My whole life, I've had experience with music. I played piano from age four to about twelve? I started double bass soon after that and immediately caught up to my peers despite missing many years in orchestra (I transferred schools) and I love singing. However, I've never really considered myself a musician, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate music. Music is one of the most important things to me. I masterfully craft all of my playlists and I am meticulous about what goes in- they're like chapters of my diary. I have one for almost every fictional character I love, not just my own. I hope people continue to listen to them long after I die.

That out of the way, I want to go into specific artists and songs that inspired Postmortem. Not sure how I'll organize this, but I'll figure it out.

#1- Radical Face

I discovered Ben Cooper's music in middle school at a very turbulent time in my life. My grandmother had passed away in 2016 after a rough battle with dementia and strokes, I was suffering from unmedicated severe depression, and the first time I heard one of his songs I absolutely lost my mind.

I found this song on a Lockwood & Co. playlist on youtube, a book that inspired me a lot back then, and the first song I listened to was "Haunted"

I actually used this "Wrapped in Piano Strings" as a prompt for a former friend to create Allison's first design. This bugs me because this friend was incredibly abusive to me, but I've changed him so much they have no authority over him any more. He was supposed to be a chocolate ghost?? kinda stupid idk what they were thinking

As I listened to more and more of his music, which is a story following a family tree of its own, I used the lyrics and themes to craft my own family story- I still need to read the book that details what the Family Tree albums are about, but I almost like the mystery. If I die before Postmortem gets adapted to film or tv, I need him to do a song for it. I would pay anything. His songs can fit any era of my characters.

#2- Panic! at the Disco

Okay, I know what you're thinking, what the hell- yes I was a little emo kid in school, and all of their albums inspired me, but the one I'm focusing on most right now is Pretty Odd. That album has single-handedly built Tristan from the ground up. He came from the same situation as Allison, but the songs I used as prompts were "Nine in the Afternoon" as well as Radical Face's "Welcome Home, Son"

Tristan, despite being from the 1890s, is heavily inspired by a "flower-power" reborn classic vibe- something the Beatles really aesthetically have, but their sound never really fit Tristan. I always imagine him and his cousin Judah duetting to songs like Northern Downpour (Judah as Ryan and Tristan as Brendan, respectively.)

#3- Fleet Foxes

I always attribute Fleet Foxes to having an older, more medieval or even ancient sound, and I have less specific examples on what songs directly inspired me, but they just have such a nostalgic, old sound that got me transported to the past. They are my absolute favorite group and I have to mention them, they're in everything I create and I cannot thank them enough.

#4- Woodkid

Now Woodkid is very narrative-based and has one of the most unique sounds I've ever heard. I found them from "Run Boy Run" on The Umbrella Academy and i've listened to their album The Golden Age more times than I can count.

"The Great Escape" specifically reminds me of Susie and Steamboats childhood, while "Ghost Lights" reminds me of Margaret trying to advocate for the spirits she communicates with and embracing her powers. I would also want them in my adaptation.

Now I want to focus on my most major characters and their "theme" songs and whatever other ramblings I can think of

Steamboat:
He is surprisingly hard to find songs for. Woodkid has that brooding feel that I associate with him, but I struggle to find lyrics that really encapsulate his story and the emotions he feels. He was heavily inspired by the characterization of Aaron Burr in Hamilton, that's a good starting place but his story just doesn't fit enough. Steamboat is such a strange balance of industrial and romantic that I really have a hard time with him.

Susie:
Susie was imagined before Steamboat, they came from the "Miss Susie Had a Steamboat" nursery rhyme, but Susie was originally imagined from the Tally Hall song "A Lady" which gave me the idea of this morally grey couple, something Good and Evil. They started out as villains sort of? Susie being good but supporting the cruel Steamboat, but as I continued to write them they became even more grey.

Allison:
As stated before, Allison was derived from "Haunted" and "Wrapped in Piano Strings" by Radical Face. That's where he got his ghost element until I decided to fully write him out and focus on his living side as well.

Florence
I don't have a song for her, she's so difficult. It's almost like SHE'S the ghost causing everyone problems, but that's why she's so interesting.

Margaret
Oh my sweet, babychild Margaret, the cornerstone of everything. The music video for "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" gave me this idea of a little girl helping a ghost that can't speak for himself, doing more than any adult could. That's how I decided Allison should be a ghost following HER instead of his own main character. The group Sunday Driver has gone on to inspire this feeling of independence, a woman reflecting on the inner mechanics of a society she feels trapped in. Radical Face also has "Everything Costs" and "Reveries" that really really remind me of her.

Tristan:
Like I said, Pretty Odd goes without saying, but Caravan of Thieves is also a huge one- it's almost exactly how I imagine his band sound when they perform.

I'm probably gonna continue this with a part two but this is all my brain could ramble about today, I just thought this was important to get down.