Wish I Was Here, the much anticipated follow-up to Zach Braff’s cult cinema classic Garden State, hits theatres next month and details of the equally-awaited soundtrack for the feature reveals that a young Aussie musician has landed a slot among the roster of big-name indie favourites.
Along with tracks from returning Garden State scene-stealing favourites The Shins, Bon Iver, and a Coldplay duet with Cat Power, Wish I Was Here features ‘Breathe In’, the breakout tune from Aussie producer Japanese Wallpaper, better known to his schoolmates as Gab Strum.
It’s an achievement that hasn’t yet “even begun to feel real” for the young Melbournite. “It feels quite surreal! I don’t think it will sink in until I see [the movie],” Strum tells Tone Deaf of the Zach Braff coup. “Everyone at school is so supportive, they’re all really excited for me which is a great feeling.”
So how exactly did the 17-year-old’s atmospheric guitar-led slice of electronica (featuring vocalist Wafia) wind up on arguably the most hotly anticipated soundtrack of the year?
“I was contacted directly by the music supervisor for the movie – she didn’t mention who she was or what movie it was for so initially I just thought it was for someone’s uni assignment or something,” Strum explains.
“It wasn’t until she emailed a second time to explain it that I realised what it was for! Since then my management have dealt with it all.” (That’d be Zero Through Nine (ZTN), the indie label and management company who recently told us how to run a successful indie label)
Japanese Wallpaper isn’t just the only Aussie on the tracklist, he’s also the youngest – both age and career wise. Aside from ‘Breathe In’, the only other release to the producer’s name is his dreamy follow-up single ‘Waves’.
But the 17-year-old’s plans for the future are much more modest than simply coasting the success of his enviable soundtrack score – like finishing his studies.
“My aim is to release another single before the end of the year and try and do some shows,” he explains. “I have Year 12 to focus on next year and I’m a bit nervous about how I’ll manage juggling school with all this music stuff but we’ll see what happens, I guess.”
Ironically, given the huge exposure and potential Wish I Was Here represents, Strum only recently saw Braff’s breakout Garden State “a few months ago – it’s a bit ‘before my time’, I think,” says Strum, “[but] I love the soundtrack; The Shins are one of my favourite bands.”
[include_post id=”377291″]
The question begs, what is Japanese Wallpaper’s favourite soundtrack? “Palo Alto is pretty good,” he replies, namechecking the 2013 drama based on actor James Franco’s short story collection, with a score by Blood Orange; “Dev Hynes is such a great writer. Some really cool songs but also lots of beautiful cinematic moments.”
As Japanese Wallpaper, Strum will be set to provide some cinematic moments of his own. But local audiences won’t get a chance to see and hear his musical cameo until September, when Wish I Was Here opens to screens Down Under.
However, Strum reveals ‘Breathe In’ is being used “in a pretty emotional scene” of the comedy drama, which stars Braff’s mid-30s character struggling with balancing his roles as father, husband, and actor. “I don’t want to say what happens in case it spoils it though!” adds Strum.
The Wish I Was Here soundtrack is released digitally and on CD on 15th July (via Columbia), and on vinyl on 5th August, along with the original indie-breaking Garden State soundtrack, available on wax for the first time to celebrate the film’s 10th Anniversary, as Pitchfork reports.
View the full tracklisting and a trailer below.
Wish I Was Here: Music From The Motion Picture Tracklisting
01 The Shins: “So Now What”
02 Gary Jules: “Broke Window”
03 Radical Face: “The Mute”
04 Hozier: “Cherry Wine (Live)”
05 Bon Iver: “Holocene”
06 Badly Drawn Boy: “The Shining”
07 Jump Little Children: “Mexico”
08 Cat Power & Coldplay: “Wish I Was Here”
09 Allie Moss: “Wait It Out”
10 Paul Simon: “The Obvious Child”
11 Japanese Wallpaper: “Breathe In [ft. Wafia]”
12 Bon Iver: “Heavenly Father”
13 Aaron Embry: “Raven’s Song”
14 The Weepies: “Mend”
15 The Head & the Heart: “No One to Let You Down”
