Lenny Kravitz‘s household had been concerned within the Civil Rights Motion, so it was solely becoming he ought to lend his musical expertise to George C. Wolfe’s new biopic in regards to the activist chief Bayard Rustin, who performed a key position in planning the 1963 March on Washington.
Besides, Kravitz had by no means heard of the Civil Rights determine. “I used to be disturbed that I didn’t learn about Bayard Rustin,” the rock musician tells Selection. Whereas Martin Luther King Jr.’s story was, in fact, taught to him in class, Rustin’s was not. So, when producer Bruce Cohen approached him to jot down the tip tune for the Colman Domingo-starring “Rustin,” Kravitz dropped every part to be taught in regards to the story. “I knew instantly that this was one thing that I wanted to do,” he says.
The project, in Kravitz’s phrases, was “due yesterday,” as Wolfe wished the tune instantly. However Kravitz explains, “I’m not one to take a seat down to jot down. I’m the form of artist that waits to listen to one thing. I’m an antenna, and that’s it.” After spending 48 hours strolling round his home, he lastly felt one thing inventive come by. He sat down on the piano, and the music started to take form. The outcome was “Highway to Freedom,” a rousing tune that builds right into a full-fledged rock anthem full with a gospel choir.
Kravitz knew the music wanted to be layered with the gospel choir and R&B influences, however Wolfe had one observe: he wished trombones. Says Kravitz, “I assume he was influenced by the trombone choirs from the Carolinas that play gospel hymns.” Kravitz went the additional mile to ship a horn part within the tune, so he known as up Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, the famed trombonist who has labored with the likes of Aerosmith and Mark Ronson.
Subsequent, Kravitz reached out to Domingo, as the 2 had beforehand met after they labored on Lee Daniels’ “The Butler.” Kravitz says that Domingo had one piece of recommendation: “The one factor I can suppose to inform you is that it’s in regards to the work.” Kravitz continues, “As you possibly can see within the film, Bayard was in regards to the work. When it got here time to have a second of glory, he went to the White Home, however he additionally selected to select up rubbish and to proceed doing the work, and that speaks volumes.”
The primary line Kravitz wrote was “We’re right here to make the dream true,” a nod to Dr. King’s most well-known speech. Kravitz explains, “We’re right here to maintain embodying that dream, residing that dream, and doing what we are able to as people to maintain manifesting that dream.”
When Kravitz lastly delivered the tune to Wolfe, the director had extra notes. “He would say, ‘I do know what you’re saying right here, and it is sensible, however this phrase doesn’t resonate with me. Attempt once more,’” Kravitz remembers.
Wolfe’s suggestions got here as a shock to Kravitz, and prolonged the songwriting course of three weeks.
“I’m not used to this,” Kravitz laughs of the back-and-forth change. “However, I used to be right here to serve a objective to characterize the movie, the director and the character, so I saved going till George was proud of each syllable.”
When he thinks in regards to the tune’s message, Kravitz says it begs the query: “What’s freedom?”
“We’re all the time going to be pushing ahead. The reality all the time will get revealed, however you’ll have to attend a very long time,” He says. “I take into consideration what I used to be taught in class as a younger baby, and so many issues are omitted, however the reality will discover its means. That’s what this complete factor is about: the continual highway, the battle and the reality discovering its means.”
Take heed to “Highway to Freedom” under.
