor Sheridan\u2019s Paramount+ series set in the Texas oilfields, focuses on the character Cami Miller,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":55452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop","article","has-excerpt","has-avatar","has-author","has-date","has-comment-count","has-category-meta","has-read-more","thumbnail-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}