Did you know Charlotte Lillie Balogh’s new book Kill the Lax Bro uses ’90s song titles as chapter headings? We asked Charlotte to share her inspiration behind the songs she chose, and she gave us her playlist. Read on to learn more about her writing process, and then listen to the playlist for Kill the Lax Bro.
What is your inspiration behind the songs you picked for the Kill the Lax Bro playlist?
Kill the Lax Bro is set in the ’90s, and I had a blast choosing iconic songs from the decade that would have existed in the world of my characters—tracks I loved as a ’90s kid (and love now!) and can still sing all the words to at karaoke. Also, every song on this playlist doubles as a chapter title in the book, and I tried to use each one to reflect the themes of the chapter and/or the emotional arcs of its narrator.
What is your method when mixing music and writing? Do you have playlists for each character, a song for each chapter, etc.?
I always write with music—but I usually opt for mashups or instrumental tracks so I don’t accidentally start singing along and distract myself. Building the playlist for Kill the Lax Bro happened outside of my writing and as part of the character development process (aka it was mostly procrastination).
If you could pick one song to describe you, which song would it be?
It’s not a ’ 90s answer, but “Mastermind” by Taylor Swift. Or “My Kink Is Karma” by Chappell Roan. Depends on the day.
What’s one movie soundtrack you can’t get out of your head?
Oh, it’s absolutely the soundtrack from 10 Things I Hate About You.
Name the best get-away-with-murder song.
“Oops! . . . I Did It Again,” Britney Spears. No further comment.
