Grapes of Rad

The Marley twins, at odds in every way, work to preserve their father’s legacy on a gorgeous Oklahoma winery under threat from the local land baron. This funny, psychedelic movie musical takes us on a wild ride through the perils of mixing family and business.

a musical by Thicket & Thistle

In collaboration with The Barn’s department of Cinemusicalization, I was extremely excited to begin work on a full-length movie musical. Stylistically, Grapes of Rad is a vibe buffet; inspirations range from Courtney Barnett, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Franz Ferdinand to Irving Berlin, Carol King and Elton John. This ensemble-driven story needed a sound that blended classic musical theatre song structures with modern indie rock sensibilities, mirroring the core theme of “old-versus-new” that our characters struggle with.

I enjoyed writing many proper songs as well as underscoring, making this one of the most in-depth projects I’ve ever tackled. Development continues as the project moves into the pre-production & funding phase.