TV acts as an escape from reality for viewers for a brief time, dramas in particular allow the audience to get lost in the suspense, action, and captivating storylines. But to bring that to life, they need an additional element to keep them hooked; that’s where the composers come in. Berenice Scott has done just that with her contributions to plenty of dramas, with her latest work on the BBC drama ‘Vigil’ starring Suzanne Jones.
Alongside her multi-talents in composing, she’s recently released a catalogue of recreated songs by Joni Mitchell. The renowned singer, known for her beautiful melodies and soulful voice has allowed listeners to submerge themselves in a variety of emotions. Berenice has captured the same essence as Joni, with her new album, ‘A Joni Kind of Mood,’ acting as a collection of love letters and inspiration that has allowed her to seek a place of comfort, something Berenice coins as her therapy.
Music is a powerful tool for us all; it allows us to be swept up in the complexities of emotion and storytelling and gives us our source of solace. When she’s not creating, Berenice is out on the road touring with a whole host of incredible artists. This January, she will put on her solo show in which she aims to create an intimate experience by performing tracks from her new album. We got to talk about the wonders of music, her composing strategy, and, of course, her love for Joni Mitchell.
In November, you recently released your new album, ‘A Joni Kind of Mood.’ What made you choose the title and influenced you to create an album with various re-interpretations of Joni Mitchell’s songs?
Berenice Scott: The name just came into my head when I was thinking about and listening to her work as I was formulating how to put this project together. It came about after a particular period in my life when I had been practically mainlining the Joni Mitchell catalogue! I found myself needing her incredible art as therapy, and it truly was.
It acts as a great collection of her work, and with an extensive catalogue such as hers where did you begin to narrow down which ones to feature?
Berenice Scott: That’s wonderful to hear, thank you so much. Yes, it was a pretty long process! When I was thinking about it at the start I chose quite a large selection to listen to which stemmed from my favourites that I’d listened to a lot; Hejira being the first record. Then I just tried to follow each one with another that carried on the story, if that makes sense. To be honest I could continue forever working through her beautiful poetry and music, it’s a true joy and challenge in equal measures.
The first single, Hejira, from the album, is beautifully done, and your vocals are wonderful. Can you tell us about the recording process and its challenges?
Berenice Scott: Wow thank you, I appreciate that! I start by listening to the song a lot and in a different way than when I’m listening as a ‘music listener’. Her phrasing is incredibly unique and that coupled with the emotion of her delivery makes it a total 360 excavation. In terms of the instrumental side, these things move and change constantly until I just feel like it’s kind of where I want it to sit. You have to stop somewhere when it comes to the recording process I guess!
The new album seems to act more as a love letter than a tribute to Joni Mitchell. Did Joni Mitchell influence your vocal style? I noticed some similarities in the way you both convey the intended emotion in songs like ‘Both Sides Now’, and by the use of excellent control of your vocal range.
Berenice Scott: I really love your description of the album acting as more of a love letter than a Joni Mitchell tribute… I never thought of it like that, but deep down I think this is a very apt observation. I think that I always want to be true to her melodic top line and delivery, that to me is very important. Whether she has been an influence on my vocal style is something I wouldn’t really know for sure as I didn’t listen to her extensively until my late 20s and by that point, I’d been singing and developing for quite a while – I started at 7 with classical competitions and things like that due to my home environment being heavily musically driven and also the particular school I went to which were very arts-driven also.
Besides Joni Mitchell, growing up, were there any other artists in particular who influenced your music journey?
Berenice Scott: In terms of female singers and singer/songwriters my favourites that I was drawn to were artists such as Karen Carpenter, Dusty Springfield, and Chaka Khan. I loved the writing of Burt Bacharach and I was a huge Prince fan.
When did you realize that singing was your passion and that it was the only thing you wanted to do? Do you have any advice for creatives on staying motivated and believing in their talents?
Berenice Scott: I think it’s just a case that I’ve always sung and never thought of not singing but at the same time it’s not something I’ve ever put in the same equation with as ‘monetisation’, you know what I mean? First and foremost it’s a heart and soul thing, sounds trippy but it’s true for me.
You’ve had your music appear as soundtracks to many shows such as ‘Vigil,’ ‘Liar,’ and ITV’s ‘The Suspect.’ How do you compose music for these shows? For example, Butterfly on the Vigil is captivating but serene. What are the first steps to writing a score for shows?
Berenice Scott: Reading a script is the first deep insight into a show or film, there you can get a good grasp on the characters and the story arc, which then is embellished by the director’s desires for the production. I enjoy that very much hearing what the particular director wants and how they hear the flow of the music is hugely important. When you start seeing the first rushes it’s an exciting step.
How does writing for shows differ from singing and creating your songs, and what would be your dream TV show to compose music for?
Berenice Scott: For me, the main difference is that you are trying to fulfill and achieve a whole team’s vision, not just your own – as is the case when you’re writing your own songs for yourself personally.
Having been on tour with huge artists such as Simple Minds, and working with many artists throughout your career, what’s been the most memorable performance to date?
Berenice Scott: One that particularly sticks out in my mind is the David Bowie celebration concerts I was a part of with Tony Visconti’s Holy Holy in New York. As the house band for the shows, we played Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall with a host of other bands and artists including Blondie, Mumford & Sons, and Rickie Lee Jones to name a few. It was hugely emotional and just incredible to be a part of Tony Visconti’s history with David Bowie and his work is a legacy that was wonderful to see being celebrated.
You’ve got an upcoming show in January, how do you decide which songs to perform for shows? What can people expect from those coming to a Berenice Scott show?
Berenice Scott: It’s an evolving thing but eventually I settled on the outline for the show, it’s definitely going to be intimate. I can’t wait!
What was your biggest achievement in 2023?
Berenice Scott: Having the time to complete and see the release of ‘A Joni Kind of Mood’ has been an epic journey that I just cannot wait to continue. I feel extremely grateful to have the support I do from my loved ones and close colleagues, without them I couldn’t have made this in the way that I ultimately wanted to.
Finally, what do you hope to achieve in 2024?
Berenice Scott: Ah! I have a couple of things brewing, from different aspects of life. Mostly I hope to continue where I left off last night at midnight on New Year’s Eve! Thank you so much.
