“Bye” Bye, Leaks onto HBO’s “The Penguin”
A menacing two-note bassline reminiscent of the “Jaws” theme sets the stage for “Bye,” a collaborative track by cimand music duourbed by Columbus-born musicians Taylor Nixon and London Elixir. Little did they know when composing the song that it would land them a spot in a scene from HBO’s acclaimed DC Comics miniseries “The Penguin.” The track serves as a sleek and impactful backdrop to a pivotal moment in the show. This marks a significant milestone for both musicians, as it’s the first such placement with both HBO and DC Comics for artists from their hometown.
From Basement to Big Screen
“Bye” started as a creative spark between Nixon and Elixir. Nixon, a skilled songwriter, crafted the track based on a brief provided by Elixir.
>”I wrote the song in 2022. London hit me with a brief and we had no idea where it would be placed,” explains Nixon. “She asked me to write from Harley Quinn’s perspective, and I had no idea who that was, so I had to do a deep dive into her world.”
They recorded “Bye” in Elixir’s mother’s basement, adding an intimate touch to the origin story. “It’s crazy to think it all started there and ended up in ‘The Penguin,'” reflects Nixon.
“It couldn’t have been more fitting. We ended up recording it in a basement,” quips Elixir. “It really just added to the rawness and the story behind the song.”
“The Penguin,” a highly anticipated spinoff of the 2022 film “The Batman,” features Colin Farrell continuing his stellar performance as the notorious mobster Oswald “Oz” Cobb. Casting Farrell alongside a symphony of hard-hitting sound was the perfect storm to launch Nixon and Elixir’s career to the next level.
Sync Licensing Success
Elixir’s focus on sync licensing played a major role in getting “Bye” on the radar.
>”I’ve been working the past few years building relationships with music supervisors. It’s about connecting with the right people who understand your sound and vision. There’s a lot dedicated to getting your work heard.”
Elixir’s network led her to Whitney Pilsner, a respected name in the world of sync licensing. “I had sent her music,” says Elixir. “She happened to be the one working on “The Penguin.”
Prison, he had no idea what it meant. I went and looked it up and I was telling Taylor, ‘This is about to be huge,'” she remembers with a laugh.
Tailoring his performance and Moira, it made sense. to the show was transformative with and it definitely inspired the team behind lacement
“It was amazing seeing our work in the show.”
