Sam Amidon coached Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor to sing in The History of Sound

Sam Amidon was brought into The History of Sound as the music adviser and singing coach, working particularly with Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor on the film’s folk music. Amidon, who grew up in New England with parents who were folk educators and now lives in London, said the film’s musical world matched his own.

Ben Shattuck, who wrote the original short stories and the screenplay, compiled a playlist of period and traditional recordings; Amidon pointed the actors to era singers such as Almeda Riddle and to songs from the British Isles and Appalachian traditions. The actors learned quickly: Mescal’s Irish background and O’Connor’s experience in musical theatre and choirs helped, but Amidon said they had to appear as if they’d been singing their whole lives within about three weeks.

The cast’s vocals were recorded live on camera, and Amidon ran hour-long sessions in a shed-studio at the bottom of his garden to find natural, emotionally connected sounds. Pre-recordings were made in New York as references and the actors engaged as musicians — O’Connor on piano, Mescal contributing harmonies and connecting with songs such as Silver Dagger.

Amidon said some cast and crew attended his gigs; his mother sang a Watersons song to Mescal backstage, and composer Oliver Coates used an arrangement by Amidon's father, Peter Amidon, in an Oxford choir scene. Amidon's father died in October and saw the film not long before.

Key Topics

Culture, Sam Amidon, Paul Mescal, Josh O'connor, Ben Shattuck, Almeda Riddle