The Ivors Interview - Martin Phipps

“That’s what I really love about working with good directors; being part of someone else’s vision and enhancing that.”

Composer Martin Phipps has won the Best Television Soundtrack Ivor Novello Award on three separate occasions, for his scores for The Virgin Queen (2006), Oliver Twist (2007) and The Shadow Line (2011). He’s currently working on the music for a forthcoming BBC2 series about 1920s gangland Birmingham called Peaky Blinders, moving into a new East London studio and setting up a new venture called Mearl, aimed at developing more leftfield soundtracks and collaborations with other artists.

Which one of your three wins was the most significant for you?

The first one, just because it was the first one. Coming from a film and TV background I didn’t really know about The Ivors, it wasn’t my world. I didn’t know I had to make a speech, I didn’t have any idea how big and prestigious it was or just how much talent there was in the room. So I was absolutely, totally shitting myself for an hour beforehand when it dawned on me what exactly was involved! I probably enjoyed winning the last one most. The whole experience of The Shadow Line was great, so it felt like the icing on the cake to win.

How do they compare to other award shows?

I can only really compare it to the TV and film awards and it feels much more of a genuine recognition of what’s good. The music is genuinely valued on its own merits, whereas the music Oscar and often the music BAFTA are won by things which are very mediocre scores, mentioning no names of course, but are attached to successful projects. But the people judging The Ivors have none of that preconception, everyone’s got an equal place at the table. And people drink more as well!

What are your all-time favourite scores?

The two scores I wish I’d written are Ennio Morricone’s The Mission and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ The Social Network. Both, in completely different ways, capture the emotional power and drive of their narratives.

What’s the hardest thing about telling a story through music?

To be honest, I don’t find it hard. I don’t mean to sound over-confident, but the easy bit is engaging in the picture and that shows me the journey. I have the most admiration for people who write music in no context, purely from the recesses of their mind. Whereas I have a vision to be part of – that’s what I really love about working with good directors; being part of someone else’s vision and enhancing that.

You actually studied drama at university, didn’t you?

I didn’t want to do music: I didn’t see the point, really it was all about playing it. In those days, you didn’t have to pay your fees and support yourself to quite the same extent so it was like, “I want to go to college, but I don’t know what I want to do” – so I did drama. But actually it was great, ‘cos I was so shit at acting that I said, “I’ll do the music for the plays”! I was in bands at the time and suddenly I didn’t have to deal with any egos, I could construct this thing myself. It was a real moment of “That’s what I want to do”.

Has that drama background helped when it comes to composing scores?

Probably, in terms of understanding character, seeing the shape of a dramatic narrative and understanding how an audience reacts to something. But please shoot me if I ever think of acting again!

And what do you like to do away from music?

I like climbing mountains, something scary that makes me think about nothing else apart from the moment that I’m in. There’s nothing quite like being high up to make you concentrate!