Just because the podcast is between seasons and on a brief hiatus doesn’t mean that the work stops. To keep me busy, I chatted with Brooke Blair and Will Blair (Blue Ruin, Green Room), the very rare sibling composer duo, about their latest score: Rebel Ridge. Rebel Ridge marks the fifth collaboration between the Blair Bros. and director Jeremy Saulnier, and is arguably their best. As such, we spend much of our time talking about their score, including developing the palette, experimenting with and avoiding musical clichés, and mimicking cicadas as a “symphony of terror”. Beyond that, though, we discuss what it’s like to build your career alongside a director, how to uncover a director’s preferences (and the benefits in doing so), working as brothers (including when their third brother, Macon (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore) gets added to the mix, and plenty more. I even try to get a little inside information about the forthcoming Toxic Avenger film, which they scored and their brother Macon directed, but no luck. For your benefit, the first long answer you’ll hear comes from Will.
While Brooke and Will often explore various styles in their scores, their work with Saulnier often ends up more textural and subtle. At many times this is the case in Rebel Ridge, with their score starting off incredibly sparse; for reference, the first cue on their score release comes about 20 or 30 minutes into the film. But this allows the score to sneak up on you – it builds in your gut and by the third act the musical tension will have you completely crushed.
Brooke and Will’s score, and much of their other music, is available on all major platforms, and Rebel Ridge is currently available on Netflix. You can find out more about Brooke and Will on their 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 Rebel Ridge
“Rebel Ridge centers on rising star Aaron Pierre as former Marine Terry Richmond, who arrives in the small town of Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, and soon finds himself caught in the middle of a deep-seated conspiracy. The Blair brothers drew inspiration from Pierre’s powerful yet restrained performance in crafting their methodical yet explosive score. Terry’s calculated one-man crusade against a corrupt justice system called for a score that is at times both brutal and silent, with aggressive solo bass/cellos, frenzied solo contrabass flute, and a careful percussion underlying it all.”