Two Composers, Two Continents

How We Scored Our First Feature Film: Behind the ‘Super Size Me 2’ Soundtrack

Grab your popcorn - we’re taking you behind the scenes of scoring our first ever feature film, Super Size Me 2. Tune in for a story of fun, frustration, and a whole lot of chickens!  We talk about how this project came about and the quirky brief that landed right in the middle of David’s wedding back in 2016. The ultimate way to get our feet wet by jumping straight into the deep end of the feature film world! We break down the whole process from navigating shifting styles from cue to cue, combing in-the-box production with live elements, our year-long writing process alongside collaborator Tim Garland, dealing with constantly shifting picture-locks and composing last-minute emergency cues! Plus, the emotional rollercoaster of the film’s release…From the absolute high of premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, complete with a red carpet, a massive party, and a major distribution deal - only to watch it vanish overnight as the film was shelved!  But the story doesn’t end there/ Two years later, the movie finally found a home on streaming platforms, inspiring us to write a brand-new, hilarious country-comedy end credits song, ‘Nothing But Chickens’!  #composer #filmcomposer #filmmusic #featurefilm #filmscore #soundtrack #songwriting #composers #supersizeme

Yodeling, Rootin’-Tootin’ Recording & Writing Cowboy Songs

Dust off your boots and grab your hat - in this episode, we’re heading behind the scenes of our Cowboy Songs production music album! Inspired by the charm of The Three Amigos and City Slickers, we set out to write cowboy songs that feel authentically traditional but cinematic enough for use in Film & TV. We walk through the full process, from songwriting and orchestration to the logistics of recording across two continents, with rhythm sections in Chicago at Transient Sound Studios, and orchestral sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London.  Along the way we talk about the challenge of finding the right sound, and the even bigger challenge of tracking down rootin’-tootin’ yodelers and world-class Americana musicians to bring it all to life! Easy, right?! #filmmusic #cowboysongs #cowboymusic #productionmusic #composer #composers #abbeyroad #wildwest #tvmusic #filmcomposer #songwriting #librarymusic #tvcomposer

Networking Without Networking: The Power of Music Communities

During a recent recording session in Nashville, we were reminded just how small the music world really is!  In an industry that can often feel remote, and at times pretty lonely, community matters more than ever.  From village choirs to Facebook groups and organisations like the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), there are endless ways to connect with like-minded musicians/composers, find collaborators, and build lasting relationships. The truth is, the best networking rarely feels like networking. We talk about how real opportunities come from simply showing up, contributing to a community, and letting connections grow over time. #musiccommunities #musicindustry #networking #musicnetworking #composernetworking

From Prog Rock to Stravinsky: Grammy-winning Composer Jay Weigel’s Musical Journey (Part 1)

In the first half of this sit-down, we’re joined by musical polymath Jay Weigel, a Grammy-winning composer, producer, conductor, arranger, orchestrater, and contractor with a career spanning over 40 years! We start back at the beginning with New Orleans Catholic school bands, early gigs with unlimited beer taps on the wall, Jay’s teenage transformation into the world of prog rock and the ultimate spiral into a world of classical giants like Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, fuelled by under-the-desk vinyl deals! Along the way we talk about musical lineage, aural teaching traditions tracing back to Beethoven, and what it really means to switch ‘musical languages’ across genres. Plus, a refreshing reminder that even Beethoven wrote bad music, so it’s not the end of the world if you do too!  Chapters: 00:51 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=51s] Jay’s early musical background 5:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=307s] Jay’s transition into classical music 12:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=748s] Switching ‘musical languages’ across genres and Beethoven’s musical lineage 17:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=1028s] Making bad music  21:44 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdFGN2yWfw&t=1304s] Teaching maths and music Part 2 out now! #musicindustry #composer #producer #grammywinningcomposer #musicproducer #conductor #musicpodcast #beethoven #classicalmusic

Why Film Directors and Composers Struggle to Communicate (Part 2 with Grammy-winning Jay Weigel)

Missed the first half of our conversation? Check out Part 1 first! We’re back for Part 2 with Grammy-winning composer and producer Jay Weigel, and this time we’re tackling the missing piece in film school education: the often-neglected collaboration between directors and composers! We explore the struggles of communication, learning to speak the shared language of film music, and the key to long-lasting working relationships in the film industry. Along the way we look at the evolution of music tech over the years, from composing on a Commodore 64 to using modern DAWs; If you’ve ever felt the struggle of communicating between filmmakers and composers, stick around! Chapters: 1:33 The missing piece in filmmakers education 5:15 Communication between directors and film composers 10:28 The evolution of music tech 16:52 The difference between recording in different cities #filmmaker #composer #director #composerdirectorrelationship #musictech #filmmusic #filmcomposer #composers #filmindustry #musicindustry #cubase