An Exclusive Conversation with Paul Salfen & Remington Rafael
Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
In Apple TV+’s thrilling adaptation of Martha Wells’ Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Murderbot Diaries, a self-hacking security construct who wants nothing more than solitude and futuristic soap operas finds itself protecting vulnerable humans while desperately hiding its own growing free will. The score that gives voice to this reluctant hero’s internal war — between cold efficiency and emerging humanity — comes from composer Amanda Jones. She reached for a temperamental Roland Juno 60 synth that “has a mind of its own,” layered in haunting textures from a traditional Korean instrument, and ultimately built to a glorious 50-piece orchestra. The result is one of the most distinctive and emotionally resonant soundtracks in recent sci-fi television.
During an exclusive, wide-ranging conversation with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen and Remington Rafael, Jones pulled back the curtain on the months-long creative process, the magic of scoring with green-screen footage, the surreal experience of working at Warner Bros., and the daily habits that keep her grounded in an industry — and an AI era — that rewards focus and authenticity above all.
The Juno 60 Connection: A Synth with a Soul
Jones had already devoured the first two books in Martha Wells’ series during the COVID era. When she saw the Variety announcement that Paul and Chris Weitz were bringing Murderbot to television, she didn’t hesitate. “I hit them up and I was like, I would love to do this.” What followed was a collaborative 6-to-8-month back-and-forth of sending ideas, testing textures, and evolving the sound together.
Early explorations included 70s Vince Guaraldi-style warmth (think Charlie Brown) and even Fela Kuti-inspired grooves, but the team ultimately returned to Jones’ original vision: rich, analog synth textures. The centerpiece instrument became her beloved Roland Juno 60. “I have a role in Juno 60 that I adore, and I wanted Murderbot to be his instrument, just because it’s a crazy synth that kind of has a mind of its own. And that parallels the journey of Murderbot in the story. It’s the crazy robot that has a mind of its own.”
In a world increasingly dominated by AI music tools like Suno, Jones sees the pendulum swinging back toward real human performance and live instrumentation. “People who have just been pouring themselves into their instruments — I think jazz is going to just keep getting more and more popular. People love seeing people do really awesome inversions and ideas and call them out… great performances.”
From Robotic Textures to Full Orchestral Catharsis
The score’s emotional arc mirrors Murderbot’s own journey. It begins with “more synthy and… synth robotic sort of feeling textures, metallic textures,” then gradually weaves in organic solo voices — cello, flute — before expanding into the full orchestra by the series’ end. “By the end of the series, it’s like full on… sounds like a junction with me,” Jones says with a smile.
For the high-frequency anxiety spikes that hit when Murderbot’s systems are overwhelmed, Jones reached into her personal library of recordings from a previous project: the Song Wan, a traditional Korean instrument. “Some of the more high frequency sounds that you hear when he’s experiencing like great anxiety. You hear that instrument coupled with synth to create this like crazy, bizarre sound that can mess with your eardrum a little bit.” The combination is unsettling in the best way — exactly what the character needed.
The 50-piece orchestra in full flight during scoring sessions for Murderbot at Warner Bros. Scoring Stage. (Production still)
Surreal Nights at Warner Bros. & Green-Screen Worm Battles
Recording the 50-piece orchestra at the iconic Warner Bros. scoring stage was a career highlight. “The players were… some of the same performers on like Star Wars. It’s like it was so crazy. I was like, ‘You guys are rock stars.’ It was an extraordinary experience.”
Jones worked from early cuts without visual effects, which forced her — and delighted her — to rely on pure imagination and the actors’ physical commitment. Episode 1’s massive worm battle sequence came with a simple brief: “go big.” What she saw on screen was actors on green screen, massive cranes swinging performers through the air, and stand-ins sprinting full speed to “pick up the actress” while a tiny reference square in the corner represented the creature. “And then you see Murderbot like shoot the worm. It’s just like a massive crane. He is just like sideways on this crane in the middle of the air going like this… this crane is going like just like flying around. It’s like, oh my gosh, this is so crazy in there.”
The experience reinforced her respect for actors and the theatrical roots of filmmaking. “It really goes back to basics. Like just like thinking about a theater and props and imagining things… The acting is just so great and I’m just right there with the imagination.” Directors Paul and Chris Weitz (American Pie films, The Golden Compass, and Jones’ previous collaboration Moving On with Lily Tomlin) brought a cinematic sensibility to the series. “It really felt like we were making a movie every, every episode.”
From Chemistry Dreams to the Scoring Chair
Jones’ path was anything but linear. She started piano at age three, clarinet at ten, and guitar at fifteen in a conservative family where STEM was the expected path (her brother pursued neuroscience). She initially planned to become a chemist. At Vassar, she made the terrifying leap to a full music major. “Scared my whole family when I graduated.”
After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, she toured with a psychedelic rock band (sharing stages with of Montreal and Deerhoof), took film-scoring refreshers at Berklee, interned at Hans Zimmer’s studio (five weeks) and Henry Jackman’s (five weeks), then landed a gig at John Powell’s studio during How to Train Your Dragon 2. A two-year A&R stint at Lionsgate — where her musical background was an asset — led to her current manager and agent. “It was a necessary pit stop,” she reflects.
Daily Discipline, Extreme Focus & No Plan B
Asked what she tells young artists looking up to her, Jones doesn’t offer fluff. “The most important thing is doing at least one thing every single day that puts you closer to whatever it is you’re trying to achieve… take it in like bite sized pieces… Everything takes time. Be gentle with yourself. But just definitely be diligent.”
She credits her upbringing with teaching extreme focus and time-blocking — skills that now serve her in hyper-competitive Hollywood. “I grew up in a household that was very much like very drilling, like put the blinders on like crazy focus… having extreme focus, extreme time blocking… go into hyper focused drive and just go back to it.” When the industry shifts, she advises creators to return to the systems that made them successful in the first place — exactly as Issa Rae has done by building directly with audiences on new platforms.
Her mantra is simple and powerful: “No one else needs to validate the feeling that you have inside of you and just follow it… You just have to go for it. Sounds so simple, but it’s not simple because it’s terrifying.” She and her successful peers share one trait: there was never a Plan B.
What’s Next: My New Friend Jim, Season 2 & The Band
Jones is currently wrapping the indie feature My New Friend Jim, a buddy-comedy vigilante story starring Rob Lowe and Keith David, produced by Sumerian Records founder Ash. She’s also deep into work on Murderbot Season 2. “We’re working on that right now… it’s going to be magical all over again.”
And yes — her band has an EP ready to go. After years of intensive scoring work, she’s itching to return to the stage. “I can’t wait to go back to like performing live.”
Recent screenings of the first two episodes in Los Angeles drew packed houses and enthusiastic Q&As with cast and crew. For Jones, who cut her teeth as a live performer, those shared, organic audience reactions are everything. “Just seeing experiencing it with an audience… it’s always like so fulfilling… the organic, cathartic experience of experiencing something together and reacting to it at the same time.”
Murderbot Season 1 is now streaming on Apple TV+. Whether you’re drawn to the sharp humor, the heartfelt exploration of what makes us human, or simply the thrill of a security construct who just wants to be left alone, Amanda Jones’ score is the perfect companion — equal parts unsettling, soaring, and deeply human. Watch it. Crank the volume. And keep an ear out for Season 2.
