Nick Cave and Warren Ellis film scores don’t tend to feature many vocals or cover songs, but on director John Hillcoat’s new project, Lawless, the pair took a decidedly different route: Americana through the lens of art-rock, country, and blues. While traditional bluegrass instruments and a few legends of the genre provide a nod to the movie’s prohibition era, Cave and Ellis juxtaposed that feel against two covers of the Velvet Underground’s “White Light / White Heat” — a folk version sung by the great Ralph Stanley preceded by a faster, fiddle-laden take led by Mark Lanegan — and Emmylou Harris with the Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss singing Grandaddy’s “So You’ll Aim Towards the Sky.” Among a handful of originals come more covers from the set’s house band, the Bootleggers, and guests: Link Wray’s “Fire and Brimstone,” Townes Van Zandt’s “Snake Song,” and John Lee Hooker’s “Burnin’ Hell.” Even Willie Nelson shows up to cap off the soundtrack with a prohibition-themed hoedown.
While not all of the music played in Lawless made the final OST cut, the 15 tracks that did can be previewed in varying lengths and pre-ordered on iTunes right now (click the “view in iTunes” button). Both the film and soundtrack arrive in two weeks, but in the meantime, here’s another look at the trailer.