Soundtracking with Edith Bowman 588: Tom Harper On The Music Of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Mar 9, 2026
Tom Harper, film and television director best known for his work on Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, discusses returning to Tommy Shelby’s world. He talks about the show’s bold anachronistic music, collaborating with Antony Genn, Martin Slattery and Fontaines D.C., and how songs, score and performances blur together. He also covers using music on set, Cillian Murphy’s musical influence, and reworking iconic tracks for a wartime film.
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Anachronistic Music Defined Peaky’s Modern Tone
- Anachronistic music became a defining, modernizing device for Peaky Blinders' tone.
- Tom Harper says the punk, irreverent use of contemporary music helped connect human emotions across time and made the show feel iconoclastic.
Blurring The Line Between Score And Soundtrack
- Peaky Blinders blurs score and soundtrack boundaries so viewers can't always tell where score ends and songs begin.
- Harper highlights covers, new artist songs, and score performed by the same musicians as deliberate blending choices.
Use Music Iteratively During Production
- Use music early and iteratively: play composer's pieces on set and send rushes back to evolve score with filming.
- Harper describes this back-and-forth where music informed performances and edits informed new compositions.