Listen: Jónsi's “Gathering Stories” (Co-Written By Cameron Crowe) From 'We Bought A Zoo'

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by Kevin Jagernauth
November 16, 2011 11:01 AM
3 Comments

Cameron Crowe is coming for your heart next month with "We Bought A Zoo," his adaptation of the memoir by Benjamin Mee about a family who deals with the loss of a loved one the way anybody else would -- by moving into a house that also doubles as animal sanctuary. It's certainly gearing up to be the director's most mainstream movie to date, and probably his most parents-'n'-kids-friendly as well. To help pitch those emotions just right, he's enlisted Sigur Ros frontman Jónsi to pen the soundtrack.

However, always the multitasker (as was previously reported) Crowe has co-written one of the two brand new songs by Jónsi, "Gathering Stories." Courtesy of NPR, we can now listen to the new track in full, and if you're a fan of Jónsi's solo album or his tune for "How To Train Your Dragon," you'll like his work here. Lilting and gently sweeping, the song is powered by his distinctive voice gliding over an uplifting, carefully orchestrated song that fits a mood Crowe was going for since day one on the movie.

As Crowe explains in the liner notes to the soundtrack (which you can read in full at NPR), he played the Sigur Ros documentary "Heima" for the cast and crew, and had songs by the band in the background during takes as they shot film. On the last day of shooting "We Bought A Zoo," Crowe contacted Jónsi to see if he would be interested in scoring the movie, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The soundtrack to "We Bought A Zoo" will hit on December 13th, with movie itself arriving on December 23rd. Take a listen below.

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3 Comments

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Amanda | November 27, 2011 9:15 PMReply

Just listened to "Gathering Stories" on NPR and I loved it. Can't wait for the rest of the "We Bought a Zoo" soundtrack.
brittany | November 16, 2011 3:23 PMReply

the creative synergy between the two of them is unmatched. the rest of the soundtrack must be breathtaking if "gathering stories" is any indication. it comes out 12/13, ive already pre-ordered mine! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0061TQDXM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=columbia_records-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0061TQDXM
Sara | November 16, 2011 1:19 PMReply

This is really beautiful. Truthfully, I cried the first time I heard it. Luckily I'm down to just goosebumps now whenever I hear it. I can't wait to see this score set with the film.