Music supervisor 'Monarch' on how the country series uses classic covers and independent artists

"How can we make it unique" Monarch? That's the question music supervisor Amanda Krieg Thomas asks herself before she gets to work on every episode of Fox's new drama series about a country music dynasty.

The answer is threefold: by having the cast (which includes Susan Sarandon, Trace Adkins and Beth Ditto) take on country classics, sprinkling them with a selection of unexpected pop covers and, on the licensing side, championing up-and-coming country artists.

"We really wanted to focus on the covers because it's a solid entry point", says Thomas, before elaborating on his mandate: "Always be unexpected, always present different eras and styles." By those criteria, Episode 3, which aired Tuesday night, was a resounding success. Beginning with a nasal version of Lizzo's "Juice," the show cut into a soaring rendition of Faith Hill's "Breathe." Add to that guest star Tanya Tucker singing "Delta Dawn" and a Miranda Lambert hit from the 2000s, and you have a decidedly eclectic lineup.

"In each episode, we make sure these different boxes are checked," Thomas explains, "and I really like episode three because it covers the gamut. She's especially proud of Lizzo's cover. "It's a great way to kick off an episode because it's not what you expect from it. 'a country show," continues Thomas, who previously oversaw the music for musical fare such as "The Prom" and "Pose." Songs like "Breathe" and "Delta Dawn" then cover more familiar ground, though at very different times.

"'Delta Dawn' was released in the 70s, Miranda Lambert's 'Kerosene' is newer , and there's even a cover of Willie Nelson's 'Always on My Mind,'" Thomas lists. "So just in the covers, you have a lot of different eras of country music represented — plus 'Juice,' which is really new and not at all country. But we made a country version of it which I think is really memorable and really "Monarch".

The Pure Syncs of Episode 3, titled "Show Them Who You Are, Baby," are just as diverse.

"On the source side you have the band Perry and Gretchen Wilson as well as an indie band artists," she says. "Again, it's a great mix of songs - there are classics to rediscover, current hits and artists you may never have heard of, but who are 'will add to your post-show playlist.' Thomas refers to this as the 'discovery element', which is another guiding principle of 'Monarch'. establish the Texas site and support local artists.

"We're based in Texas," Thomas says. "We never rule out a great song because the artist isn't from Texas, but we really tried to find opportunities for up-and-coming Texas artists wherever we could."

Indie artists whose music is featured on the show include Sugar & the Hi-Lows, Across the Broad and Sean Wiggins.

Unsurprisingly, country labels were thrilled to take part in the show. "There was a lot of excitement because there's not a ton of synchronized opportunities for country music," she says. "We were warmly welcomed by everyone who worked in country music."

Monarch debuted on September 11 and airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

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