Exclusive: Rockers Wax Fang inspire 'American Dad'

Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Sometimes inspiration can come from the most surprising places.

Louisville rockers Wax Fang have enjoyed some success in the last few years, partly thanks to touring with fellow Kentuckians My Morning Jacket.

This weekend the psychedelic/experimental duo likely will likely gain a bunch of new fans when their music is heavily featured on, of all places, Fox's American Dad.

It turns out American Dad co-creator and writer Mike Barker is a big MMJ fan. After being introduced to Wax Fang, he realized the band's music would fit perfectly into Sunday's episode "centered around the surreal sci-fi aftermath of Jeff Fischer's alien abduction."

Barker explains further:

"While listening to the track Majestic, I was struck by an image that would eventually become the centerpiece for the whole episode," he says. "The 'Majestic' would be a terrifying creature that would probe Jeff Fischer's brain and display his memories for his alien captors to see. (Wax Fang singer) Scott Carney's vocals would be sung by a hideous and bizarre creature called The Summoner, whose primary purpose is to awaken the Majestic."

Eventually, Barker decided to use several Wax Fang songs in the ep and have Carney score it.

"There's just something so inherently cinematic about Wax Fang's music," he adds. "Carney's voice is stunningly clear and dramatic. And his lyrics are specific enough to build stories around, while staying flexible enough for different interpretations."

To see what he's talking about, take a look at this clip, which uses Majestic in its entirety:

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I asked Carney what it was like to work on American Dad, and he said it was "incredible. ... I've scored short, independent films in the past but nothing that approaches the scope and reach of this project. It has certainly left me with a burning desire to seek out more scoring work, as both a distraction from and an extension of being in Wax Fang. "

The episode is a landmark for American Dad on another level — it's the 150th ep — and airs Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

For more Wax Fang, download the band's brand new single, The Blonde Leading the Blonde, on iTunes. Congrats, guys!