Without further ado; Trousdale.

Trousdale is a pop/folk band out of the University of Southern California’s esteemed Popular Music program. Known for their emotive harmonies and haunting lyrics, Trousdale’s music is defined by its beautiful arrangements and truthful stories. Their five members came together in the fall of 2014 and have been inseparable ever since. Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene and Lauren Jones make up Trousdale’s vocals, with Jack DeMeo on guitar and Madi Vogt on drums/percussion.

You can visit Trousdale on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube or SoundCloud. Or simply enjoy their ROUND 1 submission, Lure Me In, right here:

Next in our artist spotlight series is Jesse Walton.

By the age of 16 Jesse had already been trained in classical and acoustic guitar, piano, and had an accomplished understanding of music theory. He went on to study Music and Music Technology at the East Sussex Academy of Music, where he excelled in composition and performance. He has completed a degree in Commercial Music at Canterbury Christ Church University, and is now taking his experience and expertise forward into what is sure to be a long and successful career in composition for film and television.

Please enjoy his song, I Hit The Ground:

And so the producers of the film teamed up with us to conduct a Song Search, hoping to find the perfect artist (or artists) for the soundtrack.

ROUND 1 of the Song Search generated a ton of great submissions and presented the producers with a lot of inspiration for how to move forward. Of the many submissions, six were chosen for ROUND 2, in which the songwriters are asked to write and record a rough demo of an original song specifically for The Storyteller. The six are now hard at work and we’re pleased to introduce them all, one by one.

And so, please meet Frank Cogliano.

Frank Cogliano is an Emmy nominated composer and multi instrumentalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He has produced songs and composed scores for in dozens of TV shows and films, and also produces pop music with up and coming vocalists. He also regularly performs as a guitarist with internationally touring live acts.

We’re excited to hear what Frank will be writing for us for ROUND 2 of the Song Search!

ROUND 1 of the Song Search generated a ton of great submissions and presented the producers with a lot of inspiration for how to move forward. Of the many submissions, six were chosen for ROUND 2, in which the songwriters are asked to write and record a rough demo of an original song specifically for The Storyteller. The six are now hard at work and we’re pleased to introduce them all, one by one.

And so, please meet Billy Bouchard.

Billy Bouchard is an independent singer and songwriter with roots in folk, punk and garage. Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Bouchard grew up listening to almost entirely country music radio in his working class boyhood home. As soon as he could force his hand to shape power chords, Bouchard started forming punk and hardcore acts playing in and around the Providence area. The first time he set foot in a studio his band would be signed to a label (Atlantic Records). The independent ‘noise’, art rock and theatre scenes in Providence would prove to have a lasting effect on his approach to music in the years to come. After a decisive move to Oakland, California, Bouchard would go on to collaborate with dozens of artists (Bart Davenport, Christian Burns, Aaron Pfenning of Chairlift, The Greater Good, The Plus Ones, Samiam) recording for a slew of labels, write and record with grammy award winning producers (Jeff Saltzman, Chris Dugan) and playing live in over 40 different countries.

Residing in Brooklyn for the better half a decade now, has furthered the evolution in Bouchards approach. The influences are many and Bouchard seems able to humbly meander from one aesthetic to it’s kin with aplomb. If you weren’t paying close enough attention you might dismiss him as another in a series of folky troubadours pawning off their nostalgic wares without shame. But upon closer inspection, it’s clear Bouchard is reaching much deeper. Touches of psyche, country, blues and a strong penchant for fascinating guitar approaches (including some adept finger styles) get sprinkled into his repertoire. Bouchard has come a long way from his humble start, but if you’re listening closely enough, it’s chronicled beautifully.

You can learn more about Billy Bouchard on his website, on BandCamp or on SoundCloud.

Please enjoy Billy’s submission for The Storyteller Song Search, Brackishly:

Allow us to introduce to you, one of the six; Rachel VanSlyke.

In the spring of 2008, this adventurous music maker set out on a 26 plus-city tour sprawling from South Florida to Canada. Many of the shows involved raising awareness and funds for local community bike co-ops and community centers – which explains why she did this 4,100-mile journey on a bicycle. This solo/self-supported, pedal powered trek was both to promote the new album, and raise awareness for sustainability and environmental issues. Her most recent release, Help is on the Way (February 2015), has all ready received 4 songwriting awards.

You can find Rachel’s music on ReverbNation and on iTunes, where you can purchase three of her albums. Please enjoy one of her submitted songs, Leaving:

First up is Anielle Reid.

Anielle Reid is an American singer-songwriter and banjoist based in NYC whose music has scored the Australian short IN TUNE, has been featured in the benefit album for the non-profit RAINN, and has been featured on non-commercial radio including NPR.

Anielle has a single and an EP available for purchase on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon. You can also visit her on Facebook, Youtube, her official website or follow her on Instagram.

Here’s a beautiful video for her song submission, Morality:

And it was not an easy task. Even though film is a visual medium, sound (and music in particular) plays an important part in conveying emotion, setting mood, pacing, character development and so on and so forth. With a story like The Storyteller the music plays an even more integral part, as it serves as the glue that brings all of the main characters together. The story follows several people who have lost or repressed parts of themselves, and explores how they find their way back into authentic relationships with themselves and each other through music. The music in the film parallels the journey of the characters, and as such it builds and grows along with the relationships. Needless to say, choosing the right composer or songwriter for a project like this, is not a task to be taken lightly.

And so with that said, here’s who the producers have selected for ROUND 2. These six artists will now write and record a rough demo of an original song, specifically for The Storyteller:

Billy Bouchard

Frank Cogliano

Quinn D’Andrea

Anielle Reid - read her Artist Spotlight and watch the video for her song, Morality.

Rachel VanSlyke

Jesse Walton

These were all chosen based on their strengths in the use of strong and (for lack of a better word) complex guitar parts, haunting and unusual arrangements, emotional melody lines and powerful lyrics. These are the qualities the producers would like to hear on the original songs for the film.

To give you a better sense of the selection process, we will – with permission of the artists – post their submissions in subsequent posts. Links will be added to the artists’ names above, as the songs are posted. Please enjoy – and support the artists in whichever way you can. Follow the production of The Storyteller here.

*** THE PRODUCERS ARE CURRENTLY GOING ALL THE SUBMISSIONS – WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING ROUND 2 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ***

The Storyteller logline: A young girl claiming to be immortal unites an unlikely family as she explores a world teeming with magic to escape the traumas of a dark past.

For inspiration, think of this film as Finding Neverland meets Once, and give these two songs a listen, so you know what we’re going for:

Bastion – Build that Wall

Scott Ainslie – Wayfaring Stranger

The music in this film serves as the glue that brings all of our main characters together. The story follows several people who have lost or repressed parts of themselves, and explores how they find their way back into authentic relationships with themselves and each other through music. The music in the film parallels the journey of the characters. It builds and grows as the relationships do, and we want it to be a simple acoustic arrangement that builds as the film progresses. A melody line that will pluck at the audiences heart strings, and speak to the softening and opening up of each character. The majority of the music will be sung by a 17 year old girl, accompanied by her music teacher on harmonies and acoustic guitar.

Now, this is what we need from you:

Send us one or two of your original songs in the bluegrass/folk style that you think best show off your songwriting abilities and musicianship. Songs you could see fitting into this film’s soundtrack based on the description and references above. These can be songs you’ve already written and recorded – no need to write anything specifically for us just yet.

We are especially interested in hearing songs with strong and (for lack of a better word) complex guitar parts, haunting and unusual arrangements, emotional melody lines and powerful lyrics.

Upload your submission via the form below.

And this is how we’ll be searching for the perfect song:

After we have reviewed all of the Round 1 submissions, we will announce a list of Round 2 selections on the site.

The Round 2 selections will each be granted a $50 stipend to submit a new demo of an original song incorporating lyrics and themes from the script. The producers will email all Round 2 selections with detailed instructions for submitting an original demo, to be written, recorded and submitted within one month.

After reviewing all of the Round 2 submissions, production will select and meet with one or two songwriters to discuss collaboration on the music for the film. Song contributions that end up in the film will be compensated accordingly and as agreed upon before a finished recording is submitted.

Even if your songs are not chosen as a Round 1 or Round 2 selection, we may – with your permission, of course – post your entry on the site and are happy to facilitate any contact between you and readers who may want to employ your songwriting services for their own projects.

*** THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR ROUND 1 ENTRY WAS OCTOBER 1st AT MIDNIGHT (PST) ***

Be sure to visit our media partner Ear To The Ground – keeping you in the know of all things folk, americana, bluegrass, indie rock and more. Inspiration is out there!

Good luck!