Four men walking outdoors in front of a wooden structure with a bright sky and birds flying overhead. The scene appears sunny and warm.

The Housebuilding EP was inspired by the unexpected popularity of a heartfelt original track featured in Red Dead Redemption II’s epilogue. The song itself carries a lighthearted, almost whimsical tone—serving as a rare moment of levity in the otherwise gritty, emotional narrative. To reflect that spirit, the artwork embraces the warmth and camaraderie of the game's now-iconic homesteading montage. We highlighted the bond between John, Charles, and Uncle as they work side by side, set against the backdrop of the expansive, untamed frontier. The goal was to capture both the humor and hopefulness of the moment—reminding players of the quiet joys that make the world of Red Dead so memorable.

From a design perspective, the challenge was to create artwork that felt true to the tone of the song while still honoring the larger world and aesthetic of Red Dead Redemption II. We took inspiration from vintage Americana, folk album covers, and classic Western iconography, using muted palettes and bold silhouettes to convey a sense of place and character. The final composition feels both intimate and expansive—grounded in the bond between these three men, yet wide open with possibility. It was a joy to create a piece that celebrates the emotional range of the game, and stands alone as a tribute to one of its most unexpectedly beloved moments.

A musician in cowboy attire playing a guitar while kneeling on stage with a microphone stand nearby. The background features a clear sky and a stadium-like setting.
A landscape scene with blue sky and scattered clouds, trees in the foreground, and hills or mountains in the background. Foreground includes wooden objects and animals, possibly goats.
A person rummaging through a pile of wooden planks outdoors on a construction site or lumber yard, with lightning and storm clouds in the sky overhead.
A vinyl record album titled 'The Music of Red Dead Redemption II: The Housebuilding EP', featuring cover art with three people walking on a construction site, the record is light blue and white with swirling patterns.

Continuing on from the style already established for Red Dead Redemption II, designing the art and packaging for the games score and soundtrack was another great way to further explore the style we created while also continuing to evolve it and use some ideas we had learned through Red Dead Online. 

We decided to use a much darker tone for our main characters on the cover and use the inner gatefold/credits section as yet another way to help build the world for our players with small vignettes of our gang and what they get up to.

Cover art for the original soundtrack of the video game 'Red Dead Redemption 2,' featuring a black and red illustration of a man wearing a cowboy hat, with a background of stars and a dark, gritty texture.
Black and white promotional poster for the music of Red Dead Redemption 2, featuring an illustration of a man with long hair and a beard holding two guns, against a background of stars and American flag. The text reads 'Original Score', 'The Music of', and 'Red Dead Redemption 2'.
Red vinyl record album covers and their inner sleeves for the soundtrack of the video game Red Dead Redemption II, featuring artwork of a cowboy on horseback, surrounded by text listing song titles and artists.
Remastered vinyl record set of Red Dead Redemption II music, including two clear vinyl records, song booklets, and promotional materials, all with black and white cowboy and graveyard artwork.
Silhouetted figures of cowboys riding horses against a red sunset background, with a list of song titles and credits on the left and right sides of the image.
The image displays a gray-scale illustrated scene in a graveyard with silhouettes of gravestones and two figures, one kneeling and one standing, both dressed in 1800s frontier-style clothing, including wide-brimmed hats. The background features mountains and a cloudy sky.
A decorative red letter R and star with intricate swirl patterns on a black background.