Listen: Disney Debuts the ELEMENTAL Soundtrack By Thomas Newman; Features New Song By Lauv

Filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios have long understood the power of music in helping to bring a story to life. Indeed, world-building extends far beyond the buildings and background characters—the soundscape selected for a film adds depth to the characters journey and helps define emotional moments. For the “Elemental” score, filmmakers called on a tried-and-true member of their musical family: Thomas Newman.

Newman’s Pixar credits include 2003’s “Finding Nemo,” 2008’s “WALL•E” and 2016’s “Finding Dory”—the celebrated composer was nominated for an Oscar® for his work on both “Finding Nemo” and “WALL•E.” When it came time to find the perfect song for a key sequence in the film, Pixar filmmakers teamed up with multi-Platinum chart-topping singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Lauv, who worked with Newman and songwriter Michael Matosic on the film’s original single, “Steal the Show.”

SCORE!

Director Peter Sohn capitalized on Newman’s experience and artistry to amplify the story’s emotional core. According to Sohn, Newman’s score brilliantly captures the unexpected connection between Ember and Wade, Fire and Water—opposites by all accounts. Not only that, says the director, but it eloquently accompanies the story’s deepening relationship between father and daughter.

“As a fan of Tom’s scores,” says Sohn, “one of my favorite aspects of his work is how he finds a way to present the inner thoughts of characters through music and present more sophisticated energy to an emotional moment. This was something that we were very excited to have Tom help out with and I am so moved by the work he created for the film.”

Newman’s edict was to create music that spans the film’s emotional spectrum. “You have the utterly ludicrous all the way to deeply profound,” he says. “As a composer, you always want to help tell the story: ‘Elemental’ is full of puns that are there for laughs; at the same time, there are some really deep issues.”

The music also conveys the unique cultural undertones of the story—without leaning on any existing cultural hallmarks. “From Fire, Water, Earth and Air, how could we create something that was unique to the world of the film and wasn’t going to appropriate anything from our human world?” asks Sohn.

“Through Tom’s amazing breadth of experience, we believed in his skill to create something very unique for the different communities of our film. The surprise for me was how he was able to unify the different cultures through our main character. How we could feel the music of the Fire culture through Ember, and then feel what she was going through when leaving her comfort zone and enter a city that wasn’t built for Fire.”

According to Newman, that was the best part. “The most fun is discovering the vocabulary and different musical colors,” he says.

Producer Denise Ream is a longtime fan of the composer. “I’m so excited for people to hear this score,” she says. “Thomas Newman is a pro—just so unbelievably experienced. It’s been really wonderful to observe him—he’s incredibly thoughtful. The choices he makes are anything but literal, so he surprises me a lot.”

Adds Sohn, “He was amazing to work with on all levels. His thoughtfulness on character motivations and his brilliant artistry in capturing feelings deepened the movie to a level I never thought was possible. I am forever grateful for that experience.

“STEAL THE SHOW”

“Elemental” invites audiences to journey alongside Ember and Wade as they realize that maybe they’re not so different after all. Thanks to Wade, Ember is able to see Element City for the first time without trepidation. The occasion is aptly captured in song, compliments of singer-songwriter Lauv, who collaborated with Newman for “Steal the Show,” an original song that can be heard in part during the film and in full during the end credits.

Original songs tend to come together during the latter half of production—and that was the case for “Elemental.” But Sohn had embraced the magic of Lauv long before “Steal the Show” was even conceived. “They loved my song, ‘I Like Me Better,’” says Lauv, “and used it in initial versions as a placeholder.”

Explains Sohn, “At Pixar, we remake our films several times through the course of a production,” says the director. “What I mean is that we create rough story reels through drawings, rough vocal performances and temporary music to find the film.”

The film follows Ember and Wade from the moment they meet, which is awkward at best. But that all changes as Wade pulls Ember out of her comfort zone, showcased in a charming sequence that called for just the right music to strike the right tone. “I love

Lauv’s music,” says Sohn, “so when we finally got the chance to work with him, I referenced his music and how we were using it.”

Pixar also shared a rough cut of the movie with Lauv who worked with Newman on a song entitled “Steal the Show.” Says Newman, “I came to him with fragments of ideas that had begun as score. so it began with that general vocabulary. And then he wrote these beautiful melodies and I tried to use them later in the movie. We fed off each other.”

For Lauv, the experience was unlike anything he’d ever tackled. “This was one of my favorite songs ever to write because the process was really different,” said Lauv of the creative process. “I sat down with Thomas Newman and he gave me a couple of sounds that he was working with and I asked, ‘Can I have a couple of minutes in a room, pull up a piano and turn on the microphone?’ I had melodies, chords and a couple of key lyrics totally free styled after watching the scene. It was a very in-the-moment thing.”

Songwriter and frequent Lauv-collaborator Michael Matosic was called on to contribute to the lyrics, and Lauv worked with Newman to polish the song. “It was really cool to go back and forth with Thomas and build the whole soundscape,” says Lauv, who liked the addition of “real strings” and a children’s choir. “It was really cool to go back and forth with Thomas and build the whole soundscape and then I combined it with very classic Lauv sounds.”

Says Sohn, “He captured the beauty [Ember and Wade] saw in each other and how it could be something more. We were so emotional when we first heard his song. It was overwhelming and we feel absolutely indebted to what he gave the film.”

Adds Ream, “It’s a great pop song that resonated with everyone—we can’t wait to share it with audiences and music fans. I’m totally in love with this song.”

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