Chat with David Arnold: 30th Anniversary of Independence Day

Back in May 2025, my friend and David Arnold super-fan Brendan Anderson reached out to me with an idea of producing a podcast episode celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Roland Emmerich epic sci-fi-action film INDEPENDENCE DAY. In that message, he mentioned the possibility of interviewing David Arnold while on vacation in the UK that summer. On a personal note, we've been trying to get David Arnold on the show for years, so this was a great opportunity to finally make that dream a reality. I approved the premise, and I let Brandan do his thing.

To be totally honest, as the months went by, I totally forgot about the show until Brendan reached out again earlier this month, informing me that the show was almost complete! I couldn't begin to tell you how excited I was to read this news. Arnold's score is one of my all-time favourites, and to hear that Brendan actually secured an interview with the man was the icing on the cake.

Here is the completed show just in time for your Fourth of July celebrations!

SHOW NOTES

Brendan is a lifelong film music fan and media nerd. He received a music degree in college and also participated in the film scoring program at UCLA in Los Angeles. He’s enjoyed a long history of connecting with others in the film music fan community from all over the world, sharing a love of the genre that’s designed to make people feel something larger than life. Among his favorite scores are the big, thematic orchestral scores of the 90’s and early 2000’s and all the composers who created them. His ‘gateway’ into the world of film music was hearing John Williams’ incredible score for JURASSIC PARK in the theater as it played in all its glory during the film’s end credits.

Brendan’s favorite film composer is David Arnold for his ability to create strong, tuneful themes in the midst of huge orchestral textures—but he also admires Arnold’s adaptability as he perfectly blends modern elements of electronics, jazz and pop sounds. From his blockbuster scores of the 90’s to his incredible James Bond scores and his amazing concert music side quests for the Olympics, the Royal Albert Hall and beyond, the UK has truly found its modern musical master of ceremonies in David Arnold.

As the 30th anniversary of the score to INDEPENDENCE DAY approached, Brendan had the opportunity to sit down with David at his home base at Air Lyndhurst Studios in London in July 2025. Together, they took a look back at the influences that went into creating the score’s thematic elements, the role the music played in nailing the film’s tone, and even did a measure-by-measure deep dive into the film’s critical turning point and most famous musical cue: "The President’s Speech." Along the way, they also discussed the pros and cons of various cookies, what David's procrastination looked like while writing the score, and why his social media feeds often include pictures of odd garden statues.

Enjoy!

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