You originally were in bands. I assume the soundtrack work is likely the most income-oriented part of your music?
That's my day job, for sure. I remember at one point in college – before my first band, The Origin, got our record deal in 1988 – I was listening to the TV. Remember that show Thirtysomething? There was someone playing acoustic guitar on that soundtrack, and I was like, "I can do that. I like playing acoustic guitar." It was almost like new age music, like a broader version of Michael Hedges.
Sure, Windham Hill Records style.
Yeah. I never saw music as a career. I saw it as something I wanted to do. I thought, "Well, if it doesn't work out, I guess I could have a regular career." [laughter] Fortunately, that never happened. I was writing songs. We got a record deal. The band, The Origin, got dropped. I went home to San Diego. I met some people, started playing music. It made absolutely no sense for me to go from being a lead singer and songwriter to a guitar player in a funk band [The Greyboy Allstars]. It was what I needed spiritually at the time. I was like, "I just want to be playing music. I want to be in a fun environment. I want to meet people. I want to have a good time." Then that band randomly got asked to do a movie soundtrack [Jake Kasdan's Zero Effect]. I thought, "Wow. I feel good about this. I like being in the studio. I love recording."
Were you all writing cues for the soundtrack?
These guys were all great, in their own right. Robert Walter is an amazing composer and keyboard player. Zak Najor, the drummer, was writing cues. Chris Stillwell, the bass player, wrote the main theme. Karl Denson was busy, so he didn't write as much. I procrastinated, but I ended up doing all my writing in the studio while we were there. That's one of my ways to do it. I sit down in the moment, watch the picture, write, and then distribute parts amongst everybody. I love writing on the spot. I love the pressure of the moment, as well as the functionality of the music. The picture dictates the structure.
Do you read and write music?
I can read very slowly.
It seems the way you score and work is also trying to find the right sound for the parts you want.
Yeah. I'm definitely sound-driven.
Your soundtrack for Donnie Darko has such certain tones and feel.
It's what's evocative in the framework of the movie. What gives it another layer. I hope that the director wants their film to be set apart.
Film to film, do you think, "I'm going to use certain instruments"?
I try to, but I guess I've done enough work where people think that I have a "thing" that I do. Some people come to me for that. I used to get resentful about it, but now I think, "Oh, well. They want me to do that thing that I came upon by natural inspiration." I'll think, "I'm going to get that 'band' back together." I get those instruments out again, and I say, "This is that 'band.’" I write with that "band" again, whether it be the …Darko thing with the vocoder, the Univox Mini-Korg, or my piano. Whether it's been done over and over again or not, it's still composition.
When you say "band," you mean the instruments?
Right. My concept of my "band." The different elements. The instruments are the band, and I get those textures together again.
