Man behind movie music in LA is shielding at his Yorkshire home
A YORKSHIREMAN who has worked on the musical scores for the new Sonic the Hedgehog film and Netflix’s White Lines has since been composing from his home in Leeds.
Jarrod Royles-Atkins, 26, had to frantically return home from his new life in Los Angeles – where he worked under the composer Junkie XL – when coronavirus broke out as he has a kidney condition that puts him at a higher risk.
The former Leeds College of Music student has been shielding at the family home in Rawdon, Leeds, since March but continues to make music for the screen.
He participated in the first version of Grammy-nominated producer and composer Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenborg’s SCORE Academy, which teaches young people about the world of film scoring.
After being selected from thousands of people for a place on the course, Mr Royles-Atkins bagged a job with the producer alongside his now writing partner, Shwan Askari, from Switzerland.
This meant moving to Los Angeles in October 2018, a major step for a young man who had never lived outside Leeds.
As part of his job, he has undertaken synth programming for this year’s Sonic the Hedgehog film and 2019’s Terminator: Dark
Fate, while also writing additional music for White Lines, the Netflix series.
But around a year ago he was diagnosed with the kidney condition Minimal Change Disease.
He developed heavy swelling in his legs and was mystified what the issue was. “I put on about three of four stone in water weight,” he said
Once diagnosed, Mr Royles-Atkins was prescribed the steroid prednisolone – its UK name – to aid his condition.
But the medication lowers the activity of the immune system, meaning he is extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, so he decided to fly home from a “rammed” LAX airport.
Since then, although he says his diagnosis was “a relief ” compared to other conditions, he has been working from his studio in Rawdon while still on steroids.
Come August 1, his time indoors is due to end, when he finishes shielding.