Meet James Wakefield | Film Music Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Wakefield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think it’s essential to step out of the box when being creative. The whole point of creativity is creating something new. With film music there’s so much that sounds very similar or predicable and I think I have an unhealthy nagging in the back of my head with what I’m doing sounding unique. I’ve found that when I’m writing for a film, I do what I think sounds great from what the Director has steered to, but always throw in a ‘wildcard’ option – when a director goes for one of these, it’s always exciting, as it can take things in a totally unexpected direction. With my recent score for ‘Little Jar’, the collaboration with Director Dominic Lopez was really creative and fun. I’d send something over and then it would spark ideas in him, and we would spiral together.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up in a house where music was always playing. My dad used to listen to lots of blues and often had his friends over who taught me guitar. For the few moments music wasn’t playing in the house, my dad would be whistling a tune or drumming his hands on the kitchen table. I think I’m the same, no matter what I’m doing, I can hear music in my head.

I played in bands and with song writers in my younger years but am now fully obsessed with film music. I grew up in an age where John Williams films were prominent, and I think that’s what ignited the spark for me. I love a score that is unique and really takes you to a new place – like Michael Abels music for ‘Get Out’ and ‘Us’. The music alone tells as much of a story as the visuals and dialogue. Alexandre Desplat always does an amazing job of that too, especially on the Wes Anderson films. Music that really transports you to a different world.

I just finished writing the score and songs for the feature comedy film ‘Little Jar’. It’s currently lined up for the film festivals, with the World Premiere at Austin Film Festival in Oct. For this film, the producers wanted a very unique sound to highlight the main character losing her mind in isolation. I wanted to create a ‘Little Jar’ world with the music, something unique. I really got into character for this and decided if I was in her position, cut off from the outside world, I’d probably play things around me as instruments to keep myself entertained. So, you’ll hear that a lot of the percussion on the score is actually household objects, like scissors, pots and pans, and I actually went to the cabin it was filmed in and recorded the sound of me tapping and banging the pipes and wood. The film turned out incredible and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Whenever friends visit it’s so hard to narrow down what to do, as there’s so many options. One of my favorite places to eat and hang out is The Old Place in Topanga off Mulholland. A stop off there followed by a drive down through Malibu to the beach is always amazing, driving along the PCH with The Beach Boys blaring is pure LA to me. I love where the I-10 goes through that tunnel in Santa Monica and then you are suddenly next to the ocean driving along the PCH.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out to Chris Sangster. Chris is an incredibly talented sound engineer for mixing and mastering. He’s always there for me when I need advice and help with mixes, and I can always rely on him for a brutally honest opinion about my work and ideas, which is a very rare, and very much appreciated.

Website: www.jameswakefieldmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameswakefield4

Image Credits
Dominic Lopez – All ‘Little Jar’ screen stills Kelsey Gunn – Polaroid picture