Hi Hollie, I’m really glad to have you with us.  It was a special treat meeting you at SXSW this year.  My first question is in regards to your background- how did you get started in composing, and how has it continued?

Connor! It was so brilliant meeting you at SXSW, absolutely must happen again soon. It feels like I’ve been writing music since the dawn of time and space really. I first started with piano way back when and briefly had some lessons. I’m told that I would get scolded by my teacher for not doing the assigned work and would make up little bits and pieces on the keys instead, so I suppose that’s where my origin story began! From there I discovered my love of singing and really leant into the singer-songwriter world, picking up various different instruments as I went that might support my voice. At the time I was told not to spread myself so thinly across so many instruments, little did I know back then that it would give me a really solid foundational knowledge that I still use today. I soon began arranging my own music and through this I accidentally stumbled into film composition whilst studying Music Production at Leeds College of Music. It was a huge light bulb moment for me… honestly on reflection it’s one I’m surprised I didn’t have earlier. The visual arts have always been a presence in my life, I grew up with a mother who is a wonderful painter and occasionally I dabble myself. It felt like such a natural marriage for me and I’m so glad they found each other. From there I went on to study at the National Film and TV School and have been freelancing ever since.

Speaking of SXSW, you scored I Really Love My Husband, which premiered at SXSW this year.  Can you tell us about the score- what the working collaboration was like?

The collaboration was a dream, the true definition of the word. The director GG Hawkins and I hit it off immediately and whilst she had a strong vision for the film, she really trusted me and our creative dynamic, which allowed for much exploration and experimentation. The score is quite a hybrid one with a palette that features electronics, folk and rock influences (a lot of ‘surf’s up’ guitar as we liked to call it), as well as orchestral elements too. It’s weird, wacky, absurdist and a little dark at times – all my favourite things. Much discussion and sharing of completely outlandish ideas was had across the process and it gave birth to some of our wildest concepts and score nuances. One that immediately comes to mind is the bird calls we have across the score. Sampled from the wildlife that Panama is home to, we found some incredible, bizarre and surprisingly complex melodies. As a vocalist I couldn’t help but lean in to this great opportunity and we went head first down the rabbit hole, exploring what it might sound like to echo and expand on some of those magnificent bird calls. In the end we came out the other side of that particular adventure with some of our key thematic and percussive ideas.

You are from Gibraltar- I can’t say I’ve met many people from there!  Do you feel growing up there had an impact on your music, or on your creative voice in general?  If so, in what ways?

Yes I would definitely say so. Gibraltar felt like a very safe and honest place for me to hone my craft, brave standing on stage, fail (multiple times) and try again. It’s a small, kind community with quite a mighty music scene – I had my earliest and most informative musical experiences there and was given invaluable advice that I still carry with me to this day. It’s a uniquely singular place, in many ways but especially in that it has such an incredible history and eclectic cultural heritage. Through this I grew up with a vast array of music naturally finding its way to my ears and I suspect it’s been a huge influence on my work.

I really dig your score for Jack The Ripper: Written In Blood– would love to hear more about how you arrived at the sound, and your process for scoring this documentary.

Thank you so much! We had a lot of fun I must say, it really feels like that was a key part in how we landed on the soundtrack’s direction. I’ve been very lucky to have worked with directors that have trusted me to go IN on the exploration and discovery aspect of it all which is always such a joy. From the very first conversations it was quite clear to us all that we wanted something both bold and nuanced, a duality that could really weave its way across and entwine with the contrasting threads of the story. We collectively wanted the music and sound to feel like one entity and so, as they often do, sound elements found their way into the score. The music has quite a wide range of instrumentation and influences, I would say its foundations are built on an orchestral and industrial soundscape. Beyond that, I looked to the narrative to draw out some sonic influences and we landed on several concepts that sparked ideas, inspiring the score to take the shape that it did. A vintage typewriter and mighty grandfather clock do a lot of the percussive heavy lifting as well as the iconic Bow Bells of London. As for the process, I wrote a lot during the edit and even a little before. Tom Stubberfield, the show runner and I had a really brilliant back and forth across the cutting stages. It allowed for the picture and music to have an in depth conversation with each other and feel truly connected.

What does community mean to you?  How has being a part of The AWFC played into your experience in the film scoring world?

Community is everything, Gibraltar is where really I first understood how wonderful it can be. From there I’ve been very lucky to find other homes and the AWFC is just that. They’ve supported me immensely across my career – I was part of their mentorship scheme and was placed with Anne Nikitin as my mentor a few years ago. It couldn’t have been more serendipitous as a great turning point was happening in my career at the time. Her knowledge guided and supported me so much across the process and I am eternally indebted to you all, thank you. Through The AWFC I also recently collaborated with the incredible team at L-Acoustics, creating a bespoke piece of music for their pioneering immersive space, which was wild. It then led to an event in collaboration with the Barbican where I introduced my work to a room of truly formidable cultural leaders across the globe. I have met, and continue to meet wonderful people through The AWFC – here’s looking at you Connor! I’m extremely proud to be a part of the fold. 

Got anything in the works you can tell us about?  Are you especially excited about anything in life/music/work these days?

I do! Naturally, you know how it goes, I can’t say much. I’m working on a fiction feature at the moment with another one incoming and pitching on some exciting projects right now. I’m also working on my debut album which takes me back to my roots – lyrical and vocal, leaning into rock and a little punk for good measure. That being said, I can never quite predict where this industry will take me next so, let’s see what 2026 brings!

Interview by Connor Cook

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