Elvis' Director Baz Luhrmann and Actor Austin Butler Talk Movie Soundtrack and Song Inspiration
06/03/2023
But there are so many other elements, relationships, and more that defined the rock star's life offstage. Director, screenwriter, and producer Baz Luhrmann's 2022 film Elvis brings that side to light-with the show-stopping and dazzling flair the Australian director is known for. Austin Butler stepped into the role of Elvis, spending years homing in on every aspect of the King of Rock and Roll's persona.
Photo credit: Eric Charbonneau
The film was a hit, quickly cementing itself as one of the biggest movies of the year and one of the highest-grossing music biopics of all time. Elvis has already received multiple awards-and eight nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture and Best Actor.
And the film prompted fans to flock to Spotify as well.
In a film that follows a musician as prominent as Elvis, it's critical to get the music right. With their new, exclusive playlist on Spotify, Baz and Austin are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the music that influenced the movie.
One of the things that really motivated us to do the story of Elvis was the simple fact that Without Black music, there'd be no Elvis' and the direct influence that music had on him, Baz told For the Record. In particular, his genuine friendship with B.B. King came to light in some of our research, and his mother, Gladys, was a huge Sister Rosetta Tharpe fan-she used to play her music all the time. This playlist has just a smattering of these artists.
The award-winning director and actor pair recently sat down together to talk about the film, their playlist, and how music played a role both on and off the set.
Baz Luhrmann: So Austin, how did you go about preparing for the role of Elvis, specifically in regards to music and singing? Austin Butler: Well, I never sang in front of anybody before this role, so I had to find my way into his humanity. I worked with a number of different singing coaches for the year and a half leading up to filming. The thing you quickly realize is that Elvis's voice changed a lot over the course of his career. Not only his speaking voice, but also his singing voice. So I had to figure out how to lock into the different vocal mannerisms of those different time periods in his life. It was an immense amount of research and work, and involved me following my own curiosity and finding how he's saying a specific word. And I just worked on that as much as I could.
Baz: I remember you used to walk around listening to Elvis. How many of his songs do you reckon you had on your playlist? Austin: First, I just listened to every one of his songs chronologically so that I could see and hear the journey that he went on throughout his entire career. You hear over time how his influences affected the way he sings. I also started to curate playlists for each time period, because we were filming out of sequence. Then the night before, I would listen to the time period that corresponded to whatever we were shooting the next day. I was even listening to those key recordings in makeup and hair as I was getting ready. So I have many, many Elvis playlists.
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Baz: We also had access to a lot of Elvis content that other people haven't heard. Were there pieces or recordings that inspired you? Austin: Yeah. For me, it was those recordings-whether they were songs, or as we've talked about before, Anita Wood recording him on the phone when he didn't know it-that reveal these moments of intimacy and give a glimpse into the unguarded version of Elvis.
One of those is when he's singing, Are You Lonesome Tonight? As a way to amuse himself and to amuse the audience, he would often sing these lines that people weren't expecting. So, in this version of Are You Lonesome Tonight? he says, Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair? and the story is that this man in the front row stood up and took off his toupee and waved it around, and Elvis just burst out laughing. Then, as he's laughing, you can hear I think Cissy Houston in the background, who's singing the high note. And she keeps singing, and at one point he can't help but laugh, and he goes, You singing baby or something? I just love that moment.
Baz: One of the things we decided was to make sure we weren't just endlessly playing Elvis songs on set as we were rehearsing. We wanted to have a contemporary mood and feel, so that when we did shoot, we could use the other songs and it felt fresh and emotional. One of the tasks we set ourselves was what kind of songs might suit certain scenes. Is that the way you remember it?
Austin: Yeah, there were times where we were listening to Elvis and there were other times we were listening to those artists that have influenced Elvis, and then there were times where, as you've said, it was about the feeling.
Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Baz: I'm gonna ask you why you think we used Anarchy in the U.K. by the Sex Pistols as a kind of gear-up before we then went to you singing for that scene? Austin: I think it was the feeling of anarchy and the feeling of rebellion. The fact that Elvis was the original punk rocker. So it was giving the energy to the audience and the entire crew of what that felt like at the time. Because sometimes you'll hear those recordings and especially because of the way that they were recorded, you can't fully grasp what that felt like in the room.
Baz: In a way, we say he's the original punk, but really, the other point is that punk was trying to get back to being Elvis. It's worth holding up the original Elvis Pre
LINK: | https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-03-06/elvis-director-baz-luhrmann-an... |
See more stories from spotify |
More from Spotify
06/05/2024
Spotify Uplifts Bold, Emerging Artists in Honor of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Around the world, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists continue to impact mu...
06/05/2024
Never Miss a New Release With Countdown Pages for Audiobooks
Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audioboo...
03/05/2024
Be Honest With Your Art': Danny Ocean Reflects on Sudden Stardom and His Deeply Personal New Album
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify and ELLE Collaborate in Celebration of Emerging Women in Music
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
La Msica Mexicana no es solamente un fenmeno en Mxico y Estados Unidos, tambin en toda Amrica Latina
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
Msica Mexicana Isn't Just a Phenomenon in Mexico and the U.S.-It's Taking Over Latin America.
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
02/05/2024
Meet the 10 Hampton University Students Receiving Spotify NextGen's Scholarship
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and th...
02/05/2024
Advertisers and Creators Come Together at Our First-Ever Spotify Sparks in London
With more than 600 million users around the world tuned in to Spotify, there'...
01/05/2024
Celebrate May the 4th With Special Star Wars' Playlists, Audiobooks, and More
Spotify's Star Wars celebrations are in full Force starting today, and this ...
01/05/2024
Spotify's New Hardcore Gardening Playlist and Brain Dead Collab Will Rattle Greenhouses Everywhere
All around the world, millions of Spotify fans love listening to hardcore punk m...
24/04/2024
K-Hip-Hop's Biggest Names Take Center Stage on KrOWN X HAN 2024'
This month marked the return of Spotify's HAN, our collaborative program that brings the unique sounds and culture of Korean hip-hop to the world through ex...
24/04/2024
RADAR Italy Returns With 6 Artists Transforming the Country's Music Landscape
As Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, RADAR...
24/04/2024
Spotify Partners With Les Flammes Music Awards To Celebrate French Rap
Spotify is once again teaming up with Les Flammes, the only music awards dedicated to rap, R&B, Afrobeats, and popular culture in France. Spotify helped create...
24/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Becomes Spotify's Most-Streamed Album in One Week
Records smashed. History made. It's been just five days since Taylor Swift u...
23/04/2024
Spotify Reports First Quarter 2024 Earnings
Today, we announced our first quarter 2024 earnings. In a solid start to the year, Spotify reported Monthly Active Users grew 19% Y/Y to 615 million. Subscri...
23/04/2024
Spotify rapporterar intkter fr frsta kvartalet i 2024
Idag publicerar Spotify sina finansiella resultat f r f rsta kvartalet 2024. ret har inletts stabilt: M natliga aktiva anv ndare kade med 19 % j mf rt med f...
23/04/2024
Discover Your K-Pop Persona With Spotify's New Interactive Experience
In the last decade, as K-Pop cemented its status as a global phenomenon, Spotify has helped fans around the world keep their fingers on the pulse at every step ...
22/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT' Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
20/04/2024
Taylor Swift's THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Breaks Multiple Spotify Records in Less Than 24 Hours
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her ...
19/04/2024
How Spotify Approaches Safety With Sarah Hoyle, Global Head of Trust and Safety
Spotify's mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the ...
19/04/2024
Spotify and Taylor Swift Create a One-of-a-Kind Library To Celebrate THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT'
It's a beautiful day to be a Swiftie. Today, Taylor Swift dropped her 11th s...
17/04/2024
Spotify's Michael Krause Talks Industry Trends Ahead of Our Music and Podcasting Summits in Germany
On April 18 and 19, experts from across the audio industry-including artists, pu...
17/04/2024
Spotify Brings Entrepreneurs and Trailblazers Together to Talk the Future of Tech in the UK
With its particular combination of talent, ambition, culture, and, of course, wo...
17/04/2024
NextGen Partners With Howard University Professor Nikole Hannah-Jones on Student Podcasting Course
At Spotify, we want to equip student creators with the tools and resources neede...
12/04/2024
KAROL G Teams Up With Spotify and FC Barcelona To Release Special Matchday Shirts, Merchandise Collection, and Matchday Playlist
Spotify is once again bringing together record-breaking legends from the worlds ...
11/04/2024
5 Spotify Premium Hacks You Need To Know
Finding the perfect song, pod, or audiobook can be transformative, which is why we here at Spotify continuously innovate our products and features to provide th...
11/04/2024
Canadian Music Has Evolved Into a Global Export. Canada Must Evolve With It.
As the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) updates the country's Broadcasting Act, it faces a fundamental question: Who count...
11/04/2024
Spotify and Substack Partner To Bring Even More Podcasts to Listeners
At Spotify, we always want to deliver more value for podcast creators and their fans. That's why we're excited to announce a new integration with Substa...
10/04/2024
Meet the New Generation of Colombian Urban Artists Making Waves
In recent years, reggaeton has become practically synonymous with Colombia. The country has infused its own sounds and a unique flow into the genre, establishin...
10/04/2024
Conoce a la nueva generacin de artistas urbanos colombianos que la estn rompiendo
En los ltimos a os, el reggaeton se ha convertido pr cticamente en un sin nimo ...
09/04/2024
Spotify CLASSICS: The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the Streaming Era
In February, we launched Spotify CLASSICS, our first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. Our inaugural list focused on the Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Albums o...
08/04/2024
Spotify Premium Users Can Now Turn Any Idea Into a Personalized Playlist With AI Playlist in Beta
We know that discovery happens on Spotify, with nearly two billion discoveries h...
05/04/2024
RADAR Spain Returns With 6 Artists Shaping the Country's Hottest Music Trends
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify's program to spotlight...
04/04/2024
Christian Luiga Named Spotify's Chief Financial Officer
Spotify today announced the appointment of Christian Luiga as its new Chief Financial Officer. Christian joins Spotify from Saab AB, a European defense and secu...
04/04/2024
How Spotify and Samsung Brought Fresh Finds to Life in Chicago, From Live Performances to Interactive Experiences
Listeners looking to discover music from some of the most promising independent ...
02/04/2024
Spotify Premium Listeners in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand Can Soon Access More Than 250,000 Audiobooks
Attention booklovers in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand! Listening to your favo...
27/03/2024
Paving the Way' for Spotify's NextGen Scholarship Recipients
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and that starts with empowering the creators who will shape our industry's future....
26/03/2024
Sube la temperatura con las canciones del verano 2024 en Argentina y Brasil
De diciembre a marzo, cuando los ciudadanos del hemisferio sur disfrutan del verano, la m sica se convierte en una poderosa representaci n de las culturas y cos...
26/03/2024
Aumente o Som com as Msicas do Vero de 2024 da Argentina e do Brasil
De dezembro a mar o, medida que as pessoas em todo o Hemisf rio Sul aproveitam o ver o, a m sica surge frequentemente como uma representa o poderosa das cult...
26/03/2024
Turn Up the Heat With Argentina's and Brazil's 2024 Songs of Summer
From December to March, as people across the Southern Hemisphere soak up the summer, music often emerges as a powerful representation of a region's cultures...
25/03/2024
Spotify Tests Video-Based Learning Courses in the UK
Today we're launching a test for video-based courses on Spotify in the U.K. We've partnered with educational tech companies including BBC Maestro, PLAYv...
21/03/2024
Spotify Celebrates Ramadan With Listening Trends From Around the World
March marks the beginning of Ramadan, a cherished cultural event celebrated by Muslims worldwide. As families and communities come together to observe, contempl...
20/03/2024
Five Artists Reflect on Five Years of Spotify in India, Reaching New Fans, and the True Power' of Music
Since launching in India in 2019, Spotify has opened up opportunities for artist...
19/03/2024
The Biggest Takeaways From Spotify's Annual Music Economics Report
At Spotify, we believe that artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming-that's why we publish data showing our impact on the i...
19/03/2024
As Maiores Concluses do Relatrio Anual de Economia Musical do Spotify
No Spotify, acreditamos que os artistas merecem clareza no que diz respeito economia do streaming de m sica - por isso que publicamos dados que mostram o no...
19/03/2024
Las Conclusiones Ms Importantes Del Informe Anual De Spotify Sobre La Economa Musical
En Spotify, creemos que los artistas merecen claridad cuando se trata de la econ...
19/03/2024
Les points cls du rapport annuel sur l'conomie de la musique de Spotify
Spotify pense que les artistes m ritent de la clart en mati re d' conomie du streaming musical. C'est pourquoi la plateforme publie chaque ann e des do...
18/03/2024
USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More
Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites-from artists and album...
13/03/2024
Music Videos Rolling Out in Beta to Premium Spotify Users Across Select Markets
In the early neon-infused '80s, music videos burst onto TV screens, turning some of the most beloved songs into visual experiences that redefined the way fa...
12/03/2024
Five Years of Spotify in India: A Look Back at Our Greatest Hits
February marked Spotify's fifth year in India, and since our debut, we've focused on lifting up the country's creator community, localizing content ...