The Reluctant Traveler

I was a fan of Eugene Levy from his appearances in Cristopher Guest films like Best in Show, as well as his star turn in Schitt’s Creek, so I was delighted to be asked to write the music for this eight part series for Apple TV+ in which Eugene travels the globe.

In early chats with the directors, editors and producers we discussed the fact that the music needed to walk a tightrope between the comedy (and awkwardness) of Eugene as a character, the wonder and beauty of the places he’s visiting, and the more profound human experiences he has along the way. Eugene is a genuinely funny man, but his discomfort when presented with new challenges is also genuine… and whereas most of us would absolutely kill for a holiday in the Maldives, his trepidation at the  prospect of sharks and other dangers in the water prevents him from relaxing even in those most idyllic surroundings.

I recorded the score with a live orchestra at Abbey Road One over several days in 2022, plus a couple of sessions at Angel Studios in London.  Each episode had it’s own flavour influenced by the location, but a strong central style and theme emerged quite early in the process and was woven through every episode.

I had invaluable help from my assistant, Gus Nicholson on this project. Other key members of my team were Alastair King (conductor), Paul Golding (music mixer), Gareth Griffiths (orchestral contractor), and many other fabulous soloists.

UPDATE (September 2023): I’m delighted to report that The Reluctant Traveler has been recommissioned for a second series and looking forward to finding out where Eugene will be exploring next!

UPDATE 2 (March 2024): Season two is out now on Apple TV!! Eugene treks around Europe in Season 2 and finds he is rather less reluctant to travel than he thought!