Meet Lex Stout | Composer & Music Producer for Film, Video Games, & Television

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

Hi Lex, why did you pursue a creative career?
It’s never felt like a choice; it just felt like something that I’ve always done, and that has always felt right. The more I’ve learned or discovered for myself, the more the world of sound has expanded. As a youth, I was very interested in writing music that was flashy and technical, which thankfully has resulted in a solid foundation, as well as a willingness to push the envelope. That’s probably what kept me going in the direction of writing music for a living, since with that foundation I was able to get into top-tier schools: Berklee College of Music in Boston, then the USC Graduate Program for Screen Scoring. Getting into those schools was a huge boost to my confidence and dedication to pursuing writing music as a career. The more my own musical voice has developed, the more humbled I feel by how little I actually know. Music is such a vast field, with so many different avenues to explore, and it’s something infinitely complicated and interesting. This keeps a chronic over-thinker like myself constantly invested and dedicated.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m always in learning-mode, so I’m typically engaged with some kind of art or media. I think a lot of creatives are this way, but everyone has their unique pathway to it. For me, as a composer for visual mediums (film, video games, tv, etc.) I’m fascinated by the art of world-building and environmental storytelling. I’m drawn to entertainment that has a sense of lore and history that can be deciphered, and I want to contribute that same sense of depth and level of detail to my projects. Most recently I found a YouTube gem – a channel called Art History with Travis Lee Clark, who is an endearingly-goofy professor who recorded his lectures for Covid. Reviewing art history has opened me up to ideas that are timeless and to see how humans in the past displayed meaning through visual art and architecture.

I want my music to integrate seamlessly with the world that I’m helping create, so I also watch a lot of concept artists and illustrators breakdown their projects. I watch to understand how they approach visuals through design, color, light, balance, and gesture. There is so much overlap in the composition of music and the composition of a painting, and observing how artists in other mediums think about what they are doing has been helpful in fine-tuning my own approach. Even when I’m playing video games, it’s a study of environmental storytelling, atmosphere, and whatever other tools the developers are using to immerse the player. Like right now, I’m playing the recently-released Elden Ring expansion and I often have my telescope out looking at statues and architecture, trying to get a sense of the culture that inhabits these sections of the world, their values, their place in the larger history of The Lands Between. I study all these mediums with the hope that I can convey deeper meanings through my music.

A challenge that I’ve overcome in my past, has been the impulse to create work that impresses others rather than satisfying my own artistic sensibilities. I would exert a lot of top-down control over my music, hammering it into shape solely based on the my vision of what it should be, spontaneity be damned. It’s no surprise that this has led to a lot of toxic-overthinking and writing music became less of an adventure. So now I’m finding the joy in discovering what emerges naturally, and making my sand-castles out of what arises, rather than imposing a strict structure. I think that may be the key to creating work that resonates. I don’t know, I may be wrong, but I’m committed to continue trying.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since I grew up in San Diego, it’s pretty natural that Mexican food is my favorite. I love sharing my favorite foods with people, so I have to shoutout my top Mexican food spots in Los Angeles:

1. La Fogata in Sherman Oaks. This spot has the best carne asada because it’s flame-grilled, well-seasoned, and it’s always tender. La Fogata also has a legitimately spicy, red, chunky salsa. I give the refried beans a 5/5.

2. Tacos 1986 in Beverly Glen or Santa Monica – both locations kill it. These tacos are so well-crafted, and they’d better be, because there’s nowhere to sit. The a la carte menu and standing countertops is the perfect place to hang with buddies. Make sure to try the quesadilla.

3. Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks. This is my favorite spot for chips at the table and a Casamigos margarita on the patio. The ambiance is 5/5.

Honorable Mention: I also recommend Los Tres Hermanos in the valley. Their caldo de reyes got me through Covid–the illness.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family gets the shoutout! They’ve all supported in different ways throughout the years. I wouldn’t be where I’ve been, or where I’m going, without their support.

Website: https://lexstout.com

Instagram: @lexstout_music

Linkedin: lexstout-composer

Youtube: @LexStout-Composer

Image Credits
Images of Lex Stout provided by Jessica Stout. Conducting image courtesy of Joyce Oh. Premier image courtesy of Olivia Gregory.