Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen released his 19th studio album in June and now he is set to release a film to accompany it. According to Variety , The Boss has shot a film based on the songs from the new album Western Stars. The film was directed by Thom Zimny, who has worked with Springsteen in the past, and it was shot at Springsteen’s home.
“We made a film of us playing the ‘Western Stars’ album start to finish, plus some other things,” Springsteen told Sirius XM’s E Street Radio channel. “I knew we weren’t going to tour, so I figured this was the best way to do it.”
“[The film] is looking good — that will be exciting. It will be out in the calendar year.”
The 13-track album sees Springsteen swap his trademark working-man rock for a more orchestrated California pop sound.
“We’re excited about the whole reception to the record. I thought the record was a little off to the left, didn’t know what response we would get,” said Springsteen. “Seeing how the record was received was very exciting and how we could further that experience for the fans.”
Despite not touring the album, Springsteen is still plenty busy. According to Rolling Stone , Springsteen will be in the recording studio again in the fall, this time with the E Street Band. It will be the first new Springsteen album with his longtime backing band since they released High Hopes in 2014. After the album is done, Springsteen plans to tour with the musicians in 2020.
#WesternStars is available everywhere now! https://t.co/RTvoIPnUcY pic.twitter.com/6wRpLgxXR7
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) June 14, 2019
His Western Stars tracks aren’t the only Springsteen music that will be hitting screens in 2019. In August, Springsteen’s music will feature in the movie Blinded By The Light. As reported by Ultimate Classic Rock , the picture is based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s 2007 memoir Greetings From Bury Park. The film explores the main character’s love of Springsteen’s music while growing up with Pakistani heritage in 1980s Britain.
The soundtrack, which will also be released in August, features classic Springsteen songs like “Dancing in the Dark,” “Hungry Heart,” “Cover Me,” and “Born to Run,” as well as live material. The three live tracks include the world premiere of “The River” from a 1979 concert and “The Promised Land” recorded at the National Mall in Washington D.C. in 2014. Another highlight is a previously unreleased track called “I’ll Stand By You,” which Springsteen wrote for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone but was ultimately not included in the 2001 film.
