Words by Joe Williams

For most of us, the sounds of The Crown are synonymous with British composer Martin Phipps.

That’s because two-thirds of the show has been scored by him. As familiar to us as Queen Elizabeth herself, his compositions have accompanied the fall of empires, scored the changing of government and soundtracked the shaping of Britain’s modern cultural landscape. Yet, however inextricable he may seem from the Netflix franchise, it once already had the stamp of other composers — and, for Martin, coming aboard the show was nothing short of daunting.

Zooming out, and looking at his career as a whole, shows that coming at things from a different angle is something of a trademark. Whether it’s the unusual soundtrack that made him first aware of film music or the fact that his early compositions were a way to get out of acting (on a Drama course that he chose to do, no less), we discuss how a particularly unorthodox journey lead Martin to being one of the most well-known and prolific composers of his generation.

What did your journey to becoming a composer look like? Were there any formative memories or particular experiences with film/TV scores that really stood out to you?

I remember being 13 or 14 and seeing The Draftsman's Contract, which was scored by Michael Nyman, and just being totally blown away. I’d never encountered music in film being used that way. That was a revelation to me: the vibrancy of it, the energy, the pure statement of it. Film music to me before had always been very orchestral and classical, and in the background. Obviously, I’d grown up on Star Wars, and loved John Williams’ score for those, but Michael Nyman spoke a language that I really got; this simple three-chord repetition and fusing of a classical sound with a quiet pop sensibility. It was something that I was completely transfixed by.

So that started an idea in my mind, but I still thought I wanted to be in bands, and live the life of a sort of background guitarist. I went to Manchester University and I picked drama because it looked easy. I had wanted to go to college, but in those days the music courses were pretty limited if you weren't doing classical. But the trouble was, I was absolutely terrible at acting. I don't know why they even let me on the course. I didn't even realise I had to act on the course — I thought it would just be studying plays. And so I started writing the music, initially to get out of acting for the play, and then something just clicked about being both part of a narrative and part of the music. I love music on its own, but I really love it when it's part of a tangible journey, and supporting a visual and narrative story. It really comes alive to me.

So even at that level of scoring for university theatre, did you experience the process of receiving notes, working with a director, etc.?

Yes, and I found that process totally natural and actually really enjoyable. It was that sort of excitement of creating something together, with other people who were doing cool things too, which was amazing. It's a lonely old business anyway, writing music on your own, looking at that endless blank page where you could write anything. Composing for something else at least narrows it down a bit.

So that took off, and I was actually really happy to ditch my bandmates who were really annoying (laughs). I was like, "God, I can do this on my own. I've got total control. But I’m also part of another family!". In terms of my career, I was very lucky. It was a very natural journey for me. During and after university, I just stuck close to anybody making anything, making any kind of film or little video or whatever.

To what extent do you think the industry has changed throughout your career? And if so, in what ways?

I would say it's gotten much more egalitarian and, therefore, much harder for people starting out. Everyone can do it now. Before, it was quite a niche business, and you needed a certain training, confidence, and even a class element to it. It was still very classical-oriented when I first started out. I remember using one of the first models of Atari, running early software logic, and using samplers with about two seconds of memory to do stuff. Most composers still played their compositions on the piano for directors, and then booked the orchestra. Now, directors expect fully produced demos, and you often don't have the budget to bring an orchestra in. The technology now is incredible, relatively cheap, and accessible to everyone. Even my kids learn Logic in school. It's a bit scary — if I were starting out now, I'd be really daunted.

Do you have a consistent process that you follow throughout each project, or does it vary?

It varies, and that's part of what keeps things fresh. It's very much down to the director or show-runner. On The Crown, I would write almost an album's worth of material at the beginning of each season and hand it over to [creator] Peter Morgan. He and his team would place it where they saw fit. Often, loads of the stuff you hear in The Crown, I didn't place there. They edited it. This organic process of cutting and editing with music is very different from the old way of working, where you’d come in after the picture was finished to score it.

What was it like coming on board a project that already had a few seasons under other composers? How did you make The Crown yours?

Well, I'd never taken over a series before, and part of the joy and the reward is setting it up yourself and being there from the beginning. So obviously, I was kind of sad to have missed out on that. But, having said that, The Crown was so damn good that I couldn't not consider doing it, when I was approached. I think, also, because they were changing cast [for Season 3], there was definitely an idea of changing the way that the music was used. Peter convinced me that he didn't want me just to try and do what Rupert Gregson-Williams and Hans Zimmer had done before, which would have been really daunting. I mean, it was already daunting enough because I thought the music was great in the first couple of seasons… I had to be sure that they wanted to do something different. Otherwise I would have been in a lot of trouble if I'd just been trying to redo what they'd previously done.

That first season I did, number three, was a pretty scary process. But Peter responded really well and I think the team made an effort to try and encourage me to do what I like doing. So that was great. In terms of what we were doing differently to the previous seasons? The music was used less, but with more precision, is how I’d describe it. It was sparser, but perhaps said a little bit more and did more when you did hear it.

Do you have a close collaboration with the editors and sound designers? To what extent do you work together?

Absolutely with the editors. Sound designers, not as much. It's something I'd love to improve on, to do more often. Often, the editors create a very advanced sound world in the offline edits, which is great. But then the sound team arrives and adds another layer, which can sometimes clash with the music. If the directors aren’t particularly sound-oriented, they might not even be aware of the clashes. So this whole other layer gets put in, and sometimes it's brilliant.

Sometimes, though, it's just not what I thought I was writing music to at all. And, had I known, I would probably have done something different, but now you just end up with the music fighting the sound, you know, and no one allowing space for either. I've had that a few times where that’s happened, and it's really frustrating because it's literally just down to the review at the very end of the process. So that's something I'd love to improve on, and work a lot closer with the sound designers. You’ve reminded me of that, and I'm going to try it for the next job.

Do you have an ideal environment or setup for writing and composing?

Just being on my own, in a quiet space. I can't have a big team in the room. I need to battle it out on my own. I’m lucky to have a lovely space near my house, which I walk to every day. It's full of trendy young people, of course, but my days are spent alone, trying to thrash it out, painful as it is.

Where do you most often find inspiration for new themes and cues?

It varies. Weirdly, when I first wake up or in the middle of the night, I sometimes have ideas going around my head. Sometimes they make no sense the next day, but occasionally they bear fruit. I also get inspiration from the picture and talking to the director, hearing their vision and enthusiasm. Listening to other music can help too, but sometimes you just have to sit at the keyboard and grind something out. Keep calm and carry on, as they say.

What are the creative challenges and differences between writing for long-form TV and features?

These days, they’re not that different. TV has improved in ambition and scale. The Crown is a case in point, moving into the territory of the mid-budget, intelligent film. Film has suffered, becoming either small budget or superhero stuff, losing what was in between. But film is making a comeback. In terms of process, you might have more time for each piece in a film, while TV can be a scramble, but you're trying to achieve the same goals over a longer period. Establishing the first few episodes of a TV show is almost like writing a film, creating that world musically and developing the characters' themes.

How do you navigate the difference in approach between a large team project like The Crown and a more singular vision like Napoleon with Ridley Scott?

The difference often comes down to the people behind the project rather than the format. Ridley Scott, for example, is a film guy. His approach is very different from that of a TV show-runner. TV can be more executive-heavy, but a strong show-runner or director can have the final say. Ridley just knows exactly what he wants, and I’m very happy to be led by someone with such a clear vision.

Is it true that you used a period-authentic piano for Napoleon?

Yes, we hunted down a piano that Napoleon himself bought for his second wife, Marie-Louise. It was in a collection just outside the M25, along with amazing other pieces like Marie Antoinette's piano, Mahler's piano, and J.C. Bach's piano. It was fascinating to see the technological evolution and how it drove the music. The transition from harpsichord to piano was enormous and happened in a space of about 30 to 50 years. Napoleon's piano was halfway between a harpsichord and a piano. That technology, and the range of sounds it opened up, completely re-shaped the music of that time and paved the way for what we have today.

At what stage in production do you prefer to come on board a project? How do you choose your projects?

Honestly, I just choose projects based on whether I would want to watch them or not. I need to feel inspired and understand the idea. I’ve never done video game scores, for instance, purely because I'm not a gamer and so I don't quite get it like others might. As for when to come on board, it can be — and has been — at any given point. To come on board early is great, particularly if there's a clear direction, but there are pros and cons to all stages. Too early, a lot of work might get wasted. Come on too late, you’re fighting against temp scores everyone’s fallen in love with.

What sort of collaboration do you look for with a director?

I prefer directors to talk broadly about the colour and emotion rather than being too specific about music. The best direction is about how they want to feel with the characters. I’ve been lucky not to work with directors who stand over my shoulder or want to write the music themselves.

You seem drawn to period projects — what is it about that genre that attracts you?

I think it’s partly just down to being suited to it, and my first big break was with a BBC period drama, which was the top level of British TV at the time. That just led to other similar projects. Now, though, I am really keen to do something modern and contemporary. I’d love to do some genre work. In fact, I’ve just signed up for a spy series, so I’m really excited about that one.

Do you involve yourself in the recording process? Do you have a go-to team and recording space?

Yes, I'm very involved in the recording process. I need to be there to judge whether it’s right or not. I don't do remote recordings for this reason. I work with a great orchestrator, Andrew Skeet, who helps calm my nerves before recordings. I love recording at Air Studios; everything sounds amazing there. If it doesn’t sound good at Air, it's time to go home.

How aware are you of emerging composers and recent scores that have stood out to you?

Oh, I pay a lot of attention to emerging composers, partly for inspiration and partly out of fear (laughs). Recent scores that stood out include Jerskin Fendrix’s Poor Things, absolutely everything by Mica Levi, Hildur Guðnadóttir's Joker score, and work by Jeff Barrow and Ben Salisbury — I loved what they did for Civil War. The White Lotus and Succession also have phenomenal scores. There are many, many unsung scores that I really appreciate as well.

What does composition mean to you?

I know nothing else! I’ve been doing music all my life. It's just a massive privilege to be able to write something you like on your own. The buzz and reward from that are fantastic. That’s what it means to me.