Hi Adele, we’re so glad to be interviewing you for an AWFC Spotlight! I’ll begin with what I always love to know from fellow composers: Where was your start? How did you know that music was the journey you wanted to take? 

Thank you so much for having me, I love this series!

I started where a lot of people have: violin lessons. I started learning Irish folk music at 7 and then moved into classical training. It’s funny; I think I always felt drawn to music. I was the one who asked my parents for a violin! 

By the time I was 12, I attended a performing arts school, where I played in the orchestra until I was 18. When I was about 16, I started to feel bored only playing other people’s music. We had a show where we played alongside Dr. Daniel Bernard Roumain, an amazing composer and violinist. I remember thinking, “Wait, there are composers who are still alive??” 

A few years later, Dr. Roumain became my advisor at Arizona State University while I got my music degree. He really motivated me through some tough moments where I thought I wanted to quit. 

It took me years to find my voice. My first few years felt like cheap imitations of other composers, and I didn’t feel satisfied only writing concert music. At ASU, I also worked with Dr. Christopher Norby, who first showed me the world of media composing and how to write in Logic. I was hooked. I always loved film growing up; my favorite weekend hobby was picking up a movie at Blockbuster and watching it at home with my family. I love the storytelling aspect. 

After working with film students at ASU, with lots of crashing and burning along the way, I knew film was the way to go. I’ve been pretty one-track-minded since then, to be honest!

How has your journey evolved or been influenced by relocating to the London composer community? 

London was really the push I needed to shape me into the person I am today. Moving abroad on my own, with no real solid plan, threw me right into the deep end. Through all the ups and downs of the last few years, the composer community here totally embraced me and has supported me in every possible way.

I have made really deep and long-lasting friendships from organizations like the AWFC, which is super active here in the UK. Yes, London is a big city, but this community feels so tight-knit. We record on each other’s projects, go to each other’s shows, lend equipment or just a helping hand. We even play netball together! People here are genuinely kind and want to help, and that really makes a world of difference in such a volatile career like film composing. I definitely see myself staying here permanently, although of course I will always miss my family and friends back home in the States!

Congrats on your recent involvement on the Young Sherlock music team for Amazon! Tell us how that experience came about and what you’ve taken away from it.

Young Sherlock was a blast! Chris Benstead is not only an amazing composer but also a lovely person. I met Chris back in 2023 at the International Sound and Film Music Festival in Croatia (we both got awards!) We had a quick chat and exchanged contact information. Basically, every few months, I would send him a quick email along the lines of “hope you’re well, if you ever need any help, don’t hesitate to ask!” Nothing came of it for a few years, until early 2025 when he was super busy and needed an extra set of hands.

Working on the show with him as his assistant did wonders for my confidence, especially around tech-related things I felt almost afraid of, like Pro Tools (dreaded Pro Tools…) Chris was super patient while I learned his workflow; he even created complete walkthroughs for me. Now, almost a year later, I feel like I have a solid grasp on important skills like Pro Tools, and music editing and conforming – and I picked up great Logic tips from him too. Being able to be part of such a fun show was really the icing on the cake!

I’d love to shout out your recent EP Jude Street. What was your driving inspiration in creating this album? 

That EP came about right after I moved to London. I was couch-surfing at a friend’s flat, on a road called Jude Street. I had no idea what my next moves were going to be, so I decided to work on some non-film-related work. I love writing music for strings, so I carried my laptop around London, working in cafes (shoutout to the National Theatre cafe!) and at my friend’s kitchen table. It was all very organic and flowy; it was very optimistic too, like how I was feeling after moving. 

Jeff Rona, who is a great composer and mentor, encouraged me throughout the whole creative process and even helped me get live strings recorded for it. I can’t thank him enough for his warmth and excitement to help me get the project over the finish line! Even a few years on, Jude Street represents the type of music I love to write, and I am super proud of it. 

What are the most valuable things you’ve learned from growing in the social media space and sharing your music on platforms like Instagram? 

I like to think of my social media as a sort of living, breathing portfolio. It helps take the pressure off of posting and engagement. 

I have learned a lot over the years and have made a lot of mistakes. From paying a social media agency to help me back in 2020 (I really regret this, they didn’t help me at all), trying to follow trends, and then eventually – however cheesy this sounds, it’s true – being myself, and making posts that I enjoy. For example, I love reading, and I like to create short musical ideas based on whatever book I am reading, and post them on TikTok. People love it! But more importantly, I love it, and it’s a great way to follow my creative flow without forcing anything.

I have won quite a few gigs from social media, and the best feedback I have gotten from directors is about how much behind-the-scenes content I post. Filmmakers, especially emerging ones, may feel intimidated by the composition process. So I think showing the BTS of my workday not only shows how I do things, but my personality, and I hope it makes me more approachable. You don’t have to be super polished or curated on social media; I think being authentic and showing your work in a way that excites you is the best thing to do for your career. 

And a quick tip: plan and post your content as if everyone who finds your page (and website) has a very short attention span (which we all do, unfortunately). How can you show your work in 30 seconds or less? Do you have captions – how can you make it accessible and interesting to someone watching without sound? That has been my plan with all of my social media, and it definitely helps!

It’s been such a pleasure, Adele, and we can’t wait to hear what you do next! If you can tell us, what’s an upcoming project or highlight you’re excited about?  

Thank you so much for having me! 

I recently worked on a horror feature film, Regression, which had its world premiere in New York City this month. I really pushed myself on that score, working with a live cellist, vocalists, and a synth programmer to create a really haunting, creepy score. I also am finishing up another horror feature as we speak! I have a few more studio films and series I assisted on, which I can’t wait to share. I am very grateful to keep so busy on such a wide range of work! 

Interview by Carolyn Koch

Edited by Michael van Bodegom-Smith

Check out Adele’s Directory Page here!