How did you get started?
I was a touring musician before I had any clue about the music licensing business. I toured all over Europe and the States as an acoustic singer-songwriter but that was far from my start. I actually started at a very young age as a cellist and double bass player in orchestras. I wasn’t in love with music at this point; that came when I started listening to rock and metal bands with my friends in my teens! I began playing guitar in metal bands, which was also when I started playing around with production software. I then began exploring what I could do with my voice, writing songs based around my very small ability as a singer.
I worked incredibly hard and this eventually grew into a sustainable career where I would tour during specific seasons and pad out the rest of my time by dipping my toes in this new strange world of music licensing. I met Sam Wale in 2012. He’d recently started working for ALIBI and asked me to write an album in the style I mostly did at the time. From that point on, I would write in between my tour schedule
Please list your top credits.
Midnight Mass (
)Demonic (
)2021 Golden Globe Awards (
)Olympic Dreams Featuring Jonas Brothers (
)Mr. Pickles (
)Lying and Stealing (Film Placement)
DC: Doom Patrol (Trailer)
Little America (Trailer)
No Good Nick (
)What types of genres do you work in most?
In my early years, I wrote a lot of lyrical based music in pop, folk and rock. However, in the last year, I’ve seemed to spend most of my time working on horror trailers, darker hybrid trailers and video game music.
What is your favorite track for ALIBI?
from the album, Epic Archaic.This was a special one because I had a Nordic composer friend record an ancient Viking war chant that formed the backbone of this track. The whole album was based around these tones, but this one was particularly special due to how unique it was for me to write and put together -- a challenge but one that I’m incredibly proud of!
I’ve picked this one because it’s so different to anything I’ve ever done before. It was so much fun messing with the vocals of a deeply spoken ancient Nordic war verse.
Hear “Sought the Gods” in the
for IFC’s “Demonic.”Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Bob Dylan, John Williams, Eric Clapton, Trent Reznor, Metallica, The Offspring, Biggie Smalls, Muddy Waters, Thomas Newman, Bruce Springsteen, Noah Gundersen, Haxan Cloak
What makes your work unique?
I can play a fairly large number of instruments that I’m also lucky enough to own: cello, violin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, a collection of synthesizers and a huge array of percussion.
I use these instruments all across my productions, from big horror trailers to minimal video game underscores. Generally, I like to play the instruments in unconventional ways and twist them further with distortion, compression and other sound design techniques. I love sample libraries, but it’s taken me a long time to have the confidence to use my own sounds and put my own stamp on things by trusting my own recording and playing ability. Since I've been using my own sounds, I’ve not only seen more success financially, but I’ve also found an even greater love for composition.
Tell us one surprising thing people wouldn’t know about you.
My parents weren't massively well off, but they were very good at saving and budgeting. We never went away on holidays as kids, but my dad always dreamt of owning a sailboat. When I was about 13, my father bought a boat that was anchored in Holland. My dad, my uncle and I flew from the UK over to Holland and spent 2 weeks sailing the boat back through Belgium and France. We crossed the English Channel and sailed to West Wales. That small part of the trip alone took 2 full days and 2 full nights of straight sailing. To this day, it’s one of my most cherished memories.
Your funniest/strangest music experience
There are a few. However, finding myself as a guest for the microphone company, Shure, at the Montreux Jazz Festival a couple of years ago was definitely the most surreal moment!
I was there alongside a few really big YouTubers -- Andrew Huang, Paul Davids, Mary Spender and three other great songwriters. We were drinking backstage with headline act Gary Clarke Jr. and his band. He invited us to an artist-only party and, of course, we all followed. We got to the party and my eyes were immediately drawn to a character sitting in the corner of the room at a table that we were getting closer to. I soon realized it was 28-Grammy-Award-winner, Quincy Jones. I think that was the first time I’ve truly been star-struck. He’s an incredibly nice man with an incredible history. The rest of this night was a bit of a blur!
Why do you like working with ALIBI?
Everyone on the team is amazing and all are incredibly talented at what they do. It’s a pleasure to be connected with such an amazing group. This industry is very competitive, which can breed unsavory characters and mentalities. ALIBI is my safe space to do what I love. They’ve been hugely supportive from Day 1 and allowed me to grow and improve as a composer. It’s because of the team at ALIBI that I have my dream job.
Any words of advice to share with composer hopefuls?
Music licensing is a long game. You’re going to need determination, grit and a strong mind. You’re going to find yourself with amazing opportunities that pay incredibly well. The road to those opportunities will involve A LOT of rejection that you’re going to have to mentally manage. Keep yourself in the game by constantly writing the best music you can, and being nice and dependable to EVERYBODY you come in contact with. Say “yes” to everything until you can afford to say “no.”
