Homing
Making the theme music for a new podcast
Over the years, I’m sure some of you will have noticed my love of and deep interest in architecture and design, both exterior and interior, and the spaces created as a result.
I am especially intrigued and fascinated by the ethos, aesthetics and intentionality of the architects and designers who pore over these tasks; imbibing both themselves and their own creative vision into these spaces, but, most crucially, reflecting the occupants, inhabitants and users of them.
Matt Gibberd is co-founder of The Modern House, which is very much the definition of more-than-an-estate-agent. I’ve worked with TMH and Matt on a number of occasions in the last year or so, and it was a great pleasure to be commissioned to compose the music for the relaunched Homing podcast.
Here’s an insight into what it’s about:
This new and fresh approach to the podcast (previously titled Homing In) focuses much more on the psychology of the spaces which are important to people, how they make us feel and who we really are, both in them and because of them.
The first episode is a fascinating in-depth discussion with naturalist Chris Packham. I really love how this podcast gives so much time and space for the discussion to occur - in many ways, acting as antidote to the shiny, buzzy podcasts you often hear - and achieving the important goal of matching the content of the podcast with the ethos.
And for the audiophiles, here’s the music just by itself:
With projects like this, I’ll usually be given some form of brief, which can vary in length and depth.
Sometimes it can be nice to be given musical references to listen to and to use as inspiration to try to couch my ideas in a similar musical space and sphere.
As part of the process, I’ll ask the commissioners to concoct a moodboard of descriptive words about how they envision the music sounding and I’ll also do the same. It’s always fun to see where we end up crossing over, which I find helpful in the creative and compositional process.
Here is what I was given:
Thoughtful, emotional, layered
Makes your hairs stand up!
Perhaps it builds as it goes
Maybe it could feel like ‘discovering’ a home for the first time… arriving at an unassuming front door, and opening it to reveal the magic within, experiencing the play of light and complexity of spaces as you move through it.
Following on from previous work I’d done for them, they wanted it to sit in a similar musical space; layered and textured, with enough melodic interest to catch the ear, but not too dominant.
Contrary to other podcasts which can often have quite bold, attention-grabbing music, this needed to represent the identity of the content: valuing a slower, less urgent approach to exploration; giving time and space for conversation and ideas to occur; and to create a sense of brightness and light, literally like opening a door into someone’s world and sacred space.
What do you reckon?
Did it hit the brief?
See more on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@HomingWithMattGibberd
Grateful thanks to Josh Semans as ever for consistently elevating my work with his superb post-production skills.