Nine Songs: Patrick McHale

Whether he’s chronicling the adventures of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog in the post-apocalyptic world of Adventure Time, Wirt and Greg’s journey through the Unknown in Over the Garden Wall, or mapping out the mysterious universe of The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, he has crafted realms which, despite being fantastical in their narratives - and at times strange, or haunting - manage to land close to home with their ability to balance the weight of humour, whimsy, and emotional resonance.

Back in October, McHale attended the InMotion convention in London to discuss brainstorming, creative collaboration, and how to bring ideas to fruition with Adventure Time co-creator Pendleton Ward. During the panel, they explored a poignant question: “Why make anything?”

To which, McHale shared: “Art is creative investigation. It’s about the investigation of things more than the actual thing that’s created. It’s not about art, it’s about creative intention.”

It’s a necessary thought process for an artist who wears multiple hats, especially when it comes down to using childlike scenes to explore more mature themes of mortality, love, and existentialism. As an animator, storyboard artist, screenwriter, director, and musician, all of McHale’s titles serve as vehicles for intention. This also turned out to be the case when it came down to consuming art, as his Nine Songs selections would reveal.

McHale’s primary Nine Songs selections initially arrived with runner-ups, or alternatives, that existed in the same vein to expand upon the specific feelings and experiences that he looked to touch upon. His visible indecision emphasised how strongly each selection represented an era, a friendship, or a creative awakening that brought him to where he is now.

The songs map out a very clear timeline for McHale, starting with his household influences. He recalls the ‘gentle, nostalgic’ feelings emulated by the sounds of Winnie the Pooh and Robin Hood, the only cartoons his mother could tolerate, his father’s improvised vocal melodies and deep love for The Beach Boys, and the 8-bit electronic themes that soundtracked the games that sparked an early love for animation.

He still speaks with a sense of excitement when he talks about being inspired by the songs that the older, “cool kids” listened to on MTV, which gave him cultural reference points that made him feel older beyond his years, and compelled him to explore his own tastes with Napster as a teen.

Even as he discusses the experience of forming friendships through the experience of listening together with “pinpoint accuracy” or tentatively smiles about the Rick Astley song that he and his wife bond over, you’d believe that he’s recounting events that took place just yesterday.

As he explores the songs that have kept him anchored through childhood, adolescence, and through to adulthood, McHale only asserts his desire to investigate, and utilise this tool as a way to create with intention; taking the influences he absorbs, honouring their origins but still mixing them up enough to become something new, while leaving space for others to find parts of themselves within the final product.

His musical evolution mirrors a process that has propelled him through years of storytelling, ultimately creating some of the most beloved work in contemporary animation.