ConcernedApe on Stardew Valley Concert, Haunted Chocolatier's Soundtrack, and More
Stardew Valley is one of the most successful indie games of all time, with lifetime sales of over 20 million copies since its launch in 2016. Since then, developer ConcernedApe has expanded the brand to include new ventures such as the Stardew Valley board game and is currently working on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier.
ConcernedApe, also known as Eric Barone, is now working with the Tokyo-based music company SOHO to bring Stardew Valley’s soundtrack to the orchestral realm with a live tour called Stardew Valley: Festival of Seasons. The tour will launch in 2024 starting in Los Angeles and will make its way around the world to places like South Korea and Australia.
IGN sat down with Barone to talk about curating the tour’s setlist, the challenges of coordinating a live orchestral production, who he’d like to handle a hypothetical Stardew Valley film adaptation, and what to expect from Haunted Chocolatier’s music score.
As the tour begins next year, Barone is still working in the process of approving orchestral arrangements of the Stardew Valley soundtrack. Every month, he receives MIDI files of the scores and receives feedback. As a composer himself, he’s sometimes very particular about small details.
When choosing which songs to add to the setlist, Barone explained that it’s a mix of fan and personal favorites. With a Stardew Valley concert, there are certain songs that audiences should expect, such as seasonal music as they’re one of the biggest parts of the game that players repeatedly hear. He also wanted to meet fan expectations too, especially when it comes to songs tied to specific characters.
Barone said, "If we pick one specific character's music and it's represented, but then these other characters' music isn't
Read more on ign.com
