Gwendolyn Sanford
Biography
Gwendolyn Sanford is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and television and film composer, born on 5 February 1975 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was raised in Sierra Madre, California, and studied acting at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She later developed a career as an experimental folk musician and songwriter.
Sanford is best known for composing music for television, particularly the acclaimed series Weeds and Orange Is the New Black. She worked with her husband, Brandon Jay, on the music for Weeds and later teamed with Jay and Scott Doherty to create the score for Orange Is the New Black.
Her other composing credits include American Princess (2019), The Midnighters (2016), Save the Date (2016), Moon Blood (2023), and Summer Break (2024). Her work on Orange Is the New Black earned her multiple BMI awards for her contributions to the series' music.
Beyond screen scoring, Sanford has released several solo albums, including Ultrasounds (2000), Dew (2003), Lower Mill Road (2007), and Bright Light (2011). She also created children's music with Brandon Jay as Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang, releasing four children's albums.
Sanford has also worked in musical theatre. She and Jay wrote the music and lyrics for Romy and Michele's High School Reunion: The Musical, which premiered at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle in 2017. Her career therefore spans songwriting, television scoring, children's music, acting, and theatre.
