Photo by Brandon M Young
Most recently known for scoring The Lesbian Bar Project (documentary series, Roku) and Mother/Android (feature film, Hulu) Michelle Birsky and Kevin Henthorn are a married, composing duo based in Los Angeles. Their music is contemporary and emotional, often incorporating found sounds and vocals, with influences from both classical composers and folk/pop musicians alike.
With years spent in the New York indie music scene, Michelle and Kevin bring a unique perspective to composition, drawing inspiration from composers like Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Nicholas Britell, as well as songwriters like Angel Olsen, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, and Bill Callahan. Michelle, a vocalist, producer, and electronic musician, and Kevin, an accomplished guitarist and vocalist, bridge their talents into a cohesive, well-rounded entity that creates emotionally-driven, electro-acoustic music.
The two have always had a strong interest in film scoring, but they came to it from different backgrounds. Michelle graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in music. Kevin graduated from the Film Conservatory at Purchase College. Michelle and Kevin met in Brooklyn in 2014 and for the majority of their 20’s they pursued their own musical projects; Michelle, a synth-pop artist project called Birch, and Kevin, a folk-rock project called Cape Francis. During that time, Michelle also focused on film composing, writing for sync and interning for esteemed composer Elliot Goldenthal, while Kevin worked as a freelance video editor and musician.
In 2018, Michelle composed the score for Girl Talk, a short film by Erica Rose, which went on to receive accolades from over twenty film festivals. In 2019, Michelle and Kevin teamed up to score Asking For It, a feature film starring Stephanie Hsu (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Janeane Garofalo (Wet Hot American Summer), which premiered at Cinequest 2020 and Fuse TV.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the pair decided to take the leap and move from NY to LA to focus on film composing, and soon were brought on to score Mother/Android, which premieres on Hulu December 17, 2021. Together, through their music, Michelle and Kevin seek to help tell stories that broaden minds, raise the female voice, and find truth and beauty in human life.