In this special pre-Oscars episode of Score: The Podcast, Oscar-nominated composer Carter Burwell speaks with Robert Kraft about his latest score for The Banshees of Inisherin. Will his third nomination be the charm? Carter talks about meeting the other nominees at the Academy luncheon, recording at Abbey Road, and working with directors.

Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir discusses her 2019 success with JOKER and CHERNOBYL. She talks about the challenges of balancing parenthood and artistry in the music industry. Reflects on the impact of becoming a mother on her music composition. Shares how the pandemic allowed her to focus on music amidst sudden fame. Explores the emotional depth of music in films and the importance of emotional connection over intellectual understanding.

Composer Colin Stetson (The Menu, Hereditary, Color Out of Space) talks about capturing a fresh sound for The Menu, trying not to collapse while playing saxophone, and why it makes for terrible bar tricks. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

Composer Chanda Dancy talks about I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY, the Whitney Houston biopic, as well as her film DEVOTION. She also talks about her career rise and a music industry overlapping with film music industry. Interview by Robert Kraft.

Special Episode! Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle sits down with his composer Justin Hurwitz ahead of their new film, BABYLON. Why Chazelle involves his composer long before his script is "final," and how he uses it to create storyboards. How the music of WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND were informed by music, and the challenges of bringing to life the 1920s-era BABYLON with all its brilliant, raucous and cacophonous musical splendor. Interview by Robert Kraft and Matt Schrader.

Composer Pinar Toprak dives into her performance with Billie Eilish and Finneas at the Oscars, and her process creating a theme suite for the NFL and Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Then, why the music for SLUMBERLAND is some of the most personal she’s ever written. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

Composer Gabriel Mann talks through his decision to leave Pre-Med in college to become a musician — and why his parents fully supported him. Then, how working with David Schwartz led to him leaving composer altogether — and why David brought him back to collaborate on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. Later, we talk about writing lyrical melodies for A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, why Disney's musical machine is so vast, and a top-secret musical stage play in the works now (based on an 1980s classic) from Gabriel's band, The Rescues, coming in 2023. Interview by Matt Schrader.

The great David Newman has been scoring memorable and iconic films since the mid-1980s, and after his own prolific career has found himself being a part of a unique world — live film music concerts. From conducting John Williams concerts at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl, to conducting orchestras live-to-picture at Walt Disney Concert Hall, David has stumbled into a world of new opportunities. We talk about why film music concerts feel more like rock concerts than classical ones, and why experimenting with the performances can trigger massive audience responses. This is everything you wanted to know about the experience of seeing a film music concert! Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

Composer Henry Jackman joins to talk about THE GRAY MAN, his musical relationship with the Russo brothers, how the birth of his son during the pandemic changed his perspective, and what kind of obsession it takes to truly make something meaningful. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

Composer David Buckley talks about his Netflix hit THE SANDMAN out now, finding the surreal, melancholy sound of a dream world. Plus, David talks about his unique start in film scoring (as a choirboy singing in a Scorsese film, then “toilet roll” ads), and how that led him to Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell (as well as Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer and Rupert Gregson-Williams) and finding his own breakout hit films like JASON BOURNE and the recent hit NOBODY, plus his TV work on THE GOOD WIFE and THE GOOD FIGHT. Interviewed by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader on MORE SCORE.