Composer Nathan Whitehead and the music of Days Gone

We chat with Composer Nathan Whitehead (The Purge, Keanu) about his recent work on the PS4 exclusive video game, DAYS GONE from Sony Bend Studio. We discuss his move from East Tennessee to Los Angeles, early mentors including Supervising Sound Editor Dane Davis and Composer Steve Jablonsky and creating the sound of a post-apocalyptic wilderness setting.

ABOUT DAYS GONE:

At its core, Days Gone is about survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love – and hope. It’s about how even when confronted with such enormous tragedy they find a reason to live. Hope never dies. You play as Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter, traveling through vast and diverse landscapes in the high desert of the Pacific Northwest. In a narrative that begins two years after a global pandemic, Deacon is facing a brutal struggle for survival in hostile environments filled with infected humans and animals known as Freakers. The threats in Days Gone are dynamic and change with extreme weather and time of day. Trails become muddy in the rain, Freakers become stronger in the snow and more numerous at night, and day brings more ambushes from marauders. Players must consider these variables for each encounter to strategize their approach at each attempt. Many different items and weapons can be crafted using items found in the field, including brutal melee weapons and traps. Customizable weapons and skills offer true freedom in how the game is played.

ABOUT NATHAN WHITEHEAD:

Nathan Whitehead’s work as a composer, arranger, and producer spans genres from the comedies Keanu and Killing Hasselhoff to the action thrillers The Purge: Election Year and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Recently, he completed scoring the feature films Beyond Skyline and Akiva Goldsman’s Stephanie. As a kid in East Tennessee, Nathan rode a sweet bike while replaying the theme from Airwolf in his head. The world was full of excitement and possibility. Somewhere along these quixotic after-school adventures emerged a nascent thought– music can take you on a journey. Nathan has been committed to this journey ever since. Writing scores for film, TV, and video game projects, Nathan is continually excited to see where the journey leads. Today, Nathan lives with his wife in Los Angeles and continues to ride a sweet bike.