Jeff Russo on Scoring Alien Earth and What’s Made This His Most Defining Year
Every day for Jeff Russo begins with the slow ceremony of coffee, a ritual that’s part scientist, part sanctuary. “It’s the zen of making it,” Russo says, describing the hands-on grind, the deliberate two-minute pour over a Chemex. This act has become more than just a caffeine hit to start his day; it’s the threshold between news-fueled anxiety and the focus his scores demand. “It takes me out of the fact that I’ve read the news in the morning, which usually really stresses me out.” In that quiet, measured start, there’s the same care that threads through all of the soundtrack projects he’s part of: presence, intention and craft.
Buoyant with three “heavy lifts” of simultaneous projects, among them the four-year journey on FX’s Alien Earth, he’s kept energised not just by the scale of the work, but by where it carries him. Despite dozens of sessions at the iconic Abbey Road and AIR Studios, each visit still blooms with awe. “It’s like a dream come true… even though it’s now become a normal thing, I still shake my head. It’s a pinch-yourself kind of thing.” “I feel lucky every day to be doing this, honestly.”
“Working on Alien Earth over the last four years has really shifted how I look at trying to tell a story with the combination of sounds and music.”
For Russo, it’s not just coffee (despite our lengthy conversation on the subject) or, when I asked him what he can’t live without in his studio, and for the record, it’s a standing desk, it’s the guitar. Reclaimed after years of intentional distance. “I didn’t want to be known as the person who used a guitar in their scores,” he admits. Returning to it has brought small revelations, surfacing in Alien Earth, used to create the score for Netflix’s Untamed, and more. “I can go back to it, and it’s not reminiscent of what I did in my previous life. I think I finally feel far enough into my composing career to do that.” It’s a blend of muscle memory and new creative freedom, allowing him room for play and surprise at the outcomes. “I don’t want to limit myself to what I’ve done before,” he says.
Jeff Russo & Noah Hawley inside Abbey Road Studios / Credit: Dana Gonzalez / Alien Earth
Alien Earth, however, is the project that’s changed everything, not just workflow but Russo’s entire outlook on storytelling through score. “Working on Alien Earth over the last four years has really shifted how I look at trying to tell a story with the combination of sounds and music,” he explains. The boundary between sound design and score is porous; motifs reference Jerry Goldsmith’s echoplex-drenched horns, whole phrases run backwards or upside-down in nerdy homage to the originals. “The truly nerdy part is studying those first three movies, figuring out what they were doing to make the audience feel a certain way… and then doing something different to elicit the same feeling. How can I really create that dread and unease but make it my own?”
This depth of process isn’t solely technical finesse, and Russo points to a pivotal moment in the show where the tone and philosophy shifted entirely. After conversations with the show’s creator, Noah Hawley, the transformation was seeded in a scene where the children transition into the bodies of synths, a moment initially scored with Spielbergian wonder. “It was magical, wondrous. We were looking at it from the Spielberg way. But Noah called me one day and said, The idea of what they’re doing to these kids is actually quite evil and quite dark. Maybe we need to rethink the tonality of the score over this section.” Russo took this and immediately understood the weight of that insight. “It’s really important that we don’t make light of what these children are going through… So I made a total shift, all of a sudden, everything about the show became darker.”
It’s this kind of intuitive dialogue between composer and director that defines Russo’s long-standing partnership with Noah Hawley, a creative duo whose mutual understanding and aligned vision have brought a distinct emotional resonance and depth to every project they’ve worked on together. Their collaboration is a reminder that behind every great score lies not just solo brilliance, but a dynamic team whose shared insight shapes and enriches our experience as audiences.
“I feel far enough into my career to take risks and explore what feels right for the story.”
When we move onto the conversation of how it feels to be part of a wider community of people who follow the Alien franchise, Russo knows that with these large franchises, passion can be a double-edged sword. “There’s an equal amount of love and disdain,” he says. For every superfan who finds meaning in his musical nods, another laments the challenge of matching the original. “If everyone says, ‘Yeah, that sounds okay,’ it’s milk toast. It’s vanilla. And I don’t want that.” He’s learned the blur out the criticisms, focus on what feels authentic, and accept that subjectivity keeps music alive and debate vibrant.
This humility comes through in his reflections, and Russo describes a strange afterglow following the Alien Earth finale. “It’s thrilling, but also wistful… all of a sudden, it’s over. We spent years on this show, and then on one Tuesday in September, it’s finished.” The quiet transition from creative adrenaline to calm is palpable. Yet in that space, he finds reassurance in fans’ responses, especially those who feel something honest and new in his work. “I think we really embraced fans of the original movies, with a true eye on what had come before. But we went to a new world.”
The Blank Mag / AIR Studios
When asked for advice to the next generation, Russo’s response feels almost like a mantra. “Don’t look sideways. Don’t try to chase what’s popular. Having a voice and staying focused on our own vision is really important. He tempers this with an appreciation for collaboration, seeking support and insights from directors, producers, and musicians. “Finding someone supportive and complementary to what you’re trying to create musically, that’s the best part. I’m always open to that, to making the work better.”
As one of the most defining years in Jeff Russo’s career unfolds, marked by ambitious projects like Alien Earth, the breadth and depth of his musical world are clearer than ever. Yet, to spend time with Jeff—beyond the weight of these huge titles and commercial success—is to meet a deeply creative and personable artist whose mind is constantly whirling with what’s next and what’s current. The topics you explore in conversation could easily fill hours, especially when it comes to music… oh, and coffee.
