For my second of three consecutive duo interviews, I chat with composers Aaron May and David Ridley. While they’ve been composing together for a while, their biggest project is also their most recent – the viral Netflix series Adolescence, from director Philip Barantini and starring Stephen Graham. It’s not surprise, then, that we spend a lot of our chat talking about the series, including working in the single take, real time format, understanding that the series might not need score at all, and the genesis of the child vocalization that forms an integral part of their score’s palette. Dave has also scored all of Phil’s projects, with Aaron also scoring all but the first two, so we discuss this long term director combination as well as how the two work together (and work separately).

This is one of the more tangential conversations I’ve had – Aaron and Dave warned me beforehand that it might happen, but I certainly instigated it! I should have known it was coming when we lost track of time before recording talking about East Anglia and the British ritual/folk year. Shame that wasn’t recorded too…

Aaron and Dave’s score is available on all major platforms, as are their other scores and their debut solo albums (each released in 2023). Adolescence is currently on Netflix, and there are rumors that a second season may come (though this would at least be a surprise to me). You can find out more about Aaron and Dave on their joint website.

Have a listen to our conversation below or wherever you get your podcasts (including Spotify and Apple Podcasts). Enjoying these interviews? Show the love by subscribing and leaving a rating or review!

About Adolescence

“Adolescence is a four-part limited series starring Stephen Graham (Boiling Point, Bodies), and each episode is filmed in one unflinching and continuous shot. The gripping story unfolds in real time as the main characters — from the central family to the detectives investigating the crime — search for answers in the wake of a shocking tragedy. Who is actually responsible? Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented?” – From Netflix