The Motel Life (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Music plays a key role in this debut feature by film-producing brothers Alan and Gabriel Polsky (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call—New Orleans). And aptly so: the acclaimed source novel was the first by Willy Vlautin, lead singer of Portland alt-country standouts Richmond Fontaine. The Polskys personally selected a gritty, eclectic mix of songs that echo the book’s "honest portrayal of Reno, and the difficult situation the brothers encountered, while enhancing the underlying fairy tale feeling at the core of the story,” explains Alan Polsky. The filmmakers turned to longtime Soderbergh confederate David Holmes and cutting-edge composer/producer/session star Keefus Ciancia to conjure a haunting, Eno-esque underscore as a frame. “They were totally on board with creating a score that was void of the classic melodramatic elements you find in many indie films,” Alan says. “We wanted something that had the emotional weight the story deserved, yet didn't feel like we were forcing the audience’s hand.”