You can tell the summer is near just by the big box offices films being released or on the verge of release. But amongst all those BIG SUMMER BOX OFFICE HITs are those little movies that sometimes make the most impact. This one is my pick for the underdog film that is sure to be a hit! If it's any indication by the song in the trailer, it looks as though the soundtrack is going to be just as successful. Exploring the comedic twists and emotional turns in one couple’s journey across contemporary America, Away We Go (which Focus Features releases June 5 in N.Y. and L.A., and in June in select cities) is the new movie from Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes, from the first original screenplay by novelists Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida, and featuring the music of singer/songwriter Alexi Murdoch.
During the filming of Away We Go, Mendes began thinking about the music that would be the sound and soul of the film. When he first heard Murdoch’s acclaimed debut album, Time Without Consequence, he knew he had found what he was looking for.
Over the past 5 years, Alexi Murdoch’s music has been quietly engaging a fast-growing audience across the globe. After the unprecedented indie success of a first home-spun EP in 2003, which ultimately sold over 50,000 copies, Murdoch released the critically acclaimed debut album Time Without Consequence through his own label, Zero Summer Records, in 2006. Rolling Stone quickly named Murdoch one of that year’s “10 Artists to Watch,” while Interview lauded his “ability to directly communicate a wellspring of deep emotion,” Alternative Press awarded the album a 5 out of 5 rating, and similar raves came in from Entertainment Weekly, Paste, The Onion, and may more.
While his songs have been featured in such films as Gone Baby Gone and Garden State, as well as the trailer for Academy Award-nominated foreign film Paradise Now, his work on Away We Go represents the first instance where Murdoch is the primary musical voice of an entire film.
In addition to the tracks from Time Without Consequence that captivated Mendes, the Away We Go soundtrack album (available digitally June 2 and in stores June 23, from Zero Summer) features three previously unreleased Murdoch songs; “Towards The Sun,” “The Ragged Sea,” and the bonus track “Crinan Wood.” On the soundtrack, Murdoch finds himself in fine company with classics from Bob Dylan, The Velvet Underground, George Harrison, and The Stranglers.
A total of eight of Murdoch’s songs are featured in Away We Go which opens, fittingly, with “All My Days,” also the opening track from Time Without Consequence. The song has also been used in its entirety in the movie’s theatrical trailer, which is already creating a buzz about the film’s music.
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