Yvette Young has shared rare insight into the detailed process of recording electric guitar for the new James Gunn Superman soundtrack, revealing the intense dedication and specific gear involved. The renowned guitarist worked closely with composer David Fleming to contribute her unique sound, illustrating what it takes to bring music to life in a major film project.
How Yvette Young Became Part of the Soundtrack Team
Young recalled how she was invited to join the project after Fleming reached out directly to her. She said,
“Never in my life would I have thought I would be involved with the music for the new James Gunn Superman movie. And I have the wonderful David Fleming [composer] to thank for that.”
When approached, she accepted eagerly and committed to working flexibly with the production team.
Describing her initial response, Young stated,
“I was like, I’m on board with whatever you guys need,”
and explained how she was on call for nearly a month, recording multiple guitar cues daily under tight deadlines:
“So I was basically on retainer for a month doing cues back and forth. Every day, they’d send me one or two, sometimes three, and I would just try to send them back as quickly as possible.”
The Pressure and Pace of Recording for a Major Film
Young highlighted the demanding schedule and the unique challenges involved with the fast-moving score production.
“Felt like an on-call musician, and it’s interesting, because it’s not like, you know, I get like feedback or anything,”
she explained.
“It’s kind of just like, I send it, I follow the MIDI guitar, I add some of my own ideas if I feel like it could help and hope that it ends up okay, but the whole thing just moves at such a fast pace that there’s really no time to make a lot of revisions unless it’s absolutely egregious.”
Young only found out if her contributions were kept when she saw the movie in theaters. She shared a humorous perspective on the efforts musicians put into subtle details that often get lost in the broader soundscape:
“One funny thing is, I feel like you spend so much time on the details – I’m over here really dialing in like a delay oscillation or something, putting in a lot of heart into it, and it’s just hilarious, because in the movie, that one thing you pour your heart into is just going to be completely covered by an explosion.”
The Role of Guitar in Supporting the Film’s Vision
Young emphasized that the guitarist’s role is to enhance the director’s storytelling rather than dominate it. She said,
“I get it. You, as a musician, work for the film. The music isn’t the main thing, right? You’re supporting a director’s vision – that’s what the soundtrack is for.”
Guitar Equipment and Sound Crafting for Superman
Discussing her setup, Young detailed the specific instruments and pedals she selected to capture the right sounds for the film.
“I tracked on my P-90 [Ibanez] Talman through the ACS1 by Walrus Audio. Used a lot of the Hologram Chroma Console for some of the fuzz tones, also Collision Devices’ Black Hole Symmetry for some of the heavier fuzzy stuff,”
she explained.
She also incorporated her signature pedal with Walrus Audio, the Qi Etherealizer, which she described previously as an “ambient machine” and an
“idea generator that helps musicians get past that oftentimes tricky starting point.”
Other effects included various Meris Mercury7 Reverb pedals, an EBow, and the DigiTech FreqOut, all contributing to a layered and atmospheric guitar tone.
Challenges of Creativity Under Tight Deadlines
Young admitted that working quickly while maintaining quality was one of the biggest hurdles.
“We’re all working on a deadline, and it’s not like I have limitless time, and I want to give all these cues my all. I find it really difficult to know when to stop,”
she said. She explained the struggle of balancing passion with productivity:
“It’s just easy to get lost in the sauce, and I had to really reel myself in, because I didn’t want to just waste too much time on something that wasn’t necessarily important.”
Despite these pressures, Young felt honored by the trust she was given and the freedom to contribute her artistry:
“I feel really, really privileged to be trusted so much, to be not given too much direction.”
Finding Fulfillment in Film Scoring
Young expressed a growing enthusiasm for soundtrack work, appreciating the professionalism and learning involved in this field.
“What I found to be really fun and rewarding about this whole thing is just learning about how this whole process works and gaining invaluable experience doing this,”
she said.
“I’m really finding a lot of joy in working on movie score sort of things. To actually be able to do that for this concrete thing that’s going to exist out there for people to consume is really rewarding and nice.”
Expanding Career Horizons Beyond Touring
In addition to her work on the James Gunn Superman guitar recording, Young has recently explored different musical avenues. She has shifted focus from touring to projects like composing calming soundscapes, which she describes as
“bedtime sound baths to help emo kids go to sleep,”
reflecting a thoughtful and flexible approach to her evolving career.
