When Heated Rivalry became everyone's favourite new TV show last fall, Montreal indie rockers Wolf Parade were as surprised as anyone to discover that their song "I'll Believe in Anything" wasn't only featured in a pivotal moment it was the title of that very episode.
"I had forgotten that the episode was actually called [“I’ll Believe in Anything”]," singer/keyboardist Spencer Krug tells iHeartRadio's Ruby Carr. “We were given a breakdown of how the song would be used, in the various episodes that it's in. And it seemed like he really put a lot of thought into making the song like a character in the show and how it would be used. It was really well considered, which is rare. We basically lucked out in terms of placing a song on a TV show… and that the show is so successful and it's so well done. And the song is used so prominently and in such a meaningful and impactful way."
Like Feist, Harrison and Peter Peter, who also had their music hand-picked for the series, Krug and his bandmates quickly learned that getting that sort of placement on a show so beloved had its benefits.
"[It was] used tastefully but in a way that really draws attention to the song and then subsequently the band. So there are a lot of new listeners for us. We just totally hit the jackpot. We couldn't be more grateful and it's just, it's an honour to be part of the show."
For Krug, working with Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney was a partnership that was 20 years in the making.
“Jacob, the director, was a fan of the band, a fan of the song, and it was kind of one of those like his people got in touch with our people kind of thing," Krug says. "He and I had a meeting years ago, decades ago, about me doing the music for one of his early films, and that fell through, it didn't work out. [But] he was like, ‘I'm going to get back to you later.’ And then he did eventually get back to me much, much later in the form of putting Wolf Parade on the show.”
Wolf Parade are no strangers to being approached about having their music licensed for television. Getting the offer for Heated Rivalry, however, turned out to be a very different experience.
"It happens all the time," he says. "Usually the shows come and go with not many people noticing because when you think about all the shows and movies that get made and released almost daily, there's only so many that turn into this kind of cultural phenomenon. It's part of the biz. This one just really took off."
Krug credits Tierney for knowing what music suited the characters and the show's cathartic moments.
"It's all Jacob, it's all the show," he explains. "I think it's just a well done show that is full of hope and joy and happy endings at a time when the world really kind of needs those things. And we were lucky enough to be invited to be a part of it.”
As for discovering the impact "I'll Believe in Anything" has had on Heated Rivalry's growing army of fans, he finds the attention and love it has received quite unexpected.
"There were a lot of posts of people crying to that scene for a while there," he says. "It really hit home for a lot of people in a way that was very surprising. It really hit that emotional center, it triggered tears in many people."
The success that Wolf Parade have experienced through the show allowed the band to reissue their debut album, Apologies to the Queen Mary, which features "I'll Believe in Anything," as well as a few other cool bonuses.
"We’re reissuing the vinyl and [did] the piano version of the song," he says. "We also did a limited edition, heart-shaped seven-inch vinyl that was done through a third party for Valentine's Day. And I think that did pretty well. The reissues have been successful and we've made some shirts and we have some shows on the books. We're just grateful for whatever else this might bring, but we're gonna let the rest happen organically."
Wolf Parade will soon get to work on a new album and next perform this summer - a hometown show at the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival on August 1. They also have a few Canadian shows lined up in the fall that both new and old fans will want to check out. Before that though, Krug will be playing solo shows throughout May to promote his new album, Same Fangs (out May 15).
With the second season of Heated Rivalry already in the works, Krug doesn't know if his band will be approached about contributing more music. He still feels blessed for the opportunity they were given, which they're still making the most of.
"You never know," he says. "I wouldn't want to push that with the makers of the show. We've already gained so much. The show's already done so much for the band, you know. We don't want to get greedy."
Watch the interview below.