Peter Peter Talks ‘Heated Rivalry’ Soundtrack, How His ‘Éther’ Album Got Him The Job

It’s not often the case that a hit TV show’s original soundtrack has legions of fans around the world clamouring for an official album release – but that’s what happened with the signature sound of Peter Peter’s compositions for the queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry. Less than two months after the series premiered, the hotly anticipated soundtrack is out. The humble Quebec City-based artist walks us through how he was welcomed into the fold of the creative team, and how this three-time Polaris nominee’s back catalogue, especially his 2024 album Éther, helped map out the blueprint for a sexy, electric sound.

For people who follow Canadian music closely, your name isn’t new. But how would you introduce yourself to people only hearing about you and your work for the first time?

Peter Peter: I’ve been releasing records for 15 years now; that’s mainly what I’ve been doing. Being a screen composer is relatively new — it started with Heated Rivalry, but that project really opened up my horizons.

Let’s talk about that recent shift. You have a 15-year career and five full-length albums under your belt. Three of those — Une version améliorée de la tristesse (2013) Noir Éden (2017) and most recently Éther (2024) — were long-listed for the Polaris Prize. When did you first get involved in the television adaptation of Heated Rivalry?

It was unexpected. After I released my fifth record, Éther, in April 2024, Jacob Tierney sent me a message on Instagram about a month later. I didn’t know him back then. He said, “I’m a big fan, I’m working on a screenplay, and I’ve been playing your latest record on a loop. I think it would be great music for what I’m working on. Would you be interested in making music for TV?”

I said sure! Two months later, he called me and said, “We have a network and we’re moving forward.” He presented the project to me and I was in.

You mentioned the sound of your album Éther — you can see (and hear) a through-line from that record to the energetic, techno-driven tracks in the show. What kind of atmosphere did you want to create for these characters?

At first, when I was reading the script, I was hearing fast-paced techno. We were actually supposed to use some “needle drops” (licensed tracks) of mine from Éther. But the more we worked on it, the more Jacob encouraged me to just follow my instincts. He’d say, “If you hear a guitar, just write a guitar part.”

I composed ambient music and EDM, but I didn’t really know what to expect until I saw the footage. Once I received the actual footage of Shane (Hollander) and Ilya (Rozanov), I realized I needed to slow things down. The music I had pre-recorded for the intimate scenes didn’t fit at all. I had to rewrite things for the show. Once I had the visuals, it was much easier to find the right tones.

It’s fascinating to think about you watching this footage without a soundtrack, especially since the music is so key to the pacing and emotion. You said it was “easy” — did the sounds just come to mind as you watched?

In a way, yes. I programmed quite a few synth patches that I thought would fit, and then I just tried to connect the sound to the scene. You can tell immediately if the music interferes or bothers the scene. You have to be a good listener and not be too intrusive. You read the music and produce it until it and the scene become one.

When did you realize this show was really taking off? 

It was a buildup. The first moment was definitely the premiere in Montreal at the end of November. It was open to the public, and [Canadian author] Rachel Reid already had such a huge following from the books. At the screening, the reaction was insane. People were so into it. After that, it became a pop culture phenomenon. Seeing internet memes and then seeing the show mentioned on American television… nobody could have planned that. It’s been a full-time job just following the wave.

I want to ask about two specific songs. Let’s start with “Rivalry.” It’s rhythmic, driven, and has over two million streams on Spotify already.

“Rivalry” was a bit of a hockey thing. Originally, it was meant to be a replacement for the song “Éther” because we decided not to license my old music and instead create a fully original score. I needed something high-paced, brutal, and aggressive. That’s why I used that acid-techno synth lead. It’s the opening of the show when they are being drafted — it needed to be impactful.

And then on the other end of the spectrum, there is the lush, romantic “It’s You.” One YouTube comment says, “this is what falling in love sounds like.” There’s so much yearning in that track. What was the creative process there?

The deadlines were so crazy. That song was actually a replacement for another of my songs called “Lisbonne.” Jacob wanted a proper song with lyrics for that moment. I wanted it to be smooth and not too intrusive, so I used a very ethereal arpeggio.

For the vocals, I used a process similar to Imogen Heap’s 2005 “Hide and Seek,” where I sent the vocal tones through a synthesizer to play them like chords — a vocoder-type effect. My girlfriend (Cassandra) also sings on the second half of the song. It happened so fast that I almost feel like the song was gifted to me; the scene wrote the music itself.

Fans have been feral for an official soundtrack release. You moved very fast to get it out there. What was that process like?

We had to rush. When the show first aired, the producer, Brandon Brady, suggested a soundtrack release for sometime in the new year. But then my Instagram was flooded with messages from fans begging for specific songs. Brandon called me back and said, “Actually, we should release it as soon as possible.”

Milan Records [a label owned by Sony] came into the picture, and we all hopped on a call. I spent the holidays between Christmas and New Year’s Eve going through my music cues, turning them into full songs, and sending them to be mixed. It was a relief when it finally came out because the demand was so high.

You’ve had a long, rich career in Quebec and in France, with a lot of French language fans… but now a whole new generation is discovering your back catalog because of this show. How does that feel?

It’s cool! I try not to spend too much time on the internet, but I can feel the love. It’s proof that a career can shift at any point. Songs are there forever, and people are finding things I wrote 15 years ago and making them their new favourite songs. It feels a bit weird — I didn’t plan for this in 2026 — but overall, it feels very good.

The show also features other Quebecois artists like Dumas, La Bronze and Philippe B. Do you feel like a bit of a Quebec music ambassador right now?

That was really Jacob’s call. He’s a Montrealer and he just puts the music he loves in the show. He lived through that music scene, and I remember he hired Julien Mineau from Malajube [short-listed for the Polaris in 2006 for Trompe l’Oeil and again in 2009 for Labyrinthes] for his movie The Trotsky back in the day. He’s always loved the Montreal scene. I was very happy that Montreal got such good representation, especially since the fictional hockey team in the show [the Montreal Metros] is from there. I don’t feel like an ambassador, but I’m proud that Francophone music is being heard by this huge audience.

One last silly question: do you have a favourite Heated Rivalry meme?

Someone sent me a “Heritage Minute” parody. You know those old Canadian government ads? It was the two main characters in that format, framed as a piece of “Canadian Heritage.” I thought that was the funniest one because it’s true — this show has become a very emblematic moment for our culture.

Peter, thank you so much. The soundtrack is available on all streaming platforms now, and I understand there is a physical release coming?

Yes, exactly. We are working on the vinyl and possibly a CD right now. There will be lots of “goodies” around that release. We’re working on it as we speak!