Meet the man behind the music of 'Bluey': How composer Joff Bush infuses the spirit of play into the show's sound

Dear Bluey fans, you’re not overthinking a kids’ show about cartoon dogs. The masterminds behind the episodes, like award-winning series music composer Joff Bush, are putting just as much heart and thought into making the series and albums as you are into finding out who the parents are to the little pup hiding behind the Heelers’ front door at the end of “Surprise!”

Bush told Yahoo Entertainment that one of the things he and the creators consider is how the show looks and sounds through a kid’s perspective, including how they play and imagine different worlds. Bush specifically talked about the “Rug Island” episode, which was Episode 10 of Season 2.

“It’s about this land that kids can create with their imagination, and the games they invent, and basically how childhood can only be visited by adults,” Bush said. “We can’t live there, and we have to learn how to do everything again, but we can never really stay there.”

In the episode, Bluey, a 6-year-old Blue Heeler puppy, and her 4-year-old sister, Bingo, set up an imaginative place in their backyard where adults aren’t typically allowed. Bandit, their dad, is being called away to work in the adult world but finds himself washed ashore on the imaginative Rug Island with his kids.

Bush and his music team are releasing the third Bluey music album, Bluey: Rug Island, centered around this very episode, on Oct. 25. He said the album started off as a “completely different concept” but eventually turned into a musical storyline around the episode.

“The album sort of takes that idea where we’ve got these little voyages into Rug Island,” Bush said. “Once we unlocked that, it just felt like the rest of the album sort of flowed out while we were making it.”

The album, which features 16 songs, can also serve as the soundtrack for a myriad of Bluey-inspired games, like the bubbling “Octopus.”

Bush told Yahoo Entertainment that at the outset of creating the series, music was always an important element for show creator Joe Brumm.

“We had really early discussions about how we’re going to do something different every episode,” Bush said. “And that’s pretty unusual. Usually, for a TV show, you have the same theme and you keep repeating it.”

Bush said he and Brumm have “spotting sessions,” where they talk about how the music can highlight or emphasize a storyline. While Brumm’s philosophy around Bluey demonstrates the importance of how kids can learn and grow through play, other episodes manage to dig deeper.

“We have these really long conversations for hours and we’ll talk about the psychological milestones and things that kids go through, and that helps influence how we structure the music more than what the music is, almost,” Bush said.

Bush brought up the “Sleepytime” episode, where Bingo tells mom Chilli that she wants to have a “big girl sleep” and wake up in her own bed versus her mom and dad’s bed. As Chilli tucks Bingo in, she encourages the idea but also reassures her by saying she’s always there if she needs her. It’s a fan favorite that has parents, including this writer, welling up with tears at the overarching message that parents will always be there for their kids, no matter how old or big they get.

The episode unfolds with Bingo dreaming about celestial adventures, intercut with scenes of Bandit and Chilli having a sleepless night tending to Bluey and Bingo, which many parents can relate to. As with many Bluey episodes, a piece of classical music is featured in the episode.

Bush said Brumm really wanted to use Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter,” which is part of the “Planets” orchestral suite. “It brings out this idea that this is something bigger than this domestic scene of parents not being able to sleep,” Bush said.

“There’s that point where Bingo says, ‘I’m a big girl now,’ and that’s a really important part in a child’s development, usually around 3 or 4, where they’re starting to find independence,” Bush explained.

He continued, “Then the emotional impact comes from [the overall message] ‘Yes, but your parents will always be there for you,’” adding that the next step in the episode creation was to figure out how to work the music to bring the most impact.

“We sort of put echoes of ‘Jupiter’ to associate with the parents’ love of the kids throughout, so that when Bingo says, ‘I'm a big girl now,’ then we have sort of hinted at structurally what this piece means throughout the episode,” said Bush.

The series’ storylines, like “Sleepytime,” are what Bush believes makes the show universally appealing, with fans spanning generations — including those with and without kids. Bush said he hoped his voice and perspective on the accompanying music would help bring the stories to life.

When Yahoo Entertainment asked Bush if there were any Bluey-related projects he has in the works, he played coy. “Of course, I cannot answer that,” he said. Oh, biscuits.

“The things that we are working on are very exciting,” Bush added.

Bluey: Rug Island is available to stream or purchase on Oct. 25.