Lakeshore Records is set to release 
Hacks Seasons 2-5—Original Series Soundtrack digitally today, May 29 with an original score by Emmy and Grammy-winning composer Carlos Rivera Rafael (The Queen’s Gambit), and composer David Stal (Breakup Season). Their multifaceted orchestral tracks underscore the wide range of plot points and character themes explored in the award winning comedy series. Season five is streaming now on HBO Max.
When legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is forced to team up with entitled, outcast television writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to overhaul her material, the pair must find a way to put aside their differences to save their careers.
In Season 5–In the aftermath of mistaken news reports that Deborah passed away, she and Ava return to Las Vegas, determined to secure Deborah’s legacy as a comedian.
Note Rivera & Stal: “Working on the score for Hacks seasons 2-5 has been a dream come true for us. We have learned so much from each other, from the showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, and from our teammates Asuka, Ray, Henrik, and Rhyan that it’s hard to put into words. The musical needs for Hacks are many… from the most subtly emotional piano music, to funk and soul tracks, and of course the full-blown power of a live orchestra. Most composers are lucky enough to hone in on one sound for a show, but as a team, David and I are so grateful to have explored so many different worlds together to support the biting comedy of Hacks.”
Track List
- UFC Motivation
- The Caricature
- Memories
- Getting Late Night
- Pickleball Action
- Painting Auction
- See You Around
- Neverloved
- Cleaning The Mess
- Deb’s Late Night Band
- First Show Applause
- You Always Let Me Down
- Deb’s Nightmare
- Not Okay
- Not a Real Hug
- Raise ‘Em Up
- No Entry
- The Late Night Monologue
- Mis Figuritas- Deborah Vance
- Hospitality Champions
- Summer Squash – Nico Hayes
- You’re A Funny Girl – Nico Hayes
- Cocktails Anyone?
- Shaker Theft
- Ava’s Idea
- Packing Up
- Deborah Vance
- Ava Daniels
ABOUT CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA
Carlos Rafael Rivera is a Grammy and three-time Emmy-winning composer whose scores have shaped some of the most celebrated stories in recent years. Known for his narrative-first approach of scoring directly from screenplays, he has built lasting collaborations with filmmakers like Scott Frank, including the recent global Netflix hit Department Q, which earned Rivera his sixth Emmy nomination.
His music has earned numerous accolades, including Primetime Emmy wins for The Queen’s Gambit, Godless, and Lessons in Chemistry, alongside World Soundtrack, BMI, and SCL Awards. Highlighting his versatility across genres, his recent projects range from New Line’s horror feature They Will Kill You and Bleecker Street’s Ezra, to Netflix’s Griselda and the Emmy-winning comedy Hacks on HBO Max.
Running alongside his career in media is Rivera’s role as an educator. He is Professor and Chair of the Media Scoring and Production Department at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he mentors students in the creative and practical aspects of modern scoring. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised across Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama, he brings a deeply rooted multicultural perspective to his work.
Now based in Miami, he balances his career with family life. Rivera is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), the Television Academy (Emmys), and the Recording Academy (Grammys). He also serves on the board of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, Reel Change: Fund for Diversity in Film Scoring, and the Composers Diversity Collective, championing innovation across the industry.
ABOUT DAVID STAL
Originally from Houston, Texas, David Stal is a Los Angeles-based composer whose work spans prestige television, indie film, and high-profile collaborations. A graduate of USC’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television graduate program, Stal cut his teeth writing additional music for composers like Michael Kramer, John Frizzell, and Carlos Rafael Rivera. Learning from these mentors has sharpened David’s senses for storytelling and creating an original sound.
His breakout came as co-composer on the Emmy-winning HBO series Hacks, where he helped craft the show’s distinctive style: equal parts biting, emotional, and effortlessly cool. Stal has also contributed additional music to critically acclaimed series like The Queen’s Gambit, Griselda, and Lessons in Chemistry, while also scoring indie projects like the festival-favorite Breakup Season. Represented by Keith C. Anderson at KCA Music, David brings both his unique voice and his love for collaboration to every project.
ABOUT LAKESHORE RECORDS:
Lakeshore Records is a GRAMMY-winning record label, and the soundtrack arm of the Cutting Edge Group. Lakeshore Records is the global independent leader in top line soundtrack album releases, including such popular, critically acclaimed and classic soundtracks as Bridgerton, Stranger Things, Wednesday, Fallout, John Wick, Whiplash, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Drive, Cyberpunk 2077 / Edgerunners, Star Trek: Picard, Bojack Horseman, The Walking Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Red Dead Redemption 2, the Grammy-winning Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok, the Academy Award nominated Lady Bird and Academy Award winners Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, American Factory, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Hurt Locker and many, many more.
For more information, contact: www.lakeshorerecords.com
Read Lakeshore’s blog Soundtracks, Scores And More here: https://soundtracksscoresandmore.com
