![]() The goal was to make a record that sounded distinctly human - a record that used technology to widen the sound, while still maintaining an organic core.Ī Short Film for a Long Story unfolds like the soundtrack to a 16-minute montage in some art movie, with each song building upon the next. They wrote the songs together, drawing not only upon the collaborative spark that fueled Strays Don’t Sleep’s original fire back in 2005, but also upon the creative skills they’d both sharpened during the 15 years since. ![]() The songs - driven forward by lyrics about prizing our collective humanity above destruction - make a strong case for turning on and tuning in, rather than dropping out.Ī Short Film for a Long Story was recorded in East Nashville, making use of their studio’s high ceilings to fill the music with a sense of ethereal, spacey ambiance. You could call it a collection of honest lullabies for adults. It’s hushed one minute and calmly anthemic the next, with organic soundscapes punctuated by acoustic guitar, upright piano, drums, and the interplay between Ryan and Hubbard’s disparate voices. Rooted in minimalism, melody, and moody atmosphere, the four-song EP offers up its own brand of earthy, cinematic indie-folk. Now in 2020, A Short Film for a Long Story brings Ryan and Hubbard back together for the first time in 15 years. Even in hibernation, Strays Don’t Sleep couldn’t help but leave a mark. A cult favorite and critical triumph, the album became a commercial success during the streaming era, with the single “For Blue Skies” racking up nearly 4 million plays on Spotify alone. While Ryan and Hubbard gained more and more notoriety individually, Strays Don’t Sleep - the eponymous album they’d recorded in Nashville, released on Bjork’s record label, and supported with plenty of touring on both sides of the Atlantic - only grew in renown. Meanwhile, Hubbard’s stature as one of Nashville’s go-to producers, engineers, and videographers would grow to greater heights during the 2010s, a decade that found him working with everyone from Mary Gauthier (on the Grammy-nominated Rifles & Rosary Beads) to John Prine.Īs each artist’s solo career began to take off, Strays Don’t Sleep was quietly put on the backburner. Ryan - already a celebrated songwriter whose albums mined the intersection of folk, punk, and blue-collar roots-rock - would go on to release 12 acclaimed recordings over the next 14 years, mixing sharply-written autobiography with character-driven songs about heartbreak, hope, and humanity. The group performed in person at the Remi Awards Gala dinner for 500 international filmmakers to a standing ovation.When the ambient folk duo Strays Don’t Sleep released their self-titled debut in 2005, bandmates Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard were still in the early stages of their careers. Their music video DVD album, Strays Don't Sleep, with each song presented by a different director, won the top Award - The Grand Remi for Best Music Video - at the 2006 WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. "Love Don't Owe You Anything" (single, 2006).Strays Don't Sleep was officially disbanded mid-2006. The band toured the UK with Josh Rouse to support the album. " For Blue Skies", a song concerning the sentencing of Matthew Ryan’s brother to 30 years in prison, was made available on the One Tree Hill Soundtrack. The success helped secure a US release, which was helped further by a placement in the hit CW (former WB) drama One Tree Hill. Strays Don't Sleep was released to great reviews from Timeout, Uncut, the Sunday Express and The Times. A 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire record and films, by Paul PDub Walton of Björk and Sneaker Pimps fame, is available on the DVD. Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard also directed three of the short films with the help of Nashville film student, Matt Riddlehoover. The release includes a DVD of short films that were directed and shot by professional filmmakers and friends, including Gorman Bechard, The Barnes Brothers, Martin Glenn, Matt Boyd and Jared Johnson. In the Autumn 2005 Strays Don't Sleep’s debut self-titled album was released in the UK on One Little Indian. ![]() The collaboration was much more successful than expected and Strays Don’t Sleep was formed with Neilson Hubbard, Brian Bequette, Billy Mercer and Steve Latanation. Matthew Ryan approached Neilson Hubbard in 2004 about a collaboration, which could result in an interesting self-distributed release for fans. They released their debut self-titled record in 2006. Strays Don't Sleep was a Nashville-based band, a collaborative project between singer/songwriters Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard.
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