Onscreen and in the fictional world of Outlander, there’s absolutely no argument who’s the ultimate OTP and power couple. Of course that would be our beloved Jamie and Claire Fraser. Though in real life those responsible for the music, singing, and bringing the historical drama to life in that way are the musical power couple of the series. And that’s husband and wife duo, composer Bear McCreary and singer Raya Yarbrough!
Earlier this summer at San Diego Comic-Con, Show Snob had the opportunity to speak with them both as McCreary was there to promote his new album, graphic novel, and concert experience (yes, all in one!), The Singularity. And you can bet that his lovely wife Yarbrough is one of the many people involved in the project.
The two have worked on endless projects together, including Outlander. McCreary manages to give us all the feels – whether it’s a romantic, emotional, or even a battle-driven scene – when it comes to his genius and music. And Yarbrough’s ethereal and unique voice has become forever associated with the hit Starz series with her rendition of the infamous Skye Boat Song that’s the show’s theme. At least, we hear her in most seasons. Outlander has a mystical feel to it, and Yarbrough’s voice definitely gives that off.
For Outlander season 7, the composer decided to try something different and actually bring in late singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor to perform the Skye Boat Song. The show has changed the opening tune every season, sometimes twice within the same season. Can we expect that in Outlander season 7B?
“So we felt very strongly that we did not want to change it for [season] 7B because we were so fortunate to work with Sinead O’Connor on what tragically became the last recording of her life,” said McCreary. “Her loss was so unexpected that we wanted to honor her by using her on every episode of Outlander [season 7].”
So what about when it comes to the eighth and final season? McCreary confirmed that the song will be changed one last and final time and “I think you’re going to like it,” he teased. Plus, we are going to be able to hear Yarbrough’s beautiful voice again as well as she jokingly shared she will be “in there somewhere or heads will roll.”
As for the prequel series that’s currently wrapped filming but doesn’t have a release date yet, I had to ask whether the musical power couple is going to be a part of that. After all, Outlander: Blood of My Blood does need to stand on its own, but you also want to give the show an Outlander feel as its part of the same world.
“I don’t know if I can say, so I just will. Yes. [I am] involved,” said McCreary. As for his lovely wife, she truly doesn’t know if she’ll be a part of it yet. Though as a fan of the show and her voice, I certainly hope we get to hear her in there somewhere! Even if it’s not necessarily for the opening credits.
And speaking of other projects, McCreary certainly knows how to stay busy! He’s currently working on multiple movies, shows, games, and even a Broadway show which is his foray into a live onstage production. The composer is also working on a follow-up to one of his records.
He has a very impressive résumé that just continues to grow. Just some of his shows include Battlestar Galactica where he met Outlander creator Ronald D. Moore for the first time, The Walking Dead, Black Sails, and most recently you can hear his musical work on television in The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.
“I love sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. These are the three things that just activated my imagination when I was a kid. And every single time I’ve been able to work in one of these genres, I sort of tackle it like I’ll never have that opportunity again,” said McCreary. “With Outlander, I get to do romance with bagpipes, and that literally might be it. I don’t know that that’s going to happen again.”
McCreary and Yarbrough first met at their musical school. They weren’t together at the time, but McCreary had begun to do student films and would hire Yarbrough to sing in them. And years later, the two still team up!
“Working with Bear for so long, he knows what my vocal range is. He knows what I can do, and he likes to use all of the tools. I have a wide vocal range, but, you know, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to access all the time. But he’s like, why don’t you go from the lowest note to the highest note? Hold that for about 10 minutes, but make sure you don’t get loud,” said Yarbough. “Give me an airy pitch, but also don’t make it loud, no vibrato, and then hit the vibrato at the end and take the volume from 1 to 10 in the last five seconds. How does that sound? And and the crazy thing is he gets me to do it.”
The two are now ingrained into the Outlander family, and with such a passionate fanbase, that also means that these awesome fans support the cast and crew wherever they can, even if it’s something unrelated to the historical drama.
“Outlander fans are just particularly outgoing and supportive and sincere, and a lot of them started coming to my own shows,” said Yarbrough. “it’s really special, and I I really it really touches me when people from that show care about me outside of it, you know. So that’s been really lovely.”
Outlander season 7 part 2 premieres Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 on Starz. Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates and news about the new episodes ahead of their release!
