Lakeshore Records and Fifth Season are set to release Chief of War—Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack digitally today, August 1, with original music by Hans Zimmer and James Everingham. The Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer wrote the theme music and co-produced the entire score with Everingham, who is part of Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers composer collective. The composers capture the dramatic intensity of the series with driving percussion, orchestra, vocalizations and traditional music stylings from indigenous Hawaiian culture. Co-created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbet, Chief of War is a production of FIFTH SEASON and Chernin Entertainment for Apple TV+. The series made its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes today with new episodes airing every Friday.
Note Zimmer and Everingham:
“Working with James on Chief of War was a creative partnership in the truest sense. From the beginning, our goal was to build something immersive and deeply respectful—rooted in place, but cinematic in scope,” said Hans Zimmer. “James brought such precision to every moment, and together, with the Bleeding Fingers team, we were able to explore bold new territory. This score was a chance to innovate through collaboration—blending traditional Hawaiian sound with modern storytelling in a way that feels both timeless and alive.”
“Writing the music for Chief of War was both an honor and a profound responsibility. From the start, we knew the heart of the score would come from the immense musical talent of Hawaii, and there was no one better to lead us than Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole. Her voice, the powerhouse vocal groups she brought together, and the islands’ instrumental richness made this a truly meaningful collaboration. Teaming up with Hans Zimmer once again to help tell a story so epic, and so long overlooked, was an unforgettable
experience.”
ABOUT BLEEDING FINGERS
Bleeding Fingers Music is an Emmy Award-winning and Grammy- and BAFTA-nominated collective of exceptional, sonically diverse composers who create superlative original film, television and multimedia scores. Co-founded by Hans Zimmer, Russell Emanuel and Steven Kofsky, Bleeding Fingers is guided by the principle that collaboration is the catalyst for innovation—and extraordinary music results from empowering artists to be adventurous, experimental and creatively generous. With 25 state-of-the-art studios and its best-in-class production team, Bleeding Fingers enables the production of music at the highest standard, always challenging the status quo. For more information, please visit leedingFingersMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT JAMES EVERINGHAM
James Everingham is a British composer based in Los Angeles, most recently known for co-scoring the Apple TV+ series Chief of War alongside Hans Zimmer. James previously worked with Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music, where his credits included Minecraft, Super Bowl LVI, and Apple’s Encounter Dinosaurs. His feature film work includes scoring JJ Abrams’ The Blue Angels, which topped Prime Video’s charts, and Sky Cinema’s Robin and the Hoods. Self-taught and passionate about cinematic storytelling, James continues to craft scores that blend emotional depth with innovative sound.
ABOUT FIFTH SEASON
Fifth Season is an entertainment industry leader specializing in the development, production, financing, and distribution of premium films, television series, and documentaries. Known for its artist-first approach, the company has produced critically acclaimed films such as 80 for Brady, Book Club, and The Lost Daughter, as well as award-winning series like Severance, Nine Perfect Strangers, Omnivore , and Tokyo Vice. Fifth Season operates with a full-service worldwide distribution infrastructure and boasts a vast network of production hubs across North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to its successful slate of original productions, Fifth Season’s global distribution arm handles a robust third-party library of hundreds of titles, including hit series such as Killing Eve, Normal People, The Morning Show, and The Night Manager. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, New York, and London, with offices worldwide. Shareholders include CJ ENM, Toho, and Endeavor.
ABOUT LAKESHORE RECORDS
Lakeshore Records is a GRAMMY-winning record label, and the soundtrack arm of the Cutting Edge Group. Lakeshore Records is the global independent leader in top line soundtrack album releases, including such popular, critically acclaimed and classic soundtracks as Bridgerton, Stranger Things, Wednesday, Fallout, John Wick, Whiplash, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Drive, Cyberpunk 2077 / Edgerunners, Star Trek: Picard, Bojack Horseman, The Walking Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Red Dead Redemption 2, the Grammy-winning Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok, the Academy Award nominated Lady Bird and Academy Award winners Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, American Factory, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Hurt Locker and many, many more.
Purchase/ Stream: https://lnk.to/ChiefOfWar
TRACKLIST
1. Chief of War Main Title (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (1:24)
2. Kū Mai Ka Manō (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole & Paula Fuga) (3:33)
3. Stand with Maui (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, Paula Fuga, Kimié Miner & Starr Kalahiki) (2:46)
4. Infected Bloodlines (2:48)
5. Currents of Kaʻiwi (3:36)
6. Zamboanga (4:01)
7. The Burden is Mine (2:04)
8. Rising Flame (2:55)
9. Kūmākena (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (1:38)
10. A New Awakening (3:24)
11. Pau Iki, Pau Nui (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (1:27)
12. Black Desert of Kaʻū (5:23)
13. Mamalahoa (3:56)
14. The Ship Sings (3:00)
15. Die Worthy (1:24)
16. Fed to the Pigs (5:20)
17. Kaʻiana Ascends (3:50)
18. Nightmare Fish (2:42)
19. Dark of the Hilo Moon (3:27)
20. Hulihia (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, Kaleo Trinidad, Kalama Souza & Joe Lindsey) (2:48)
21. Gods of Our Beginning and End (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, Kai Kalama, Ryan Kalama & Charlie Prescott) (2:59)
22. Volcano (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (5:37)
23. Poisoned (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (2:16)
24. Hand of Mercy (feat. Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole) (2:08)
25. Truth in the Wind (1:51)
