# Keefus Ciancia

Keefus Ciancia is an American film and television composer, music producer, and musician. He has won an Ivor Novello Award, BAFTA, and a BMI Film & TV Award. He has composed and produced music for True Detective, Killing Eve, London Spy, The Fall, and Spider-Man 2.
He has produced albums for such artists as Benji Hughes, Kimbra, Everlast, A Fine Frenzy, and Étienne Daho. As a keyboardist and pianist he has performed with Elton John, Mike Patton, Iggy Pop, T Bone Burnett, and Everlast. Ciancia has worked extensively with T Bone Burnett as a film and TV composer, co-producer, and as a band member of The Invisible Light. He is currently a member of the musical groups Unloved, Vincent & Mr. Green, and The Invisible Light.

## Early life and career

Ciancia was born in Denver, Colorado. He played classical piano as child, and as a teenager played in various bands including his high school band. His band teacher sent a musical piece that Ciancia composed to various colleges and he was awarded scholarships to University of North Texas and USC. After moving to Los Angeles in the early 1990s Ciancia began working as a hip-hop session musician, recording with Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, South Central Cartel, and E-40. During that same period, he began working with Lonnie Marshall and they formed the band Weapon of Choice.

## Career

Ciancia is a multi-instrumentalist, film and television composer, music producer, and recording artist. He has composed music for the TV series True Detective, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He also won a BAFTA Award for composing music for the TV series Killing Eve, and an Ivor Novello Award for his music in London Spy. Ciancia produced the Emmy award-winning theme song for the TV series Saving Grace, titled "Saving Grace", by Everlast.
He has worked on numerous recording projects with T Bone Burnett dating back to 1997, when Burnett heard Ciancia's music on a local radio station (KRCW) in Los Angeles and began a working relationship with him as a session musician. Ciancia co-produced and co-composed music on The Ladykillers and the HBO series True Detective. He teamed up with Burnett as an artist on The Invisible Light: Spells and The Invisible Light: Acoustic Space.
He also co-produced and co-wrote Sleeping Tapes with Jeff Bridges.
Ciancia has performed live with Elton John, Mike Patton, Iggy Pop, T Bone Burnett, and Everlast. He has produced albums for such artists as Kimbra (Vows, The Golden Echo), Everlast, Nikka Costa (Pro Whoa), Cassandra Wilson (Thunderbird, Closer to You: The Pop Side), and Unloved.
Ciancia was a keyboardist and co-producer for Everlast (1998–2007) whom he toured with extensively and recorded on albums Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, Eat at Whitey's, and White Trash Beautiful. He later co-produced Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford as well as producing Everlast's Emmy Award-winning theme song, "Saving Grace", for the TV series Saving Grace.
He has been a member of musical groups The Invisible Light, Unloved, Vincent & Mr. Green, The Jade Vincent Experiment, and Weapon of Choice.

## Musician and recording artist

* The Invisible Light
Ciancia teamed up with T Bone Burnett on the albums The Invisible Light: Spells and The Invisible Light: Acoustic Space.
* Unloved
Unloved was formed in 2013 in Los Angeles, and is composed of Jade Vincent, Keefus Green (Ciancia), and David Holmes. Holmes met Ciancia and Vincent during the time when the duo had started a regular Tuesday night residency at the Rotary Room in Los Feliz. The band has released four albums – 2016's Guilty of Love, 2019's Heartbreak, 2022's The Pink Album, and 2023's Polychrome and Killing Eve'r Ode To The Lovers (Killing Eve Unloved release soundtrack, seasons 1, 2, 3, & 4).
* Vincent & Mister Green / The Jade Vincent Experiment
Singer-songwriter Jade Vincent and Ciancia formed Vincent & Mr. Green as an offshoot of their first musical project, the Jade Vincent Experiment, an experimental, film-noir band who played the Los Angeles club scene in the mid- to late 1990s. They have been collaborating since 1993. Film credits for the duo include True Detective, Killing Eve, Baby Driver, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. They have released two albums as Vincent & Mr. Green, 2004's Vincent & Mr. Green and 2010's Smash Up. They have also released one album, 1998's Moy, as the Jade Vincent Experiment.
* Weapon of Choice
Keefus Ciancia was a founding member of Weapon of Choice in 1992. They played a mixture of experimental, rock, alternative, funk, hip hop, jazz, and reggae, which frontman Lonnie Marshall dubbed Nutmeg. The group shared the stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Fishbone, and the P-Funk All Stars, and were known for selling out venues in Seattle. Ciancia recorded four albums with the band, Nut-Meg Sez "Bozo the Town" (1994), Highperspice (1996), Nutmeg Phantasy (1998), and Color Me Funky (2004).

## Film and TV music

| Title | Credits | Year |
| Eric | Composer | 2024 |
| Great Expectations | Composer | 2023 |
| He's Watching | Composer | 2022 |
| Limitless with Chris Hemsworth | Composer | 2022 |
| Killing Eve - Season 1, 2, 3 & 4 | Composer | 2021 |
| Made for Love - Season 1 & 2 | Composer | 2021 |
| Living in the Future's Past | Composer | 2018 |
| Baby Driver | Recording artist | 2017 |
| Devil's Gate | Composer | 2017 |
| Eyewitness | Composer | 2016 |
| Mindhorn | Composer | 2016 |
| Criminal Activities | Composer | 2015 |
| Strangerland | Composer | 2015 |
| London Spy | Composer | 2015 - 2016 |
| As Above, So Below | Composer | 2014 |
| True Detective – Season 1, 2, & 3 | Composer | 2014, 2015, 2019 |
| A Place at the Table | Composer | 2014 - 2015 |
| The Fall - Season 1, 2 & 3 | Composer, music producer | 2013 - 2016 |
| Diana | Composer, music producer | 2013 |
| Nashville– Season 1 | Composer, music producer | 2012 - 2013 |
| The Hunger Games | Keyboards | 2011 |
| Good Vibrations | Composer | 2011 |
| Motel Life | Composer | 2011 |
| Brandon Generator | Composer, music producer | 2011 |
| Saving Grace - Season 1, 2, 3 & 4 | Composer (theme song: "Saving Grace") | 2008 - 2010 |
| K7} | Composer | 2006 |
| The Poughkeepsie Tapes | Composer | 2007 |
| Superbad | Keyboards, farfisa organ | 2007 |
| Across the Universe | Musician | 2007 |
| Shadowboxer | Composer | 2005 |
| Don't Come Knocking | Composer/performer | 2005 |
| Spider-Man 2 | Composer (featured song) | 2004 |
| The Lady Killers | Music producer | 2004 |
| Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood | Music producer | 2002 |
| Ali | Composer | 2001 |

## Awards

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Award | Result |
| 2019 | True Detective | Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special | Emmy Award | Nominated |
| 2019 | Killing Eve | Original Music | BAFTA | Won |
| 2016 | London Spy | Best TV Soundtrack | Ivor Novello Award | Won |
| 2013 | The Fall | Original Score | RTS Craft & Design Award | Nominated |
| 2010 | Saving Grace | Music Scoring | BMI Film & TV Award | Won |

## Selected discography

| Year | Album | Artist | Credit |
| 2023 | Killing Eve'r Ode To The Lovers (vinyl release) | Unloved | Band member, producer, synthesizers, bass, programming, arranging |
| 2023 | Great Expectations Soundtrack | Keefus Ciancia | Composer, producer, arranger, keyboards, bass, drums, programming |
| 2023 | Polychrome | Unloved | Band member, producer, synthesizers, bass, programming, arranging |
| 2022 | The Pink Album | Unloved | Band member, producer, synthesizers, bass, programming, arranging |
| 2022 | The Invisible Light - Spells | T Bone Burnett | Artist, keyboards |
| 2022 | Made for Love - Season 2 Soundtrack | Keefus Ciancia | Composer |
| 2022 | Alegoría | Gaby Moreno | Engineer, keyboards, synthesizer |
| 2021 | The Virus X Experience | Étienne Daho | Producer, arranger, interpretation, keyboards, programming |
| 2021 | Made for Love - Season 1 Soundtrack | Keefus Ciancia | Composer |
| 2019 | The Invisible Light: Acoustic Space | T Bone Burnett, Keefus Ciancia, and Jay Bellerose | Artist, keyboards |
| 2019 | Heartbreak | Unloved | Band member, producer, synthesizers, bass, programming, arranging |
| 2017 | Lust for Life | Lana Del Rey | Keyboards, interludes |
| 2017 | Who Built the Moon? | Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds | Keyboards |
| 2016 | Now | Shania Twain | Producer, keyboards |
| 2016 | Pure Comedy | Father John Misty | Keyboards, samples |
| 2015 | I Love You, Honeybear | Father John Misty | Performer |
| 2015 | Sleeping Tapes | Jeff Bridges | Co-producer, keyboards |
| 2014 | Blitz | Étienne Daho | Composer, producer |
| 2014 | True Romance | Charli XCX | Keyboards |
| 2014 | You Only Live Forever | John Gold | Producer, keyboards, programming |
| 2014 | This Is Where We Are | Priscilla Ahn | Composer |
| 2014 | The Golden Echo | Kimbra | Producer |
| 2013 | The Diving Board | Elton John | Keyboards |
| 2013 | More Light | Primal Scream | Piano, bells |
| 2013 | The Great Pretenders | Mini Mansions | Keyboards, sampling |
| 2013 | Your Turn | Marc Ribot's Cermanic Dog | Keyboard, sampling |
| 2013 | Fanfare | Jonathan Wilson | Moog synthesizer |
| 2013 | This Is Where We Are | Priscilla Ahn | Producer, keyboards, sampling |
| 2013 | Tanita Tikaram | Tanita Tikaram | Keyboards, piano, synthesizer |
| 2012 | Storm & Grace | Lisa Marie Presley | Keyboards |
| 2012 | The Hunger Games | Secret Sisters | Keyboards, piano |
| 2012 | Fear Fun | Father John Misty | Piano, synthesizers, mellotron |
| 2012 | Pines | A Fine Frenzy | Keyboards, piano, producer, programming, pump organ, vibraphone |
| 2011 | Jeff Bridges | Jeff Bridges | Piano, keyboards |
| 2011 | Vows | Kimbra | Producer |
| 2011 | T-Bone Burnett Presents The Speaking Clock Revue: Live from the Beacon Theatre | T Bone Burnett | Keyboards |
| 2011 | I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive | Steve Earle | Mellotron |
| 2011 | Reverie | Joe Henry | Piano, keyboards |
| 2010 | The Union | Elton John and Leon Russell | Keyboards |
| 2010 | Women + Country | Jakob Dylan | Keyboards |
| 2010 | The Long Surrender | Over the Rhine | Keyboards |
| 2010 | Silent Movies | Marc Ribot | Soundscape, keyboards |
| 2010 | Smash Up | Vincent & Mr. Green | Band member, producer, musician |
| 2010 | We Walk This Road | Robert Randolph & the Family Band | Keyboards |
| 2010 | Pro Whoa | Nikka Costa | Producer, piano, keyboards |
| 2009 | Closer to You: The Pop Side | Cassandra Wilson | Producer, piano, keyboards |
| 2009 | A Stranger Here | Ramblin' Jack Elliott | Piano, keyboards |
| 2009 | Blood From Stars | Joe Henry | Piano, keyboards, vibraphone |
| 2008 | A Love Extreme | Benji Hughes | Composer, producer |
| 2008 | Pebble to a Pearl | Nikka Costa | Clavinet, Moog synthesizer, voice box |
| 2008 | Saving Grace theme song | Everlast | Producer |
| 2008 | Legend of Kung Folk, Pt. 1 | Ben Taylor | Producer, keyboards, drum programming, Moog |
| 2008 | Pain Language | DJ Muggs vs Planet Asia | Keyboards |
| 2007 | The Story | Brandi Carlile | Keyboards |
| 2007 | A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection | Alison Krauss | Piano |
| 2007 | Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford | Everlast | Producer, bass, piano, composer, drums, keyboards, programming, engineer |
| 2007 | Saving Grace theme song | Everlast | Producer |
| 2006 | The True False Identity | T Bone Burnett | Piano, keyboards |
| 2006 | Thunderbird | Cassandra Wilson | Producer, bass, piano, strings, arranger, bass (electric), keyboards, programming, engineer, synthesizer strings |
| 2006 | Slimkid3's Cafe | Tre Hardson | Producer, composer, musician |
| 2005 | Extraordinary Machine | Fiona Apple | Keyboards |
| 2005 | Retrospective: 1995–2005 | Natalie Merchant | Hammond B3 |
| 2005 | Hell Yes remix | Beck | Producer, re-mix, musician |
| 2005 | E-Pro remix | Beck | Producer, re-mix, musician |
| 2004 | White Trash Beautiful | Everlast | Keyboards |
| 2004 | Shamrocks & Shenanigans | House of Pain | Keyboards, bass |
| 2004 | Unfinished Symphony | daKAH | Moog synthesizer, claves |
| 2004 | Vincent & Mr. Green | Vincent & Mr. Green | Band member, producer, composer, musician |
| 2004 | Color Me Funky | Weapon of Choice | Band member, keyboards |
| 2002 | C'mon, C'mon | Sheryl Crow | Organ, keyboards, clavinet, string samples |
| 2001 | The ID | Macy Gray | Synthesizer, Farfisa organ, composer |
| 2000 | Eat at Whitey's | Everlast | Keyboards, performer |
| 1998 | Whitey Ford Sings the Blues | Everlast | Keyboards, performer |
| 1998 | Nutmeg Phantasy | Weapon of Choice | Band member, keyboards |
| 1996 | Highperspice | Weapon of Choice | Band member, keyboards, vocals |
| 1996 | Moy | The Jade Vincent Experiment | Band member, producer, composer, musician |
| 1996 | I Am L.V. | L.V | Band member, producer, composer, musician |
| 1995 | Foe Life (featuring Ice Cube) | Mack 10 | Keyboards |
| 1994 | 'N Gatz We Truss | South Central Cartel | Keyboards, Moog synthesizer, claves |
| 1994 | Nut-Meg Sez "Bozo the Town" | Weapon of Choice | Band member, keyboards |
| 1993 | Bop Gun (One Nation) | Ice Cube | Keyboards |