8 Answers
Late-night thoughts: the score for 'Long Shadows' was written by Maya Hartley, and the songs are woven tightly into the film's structure. The tracks are: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'Crossing the Ridge', 'Echoes in the Valley', 'Footsteps at Dusk', 'The Old House', 'Letters Unsent', 'Falling Light', 'The Chase', 'Beneath the Willow', 'Farewell Before Dawn' (with guest vocals by Rosa Vance), 'Endless Horizon', and 'Long Shadows (Reprise)'.
What I appreciate is how Hartley uses minimal textures — the piano carries the emotional core while strings and soft electronics give depth. 'The Chase' is the most rhythm-forward piece and contrasts beautifully with the more fragile 'Letters Unsent'. For soundtrack collectors, the cues are short but memorable, and the whole thing works as a compact emotional narrative. I still prefer listening to 'Endless Horizon' when I want something calming before bed.
You'd be surprised how often people ask about the music for 'Long Shadows'—I still catch myself humming the main theme on the bus. The soundtrack for 'Long Shadows' was written by Marcus Vale, who blended acoustic intimacy with a slightly electronic undercurrent to make the score feel both nostalgic and oddly modern. The album runs like a short story: it opens with the sparse piano-led 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', drifts into the warm guitar swells of 'The Road Home', then slips into the shadowy synth textures of 'Midnight Farms'.
My favorite part is how Vale uses recurring motifs. Tracks like 'Echoes in the Hall' and 'Fading Letters' reuse the main melody but reorchestrate it—strings here, a solo clarinet there—so the same tune feels like a different memory each time. The full tracklist reads like a little soundtrack novella: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'The Road Home', 'Midnight Farms', 'Echoes in the Hall', 'Rain on Tin', 'Fading Letters', 'Goodbye Lantern', 'Chasing Dawn', 'Aftermath', and 'End Credits'. If you like soundtracks that tell a story without words, 'Long Shadows' is a lovely, low-key listen that sticks with you.
Listening to 'Long Shadows' feels like sitting in an old theatre and watching memories projected onto a cracked screen; Marcus Vale wrote the soundtrack and he organized the sonic narrative with real care. The tracklist is: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'The Road Home', 'Midnight Farms', 'Echoes in the Hall', 'Rain on Tin', 'Fading Letters', 'Goodbye Lantern', 'Chasing Dawn', 'Aftermath', and 'End Credits'. I appreciate how Vale assigns instruments to feelings—the cello carries regret, the piano suggests stubborn hope, and minimal synths hint at uncertainty. That craft is on full display in 'Fading Letters', where a simple arpeggio slowly distorts and then resolves into a warm string pad; it’s like reading someone's old correspondence as night falls.
I also love how 'Chasing Dawn' accelerates the pulse of the album: it’s the one track that actually pushes tempo and gives a sense of movement, while 'Aftermath' is quieter, reflective, almost like a piano confession. For soundtrack nerds, there's a lovely economy to Vale's writing—he repeats motifs enough to feel cohesive but varies orchestration so each repetition lands differently. Personally, 'Echoes in the Hall' is my go-to for late-night writing because it gives me space without being empty.
You can really tell Marcus Vale poured his heart into the 'Long Shadows' score; the guy wrote a ten-track collection that nails mood and place. The song titles are straightforward but evocative—'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'The Road Home', 'Midnight Farms', 'Echoes in the Hall', 'Rain on Tin', 'Fading Letters', 'Goodbye Lantern', 'Chasing Dawn', 'Aftermath', and the 'End Credits'—and each one feels like a chapter. Vale balances piano, strings, and subtle synth pads so the whole thing never feels overproduced. I usually throw 'Rain on Tin' on during rainy nights—its percussion and distant textures turn a boring commute into something cinematic. If you like scores that blend field-recording vibes with melodies you can hum, this is an easy rec. Worth a solo headphone session.
On a more technical note, the composer credited for 'Long Shadows' is Maya Hartley; I dug into the score because I'm always fascinated by recurring motifs. The album has twelve tracks: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'Crossing the Ridge', 'Echoes in the Valley', 'Footsteps at Dusk', 'The Old House', 'Letters Unsent', 'Falling Light', 'The Chase', 'Beneath the Willow', 'Farewell Before Dawn' (feat. Rosa Vance), 'Endless Horizon', and 'Long Shadows (Reprise)'. Several cues are developed from a two-bar piano motif introduced in the Main Theme: you can hear it reinterpreted in 'Echoes in the Valley' (lower register strings) and again as a hopeful ascending phrase in 'Endless Horizon'.
Hartley's orchestration choices are smart — the string voicings often leave space for reverbs and pad textures, which is why the soundtrack feels airy yet intimate. 'Falling Light' uses a celesta-like bell to suggest memory, while 'The Chase' swaps to ostinato strings and intermittent percussion for tension. If you like studying compositional technique in film music, this one rewards careful listening and repeat plays; I still find new little phrases every time I queue it up.
I keep a soft spot for 'Long Shadows' — Maya Hartley wrote the soundtrack and the tracklist goes: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'Crossing the Ridge', 'Echoes in the Valley', 'Footsteps at Dusk', 'The Old House', 'Letters Unsent', 'Falling Light', 'The Chase', 'Beneath the Willow', 'Farewell Before Dawn' (Rosa Vance on vocals), 'Endless Horizon', 'Long Shadows (Reprise)'. The music fits the film's melancholic vibe perfectly: gentle piano, warm strings, and an occasional electronic wash.
My favorite moments are simple — 'Footsteps at Dusk' has that intimate, creaking-house feeling, while 'Beneath the Willow' feels like a small, private secret. 'Farewell Before Dawn' stands out because the human voice lifts the score into something more songlike and memorable. I often put this on when I'm reading or winding down; it sets a mood without demanding attention, and it still makes the story feel bigger in my head.
You'd be surprised how often people ask about who wrote the music for 'Long Shadows' — I get why, the soundtrack sticks with you. It was composed and produced by Maya Hartley, who also arranged the score and oversaw the recordings. The album was released alongside the film's festival run in 2019 and leans on acoustic piano, a warm string quartet, subtle synth pads, and a couple of intimate vocal moments.
The official tracklist is: 'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'Crossing the Ridge', 'Echoes in the Valley', 'Footsteps at Dusk', 'The Old House', 'Letters Unsent', 'Falling Light', 'The Chase', 'Beneath the Willow', 'Farewell Before Dawn' (featuring vocals by Rosa Vance), 'Endless Horizon', and 'Long Shadows (Reprise)'. If you listen closely, the main theme motif appears in pieces like 'Echoes in the Valley' and 'Endless Horizon', tying the whole score together. I always find 'Farewell Before Dawn' hits me hardest — Rosa Vance's vocal delivery turns a subtle cue into a full emotional pivot, and I still hum it after watching the film.
If you want the short, lovely version: Marcus Vale wrote the music for 'Long Shadows' and the soundtrack consists of ten tracks—'Long Shadows (Main Theme)', 'The Road Home', 'Midnight Farms', 'Echoes in the Hall', 'Rain on Tin', 'Fading Letters', 'Goodbye Lantern', 'Chasing Dawn', 'Aftermath', and 'End Credits'. I like how Vale keeps the arrangements intimate; nothing is flashy, but the emotional moments hit hard because of the restraint. On a rainy evening, 'Rain on Tin' and 'Fading Letters' pair perfectly with a hot drink and a book, while 'Chasing Dawn' will actually make you want to get up and walk. It's the kind of soundtrack that grows on you, which is exactly what I wanted from it.