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With more than three decades shaping the sound of award-winning campaigns, Andy is one of the industry’s most experienced and respected sound designers. Having helped shape the sound of some of advertising’s most celebrated work through senior creative roles at 750mph, Bark Soho and now Nomad London, he’s spent his career pushing the boundaries of what sound can bring to storytelling.
We caught up with Andy to discuss the evolution of sound design, the opportunities and challenges facing the industry today, and what he’ll be listening for as a judge at this year’s Music+Sound Awards.
MASA: What first drew you to sound design and what has kept you inspired throughout your career?
ANDY: I was lucky enough to sit in on an audio post session for a space documentary in my late teens at the legendary CTS studios in Wembley and found the whole process fascinating. I loved the part the soundtrack played in building the mood and narrative of the film and could instantly see how I would approach the role of sound design and the creative process. Much like music, cinematography, editing, VFX, and graphic, sound design is a constantly evolving discipline / craft. Much of this is driven by the backdrop of the wild advances in technology, which is something all sound designers have to lean into, but above all the ultimate inspiration is still the story, the narrative and the human emotional response or recognition of what your soundtrack is communicating. If your work is not engendering some kind of response from the viewer / listener you may as well leave it to the machines!!
MASA: Can you share a recent moment or project at Nomad where sound made a decisive difference to the final piece?
ANDY: We recently sound-deigned and mixed a job for The Olympics where the creative idea was building a crescendo of recorded olympic athletes’ heartbeats. This was all part of a rebrand for the IOC. As the audio for the spot comprised just sound design with no music, voice-over, and just a few moments of dialogue, the heartbeat element was the make-or-break feature of the spot. After many iterations, combinations and rhythm arcs, we got to a great place with the mix and full client thumbs-up and sign-off went like a dream!
MASA: Do you feel there are particular qualities or details that separate good sound design from truly great sound design?
ANDY: Like any craft there is a massive range of quality that exists in the market. The best sound designers will have spent years immersing themselves in the world of audio, sound and sonic expression. Like a pianist unlocking the keyboard through years of practice, a truly great sound designer will have spent years developing their relationship to the world of sound. This relationship then allows them to fully express their unique approach and personality to any project.
It is true that anyone with a computer, tablet or smart phone can have a go at a bit of sound design especially with the all the tech tools currently available. But a beautifully crafted sound track will allow a piece of work to fully express itself and be completely additive to the narrative and often taking a piece to a completely unexpected place. I always think it’s like the difference between a bog-standard drummer keeping a straight 4/4 beat, and a really creative drummer who can really drive a song and do all those rolls and fills that just make you smile!!
MASA: Are there any unconventional tools or techniques you regularly rely on?
ANDY: I’m not sure if this unconventional, but there is some software I use that allows me to play any sample or file and manipulate it on-the-fly. I can then record a “performance” of this live and thus create a completely unique piece of audio. That is one of the joys of the technology available today, that gives you the power to generate amazing results in super quick time.
MASA: How do you see the relationship between technology and creativity evolving in sound design?
ANDY: To me creativity is one of the fundamental things that make us human. The technology of any given age has always been an enabler to allow us to express that creativity. That holds whether you’re Beethoven using a full orchestra, The Beatles doing crazy things with tape loops or any of today’s artists and sound designers at the cutting edge truly pushing boundaries with the dazzling array of plugins and software at our disposal. I fully expect this relationship to keep evolving for the foreseeable future!
MASA: What advice would you give to emerging sound designers hoping to break into the industry?
ANDY: This is a tricky one! The current employment landscape is really challenging especially for anyone starting out, entry-level opportunities have become notoriously hard to come by as the corporate world seeks to cost-save, with AI being an obvious driver. Also the market place is really over-subscribed with numerous super-talented sound designers, more so now than ever. So I would probably start by try to convince someone to consider another profession!! If that person still wants to push ahead with a sound design career in the face of all these obstacles, then they are probably the right person for the job!!
MASA: What do you think makes awards like these important for the sound community?
ANDY: Like any awards being recognised by your peers is an honour. I think with sound in particular there is a long history of under recognition. In the world of the moving image we have always played second fiddle to most of the visual team, from cameramen, art directors, the VFX team – the list goes on! Not to be too curmudgeonly, but in a world where all the best directors know that sound is at least 50% of the viewing experience, us guys on the sound side have almost always been under appreciated by the wider public and much of the legacy industry too. So your awards go some way to address this 🙂
MASA: When judging this year’s entries, what key qualities will you be looking for in standout sound design?
ANDY: My overriding metric will be how additive the soundtrack / sound design is to the narrative of the film. Any instances of really original work or unusual approaches will always be something I’ll be looking out for. I love a more unconventional approach to sound work, as much of today’s output can be rather generic. Though I understand this is usually because our clients are too conservative and risk averse and the subject matter can be a bit self limiting, but I think there is a well established, often expected, sound design vocabulary especially in advertising, so any work that has something a bit different will likely score higher with me.
MASA: Thank you, Andy, for giving us a glimpse into the thinking behind great sound design and the passion that’s driven your career. We’re very grateful to have your experience and creative ear helping to recognise this year’s outstanding work.
MASA: What first drew you to sound design and what has kept you inspired throughout your career?
ANDY: I was lucky enough to sit in on an audio post session for a space documentary in my late teens at the legendary CTS studios in Wembley and found the whole process fascinating. I loved the part the soundtrack played in building the mood and narrative of the film and could instantly see how I would approach the role of sound design and the creative process. Much like music, cinematography, editing, VFX, and graphic, sound design is a constantly evolving discipline / craft. Much of this is driven by the backdrop of the wild advances in technology, which is something all sound designers have to lean into, but above all the ultimate inspiration is still the story, the narrative and the human emotional response or recognition of what your soundtrack is communicating. If your work is not engendering some kind of response from the viewer / listener you may as well leave it to the machines!!
MASA: Can you share a recent moment or project at Nomad where sound made a decisive difference to the final piece?
ANDY: We recently sound-deigned and mixed a job for The Olympics where the creative idea was building a crescendo of recorded olympic athletes’ heartbeats. This was all part of a rebrand for the IOC. As the audio for the spot comprised just sound design with no music, voice-over, and just a few moments of dialogue, the heartbeat element was the make-or-break feature of the spot. After many iterations, combinations and rhythm arcs, we got to a great place with the mix and full client thumbs-up and sign-off went like a dream!
MASA: Do you feel there are particular qualities or details that separate good sound design from truly great sound design?
ANDY: Like any craft there is a massive range of quality that exists in the market. The best sound designers will have spent years immersing themselves in the world of audio, sound and sonic expression. Like a pianist unlocking the keyboard through years of practice, a truly great sound designer will have spent years developing their relationship to the world of sound. This relationship then allows them to fully express their unique approach and personality to any project.
It is true that anyone with a computer, tablet or smart phone can have a go at a bit of sound design especially with the all the tech tools currently available. But a beautifully crafted sound track will allow a piece of work to fully express itself and be completely additive to the narrative and often taking a piece to a completely unexpected place. I always think it’s like the difference between a bog-standard drummer keeping a straight 4/4 beat, and a really creative drummer who can really drive a song and do all those rolls and fills that just make you smile!!
MASA: Are there any unconventional tools or techniques you regularly rely on?
ANDY: I’m not sure if this unconventional, but there is some software I use that allows me to play any sample or file and manipulate it on-the-fly. I can then record a “performance” of this live and thus create a completely unique piece of audio. That is one of the joys of the technology available today, that gives you the power to generate amazing results in super quick time.
MASA: How do you see the relationship between technology and creativity evolving in sound design?
ANDY: To me creativity is one of the fundamental things that make us human. The technology of any given age has always been an enabler to allow us to express that creativity. That holds whether you’re Beethoven using a full orchestra, The Beatles doing crazy things with tape loops or any of today’s artists and sound designers at the cutting edge truly pushing boundaries with the dazzling array of plugins and software at our disposal. I fully expect this relationship to keep evolving for the foreseeable future!
MASA: What advice would you give to emerging sound designers hoping to break into the industry?
ANDY: This is a tricky one! The current employment landscape is really challenging especially for anyone starting out, entry-level opportunities have become notoriously hard to come by as the corporate world seeks to cost-save, with AI being an obvious driver. Also the market place is really over-subscribed with numerous super-talented sound designers, more so now than ever. So I would probably start by try to convince someone to consider another profession!! If that person still wants to push ahead with a sound design career in the face of all these obstacles, then they are probably the right person for the job!!
MASA: What do you think makes awards like these important for the sound community?
ANDY: Like any awards being recognised by your peers is an honour. I think with sound in particular there is a long history of under recognition. In the world of the moving image we have always played second fiddle to most of the visual team, from cameramen, art directors, the VFX team – the list goes on! Not to be too curmudgeonly, but in a world where all the best directors know that sound is at least 50% of the viewing experience, us guys on the sound side have almost always been under appreciated by the wider public and much of the legacy industry too. So your awards go some way to address this 🙂
MASA: When judging this year’s entries, what key qualities will you be looking for in standout sound design?
ANDY: My overriding metric will be how additive the soundtrack / sound design is to the narrative of the film. Any instances of really original work or unusual approaches will always be something I’ll be looking out for. I love a more unconventional approach to sound work, as much of today’s output can be rather generic. Though I understand this is usually because our clients are too conservative and risk averse and the subject matter can be a bit self limiting, but I think there is a well established, often expected, sound design vocabulary especially in advertising, so any work that has something a bit different will likely score higher with me.
MASA: Thank you, Andy, for giving us a glimpse into the thinking behind great sound design and the passion that’s driven your career. We’re very grateful to have your experience and creative ear helping to recognise this year’s outstanding work.
MASA: What first drew you to sound design and what has kept you inspired throughout your career?
ANDY: I was lucky enough to sit in on an audio post session for a space documentary in my late teens at the legendary CTS studios in Wembley and found the whole process fascinating. I loved the part the soundtrack played in building the mood and narrative of the film and could instantly see how I would approach the role of sound design and the creative process. Much like music, cinematography, editing, VFX, and graphic, sound design is a constantly evolving discipline / craft. Much of this is driven by the backdrop of the wild advances in technology, which is something all sound designers have to lean into, but above all the ultimate inspiration is still the story, the narrative and the human emotional response or recognition of what your soundtrack is communicating. If your work is not engendering some kind of response from the viewer / listener you may as well leave it to the machines!!
MASA: Can you share a recent moment or project at Nomad where sound made a decisive difference to the final piece?
ANDY: We recently sound-deigned and mixed a job for The Olympics where the creative idea was building a crescendo of recorded olympic athletes’ heartbeats. This was all part of a rebrand for the IOC. As the audio for the spot comprised just sound design with no music, voice-over, and just a few moments of dialogue, the heartbeat element was the make-or-break feature of the spot. After many iterations, combinations and rhythm arcs, we got to a great place with the mix and full client thumbs-up and sign-off went like a dream!
MASA: Do you feel there are particular qualities or details that separate good sound design from truly great sound design?
ANDY: Like any craft there is a massive range of quality that exists in the market. The best sound designers will have spent years immersing themselves in the world of audio, sound and sonic expression. Like a pianist unlocking the keyboard through years of practice, a truly great sound designer will have spent years developing their relationship to the world of sound. This relationship then allows them to fully express their unique approach and personality to any project.
It is true that anyone with a computer, tablet or smart phone can have a go at a bit of sound design especially with the all the tech tools currently available. But a beautifully crafted sound track will allow a piece of work to fully express itself and be completely additive to the narrative and often taking a piece to a completely unexpected place. I always think it’s like the difference between a bog-standard drummer keeping a straight 4/4 beat, and a really creative drummer who can really drive a song and do all those rolls and fills that just make you smile!!
MASA: Are there any unconventional tools or techniques you regularly rely on?
ANDY: I’m not sure if this unconventional, but there is some software I use that allows me to play any sample or file and manipulate it on-the-fly. I can then record a “performance” of this live and thus create a completely unique piece of audio. That is one of the joys of the technology available today, that gives you the power to generate amazing results in super quick time.
MASA: How do you see the relationship between technology and creativity evolving in sound design?
ANDY: To me creativity is one of the fundamental things that make us human. The technology of any given age has always been an enabler to allow us to express that creativity. That holds whether you’re Beethoven using a full orchestra, The Beatles doing crazy things with tape loops or any of today’s artists and sound designers at the cutting edge truly pushing boundaries with the dazzling array of plugins and software at our disposal. I fully expect this relationship to keep evolving for the foreseeable future!
MASA: What advice would you give to emerging sound designers hoping to break into the industry?
ANDY: This is a tricky one! The current employment landscape is really challenging especially for anyone starting out, entry-level opportunities have become notoriously hard to come by as the corporate world seeks to cost-save, with AI being an obvious driver. Also the market place is really over-subscribed with numerous super-talented sound designers, more so now than ever. So I would probably start by try to convince someone to consider another profession!! If that person still wants to push ahead with a sound design career in the face of all these obstacles, then they are probably the right person for the job!!
MASA: What do you think makes awards like these important for the sound community?
ANDY: Like any awards being recognised by your peers is an honour. I think with sound in particular there is a long history of under recognition. In the world of the moving image we have always played second fiddle to most of the visual team, from cameramen, art directors, the VFX team – the list goes on! Not to be too curmudgeonly, but in a world where all the best directors know that sound is at least 50% of the viewing experience, us guys on the sound side have almost always been under appreciated by the wider public and much of the legacy industry too. So your awards go some way to address this 🙂
MASA: When judging this year’s entries, what key qualities will you be looking for in standout sound design?
ANDY: My overriding metric will be how additive the soundtrack / sound design is to the narrative of the film. Any instances of really original work or unusual approaches will always be something I’ll be looking out for. I love a more unconventional approach to sound work, as much of today’s output can be rather generic. Though I understand this is usually because our clients are too conservative and risk averse and the subject matter can be a bit self limiting, but I think there is a well established, often expected, sound design vocabulary especially in advertising, so any work that has something a bit different will likely score higher with me.
MASA: Thank you, Andy, for giving us a glimpse into the thinking behind great sound design and the passion that’s driven your career. We’re very grateful to have your experience and creative ear helping to recognise this year’s outstanding work.