What is a project you’re particularly proud of and why? What was the inspiration behind it?
I’m very proud of our new Saturday/Premier League theme tune. It’s the most recognisable musical moment on the channel and becomes the sound of the channel. About a year ago, a group of us worked to create a BT Sport brand manifesto. A set of words to refer back to when creating any content. I wanted to create the musical embodiment of that brand manifesto.
I wanted it to be human and real, it shouldn’t overhype and it should be inclusive and creative. You’ve got 7 seconds for the theme tune so it had to have a great hook and vocal line. I decided to work with Hand Clapping Song by The Meters, but wanted to do something new with it. It’s got an amazing hook, really immediate and I loved the vocal “clap your hands now, people clap your hands”. It’s positive but generic enough to work with football coverage.
Earlier in the year, I was lucky enough to go to Brazil and see a lot of live music. One of the bands I saw was Höröyá. They’re a nine-piece group consisting of Brazilian and West African musicians and that combination comes through in their sound. The plan was to get Höröyá to produce a cover which would give me lots of variation to work with. That cover would then be remixed. For the remix, I lined up London-based duo God Colony. God Colony’s production is spot on and they have impeccable taste in the artists they collaborate with. They suggested bringing in Raf Rundell to sing the vocal and it was perfect for the song.
Hand Clapping Song runs on the channel throughout Saturday. In the morning I wanted something with just as much energy but lighter and more fun. For this morning version, I worked with Swindle. After the game (the God Colony/Höröyá version) is BT Sport Score, our goals/news show. I worked with a production duo called Lank & Tank to create a contemporary news-y version of Hand Clapping Song that still references many elements from the original track.
What is on your bucket list? What do you hope to achieve/do in future?
I’m incredibly fortunate to work somewhere I truly love. I’d love to live abroad or work in another part of the industry at some point but I’m no rush to go anywhere. I once heard about a guy who ran a label, sold it to a major and then set up a label that releases music by African artists. All profits are put back into local community projects in Africa. That’s pretty much the dream right there. What a guy.
Which part of the process in your projects do you enjoy most?
Without a doubt, it has to be working with artists and composers to create bespoke compositions. I take a lot of pleasure in working with composers and artists to create the right track for the channel and really enjoy the feedback process (with the intention being to keep that as quick and painless as possible). As well as working regularly with many very talented composers, I’ve been lucky enough to create bespoke work with artists such as Loyle Carner, Public Service Broadcasting, Wretch 32, Everything Everything, Vessels, Throwing Snow, Peter Broderick, Femi Koleoso (from Ezra Collective) and British Sea Power.
What music/artists are you particularly enjoying at the moment?
Flicking through my Spotify, my top artists this year have been Nick Cave, Mulatu Astatke, Ezra Collective and Angel Olsen. I’ve been really enjoying Squid, Shiny Darkly, Ohtis, Swindle, Kojey Radical and Vagabon lately whilst I’ve spent a fair bit of time going back over The Velvet Underground, Harry Nilsson and George Harrison too.
Last film you watched?
Jonah Hill’s new film Mid90s.
Last song you listened to?
I’ve got ‘Love Is Everywhere’ by Pharoah Sanders on as I write this.
Favourite film score/soundtrack?
Three films spring to mind…
I thought the score to Jackie by Mica Levi was incredible and played a central role in the film. I loved the way Baby Driver used old songs that had been sampled in more contemporary hip hop songs, so the audience was hearing the original soul tunes but they would still feel familiar to them. Lastly, would be Sqürl’s soundtrack for Only Lovers Left Alive. That film has an amazing atmosphere to it and the soundtrack is a big reason for that.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I read an interview with Stellan Skarsgård years ago about his family values and it always stayed with me. I wrote down a few notes from it as to not forget it. One note was that his parents wanted their children to understand they were valued as individuals but that no-one in the world was worth more or less than anyone else. And secondly, that the world is an uncertain place with no such thing as security. I really like the sentiment behind both of those points and he makes them incredibly succinctly.
What do you do when you’re not working? Any guilty pleasures?
Mostly playing with my son. Or thinking I should be playing more piano, spending more time learning Italian or doing more running.
As the Head of Music at BT Sport, what are your primary duties and what unique challenges do you face within your role?
I’ve had to step away from a lot of the day-to-day music supervision work this past year but still look after any bespoke composition (titles music, film scores, in-house library tracks etc.) and work that we do with commercial artists. There’s always some direct licences to look after but a lot of time these days is spent working with PPL and PRS on BT’s blanket licences. These licences are very interesting and ever changing. Many aspects of the music/copyright/broadcast industry can have consequences for us so it’s been fascinating to work across.
You’ve won several Music Week Sync Awards with BT Sport. How does your own training and experience inform your work in music supervision?
I’ve always played instruments and did a degree in music. I started out in music supervision working for a company called Hear No Evil. I was lucky enough to sit alongside a guy called Ross Tones (aka Throwing Snow) who taught me a lot. He gave me a great grounding in what was needed to be a music supervisor but most importantly, I’ve always valued having the ability to discuss projects with composers & artists on a detailed musical level.
What have you learned from a project that you’ve taken with you into other projects?
I’d say openness from all parties. The more honest and open everyone is (me, artist, composer, management, label, publisher and so on…), the more likely you are to get to a place where everyone’s happy.
The profile of music supervisor has become more publicly recognised in recent years. What advice can you give to others hoping to pursue a career within that area of the music industry?
I’ve always tried to act like a salesman, to be proactive. By that, I don’t mean giving it the hard sell, but you’re essentially selling music. Whether it’s a rights holder to me, or me to a producer, you’ve got to sell an idea. So tell a story, make it more than just “here’s a song”.
I’ve also found it important to understand the value of networking. That doesn’t mean pestering people, it just means making connections with people. It’s helped me in every aspect of my career, whether I was just starting out or in a job. I tried to learn to ask questions and engage in what people are doing. I did my research on companies and people and tried to care more than the next person.
What are your favourite sources for discovering new music/artists?
I receive many of the latest releases from labels and publishers so it’s easy enough to keep across new artists for work. That’s of course combined with my own research for both new and old music. For my personal listening, all the usual places from blogs to Spotify. More and more I’m finding a few trusted sources (often other music supervisors) really get what I’m into and I love getting their recommendations.
What are some placements on BT Sport or others that stand out for you this year?
We’ve had some brilliant montages go out recently. A few that spring to mind featured Willaris. K, Sebastian and Jon Hopkins. I’m really proud of our work with Wretch 32 and Interpol around the Champions League Final too. Wretch opened our coverage with a 5-minute bespoke track about the entire tournament, ‘The Road To Madrid’. The music was a huge undertaking and the visuals were stunning. Interpol closed our coverage with a performance of their track ‘My Desire’ intercut with footage from the Champions League.
