Mark Hadley is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work lives at the intersection of the synthetic and the organic, evoking mystery, wonder, and awe through a mesmerizing mix of electronic and analog elements. Rich with subtle movement and harmonic intricacy, his film scores (and his solo work, released under the moniker Hark Madley) run the gamut from textured ambient soundscapes to industrial minimalism, often dealing with cataclysm and the threatening realities of modern life, all while retaining an eternal optimism rooted in deep compassion and empathy.

A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Hadley got his start working for composer Gabriel Mann on television series like ABC’s Modern Family and Twisted (which earned him an ASCAP Film & Television Music award) while at the same time racking up tens of millions of streams with his indie-pop group, More Giraffes, which recorded a series of widely praised singles and EPs. Hadley has since gone on to soundtrack releases from major studios and brands like Apple, Netflix, Showtime, Hulu, Amazon, A24, the NBA, and Lexus, in addition to composing focus music for the popular mental health app Headspace.

In 2020, Hadley launched his own boutique commercial music library, Repository, and released his full-length Hark Madley debut, The Future Is The Question!, which landed a spot in Apple’s official iPhone 12 Pro launch film. That same year, he composed scores for the supernatural horror thriller Double Walker and Blumhouse’s Into The Dark: My Valentine. In 2022, Hadley was tapped to score the feature film Linoleum, which starred Jim Gaffigan and premiered at SXSW, and made his orchestral concert debut with the National Orchestra of Costa Rica, conducting an original symphonic work titled “33.”

In 2023, Hadley released a solo EP called Joy, with an accompanying short film created in collaboration with award-winning Japanese-English animator Kohana Wilson, which captures the composer at his most adventurous and experimental, celebrating the liberating power of art with a gleeful sonic collage inspired by the simple pleasures of uninhibited creativity. The opening track, Welcome To Joy, was selected by Apple as the soundtrack and sonic ID for the launch of Apple Intelligence.

Hadley’s latest release, 2024’s Landscapes, further develops his voice and explores a cinematic coalescence of strings, woodwinds, piano and synthesized textures. Landscapes was influenced by his time spent immersed in nature–in particular, that final moment at the end of a long hike, sitting on the summit of a mountain and admiring a beautiful vista.

Originally from Rochester, NY, Hadley currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, where he continues to compose and produce original music for film and other visual media in addition to regularly recording and performing as Hark Madley.

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photo by kyle berzle