Emmy-nominated composer Tom Howe brings emotional depth to the score of ‘Shrinking’ in its second season on Apple TV+.
“The cue I found hardest, but most rewarding, is in the last episode, actually,” Howe says of the cue that evolved the most during the season. “It’s a Thanksgiving cue and it’s about six and a half minutes long, which is a long cue for this series.”
In a conversation with Awards Focus, Emmy-nominated composer Tom Howe discusses his return to Shrinking for Season 2, exploring how the show’s emotional shifts shaped his approach to scoring. From the layered complexity of the Thanksgiving cue in the finale to creating music for Brett Goldstein’s new character, Howe offers insight into the balancing act between comedy and pathos. He also talks about working closely with the Doozer team, writing songs like “Cheetah Bitch” early in production, and the creative benefits of joining a project before any temp score is added.
‘Shrinking’ started as a comedy series where a grieving therapist, Jimmy (Jason Segel) breaks the rules and tells the blunt truth to his clients. In ignoring his own training and ethics, Jimmy starts changing people’s lives as well as his own. The series has certainly grown into a true ensemble comedy series where the writers have found the right balance between work and home life.
Created by Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel, ‘Shrinking’ stars Segel, Harrison Ford, Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley. Co-creator Brett Goldstein joined the cast in a recurring role.
Seasons 1-2 of ‘Shrinking’ are streaming on Apple TV+.
Awards Focus: It’s so good to see you again. How are you doing?
Tom Howe: Very well. Likewise, yeah. Thanks for making the time.
AF: Last time we spoke, you had three series all coming out around the same time. How did you approach the score for the second season of ‘Shrinking?‘
Howe: Well, I was lucky, actually. Obviously, I’ve got a good relationship with Doozer Productions and particularly with Music editor, music supervisors and the producers, I should say. I started early on it. Even before I had some footage—some of the things, like the “Cheetah Bitch” song that was featured, I did that back in March of this year, much earlier than I started doing the actual score.
But the thing that’s always nice about going into a second season on a show is that everything’s established in terms of, you have more freedom to go off and explore further thematic ideas, instrumentation, and push things a little bit further. I approached it in the same way, but just in the knowledge that I had the main tune. I could do rearrangements of that and also explore some other character themes. But the palette for the show, the vocals and the sound of it stayed very much the same.
AF: Does it make it easier when there’s already an established tone and everything?
Howe: Yeah, it does for me anyway. I find that’s the hardest thing, I think, the first time around, trying to come up with what does this show sound like and what makes it different from something else. And once you have that, it certainly makes it easier for me.
I remember someone saying on ‘Ted Lasso’ season 3—the last three episodes were all over 60 minutes long, with the last one being about 80 minutes long. It’s almost like a feature film. But I found it easier to write an 80-minute episode than I did to write episode one, even though there wasn’t much music in the first season.
Even though I have to physically do the work, I know when somebody comes on screen, I know which theme I’m gonna use. I know what instrumentation I’m gonna use because I’ve got so familiar with the process. It’s similar on this, really. I mean, a couple of times I’d get a note off Kip Kroeger or he’d give me, and I’d already addressed it and sent it back. We’d have a bit of a smiley face on it because I’m much more aware of what they need and what I should be doing. So yeah, it’s very helpful—certainly to me, anyway.
AF: Yeah. I’ve had a chance to binge through the entire second season. I’m honestly enjoying it more than the first one.
Howe: Yeah, I did too, actually. You get much more into other people. Liz and Derek and everybody, all the characters that you love from season one, they just get more development. I think, therefore, you invest more into those characters and you feel more when things go good and bad for them.
AF: I feel like ‘Shrinking’ has found the right balance between work and home life this season.
Howe: Yes. Yeah, there does seem to be, which I think is—I mean, that would be lovely if that was the case in real life for everybody, wouldn’t it? But yeah, it does. You have those scenes where they’re in the office doing their thing and then they’re all sitting around the pool having a glass of wine or whatever it is. The show is friendship and pulling people through experiences, good and bad. I think it does a brilliant job of that.
AF: Was there a cue that evolved the most during the composing process?
Howe: Yeah. The balancing act on the show is doing comedy and then doing emotion and trying not to make something over and also not trying to make something too funny.
The cue I found hardest, but most rewarding, is in the last episode, actually. It’s a Thanksgiving cue and it’s about six and a half minutes long, which is a long cue for this series. The reason why it’s so difficult is that there’s a lot of stuff going on on screen, but there’s not a lot of talking and the performances are fantastic.
You’ve got to tread that very fine balance between doing enough but not doing too much, if you know what I mean, so you don’t take away from the performance. I made some changes to that. I think I did about two or three versions where it stayed the same, but other bits changed. The end section of that, when Harrison is is talking, it’s very sparse. I was really pleased with how that turned out.
AF: The finale was one of my favorite episodes of the season.
Howe: Yeah, mine too.I think so, yeah. I’m on the same page as you.
AF: I had an opportunity to speak with Brett Goldstein and Ted McGinley, which segues into my next question. Brett is playing an entirely different character from Roy Kent. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this other side of Brett, let alone scoring for scenes with Louis compared to Roy Kent.
Howe: I know Brett. We’ve met in person many times and he’s a super talent. When I first saw him in this, I didn’t even realize it was him. Because after he shaved off—I was so used to seeing him with a beard and as Roy Kent and also with that deep voice.
Seeing him in this, he’s with neither of those. I just didn’t—I mean, I did quickly. But initially, I was just like, oh, who’s that? Oh my G-d. I had a definite moment.
The character Roy Kent is obviously got a lot of, he’s actually a very emotional person, I think, but he has an inability to be able to express that a lot of the time. But you see every now and then in ‘Ted Lasso,’ like when he said to Rebecca outside that restaurant, “You deserve somebody amazing.” Every now and then he would kind of say something that was very kind of profound.
I think in this, he’s obviously much more wounded and he wears his heart on his sleeve but in a way he has that same—the first time Charlie says to him, “Are you doing okay? “He’s outside. He goes, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. I’m good.” The same not wanting to kind of show his true feelings.
And then over time, obviously that’s broken down. I thought, yeah, he was a very interesting character to write for. And, again, in that last episode, I’ve got the sort of main Shrinking tune, but in a kind of minor variation as his day’s falling apart, really. I think that his performance was so good. Again, it was just that line of just not doing too much, really.
AF: When we last spoke, you mentioned how early that Bill Lawrence asked you to be involved and how it’s better to be in that position compared to joining later and receiving footage with a temp score. What are your overall feelings on temp scores?
Howe: Well, again, if there’s time. It’s just much better not to have one because well, there’s two problems. One is the main problem is people get used to it. And even though it may not be quite right, people have listened to it a lot as they’re watching cuts.
In this, obviously, I had a whole bank of music from season one, so in places people have temped with the music from season one. Obviously, I change things and do different themes, but that’s helpful because it’s the sound of the show.
But what can be very difficult is when someone sends you a cut of something and the temp score is just all over the place. You get—I don’t know—a scene where somebody’s looking for something and it’s not that dramatic, but they put in something that’s really dramatic and they’ve cut to it and it’s completely the wrong tone. You’ve then got to try and unwind that. I always think the earlier you can come on, the better.
It only in truth really happens to me on with stuff with Bill or on an animation movie, where I’m always brought on early on an animation, even sometimes before they have footage, if they’re storyboarding it with claymation or something.
But most of the stuff that’s drama-led, you come on and there is a temp score in place. If you’re short on time, it can be helpful in terms of getting an initial reaction to it. But if time is available and it’s possible, I prefer not to have one.
AF: Yeah. Speaking of animation, I saw where you’re involved with an animated film due out early 2025. (This interview was conducted in late 2024)
Howe: That’s right. Yeah, I’ve just done ‘Dogman’ for DreamWorks, which comes out in January, I think, in the US. Yeah, that was a lot of fun.
But that’s a good example. As I said, those are the exception. I’ve been on that film on and off. You’ll do a bit. You put it down for a bit. You pick it up. I started that in something like March 2023, a long time ago. As I said, you pick it up, put it down.
But it’s a lovely thing to be able to do that because you really get to know the filmmakers well and what they want. It’s the same on this stuff, with the things I’ve done with Bill and Doozer.
Being on early is always better. You just get those conversations going early and things like “Cheetah Bitch,” for example, that just wouldn’t happen unless you were there early on, because they need to film to that. If you haven’t done it already, they’ll use something else and then that opportunity is gone to have a stamp on it and make it really part of the show. I think early is best, if possible.
AF: Yeah. They had the bench here during the weekend after the season premiere.
Howe: Oh, wow. Nice.
AF: I went down to the Apple store for that, wearing my Raiders 40th and Indiana Jones hat because I’m like, Harrison Ford. Gotta wear it!
Howe: Yeah. Yeah. That’s still one of my—I went to the wrap party for season one. I was at the bar, I was ordering a drink, and then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and it was Harrison. And as you said, for me, that’s Indiana Jones.
And he said, I like the music, kid. I went, oh, my G-d, it’s amazing. I’s like the highlight of a—he’s so cool.
I think that his performance in last season, he was brilliant. I think but I’d be absolutely amazed if he doesn’t get noticed and nominated for this. I think he’s absolutely brilliant in it.
YAF: eah. His performance this year just blew me away even more than last year.
Howe: He’s a brilliant actor and he’s so versatile. But again, the way he can turn on the comedy stuff and the timing of it and then he can do emotion like that. It’s not an easy thing to do that.
AF: Yeah. And then Ted steals the show once again.
Howe: Yeah, it’s great.
AF: Alright. Thank you so much, and I look forward to chatting with you again for season three.
Howe: Likewise. I appreciate you making the time and I appreciate you watching the show. I mean, as I said, I love it and I’m really proud of it. I think everybody did a great job. Actors, the writers, the directors, the editors and everything. They all absolutely nailed it. Thank you.