Paul Leonard-Morgan On Building the Sweeping Love Theme for Hawk and Tim for ‘Fellow Travelers’

More than any other form of media, music can tap into our hearts in the sneakiest way. You get chills when you hear a song you danced to at your wedding or you might tear up when a song reminds you of a beloved family member who has passed on. For a love story like Showtime’s Fellow Travelers, the score is a mixture of desire and danger to represent the men and women who broke their own hearts as much as they broke the hearts of others. Composer Paul Leonard-Morgan’s work is one of my favorites of the year. It dances in the face of those bent to destroy something pure and hopeful.

If you could not show affection for the one you love, you learn to hide the deepest parts of yourself. Leonard-Morgan’s score is brimming with that truth trying to poke through. In the track titled ‘Hawk,’ the notes are quick and elusive and echo the main title theme. It’s almost as if the notes are dropping like rain, and we cannot catch them quick enough. The notes fear staying on the keys for too long in case they get caught. In a way, Leonard-Morgan’s writing sounds like the racing heartbeat as someone cruises.

‘Forbidden Joy’ might be the most tender slice of music. The piano keys are gentle and angelic, like a lover whispering a truth in your ear. When the strings enter, you worry that feeling will disappear and you realize how desperate you are to cling to that feeling. The cue is short, so make the most of that feeling, dear Hawk, Tim, Marcus and Frankie. ‘Next to Tim’ might be my personal favorite. It recalls main movements of the score, and it serves as the real romantic thesis of the series.

Leonard-Morgan’s writing taps into the emotionality of characters who are not allowed to live their lives as they want to. This is unbelievably moving music, and any character would be honored to have this composer write the truths of their heart.

Fellow Travelers is streaming now on Paramount+.