Composer Laura Karpman joins Score to talk about her work on the Oscar-nominated score for AMERICAN FICTION, breaking down how jazz informed a story rich in satire and wit to give it a unique musical edge and voice intertwined with characters. Then, she discusses her path from likely music professor into at one point being one of the only women working in film and TV composing. Plus, Robert shares the personal influence Thelonious Monk had on his own life and love for jazz.

#7 | Laura Karpman found jazz in drama

Composer David Fleming (The Last of Us, Blue Planet II) talks about his inventive score for Prime Video’s new Mr. & Mrs. Smith, working with Donald Glover, coming up through the Remote Control composer system with Atli Orvarsson, Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer, and why the new Jim Henson documentary will melt everyone’s hearts. Interview by Kenny Holmes, Matt Schrader and Robert Kraft.

#6 | David Fleming says it's all about fun

The Miami-based Carlos Rafael Rivera with two series releasing now (Griselda, Monsieur Spade) joins to talk about his massive breakout with The Queen’s Gambit, followed by Hacks and Lessons in Chemistry. Why Sofia Vergara's dramatic turn as a drug kingpin in Miami deserved an operative approach. How he manages to maintain his Miami location for an industry that is largely located in Los Angeles. Plus, he revisits his 2017 adventure to go see Score: A Film Music Documentary in New York, and how he’s brought some of his teaching skills (and musicians) into his music work.
Before that, Kenny and Matt break down the Oscar nominees, as Robert joins a few minutes later to explain why Oppenheimer’s score (by Ludwig Gorannsson) is so groundbreakingly original.

#5 | Carlos Rafael Rivera has a cookie for ya

One of the original members of the indie band Arcade Fire, Richard Reed Parry (THE IRON CLAW, EILEEN) discusses his jump into film scoring, the importance of finding “mojo” and “vibe,” and how the wrestling biopic The Iron Claw nearly stumped him musically — until he unlocked the rich, layered sound that carries the film. How Spike Jonze’s film “Her” prepared him for the next stage in his career, and why he believes it’s important to be as musically dynamic with other musicians as possible.

#4 | Richard Reed Parry is always looking for his mojo

Geoff Zanelli makes his long-awaited Score debut after one of Netflix’s most watched animated films of all-time, the Adam Sandler-produced LEO. In this episode, Kenny and Robert discuss the long-awaited arrival of MAESTRO, the Leonard Bernstein biopic, which we discussed on the 2nd episode of SCORE: THE PODCAST back when it was to be directed by Spielberg. Then, Robert and Geoff reminisce about drinking absinthe in Paris, before jumping into the challenge of making Adam Sandler laugh, and the paradox of writing “funny” music in animation. Plus, Geoff talks about his path from music school to being an intern at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions in the early (Lion King era) 1990s, sitting in on Alan Meyerson mixes, and getting his first opportunities while working for John Powell on the movie Face/Off. 

#3 | Geoff Zanelli on making Adam Sandler laugh

Composer of the new historical epic NAPOLEON Martin Phipps joins Score for the first time! How he located a piano once owned by Napoleon himself for the score. Plus, his path to film and television music, his work on Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror and The Crown, and establishing trust with the great Ridley Scott. How Martin overcame his early doubts about musical approach for NAPOLEON to meet its spectacular giant sets, and musically signaling Napoleon as an ambitious outsider rising to power.
Interview by Robert Kraft and Kenny Holmes.

#2 | Martin Phipps recorded on Napoleon's piano

Score season 5 returns with composer James Newton Howard, who currently has four projects releasing this month, including the Hunger Games prequel that he says asked him not to use synths (“they haven’t been invented yet”). Plus, how working with Hans Zimmer helped pull him out of a period of depression, when to fight for your musical opinion, and why he likes the rush of being asked to “save” blockbuster films in the final weeks before release. Interviewed by Robert Kraft and Matt Schrader.

#1 | James Newton Howard says film music cured his depression

Live podcast recording with composer Colin Stetson from Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Awards in Belgium.
Composer and musician Colin Stetson is a nominee for the WSA Discovery of the Year Award, and sits down with Robert Kraft to talk about how he keeps his music fresh, his musical mind healthy and his performing career exciting. They also discuss his recent work, including THE MENU and HEREDITARY.
Recorded on location by Film Fest Gent in front of a live audience in October 2023.

Colin Stetson & Robert Kraft Live from World Soundtrack Awards

Grammy-nominated and two-time BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory returns to SCORE for a special episode with SCORE's Robert Kraft. Austin breaks down plans for the game music segment he's curating for this year's World Soundtrack Awards in October, and explains working on games for people who don’t know yet they love games.

Austin Wintory

Academy Award-winning composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Santaolalla joins Score: The Podcast for a lively conversation about the phenomenon his music helped create in The Last of Us, and why it's different than any of his other work. Plus, writing the score to Brokeback Mountain prior to anything being filmed, how the records he made with the band Arco Iris (at age 18) become a blueprint for his career, and how he put the instrument "ronroco" on the map. Gustavo also shares details about his upcoming projects, including a performance in October at the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Belgium, where he will be with our own Robert Kraft.

Gustavo Santaolalla

In this special summer episode, Daniel Pemberton, composer of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, Daniel discusses his unique approach to the hit sequel's postmodern score, the success he’s had since his last appearance on Score: The Podcast — including SLOUGH HOUSE and The Trial of the Chicago 7 — and details about the upcoming tour of his Spider-Verse score, live to picture! Interview by Robert Kraft.

Daniel Pemberton

In this special pre-Oscars episode of Score: The Podcast, Oscar-nominated composer Carter Burwell speaks with Robert Kraft about his latest score for The Banshees of Inisherin. Will his third nomination be the charm? Carter talks about meeting the other nominees at the Academy luncheon, recording at Abbey Road, and working with directors.

Carter Burwell

Composer Colin Stetson (The Menu, Hereditary, Color Out of Space) talks about capturing a fresh sound for The Menu, trying not to collapse while playing saxophone, and why it makes for terrible bar tricks. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

More Score #61 | Colin Stetson (The Menu)

Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir talks about her 2019 success on JOKER and CHERNOBYL and how she responded to pandemic slowdown at the breakout moment of her career. Why becoming a mother is something she holds so dearly and credits for some of her approach. Plus, why WOMEN TALKING challenged her to find a quiet inner strength, and TÁR created a mirror opposite of Hildur's approach to her music. Interview by Robert Kraft and Matt Schrader.

More Score #62 | Hildur Guðnadóttir (Women Talking, Tár)

Composer Chanda Dancy talks about I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY, the Whitney Houston biopic, as well as her film DEVOTION. She also talks about her career rise and a music industry overlapping with film music industry. Interview by Robert Kraft.

More Score #60 | Chanda Dancy (I Wanna Dance with Somebody)

Special Episode! Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle sits down with his composer Justin Hurwitz ahead of their new film, BABYLON. Why Chazelle involves his composer long before his script is "final," and how he uses it to create storyboards. How the music of WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND were informed by music, and the challenges of bringing to life the 1920s-era BABYLON with all its brilliant, raucous and cacophonous musical splendor. Interview by Robert Kraft and Matt Schrader.

More Score #59 | Damien Chazelle & Justin Hurwitz (Babylon)

Composer Pinar Toprak dives into her performance with Billie Eilish and Finneas at the Oscars, and her process creating a theme suite for the NFL and Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Then, why the music for SLUMBERLAND is some of the most personal she’s ever written. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

More Score #58 | Pinar Toprak (Thursday Night Football)

The great David Newman has been scoring memorable and iconic films since the mid-1980s, and after his own prolific career has found himself being a part of a unique world — live film music concerts. From conducting John Williams concerts at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl, to conducting orchestras live-to-picture at Walt Disney Concert Hall, David has stumbled into a world of new opportunities. We talk about why film music concerts feel more like rock concerts than classical ones, and why experimenting with the performances can trigger massive audience responses. This is everything you wanted to know about the experience of seeing a film music concert! Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

More Score #55 | David Newman

Composer Henry Jackman joins to talk about THE GRAY MAN, his musical relationship with the Russo brothers, how the birth of his son during the pandemic changed his perspective, and what kind of obsession it takes to truly make something meaningful. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

More Score #54 | Henry Jackman (The Gray Man)

Composer David Buckley talks about his Netflix hit THE SANDMAN out now, finding the surreal, melancholy sound of a dream world. Plus, David talks about his unique start in film scoring (as a choirboy singing in a Scorsese film, then “toilet roll” ads), and how that led him to Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell (as well as Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams) and finding his own breakout hit films like JASON BOURNE and the recent hit NOBODY, plus his TV work on THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT. Interviewed by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader on MORE SCORE.

Get Started

Download the App