Fans of the MTV reality show Catfish, or just channel surfers that happened to land on the show last week might have heard a familiar tune playing in the background.
Fayetteville band The Airplanes had their song Paper Hearts featured in episode 6 of season 4 of the show on Wednesday, April 1.
The song kicks in toward the end of the episode at about the 44:52 mark.
We got in touch with Josh from the band to find out how it happened, and to see how he is handling fame and fortune since the show aired.
Catfish, eh? How’d that come about? Had you ever seen the show before?
I haven’t watched MTV in years, but I’m familiar with the show and the movie from a few years ago, and the messed up concept of catfishing. The discussion for the spot started a couple of months ago. We received an email about how MTV was interested in using some of our tracks for their programming. One of the shows was Catfish. A couple of days before the airing, they emailed me to let me know it made the final cut, and that was that.
Did you have a watch party?
We didn’t have a watch party for Catfish. Joel moved to San Francisco the day before, and Andrew was in the middle of moving, but we are all stoked about the placement.
You guys had a song on a car commercial once, too, correct? How did that happen?
The car ad was for Infinity and the track was “A Summer Daydream Part I.” That spot was coordinated by a music supervisor in New Zealand who had heard the track. I just remember getting an email about a big company wanting to license the track. They couldn’t reveal the name of the company at that time for some reason, so I said I was okay for the pitch as long as it wasn’t for a corporation like Monsanto. Thankfully, it wasn’t. The pitch went great, and the song got the placement.
What else have you guys been up to recently?
I hated to see Joel move because he’s a great dude and a perfect fit for the sound we want to create. You can’t simply replace someone like Joel. This year, we will have a few new releases. A double A-side is almost finished, and we are in the process of confirming a 7” split single with a west coast label.
I’ve been really busy composing placements for other ads, too, so it’s been difficult to balance my day job (teaching) with The Airplanes stuff and ad syncs. I just finished composing spots for a Burger King New Zealand rebrand and a Billabong TVC. Right now, I’m working on a Canadian TVC, and I’m thrilled about a local ad opportunity that is in the works.
I’m excited about working more in the composition and licensing area of music, but I’m also excited about what 2015 has in store for The Airplanes. Regardless, it’s been a busy year for us all, but we have to get back on track and play some shows in the area.
