The soundtrack for the hit drama, This Town, which features Self Esteem, Olivia Dean and a variety of original songs, has been unveiled. The new album incorporates a mix of classical covers and original tunes from the series ‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ and is available on all streaming platforms via Polydor Records. Dan Carey, a Grammy-winning producer behind Fontaines D.C. and Wet Leg, fashioned the band’s songs alongside Consequence of Sound’s 2016 Mercury Prize nominee Kae Tempest and ESCA, a soul steed with a unique sound, in a remarkably inventive work that adds to this crucial story.
The soundtrack for the series features Self Esteem’s version of Jimmy Cliff’s 1970s tune ‘You Can Get It If You Really Want,’ in addition to Ray Laurél’s rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ Olivia Dean’s take on the reggae standard ‘The Harder They Come’ and Celeste’s cover of ‘Blue Moon’ are also included in the album. The LP is a genre mix of classic anthems and original tunes set in the world of ska and two-tone in the early ’80s, reflecting the era’s vibe.
“Music is at the heart of the series, which has been a privilege to work with such excellent musical talent on the project,” Marc Robinson, co-president of Mercury Studios, said in a press release. The series’ executive producer, Karen Wilson adds, “We always knew that getting the music right was going to be key to the success of This Town. Mercury Studios has been the perfect partners in this.”
In an interview with NME about the inspiration behind The Town, Steven Knight shared, “I wanted to do a Birmingham and West Midlands story.” As a child, he remembers his peers getting 45s that would come from Jamaica. “And everybody loved them because they had lyrics that would never make it onto the radio (they were quite suggestive).” In Coventry, ska music became very popular, and “then people started making their own versions of it. Skinheads and young black people [were mixing] without there being trouble. It was just a strange thing that happened in that location at that time, and I just thought it would be great to tell a story with that as the backdrop.”
The ‘This Town (Music From The Original BBC Series)’ tracklist Includes Self Esteem’s “You Can Get It If You Really Want”, Ray Laurél’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”, Fuck The Factory’s “Estella”, Olivia Dean’s “The Harder They Come”, and many more iconic tracks. The music gels well with the series, and we are thrilled to have such excellent musical talent on board this project
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