New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The Orchard has digitally released FLOWER - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which features the movie's original score by Joseph Stephens (Vice Principals, Observe and Report). FLOWER, starring Zoey Deutch, was released theatrically in the U.S. on March 16th and was the highest grossing film per theater during its opening weekend.
"For FLOWER, I used a lot of synthesizers mixed with live percussion. I played rhythmic brushes on the sides, edges, and rims of a drum kit - mostly avoiding the drum heads, which made the beats feel mechanical and precise, but warm without a typical full drum kit sound. There are some traditional drumming patterns, but I tried to use those sparingly... mostly for simple deeper cinematic drums. I also recorded a lot of music on a Rhodes and then reversed the recordings and implemented the reversed melodies into some of the themes. This created a unique spontaneous feel while adding to the dreaminess of the score. One cue in particular, 'Let's Go Home,' really pushes this method. There's also a lot of tape delay present, both on synthesizers as well as on upright piano, which added dimension to the score," said Joseph Stephens of the instrumentation used for the score.
Joseph worked closely with FLOWER director Max Winkler to accomplish what he had envisioned the score to be like. "Max wanted the film score to have a range of emotions. For sneaky rebellious kids, we touched on playful synth sounds that call back to films like RISKY BUSINESS and FERRIS BUELLER; for heavier moments, he wanted the score to have a clock-ticking down feel... almost like a time bomb waiting to blow. He came to my studio and we went through the entire film - discussing ideas, listening to alts, auditioning variations, and fine-tuning things. Max definitely wanted to push a feeling of dreaminess to the score overall. Minimal and simple."
About FLOWER:
Rebellious, quick-witted Erica Vandross (Zoey Deutch) is a 17-year-old firecracker living with her single mom Laurie (Kathryn Hahn) and mom's new boyfriend Bob (Tim Heidecker) in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. When Bob's mentally unbalanced son Luke (Joey Morgan) arrives from rehab to live with the family, Erica finds her domestic and personal life overwhelmed. With Luke and her sidekicks Kala (Dylan Gelula) and Claudine (Maya Eshet) in tow, Erica acts out by exposing a dark secret of high-school teacher Will (Adam Scott), with perilous results; their teenage kicks become a catalyst for growing up in unexpected and unpredictable ways. Mixing dark comedy and teenage angst writer-director Max Winkler (CEREMONY) and co-writer Matt Spicer (INGRID GOES WEST) re-imagine an unproduced script by Alex McAulay, creating a star vehicle for blossoming talent Zoey Deutch (BEFORE I FALL, WHY HIM?) and elevating the teen movie to new heights.
About Joseph Stephens:
At an early age, multi-instrumentalist composer/songwriter, Joseph Stephens began experimenting and creating music with 4 track tape machines, delay pedals, guitars, radios, and anything else he could get his hands on. While attending college in North Carolina, he began writing songs and scoring student films for friends which led to a working relationship with up and coming filmmakers. A frequent collaborator with
Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and
David Gordon Green, Stephens' work has included scores for HBO's series, Vice Principals, and Eastbound and Down, as well as features, Observe and Report, and The Foot Fist Way, among others; he's also written songs for films All The Real Girls, and Undertow. Up next is season 2 of Shut Eye on Hulu, The Last OG starring Tracy
Morgan on TBS, as well as feature films The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter for Netflix, Lost in France by The Orchard, and Arizona which premiered at Sundance 2018.
Embracing the possibilities of modern technology along with traditional live musicians, Stephens has developed a palette for unusual sounds; including a 25-piece live drum line, singing saws, vocal manipulation, and other more typical instrumentation in concert with analog and digital synths. He also cultivates an annual hot pepper garden during summer months.
Tracklist:
Flower Opening
Lunch Fight
ER
Flower Follows
Stakeout
Roofies
Getting Drugged
Reflective
Turning Points
It's Not Murder
Mapping It Out
Let's Go Home
The Chase
Weird in a Good Way
