New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Stray and the
Soundtrack have teamed up with Broadway and television star Elle McLemore to cover a classic Disney tune - "Your
Heart Will Lead You Home" from "The Tigger Movie." The track was written by Kenny Loggins, Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
Originally performed by Kenny Loggins, "Your
Heart Will Lead You Home" is the latest in Stray and the Soundtrack's series of #DisneyDeepDives from their year-long #StrayCovers project which has also included covers of such Disney favorites as "I 2 I" from "A Goofy Movie," "Jack's Lament" from "The
Nightmare Before Christmas," and "
Best Of Friends" from "The Fox and the Hound."
"Disney has such a rich catalog of songs, and many of the songs that spoke to us over the years have been from works that don't get the same amount of air time as, say, a film from the Disney Renaissance," said Stray and the Soundtrack's Shawn W. Smith. "We wanted to remind people of these wonderful tunes. And to have the freedom to play with these songs in new ways since there isn't such a widely perceived notion of how that 'should' or 'shouldn't' be performed." Stray and the Soundtrack's Michael Herlihy added: "Plus, who doesn't want to pretend to take a trip to The Hundred Acre Wood, or jam on stage with Powerline, or groove with Emperor Kuzco?"
Stray and the
Soundtrack brings a collective 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry, a love for all genres of music, and a flair for the theatrical. The band's debut CD features 11 original songs written, performed and produced by Shawn W. Smith and Michael Herlihy, plus a bonus track cover of Jim Steinman's "Bat Out Of Hell." Among the project's standouts are "Say Hi To The Devil" (a 70's-flavored jam band anthem), "Say When" (a 60's-style doowop jam), "Here On Mars" (a 90's-inspired alt rock banger), and "Don't Slip Away" (evoking memories of early 2000's prom ballads).
McLemore was seen on Broadway as Eva in Bring It On: The Musical. She originated the role of Heather McNamara in the off-Broadway production of Heathers: The Musical. She also played the role of Patty Simcox in Fox's Grease Live.
The creation of Stray And The
Soundtrack originated when Shawn and Michael were touring the world working on "For The Record: The Brat Pack." Shawn hails from Buffalo, NY and is an accomplished actor/singer/songwriter who previously released a solo album, starred in multiple regional theatre casts across the country, and is currently a member of the national touring cast of "Waitress The Musical." Michael grew up in Lansdale, PA and is a masterful musician and producer who toured with "Chicago The Musical" and has produced singles and records for various artists in the New York and Los Angeles areas.
