Watch THE HOTTEST STATE trailer and film clips (in theaters August 24th):
The soundtrack for the film, The Hottest State isn’t just another compilation of songs pulled out of obscurity and thrown together for a movie companion piece. No way. If anything, this album—and it is indeed, an album--could also be categorized as a tribute record. The album features sixteen songs, plus two score passages, all recorded exclusively for the film by some of the finest names in music today, all for the benefit of paying tribute to one of the brightest new songwriting talents in the last two decades: Jesse Harris. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jesse Harris wrote all the music for the soundtrack and serves as the album’s co-executive producer along with the film’s director/screenwriter/producer, Ethan Hawke. Together, they assembled a peerless group of artists to record Harris’ songs: Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Feist, The Black Keys, M. Ward, Brad Mehldau, Tony Scherr and Argentinean newcomer, Rocha. Jesse Harris recorded three songs for the soundtrack himself and also has a small role in the film. The soundtrack will be the second release by Hickory Records, the new imprint of Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
“From our first conversation, I was overwhelmed by the quality of Jesse's songwriting and how perfectly matched it was to my aspirations for the tone and mood of the film,” recalls Ethan Hawke. He continues, “An idea began to develop: What if we scored the film entirely with original songs written by Jesse and performed by contemporary artists hand-picked to match certain scenes? To my mind this would give the entire film a continuity of authorship while still providing massive shifts in energy.”
Harris, who has known Hawke since the early 1990s, has released six albums as a solo artist. His songs have been recorded by Madeleine Peyroux, Pat Metheny, and Lizz Wright, and in 2003, he won a Song of the Year Grammy for writing Norah Jones' smash hit “Don't Know Why.”
Adapted by Ethan Hawke from his novel of the same name, The Hottest State is a bittersweet romance that distills the joy, pain, erotic highs, and emotional lows of first love. Hawke directs and co-stars in the film along with Mark Webber (`Broken Flowers'); Oscar-nominees Catalina Sandino Moreno (`Maria Full Of Grace'), Laura Linney (`Mystic River,' `The Squid and the Whale'), Michelle Williams (`Brokeback Mountain') and Sonia Braga (`Kiss Of The Spider Woman'). The movie opens in New York and Los Angeles on August 24, and nationwide throughout September.
The Hottest State Soundtrack hits stores August 7!
TRACK LISTING:
Rocha "Ya No Te Veria Mas (Never See You)" Willie Nelson "Always Seem to Get Things Wrong" Feist "Somewhere Down the Road" Bright Eyes "Big Old House" Emmylou Harris "The Speed of Sound" Jesse Harris "It Will Stay With Us" The Black Keys "If You Ever Slip" M. Ward "Crooked Lines" Norah Jones "World of Trouble" Brad Mehldau "Never See You" Cat Power "It's Alright to Fail" Jesse Harris "One Day the Dam Will Break" Tony Scherr "You, the Queen" [Score]"Morning in a Strange City (Cafe)" Rocha "No More" Jesse Harris "Dear Dorothy" Rocha "Never See You” [Score]"There Are No Second Chances"
The Hottest State Soundtrack's Friend Space (Top 12)
Thanks for the add!!! Ethan Hawke is talented in so many ways. The soundtrack is incredible. And Mark Webber looks like he nailed the role. Cannot wait to see the film. Best of luck!
I really loved this movie (I loved the book too) and the music is terrific! Ethan Hawke is such a great storyteller - the movie was so engaging and the acting was all fantastic. Hawke's performance playing the protagonist's father in the movie was heartbreaking. I cried and I laughed really hard at times too. Congratulations to all! I hope Ash Wednesday gets made into a movie too! xoxo
I am extremely excited about this movie! I have been an avid Jesse Harris fan since I found reference to him on Norah Jones' website several years back. Its so cool to be able to hear some of the greatest musicians of all time do their take on Jesse's music. The movie looks amazing as well, but I will be going to see the movie simply to listen to the soundtrack!
maybe i didn't work on this project or attend screenings like mr. Patiño (btw Juan it's Patiño with an ñ. look it up), but i don't have to be Juan or a rocket surgeon to know that this will be the best soundtrack since music was introduced into film back in 1981 (in the Tony Danza vehicle "Going Ape!" fyi).
the formula is simple: take a bunch of Jesse Harris' infectious, timeless compositions, messenger/fedex/vac-u-tube them to some of the most talented, compelling artists of our time, then sit back & wait for the breathtaking, unexpectedly reimagined interpretations to roll in, followed by the chart-topping record sales, followed by the $$. (if the $$ doesn't roll in check your vac-u-tube. the canister may be stuck)
it's the same formula that yielded such brilliant recordings as Norah Jones' Don't Know Why & I've Got To See You Again. anyone could have thought of it. what makes Ethan Hawke smarter than everyone else is he did it. well, either he's smarter or he's had more luck getting Willie & Norah to take his calls
Having had the bizarre & sneaky pleasure of helping to faux-Sequence this Soundtrack/Album with Jesse a few months back.....I can bombastically claim that it's one of THE most wicked compilations of a Master Songwriter's tunes....reinterpreted by some of the phattest living singers on the planet - EVER. It's scary. (* Note: "phattest" is jive for (deeply talented vocalist). It's not enough just to say that the Soundtrack is the hottest kind of hot. Wait 'til you hear Harris' tunes weaving in & out of the flick. Ethan's script....now inextricably married to Jesse's songs makes for a movie that breaks your heart. It's the super good kind of sad. With my jaw on the floor, I was fortunate enough to survive 2 separate teary-eyed screenings earlier this year. THIS darned film is the REAL Anatomy of a Breakup. You just can't help but feel like you're scraping thru the heartache with these folks on the screen. A+ to Ethan & Jesse for actually pulling this off. Congrats to ANYONE who gets a chance to check out this picture. Time well spent. I imagine, THIS is why we moved to NYC. THIS is why we make stuff. Brace yourselves. : ) juan patino, Dog Days of Summer '07
