Wes Hughes
composer
Wes Hughes (he/him) is an award-winning composer based in Los Angeles, who writes music inspired by the old school Hollywood sound of greats like Bernard Hermann, paired with modern pop techniques of producers like Finneas O’Connell.
A highly inventive multi-instrumentalist, Hughes frequently performs on his scores using unconventional homemade sounds. Often times a film will require a truly unique acoustic palette to appropriately express its voice. Wes has sculpted ambient soundscapes out of "chopped and screwed" harmonicas, made horror noises out of bowed tanpuras and mason jars, shaped hip hop beats out of a Nikon camera, and had many other adventures in the name of showcasing the distinct personalities of his collaborators' work.
While versed in many genres, Hughes’ artistic approach particularly lends itself to horror. He scored Bishal Dutta’s It Lives Inside (Neon / QC Entertainment), which won the audience award at its SXSW premiere. Raves critic Matt Konopka,
“[It Lives Inside] is assisted by one of the most chilling scores I’ve heard all year by composer Wesley Hughes. Each note gives the sensation of a claw pricking at the skin, like something tasting the flesh to see if you’re worth eating or not. If Hughes isn’t nominated in Fangoria’s Chainsaw Awards, we riot.”
Recent credits include Leah Bleich’s upcoming The Moon and Back (Grindstone), starring Nat Faxon, Missi Pyle, Isabel May; Kenny Yates’ ReBroken, starring Tobin Bell & Scott Hamm Duenas; and Kipp Tribble’s Evil at the Door starring Bruce Davison & John James. Wes also served as score producer for Matthew Gentile’s American Murderer (Lionsgate / Saban), starring Tom Pelphrey, Idina Menzel, & Ryan Phillippe, which won best music at the Boston International Film Festival.
Originally from Medfield, Massachusetts, Wes has earned music degrees from Hamilton College and Berklee College of Music. He spends all of his free time hiking, baking, and tracking down the best pizza in LA.
He is currently in production for his debut solo album, “Beneath the Cellar,” to be released in 2024.
