Bass Guitarist and Frontman of HEALTH on Music for GTA 5 and MP 3

John Famiglietti, the bassist and face (though not the vocalist) of the band HEALTH, recently answered numerous questions, including discussing their work on music for video games such as Cyberpunk 2077. However, what interests us most are, of course, Rockstar titles.

Working on the soundtrack for the third installment of the Max Payne action series is considered a turning point in the band’s rise to fame, though they themselves admit that the impact wasn’t immediate. According to them, it was a huge step forward — one they are proud of. However, with the release of Max Payne 3, the band didn’t suddenly become famous, nor did their concert ticket sales skyrocket. Instead, recognition came gradually, as kids who played Max Payne 3 grew up and discovered their repertoire. Through collaborations with younger artists like Ghostemane and JPEGMafia, it became clear that many of them wanted to work together precisely because of that iconic OST. When asked if they would take on this project now, Johnny answered unequivocally: “We would do it. We would make time. We would not tour”.

As for the track High Pressure Dave, which was featured on the album The Music of Grand Theft Auto V, Vol. 1: Original Music, played on Radio Mirror Park, and appeared 12th in the GTA 5 end credits, Rockstar initially wanted HEALTH to cover High Pressure Days by The Units. While recording, John and the rest of the band joked about the title, repeatedly saying, “High Pressure Dave, it’s High Pressure Dave”. The Rockstar team appreciated the humor — especially since there’s a character named Dave in the game who constantly pressures Michael — and they officially named the track High Pressure Dave upon release. This unexpected decision even caught the band off guard.

Famiglietti described their relationship with Rockstar Games as follows:

We’ve stayed really great friends with the music department at Rockstar. A lot of people at Rockstar, we flew to their wedding, even dog sitting. I mean, like, we’re friends. They are great dudes, and I see them whenever they come to LA, or we go to New York.

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