Categories Billions Print Media

Jason Isbell Plays a Convincing Jason Isbell on Billions

Jason Isbell and Damian Lewis on the Set of Billions

by Derrick Rossignol | Uproxx | September 9, 2021

Jason Isbell has got his acting beak wet: the mid-season premiere of Billions aired earlier this week, and Isbell played a role that nobody could play better than him: Jason Isbell. In the episode Isbell performed at a benefit hosted by Taylor Mason Carbon, playing “Last Of My Kind” from 2017’s The Nashville Sound. Later in the show, he admires some paintings by Nico Tanner (played by Frank Grillo) with Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis).

Isbell later shared a behind-the-scenes photo from the episode and wrote, “Behind the scenes on @sho_billions. That was a really good time, and I appreciate Damian Lewis, @frankgrillo1 and the crew patiently answering my ‘acting questions.’ Generous and kind folks.”

Watch a clip of Isbell’s Billions appearance below:

Continue reading Jason Isbell Plays a Convincing Jason Isbell on Billions

Categories Billions Music Print Media

How Billions Creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien Use Music as an Emotional Accelerator on the Show – May 24, 2018

NPR’s All Songs Considered, Music Pods, Sound Opinions, Spotify Discover Weekly and Twitter Solicitation Beacons: Discovering Music for Billions

by Caitlin White | Uproxx | May 24, 2018

Last fall over the holidays I was desperately trying to avoid reality. Looking for an escape, I turned to a popular TV show called Billions because I’d noticed one of my favorite Uproxx TV writers, Brian Grubb, writing a love letter to it earlier in the year. It looked just far enough away from my own life to distract from the stupid minutia of what was bothering me, the characters were strong, powerful, and self-assured — but they were also caught up in tough situations, unfair portrayals, and pesky mistakes.

The plot was thick and moved with deftness, there was not one but two strong, badass female characters, there was a subplot involving a nonbinary character working in the midst of the boys club, and the whole thing swung on an unholy rivalry that was a thrill to watch. This all made for great, addictive TV, but as a music editor, what stopped me in my tracks was the soundtrack. Unexpectedly, I found old folk and indie rock favorites like Andrew Bird cropping up alongside a guest appearance from the rock gods themselves, Metallica!

Continue reading How Billions Creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien Use Music as an Emotional Accelerator on the Show – May 24, 2018