PopHorror Let's Get Scared
In this interview with PopHorror, composer Jay Wadley discusses his approach to scoring Heart Eyes, a unique blend of rom-com, horror, and comedy (our review). Directed by Josh Ruben, the film stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, and Jordana Brewster. For a composer, Heart Eyes presents a distinctive challenge in balancing its tonal shifts.
Wadley shares insights into his inspirations, musical techniques, and the experimental sounds that shaped the film’s score. He also reflects on his favorite horror-comedy films and the influence of legendary composers like Bernard Herrmann, Christopher Young, and Krzysztof Penderecki.
[NOTE: This interview was edited for grammatical clarity.]Interview with Heart Eyes Composer Jay Wadley
PopHorror: So Heart Eyes blends rom-com, horror, and comedy, three usually different genres. How did you approach balancing those elements in the score?
Jay Wadley: Yeah, I mean, for the most part, we really just dealt with the horror and romance side of it.
Less like playing into the specifics of the comedy musically, but if you commit to those genres and really treat them seriously, then play with the way you intersperse them and the timing, you can create humorous moments. The way the timing works plays off the comedy in the actual film.
PopHorror: There’s a three-note motif that’s a key part of the score. How did that evolve throughout the film?
Jay Wadley: I think it was just trying to find something that had a little bit of an eerie, earworm kind of feel that could be blown out into a million different types of tones. It’s nice to have something simple and paired back that you can run with. I could take that and convert it into something mysterious, or create a stalking theme out of it, or some sort of big brass bombastic call for Heart Eyes. Just trying to find something that felt eerie and then developing that.
Eeriness in Heart Eyes (and Penderecki Appreciation)
PopHorror: Alright, and you’ve cited Bernard Herrmann, Christopher Young, and Krzysztof Penderecki as inspirations. How did they influence your approach to this score?
Jay Wadley: A lot of the references that Josh gave me initially were traditional slashers from the 90s that he grew up with. That was a big reference when we were getting started in trying to figure out the sound of the film. Obviously, Chris Young has done a ton of great horror films. The Herrmann stuff is so iconic and classic.
Herrmann leans more into classical tradition, but then Penderecki is a concert composer that I studied and loved growing up. When I was studying concert music composition, I employed his aleatoric techniques and graphic notation—things that a lot of horror composers have borrowed from. His language established in concert music is something I wanted to study and learn from directly. I like to go back to the source. I incorporated a lot of different elements from different traditions into this score.
PopHorror: Yeah, like the screeching violins in Psycho. That’s so influential. That’s like the quintessential horror sound when a villainous act is occurring. As far as Krzysztof goes, I can say I was probably the only person in my high school who had more than one of his CDs.
[We discussed our favorite Penderecki compositions, and I said the following is my favorite collection of his works]PopHorror: It’s like an assortment of some of his great pieces. I’m always appreciative of…
Jay Wadley: Yeah, it’s brilliant. The colors he was able to create and the techniques he pioneered are pretty incredible.
PopHorror: He actually has a badass piece for solo tuba. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard that one. That one’s pretty funny. You should look that one up. I haven’t listened to it in a while myself. It’s pretty fun.
How often do you hear solo tuba pieces? Anyway, I better move on…
Love Theme
PopHorror: The love theme for Allie and Jay is about them struggling to find space amidst the chaos. What musical techniques did you use to reflect their romantic journey?
Jay Wadley: That was one of the harder cues to nail towards the end of the film. The tone of the love theme and how we were going to land in the right place took a couple of tries. We wanted the love story to be equally convincing. Their performances are great, so that definitely helps. It could have been easily spoiled by music that tried too hard or was too sappy.
Trying to find a melodic and harmonic language that lent a sense of authenticity to their love story and then backtracking to seed it along the way as they’re getting chased and constantly interrupted. Bringing that in during small moments where it feels like they might finally connect, but it doesn’t quite happen because they always get interrupted by Heart Eyes.
Horror Comedies
PopHorror: What are some of your favorite horror-comedy movies? Because I have to admit I didn’t see this movie yet. I did listen to the score last night, but what are some of your favorites?
Jay Wadley: I think Shaun of the Dead is one of my tops. I also loved Werewolves Within, which was great—Josh’s previous movie.
PopHorror: Your past work includes psychological thrillers, historical dramas, and more serious narratives. Did any of these experiences inform your approach to Heart Eyes?
Jay Wadley: Yeah, those certainly helped with my ability to handle the more dramatic and romantic side of things.
With scoring, you learn new things along the way — processes, orchestration, or whatever. So I think just being able to manage a large workload and a lot of music in a short amount of time, producing it at a high level, it’s more of the tactical side of it that I would say really prepared me on this stuff.
On the horror side, this is the first time I’ve done something this specific with references to 90s slashers. I tried to incorporate that language and bring it into something more produced and modern while still feeling like an homage to the ’90s. Over time, I’ve collected techniques and a wealth of knowledge in production style to pull something like this together.
Unconventionally Speaking
PopHorror: What instruments or unconventional sounds did you experiment with for the eerie or suspenseful textures in this movie?
Jay Wadley: Mostly experimental techniques with the strings and brass—aleatoric stuff. I worked with a violinist to refine specific string techniques and get the right sounds.
I also did a ton of synth work, but it’s all folded in, so it feels pretty organic—pulses and textures behind everything.
One interesting sound was a bowed bass kalimba. I also used a Marvin by Morph Beats, which is a metal, spaceship-looking thing with springs and metal pieces. You can bow or strike it to get wild sounds.
PopHorror: I think I’ve watched a YouTube video about that. There’s a lot of interesting stuff that can be done with it. You don’t see those in a music store typically. Where do you even get them?
Jay Wadley: It’s a producer and instrument maker called Morph Beats. They create different metallic instruments you can use on drums or independently. Some are tuned like a glockenspiel or marimba, but with separate metal pieces in a keyboard fashion. They make all types of cool things to experiment with.
The Film’s Finale
PopHorror: The film’s finale is described as action-packed and intricately scored. What were the biggest challenges in crafting music for that sequence—without spoiling?
Jay Wadley: There’s so much that happens in that last sequence—it’s almost 20 minutes long. You get rom-com, mystery, reveals, romance, fight sequences, flashbacks—it’s constantly switching on a dime.
Stringing together that many back-to-back pieces of music that change in tone while keeping it cohesive and maintaining continuity is a challenge. But such a fun one.
PopHorror: If you could describe the Heart Eyes score in three words, what would they be?
Jay Wadley: Violent, romantic, and fun.
PopHorror: Any final thoughts?
Jay Wadley: No, I’m stoked for the album to come out. It’ll be out this Friday (Valentine’s Day) on Lakeshore Records. I hope you enjoy the melody.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Jay! Heart Eyes is in theaters now.
