The Holdovers (soundtrack)

Background

Mark Orton, a member of the group Tin Hat, composed the film's score; he had previously worked with Payne on Nebraska. Payne visited Orton at his studio in Portland, Oregon to discuss the film's music and its 1970s setting, leading them to research period instruments and equipment, avoiding modern ones for the music and sound design. Payne wanted the sound design to match the mono audio format of the 1970s rather than Dolby Atmos, and certain instruments invented during that era, such as the Wurlitzer electronic piano, Gibson Les Paul guitar, Fender Telecaster, Fender amplifier, MIDI, Neve 8078, and Telefunken consoles, were used.

Orton also employed pump organs, cimbaloms, and bells for sonic texture. During their discussion, Orton wrote a suite of songs focusing on the film's aesthetics, with about one-third included in the film. They noted influences from Carole King's album Tapestry and the Hal Ashby film Harold and Maude. Orton felt the score never leads the emotions, comedy, or drama but supports the characters' intentions.

The Christmas and holiday elements appear early in the film, before the plot narrows to three main characters, after which the score broadens in a comedic approach. Orton used sleigh bells, chamber music, triangles, block bells, and metallic percussion to evoke Christmas music. The opening choir rehearsal scene was performed by an actual boys choir from London. Matt Aberle served as music supervisor, and Richard Ford as music editor; they collaborated with Orton to select pop music based on the 1970s.

The film shifts into a road drama, influencing the score to provide tension and seriousness. The track "Into the Unknown" is a re-iteration of the first cue Orton composed, which was sparser and slightly acoustic; it is one of the main themes, appearing at small moments of redemption or slight bits of resolve.

Reception

Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood called the score "wonderful," adding that it "sets the tone with a Fred Karlin-ish vibe." Jericho Tadeo of MovieWeb described it as "an impeccable score from Mark Orton that brings a modern vibe to 70s sounds." Barry Levitt of /Film wrote that the score is "lovely and never cloying, assisting emotional beats without being overbearing." In December 2023, the score was shortlisted for Best Original Score at the 96th Academy Awards.