The Rise of the Individual Voice: The Fight Against the Homogenisation of Music and Sound

Sam Watts is a British-Canadian composer for television, film, and all types of media. You might have heard his work on hit shows like ‘The Traitors’, ‘Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS’, ‘Planet Earth’, and ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’.

Sam started his career in a big way, working as a music assistant on films like ‘Hitch’ and ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’, and then composing for BBC’s ‘Planet Earth’. He scored his first solo television show, ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’, at age 24, and hasn’t slowed down since.

He has worked with Bad Wolf, BBC, HBO, PBS, NBC Universal and many more clients, and his work has led to accolades including Emmy, BAFTA, RTS, TCA, Peabody, Saturn, and Producers Guild awards.

You can hear his work on flagship television shows like ‘Wizards Vs Aliens’, films like ‘Stormhouse’, and hard-hitting documentaries like ‘For Neda’ and ‘Secrets of the Vatican’.

Sam is a versatile film and television composer who specialises in telling compelling musical stories that keep viewers coming back for more.

​LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point? How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response?

Sam> I tend to pick out key words from a brief, or key ideas from conversations with the director/producer, and play around finding sounds or musical ideas – even just little snippets that encompass those ideas. That could be anything from working out what sort of ensemble would work best to finding a motif that the score can all hang on.

From that initial set of decisions, you can build something that really works for the project. I often find that working out what doesn’t work is the biggest help in finding what does.

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity – what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang – and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?

Sam> There’s something very collaborative about writing to picture. Everyone working on a project couldn’t do their job without the person alongside or before them.

When you’re composing music for a scene, you’re in collaboration with the actors. Your dialogue must support theirs. Your actions must reflect theirs. And the director of photography has a huge influence on the score for me. The way a project is lit makes a massive difference to the sound of the score.

Collaboration is really my thing. The more I worked in the industry, the more I realised that working with other people to spark ideas and achieve our goals is the thing that excites me. And it doesn’t really matter in what capacity – be it another musician, a music supervisor, or a director.

I’ve collaborated with my brother, Dan Watts, on almost every project. He mixes all of my music, co-writes when I need an extra hand, programs additional synths and beats, plays guitar… you name it. It’s really great to have someone to bounce ideas around with and also to tell you when something isn’t working. Or is, when you think it isn’t.

I think the best bit about my working relationship with Dan, however, is that we can tell each other exactly what we think without there being any ego involved. If I write a cue and it is utter rubbish, he’ll tell me. And my response is usually, “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Then I head back to the studio and rewrite.

Also, every musician that’s ever played one of my compositions – that’s possibly the greatest joy about this job. Hearing human beings put all their experience, musicianship, humanity and passion into your music is one of the most moving and satisfying parts of the job. They really make your music come alive.

Another collaboration that brings me great joy and creative freedom is working with Russell T Davies. I’ve been very lucky to have worked with him on projects on and off for about 18 years now. He’s marvellous and really trusts the people he chooses to work on projects to do their thing.

And I have a similar experience with Jacob Dudman, who I’ve worked with a couple of times now. An open back-and-forth about things, but a trust that people know what they’re doing really gives you a creative space to thrive in. Russell and Jacob are both fantastic at that.

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why?

Sam> Apart from hearing your music played by musicians, I think it’s that moment when you realise you’ve hit a really good idea. You’ve nailed the brief, or found the perfect sound for a project.

A great example is with ‘The Traitors’. I knew I’d hit gold with the theme – it was the right level of camp, dark, fun and dramatic. And having the producers fall in love with it is the icing on the cake. So, maybe it is an ego thing… oh no. But when you know you’ve delivered exactly what the project needs – music that really does add to the show – there’s nothing more satisfying.

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?

Sam> I think there has been a homogenisation of music and sound in all media over the last two or three decades that we’re still suffering from. As well as a devaluing of composers/musicians/music.

There are some media music giants that have really taken the individuality out of a lot of it, which I think is a real shame. But it’s heartening to see the rise of the individual voice again, especially in film and TV scores. I don’t work in advertising very much – it’s a very high stress part of the industry, so I can’t really comment further.

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why?

Sam> Probably too many to mention. But I adore Shostakovich. The complexity and sheer brilliance of his music has always inspired me.

Debbie Wiseman, who can write emotive, beautiful music like very few others.

George Fenton (to whom I really owe my career), whose thematic and harmonic writing leaves me speechless and taught me so much.

David Bowie for his endlessly inspiring exploration of what humanity is through a joyful exploration of music.

Kylie Minogue, because she is unafraid to reinvent herself and her music – that drive to try new things has really informed my career and my writing.

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do?

Sam> Aside from those I mentioned above, John Powell. His music is wonderful and his attitude towards the industry is a very useful guiding light. And Brian Eno’s way of thinking is always something I have in the back of my mind. There are dozens of quotes from him that help me when I’m struggling to write or don’t know what direction I want to take my music.

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) – are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work?

Sam> I can’t have anything with lyrics if I need to read things. I get too easily distracted and then end up singing the song rather than doing what I’m supposed to be doing. But I’m listening to music right now, as I respond to these questions. It helps me think. And music is a necessity for chores!

LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) – how does that factor into how you approach your work?

Sam> I want my music to sound as good as possible on whatever device it’s being heard through. I’ve been a professional composer for over 20 years, and I’m old enough to remember listening to music on C90s, and CDs being the exciting new thing. I’ve always tried to write music, and especially mix, in a way that makes the music enjoyable, no matter the quality. One of the first dubbing engineers I ever worked with, a genius of a man called Mark Ferda, really taught me a lot about how a mix needs to sound great on everything from a mono speaker all the way up to the latest Dolby surround system.

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like?

Sam> I actually don’t think there’s a ‘typical day’, to be honest. If I’m working on a project, I don’t really listen to much music. I don’t like to be unduly influenced – even accidentally. In that situation, I’ll mostly only listen when doing chores, and then it’ll be ‘80s pop and rock – something that I’m really unlikely to be writing.

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper-organised spotify-er…)?

Sam> I do have a growing vinyl collection alongside a large digital music library. I try not to use streaming services because they just don’t pay the artists well. They’re all structured incredibly unfairly, something that needs to be addressed for the music industry to survive.

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music?

Sam> I’m a bit of a gamer, and I love the immersive worlds they create. I find it very inspiring when a game gets that right.

I’m also an avid reader; I’m currently doing a full readthrough of Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ novels. I find his wit and ability to capture the worst and best of humanity inspiring. It’s something I try to bring back to my music.

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do – I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve had when it comes to sound and music on your travels?

Sam> When I was a teenager, I went to Germany and saw ‘Les Misérables’ in Cologne. My German wasn’t strong enough to fully understand everything, but the power of the music meant I could follow the story without any issues. That was one of the first times I realised I wanted to help tell stories with music.

I live in Canada and visit the Rockies whenever I can. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s not really musically inspiring, but I always find I’m keen to compose when I return home.

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth – how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Sam> I’ve suffered with tinnitus all my life, so my relationship with sound (or silence) isn’t a standard one. I have always sought out new music, and I think that’s still the same… when it comes to scores and neo-classical music, at least. When it comes to pop music, I’m an old man now and you can’t beat the ‘80s. Well, that’s not entirely true. I was brought up with very eclectic music tastes in my household. My mum had a different taste to my dad, who had different tastes to both of my brothers. So, I grew up listening to Rachmaninov, Nine Inch Nails, Paul Simon, musicals, Iron Maiden, film scores, ‘90s rave anthems, Journey, Stravinsky… And I still have that eclectic taste.