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Collaborators unite! We’re doing a Friday night thing with Ryan Lott, and it’ll be really cool if you’re there: 10 East Arts, doors at 5:30 PM, conversation starts at 6 PM.
This June PATTERN is exploring collaboration–and we experienced it in a new way through this digital cover featuring Son Lux, a trio with Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang, and Ryan Lott. The following interview and upcoming Think Tank specifically highlight Lott since he’s got such sweet connections to our Indiana home.
Lott’s a busy guy, and we had to lean on others to source photos and this interview. And speaking of, you’re about to read an interview brought to us by Daniel Arthur Jacobson, filmmaker and Artistic Director at the Kan-Kan Cinema. Jacobson also happens to be a brand new dad–and what could possibly be a more collaborative effort than a baby? Anyway, we’ll let new-dad Jacobson take it from here.
Last spring I would have told you the word-of-mouth success story of a theater movie was dead, a thing of the past. Then came this little film from Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once, to prove me oh-so-wrong. It felt like the jolt of independent adrenaline the industry needed to remind us original voices matter.
It took the world (and Oscars!) by storm with its unique kung fu multiverse that truly lives up its name. A mixtape of a movie that calls on The Matrix, Wong Kar-wai, a Ratatouille moment that you have to see to believe and yes, even an emotional scene with hot dog fingers.
Part time Indianapolis resident Ryan Lott and his band Son Lux were tasked with scoring this wild ride of a film right when the pandemic halted the world. Ryan and his family holed up in Broad Ripple with his instruments, Zoom, and time to build the incredible music for this movie.
I connected with Ryan to discuss the amazing ride he has been on with Everything Everywhere All At Once since scoring the film in Indianapolis.
Daniel Jacobson: First things first, you are not from here, but Indiana and Indianapolis have played a pivotal role in your adult life. What is your connection to Indiana?
Ryan Lott: I am an IU Jacobs School graduate and my wife Jen grew up here. She graduated from Broad Ripple High School and attended IU. Our manager, Michael Kaufmann, who has been managing me for over 16 years, is also based here in Indy. At the start of the pandemic, my wife and I and our son knew we wanted to be closer to family so we moved to Indy. We were very fortunate to be able to hunker down in Broad Ripple and be close to friends and family.
DJ: The last time I saw you and the band was back in April ’22, we were premiering this “bizarre little movie” you and your band worked on to your family and friends at the Kan-Kan. Did you have any idea what this movie was going to do? And where it has taken you over this past year?
RL: I don’t think any of us could have predicted the wide critical and popular embrace of this film, but we did know it was something incredibly special and unique. The feeling that it has shifted Hollywood back to centering on creativity and storytelling first and foremost, and pressing the limits of the craft in wild and inventive ways, is palpable. We often say, working on the film was the award, but we are grateful for all of the accolades and certainly for the new opportunities it has opened up for us as a band of composers.
DJ: Pre-official nominations, you all were thinking about renting out a theater at the Kan-Kan to watch the Oscars and cheer on EEAO. But then I remember waking up to catch the live nominations and your name came up twice. In that moment I knew you all would be watching the Oscars at the Oscars. How did that feel?
RL: The Oscars were an amazing experience. From a distance it can all seem like a bit of a circus, and it is. [Laughs] But in addition to it being a circus with expensive clothes, it’s also a celebration of all aspects of the craft of storytelling and filmmaking. To realize we are now considered peers amongst these other artists and composers is humbling. We already believed in what we do as artists, but that peer recognition is encouraging as it speaks to the community’s willingness to embrace new people and new ideas.
DJ: So, I have to ask. Do you have any interesting behind the scenes stories at the Oscars?
RL: It was not an easy road to the Oscar stage. There were very strict COVID protocols and we only had three proper days to rehearse, and one of those days evaporated when one of our band members had a false positive on a COVID test result. In the end, everything came together and sharing the Oscar stage with David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu, jumbotron Raccacoonie, and the dancers to put on what many are calling the weirdest Oscar performance of all time, that still feels like a dream.
DJ: Wild! Back to the collaboration on EEAO; I grew up watching Daniels as music video directors, how did you all connect and how did they approach you about scoring this movie?
RL: We were the first hire on the film, before anyone was cast. Daniels reached out as they knew our music as Son Lux, but also as individual artists. The process was deeply collaborative, they encouraged and challenged us throughout the process, and the result was we were able to give them our best work.
DJ: What was it like working with music video directors on a feature film?
RL: Daniels understand how critical the interplay between music and picture is for a film. They are able to approach the score in a way that isn’t bound to ornamentation or flourishes, but rather integrated as a critical element that helps stitch the film together as a sum greater than its parts. This was especially important for a film that jumps through different universes, needing to rapidly change, but also helping the audience make those transitions.
DJ: There are so many amazing collaborations on this project from Mitski, David Byrne, Moses Sumney, Randy Newman, to even Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000) playing flute? How did all these happen, and how was it working with these amazing people?
RL: As the movie’s studio, A24, began to recognize they had something very special on their hands with the movie they encouraged us to come up with a list of dream collaborators to engage and expand the score and the soundtrack. Fortunately for us, once people watched the early cut of the film, they were immediately sold and wanted to be part of this amazing project.
DJ: What did you learn from this project that you will take with Son Lux moving forward?
RL: Working on the film score and Tomorrows simultaneously helped challenge our notions of the traditional album cycle, and pushed us towards this idea of creating seasons around particular musical expressions. For instance, we collaborated with Mitchell L.H. Douglas, an Indianapolis based poet, for our Tomorrows trilogy. We continue to explore a more multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach to our music and how we release that music into the world.
DJ: What are you all working on next? Are there more scores in the future?
RL: Nothing we can talk about publicly at the moment, but there are some very exciting projects on the horizon, both individually but also collectively as Son Lux.
