Pat McCusker
Scoring The Ezra Klein Show, Touring with David Duchovny, and Composing for Podcasts
Composer, producer, and guitarist Pat McCusker joins Conversations with Musicians to share his journey from touring the world with David Duchovny to scoring podcasts for The New York Times, including The Ezra Klein Show, The Daily, and Modern Love.
In this episode, Pat gives an inside look at his creative process, how podcast music is developed, and why scoring for audio storytelling is both challenging and rewarding. We also talk about his role as a sound designer at The Times, his tools and setup, and how music shapes narrative in shows like Severance and The White Lotus.
Beyond music, this conversation explores important personal themes like managing anxiety, maintaining creative community, and the unexpected paths a career in music can take.
🎼 Highlights:
Creating the new theme for The Ezra Klein Show
Touring with actor and musician David Duchovny
Working behind the scenes at The New York Times audio department
Favorite tools, instruments, and workflow tips for composers
Why music in media matters: Severance, White Lotus, and more
The human side of music-making: anxiety, balance, and collaboration
🔗 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
Podcast Other Podcast Players Video Transcript
Pat McCusker Website The New York Times Podcasts David Duchovny Website
Other suggested episodes with some of the media composers previously featured:
Pat Irwin, Christoph Zirngibl, Adam Blau, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve
💬 About Leah Roseman:
Leah Roseman is a violinist, podcast host, and producer who shares deep, honest conversations with musicians from around the world. Each episode of Conversations with Musicians offers inspiration, insight, and connection for creatives of all kinds. Catalog of Episodes
