It should come as no surprise that Lovely by Surprise, Kirt Gunn’s film about a fictional creation that leaps from the page to minimize a child’s tragedy, is as lovely to listen to as it is to watch. In his 42 years on earth Gunn has worn many hats, many wigs, some housecoats, and at least one pair of support hose. While living in Memphis in the 1990’s the musically gifted filmmaker, who’s blown his harmonica alongside Memphis legends like The Fieldstones and B.B. King, fronted The Delta Queens, a blues-rock quartet known for dressing up like little old ladies and tearing down the house. Although none of the Delta Queens’ songs made it onto the soundtrack Gunn is deeply connected to his hometown’s music scene, which is represented in the film by Shelby Bryant, formerly of the Clears.
“I wanted to have these kind of jarring musical transitions,” Gunn says, explaining how each artist is used in very specific ways to move viewers back and forth between his film’s the three distinct storylines. Here’s a quick rundown of the Memphis, California, New York, and New Orleans musicians that create Lovely by Surprise‘s distinctive soundscape. (More after the jump)
