Jeff Bridges grabbed everyone’s attention for his phenomenal work on the film Crazy Heart when he performed his own songs that felt like timeless country classics. It turns out that he’s had a passion for music all his life, and after working with the talented musicians behind the film’s soundtrack, he’s headed back to the studio to work on songs for a new album.
Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham
Bridges is working with T Bone Burnett whose been writing, performing and producing songs since the 70’s, his recent film credits include the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou? which sold seven million copies and won five Grammys. Jeff Bridges told the New York Times how he had read the script for Crazy Heart and initially passed thinking he wasn’t suited to the role with Bad Blake‘s songs not yet written. It was a year later when he got a call from his old friend Burnett which finally made him decide to do it, Bridges recalled:
He was like, ‘You know this movie Crazy Heart?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Then we both jumped at it.
It was this partnership on the soundtrack for the film that has given Bridges reason to venture further down this musical path:
The music is a big force in me now. I really feel like—I’m goin’ on 61 years old now and I’ve been playing music since I was a teenager, and now for some reason all the stars are aligned and it’s just comin’ out. That’s my big dream that’s being realized as we speak.”
One of the songs featured in the film was the stand-out Fallin and Flying – check it out here:
[audio:http://www.fmtaccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/jeff_bridges-fallin_and_flying.mp3|titles=jeff_bridges-fallin_and_flying]
Ryan Bingham who wrote songs for the film, including the Oscar winning The Weary Kind and Gone, Gone, Gone and is working on the new album along with Bridges‘ childhood friend Johnny Goodwin who also wrote a song for Crazy Heart.
- Director Scott Cooper and Jeff Bridges
The film was produced by Robert Duvall‘s Butcher’s Run Films and he had a small part as Blake’s best friend, bartender Wayne Kramer. Interestingly it was Duvall who reached out to Jeff Bridges to play the role of Bad Blake.
Directed by Scott Cooper, he was first interested in making a biopic of country singer Merle Haggard, though the rights were harder to acquire and an acquaintance later suggested that he read the somewhat obscure 1989 novel Crazy Heart. He was then able to craft the story of Bad Blake’s life using both levity and pathos where the music allows the character find some form of redemption.
Bridges credits the Crazy Heart director for his renewed interest.
I’ve gotta say I blame Scott Cooper, the director of Crazy Heart, for making that happen. He was one of the best directors that I’ve ever worked with.
Once the album is complete the band will go on tour next year and they’re calling themselves the Royal We which is a reference to a scene from the film, The Big Lebowski. It will surely be a gig worth checking out so keep your ears to the ground for their performance dates.
via: Collider
Check out The Big Lebowski scene here:
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