MATT MUNOZ: 'Lucky' local singer graces soundtrack
| Friday, Jul 15 2011 06:27 PM
Last Updated Friday, Jul 15 2011 06:30 PM
A well-crafted compilation soundtrack can complete a great film and -- at times -- transcend a bad one.
Some of my favorites: "American Graffiti," "Purple Rain," "Saturday Night Fever," "Repo Man" and "The Harder They Come." These collections are so good, you can drop them on at any party for the perfect reggae, punk, funk, rock or dorky disco playlist.
I discovered The Shins after watching the movie "Garden State" back in '05. Remember the scene where Natalie Portman's character tells the guy played by Zach Braff, "You gotta hear this one song. It'll change your life, I swear." That was "New Slang," a tune that still sneaks onto every mix CD I burn. It fit the film's many moods perfectly -- life, change, depression, humor. The soundtrack was so good it won a Grammy that year and helped revive the pop sound-
track from extinction. Unfortunately, we haven't had another great collection like that since "Juno." Most films today prefer the less-is-more concept of random noises sprinkled in a scene and released as a 45-second "song."
Bakersfield singer-songwriter Celeigh Chapman, who scored a big break after getting the call to be included on the soundtrack to the upcoming indie comedy/ drama "A Little Help," says she narrowly avoided being a blip on the screen after contributing the original song,"I'm Lucky," co-written with the film's composer, Austin Wintory. Old college friends from the prestigious Thornton School of Music at USC, the two went separate directions after graduation in 2004. Chapman, 26, began honing her writing and performing skills all over Los Angeles before settling into the hip Silver Lake section of Hollywood, where she also works as a music scout for Columbia Records and performs with her roots music duo, Coyol.
"I live just a stone's throw from all the cool venues, surrounded by all that art and music," said the East Bakersfield High graduate. "Coming from Bakersfield, I'm used to that neighborly mentality. I thought people would be artsy and snobby, but it hasn't been that way at all."
Two old friends crossed paths again via MySpace, where Chapman could be found promoting her music. Wintory asked if she was interested in the soundtrack project. The film follows the comedic experiences of a dental hygienist named Laura, played by Jenna Fischer ("The Office"), after the sudden death of her husband.
"Austin's message was, 'I'd like to collaborate with you -- hit me up,' she said. "I'd never written a song for a movie."
Chapman's soft melancholy vocals with piano accompaniment turn "I'm Lucky" into a gentle, reflective lullaby. Originally a brief interlude, producers were so impressed by what they heard, Wintory and Chapman were asked to complete the song and prepare it for release.
"Basically, we tried to dig into the main character of the movie, her heart, her subconscious. She's known for always having had good luck, but her life has taken a different turn. She's not a star in high school anymore. In the scene, she looks into the mirror and says in a sarcastic way, 'Lucky Laura.' I listened to the score as I was writing to get the right feel," said Chapman, who attended the film's premiere Thursday in Los Angeles. "When you're growing up and you wanna do something big, you dream about something like this happening. I wanna share this with friends and family."
The soundtrack also features three new tracks by The Wallflowers' Jakob Dylan and will be available for digital download through iTunes and more on Tuesday. "A Little Help" opens in theaters next Friday. More info at celeighchapman.com.
