Music Supervisor
Website: 45rpm.film/music-supervisors/catherine-grieves
Most recent: Baby Reindeer
Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Catherine Grieves, music supervisor behind the thriller series Baby Reindeer and Killing Eve, grew up with a particular passion for film music. She pursued sound engineering and music in college, which placed her in a gig at a London music supervision and composing agency, which led to a full-time job and assisting on films like Les Miserablés and The Inbetweeners Movie. “I really loved the combination of skills involved in the job, both creative and logistical, while being immersed in music every day,” Grieves says.
Grieves says a large part of the appeal of music supervision is exploring new music to support a director’s vision. “I love getting lost down rabbit holes of new artists or genres and finding lesser-known gems. It’s a great feeling when a director or showrunner is on your creative wavelength from the start. Once you unlock that trust in each other’s taste, it can be a really fun process,” she says. “Sometimes my personal taste differs from the direction that a director wants to take. In those circumstances, it’s about supporting their vision, and choosing my battles of where to try and move away from certain songs. Music is so subjective, you have to have a broad taste and be open to everything.”
Having received multiple awards and nominations, Grieves credits her skills to adaptability. “As a music supervisor, it’s our job to support the project creatively, guiding the music direction and collaborating with the directors and showrunners to find a musical identity,” she says. “It’s also our job to make sure that the producers have all the rights they require in all music, and ensuring that it’s within budget. Having the knowledge and experience to be able to navigate any issue, and the ability to collaborate and anticipate what the creative voices on a project are looking for in the music, makes for a good music supervisor.”
