SMA Spotlight: Nick Green
Nick is one of the UK’s busiest and most versatile composers. He was already an established recording artist and songwriter when he teamed up with record producer Tristin Norwell and began writing music for film and TV, scoring projects including Oscar-nominated short Wish 143, six series of Wild at Heart (Company Pictures/BBC1), Whistle And I’ll Come To You (BBC), and Waterloo Road (BBC). As a solo composer, his recent work includes the score for Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s WWI feature The Wipers Times (BBC2), which has since been adapted into a stage musical featuring Nick’s music, Bletchley Circle (World Productions), Company Pictures’ two-part swashbuckling adventure Moonfleet (Sky 1), action crime series from the mind of comic book legend Stan Lee, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (Carnival), and ITV mini-series Him.
SMA Talent sat down with Nick to talk about his career so far, how he likes to work, and who he’s listening to at the moment.
Q> What do you remember first sparking your interest in becoming a composer?
My father is a very keen music lover, so I attended a lot of classical music concerts as a child. Sometimes I found them a little dull, but I can still remember the visceral excitement of watching and hearing Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 from the front row at Canon Hill Arts Centre in Birmingham.
Q> What does an ideal working day look like for you?
I’ve become a very early riser, and find the most productive time of the day for me is before anybody else has woken up, particularly now that we are in lockdown. I find that it’s good to chop up my day with lots of small breaks - this helps me keep a sense of perspective if I’m working in the studio. I like to stop at about 5 pm, put on the radio and cook something for supper. In normal times, my partner works as a teacher so she usually gets home at about 7 pm, after which we spend the evening together.
Q> When composing for TV, how does your approach differ from when you’re composing for a feature-length film or for theatre?
Apart from one cinema release, all the other feature-length work I’ve made has been for TV. I would say that every job is different, particularly as I have tended to jump around a lot with different genres. I recently wrote the music for two theatre productions by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman and they really were a fun and different experience. When working for TV you’re part of a team, but a slightly removed part. Theatre work is very organic and sociable.
Q> What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
When my children were small, we saw a production of 'Peter Pan' that included a cast member from 'Waterloo Road.' When he came on stage the band played a burst of my theme tune and I thought ‘Wow, I’ve really made it.’
Q> When watching a scene for the first time, what are you looking for in terms of touch-points for your score?
I’m usually trying to get inside the protagonist’s head. I want the music to be a kind of subconscious counterpoint. Sometimes, I think composing is just empathising. My children laugh because movies often make me cry, but I think that’s a good thing.
Q> Who else’s work are you watching/listening to at the moment?
I think the general standard of film and TV composing at the moment is very high, and I rarely watch something and think the music is no good. Stephen Rennick’s score for 'Normal People' really stands out, it adds a lot of emotional heft and moves seamlessly between the commercial tracks. I’ve been digging out a lot of my favourite old records for comfort in these strange times and think Bobby Gentry’s album 'Ode To Billy Joe' might be the best record ever made….or is it just that I’m listening to it at this moment?
Q> What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you were starting out as a composer?
Technology isn’t scary, it’s fun.
Brilliant! Thanks so much, Nick.
Find out more about Nick and his work on the SMA website.
