Ten years ago Zach Braff’s last film Garden State did wonders for propelling indie, specifically The Shins, into the mainstream spotlight. It seems Wish I Was Here, his Kickstarter-funded forthcoming directorial sophomore effort, will be similarly musically inspired, with a soundtrack boasting many of the screenwriter and star’s favorite artists, including Paul Simon and The Head And The Heart.
The Shins appear once again with shimmering new tune “So Now What,” with frontman James Mercer taking a break from side-project Broken Bells to write the song specifically for this sountrack. Just as wistful and dreamy as they were a decade ago, the now Portland-based sextet seem eager to reunite with Braff with lines like “I guess we’ll just begin again / I hope you know you’re my best friend” making up the soaring chorus lifted by Mercer’s gentle and softened falsetto.
Another new track commissioned for Wish I Was Here is Bon Iver’s eerie and minimalistic “Heavenly Father.” Justin Vernon’s vocals layer over a looping synth vibration in what, according to NPR, was an incredibly spontaneous recording:
“They were enjoying it and laughing, but at a certain point, they just got quiet. When it was over, Justin started humming. We talked afterwards about the relationship between Zach’s character and his brother [Josh Gad], and Justin and Nate talked a little about their father — all the while Justin kept distractedly humming. Eventually, he sang out the words ‘heavenly father.’ Before I even left their house, Justin was recording the first version of the song in his downstairs studio. His inspiration was that immediate.”
The complete soundtrack is due out July 15 via Columbia with the film hitting theaters three days later. There will be a separate vinyl release on August 5, with Garden State’s soundtrack being reissued the same day. Check out the tracklist below:
01 The Shins “So Now What”
02 Gary Jules “Broke Window”
03 Radical Face “The Mute”
04 Hozier “Cherry Wine (Live)”
05 Bon Iver “Holocene”
06 Badly Drawn Boy “The Shining”
07 Jump Little Children “Mexico”
08 Cat Power & Coldplay “Wish I Was Here”
09 Allie Moss “Wait It Out”
10 Paul Simon “The Obvious Child”
11 Japanese Wallpaper “Breathe In [ft. Wafia]“
12 Bon Iver “Heavenly Father”
13 Aaron Embry “Raven’s Song”
14 The Weepies “Mend”
15 The Head & the Heart “No One to Let You Down”
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