Scoring the Machine: A Conversation with Amanda Jones

Tony zoomed with Amanda Jones—Emmy winner, Emmy nominee, and one of the most inventive composers working in genre storytelling today—to dive into her electrifying score for Murderbot. Known for her ability to fuse synth, orchestra, and rock instrumentation into a seamless emotional engine, Jones breaks down how she built the sonic identity of one of sci‑fi’s most beloved antiheroes.

This conversation is equal parts craft, curiosity, and pure creative joy.

INSIDE THE SCORE WHAT WE EXPLORE

• Hybrid Sound Design — Jones explains how she blends analog synths, orchestral textures, and gritty rock elements to mirror Murderbot’s internal contradictions

• Driving Cues — You dig into her signature rhythmic propulsion, and she reveals how she intentionally slows things down mid‑cue to let tension breathe, giving listeners a moment inside Murderbot’s thought process.

• Sanctuary Moon — Jones walks you through composing the theme for Sanctuary Moon, the gloriously cheesy in‑universe TV show Murderbot is obsessed with. She shares how she leaned into melodrama, camp, and over-the-top musical tropes to make it feel perfectly, hilariously bad—in the best way.

• Synth as Storytelling — Jones describes how the synth became the backbone of the series’ musical language, allowing her to express Murderbot’s emotional distance, digital interiority, and evolving humanity.

• Her Creative Process — From early sketches to final mixes, she breaks down how she approaches character-driven scoring, why experimentation matters, and how she keeps the music grounded even when the world is futuristic.Jones continues to expand her footprint across film and television, bringing her genre‑blending style to new projects and collaborations. Her recent work highlights her versatility and her ability to move fluidly between drama, sci‑fi, comedy, and documentary storytelling.

Amanda Jones continues to expand her footprint across film and television, bringing her genre‑blending style to new projects and collaborations. Her recent work highlights her versatility and her ability to move fluidly between drama, sci‑fi, comedy, and documentary storytelling. SAVE 17% ON PLUS