Interview: Jonny Greenwood
As a man who has sold over 30 million records one could forgive Jonny Greenwood for resting on his laurels and yet, in recent years, the number of genres and projects he has involved himself in has increased significantly. Whether writing film scores, curating proms or working with Thom Yorke and Tom Skinner on latest project The Smile he continues to push forwards.
In 2019 he launched his own classical label (Octatonic) primarily focusing on soloists and small ensembles and reflecting his ongoing admiration for classical musicians. However, it is his own classical work of over two decades that has brought him to the Hidden Notes Festival. In that time he has worked as composer of residence for the BBC Concert Orchestra, written for the London Sinfonietta and work with Krzysztof Penderecki and Daniel Pioro amongst others. Its been a long, but ultimately fulfilling, journey to this point but we start at the beginning...
What was your first exposure to classical music that made an impression on you?
When I studied music for GCSE, a teacher played us Messiaen’s Turangalila symphony - and emplaned that it was by a (then) living composer. That was when I started my obsession with Messiaen, and it led to thinking of all composers, and all bands, as being the same in some sense: Messiaen / Miles Davis / Joy Division / Steve Reich / The Pixes / Penderecki - all equally important to me at school, and none more/less important or intimidating to me. Making music like any of them was impossible, anyway.
Throughout your solo career you've primarily focused on film score as a medium, why is that?
Partly the reassurance that it’s music being written for a specific end, as part of a partnership with a director/the images/the story - and partly fear of composing music that’s more than a few minutes long. Sounds flippant, but both of those things make writing new music much more enjoyable, because there’s a focus.
Which film has been the most rewarding to work on?
Hard to say…they’ve all involved time with orchestral players, and for that reason alone have been addictively enjoyable. String days - so called - are always the highlight of my year. I love the whole process from scoring, to printing to recording. All the months of preparation and the one chance to get the recording right. It’s exhilarating, and the input and company of the players is part of that enjoyment.
You are known for your work with film director Paul Thomas Anderson. What is it about his work in particular that keeps drawing you back to work with him?
He’s very bold in his use of music: it’s usually either very present, or totally absent. Lots of other films seem to have hours of underscore, where the music is just bubbling underneath dialogue and explosions - and has to be timed to fit. Frankly, I’ve been indulged by PTA (and indeed Lynne Ramsay, Pablo Larrain and Jane Campion) because I’m often just asked for ‘a few minutes of music’ for a specific scene - rather than being given ‘points’ to hit - and so we often get to record in free time, without having to slavishly follow click tracks etc. It means writing much more music than is need, or finally used - but that’s fine.
In what way do you think your film work has influenced your other musical projects?
I’ve just leant to be less anxious and cautious about including strings (and other orchestral players) into them.
In 2019 you launched your own record label Octatonic Records. What made you want to start your own label?
It was meeting all these new, young players like Oliver Coates, Kat Tinker, Daniel Pioro (all coming to Hidden Notes) who’s approach to playing and performing seemed no different to how bands perform: they make the back catalogue of classical music sound so fresh and vibrant - and at the same time, champion contemporary composers with great skill and enthusiasm. I stand rather in awe of them all.
Are there any other releases in the works?
Yes - we’ve half a record in the vault already - a recording of Olly playing a movement from Messiaen’s Quartet of the End of Time, which he performs on top of a (partly) prerecorded cello ensemble. We recorded it a while ago, and are just waiting, now, to decide on the B side. I’ll be led by whatever the players are enjoying playing at the moment: indeed, that’s how we’ll decide what to play at Hidden Notes. Prescriptively programming a concert months (and often years) ahead of time is bizarre to me. Far better to be led by the player’s current obsessions.
Erm....What made you decide to perform at Hidden Notes; a festival in the middle of nowhere in front of a much smaller audience than you are used to?
Daniel had a very special experience when he played here, and recommended it - I’m glad he did. I’m very fond of this part of the UK - it seems to attract lots of free-spirited people. Certainly true in Nailsworth.
And finally...what's next?
Record shopping in Stroud. Hope you have a good reggae section?
This article was first published as part of the Hidden Notes Festival programme September 2022