Welcome to another of the continuing series of film, TV and video game composer interviews on CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO.
Today Jason Drury chats with composer Paul Mills.
Born in West Texas, Mills spent the early days of his career in the studios of Music Row, producing and recording artists like The Imperials, Wayne Watson, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Twila Paris, and Newsong. Over those industrious ten-plus years, Paul’s production efforts helped to craft a staggering 40 #1 singles. He also produced and co-created the highly successful album/concert series, “The Young Messiah,” an annual Christmas tour boasting a variety of talented artists.
The accumulation of such a wide range of accomplishments earned this busy musician his first-ever GMA nomination for Producer of the Year early in his career. Since that accolade, others have been added to the list including American Songwriter Magazine’s ‘Christian Producer of the Year,’ Best Score at the Gideon Film Festival, and multiple Platinum and Gold-selling albums and compilations.
Through his work as a producer, Paul was led to filmmakers The Erwin Brothers where he produced music for the Roadside Attractions music biopic I Can Only Imagine starring Dennis Quaid.
Some of Paul’s other film credits include the critically acclaimed WOODLAWN starring Sean Austin, AGAINST THE SUN starring Garret Dillahunt, Tom Felton, and Jake Abel, KILL THE MAN starring Luke Wilson and Joshua Malina and STILL BREATHING starring Brendan Fraser and Joanna Going, among others.
In September 2019, Jason Drury talked to Mills via skype at his home in Texas about his latest score to OVERCOMER, his collaborations with the Kendrick and Erwin Brothers and his career in film music in general.
Also during the show, you will be hearing music from the fore-mentioned OVERCOMER and also some of Paul’s other memorable scores.
“Overcomer” follows the story of high school basketball coach John Harrison (played by Alex Kendrick) and his team as they face an uncertain future when their town’s largest manufacturing plant shuts down unexpectedly. As hundreds of people move away, John reluctantly agrees to coach cross-country. His outlook soon changes when he meets Hannah Scott (newcomer Aryn Wright-Thompson), a runner who pushes herself to the limit for the biggest race of her life.
The film marks the anticipated return of filmmakers and brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick after their #1 box-office hit “War Room”, and their second collaboration with Multi-award winning composer and producer Paul Mills.
