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Photo by Emily Krisky

The intersection of music and film is a glorious combination of communication, when the album can only speak so far and needs a visual component to tell the full story. Dyeing her hair red, after a blue themed debut record nonetheless, set the tone for singer-songwriter Ally Evenson’s grandest artistic achievement to date. On a cold Thursday in LA, music and film lovers ascended on one of our most beloved indie theaters to experience SPEED KILLS in all its glory. After an acoustic performance and a carefully curated selection of trailers ranging from La La Land to Bones and All, the audience was ready to experience Ally Evenson’s short film debut on the big screen. Minutes before her moment, we chatted with Ally about the genesis of the film, its inspirations, and of course, her Letterboxd Top 4: 

Giselle: Your album SPEED KILLS is out tonight. How are you feeling?

Ally Evenson: I feel good. I feel excited for it not to live on my phone anymore. I'm excited for people to listen in full instead of all of the sporadic singles. Singles…they kind of piss me off. 

Should people watch the film or listen to the album first? 

I don’t know, I mean the album has so many songs that aren't in the film. The film only has 6 songs. But I think watch or listen however you feel. Choose your own adventure. There's some insight into what the album is about, that maybe the film can clarify. 

When did you know SPEED KILLS needed to be a short film in addition to an album?

I was brainstorming ideas for the “Phetamines” music video and I knew I wanted it to be about a race car driver. All of my music video ideas spiral into a million dollar idea, so I have to dial it back. I started to think about a continuation, and then at the tail end of one video there can be a little sneak peek into the next video. My creative director Dylan, was like, “Why don't we just make it into a film?” And then we did. 

The film is directed by Antony Muse, how was your collaboration born?

I had never met Antony, but my manager knew him and sent him the album. He was like, “Are you kidding me? I need to work on this.” Then we met and brainstormed and I was like, “Is this like too much? Is this okay?” We got coffee and loosely wrote the script, then he went home and typed it all up and when he sent it to me, I cried. He's one of my best friends now. 

How long ago was that? 

That was in August. 

How did you develop the aesthetic language of the film?

I dyed my hair red. I knew what I was getting myself into by doing that. It was clear that the next album was going to have a red vibe. I didn't necessarily want it to, but then I started to think of it all as red and it just made sense. Once we got the film written, it informed the vibe for the album. It's about control and lack of control, letting yourself be comfortable in situations that you can't control. The film really shaped the visuals for everything. 

Where did you find inspiration for the plot and characters? 

They’re archetypes that I have in my life and Antony has in his life. There's always a weird polyamory thing happening, there's always a gay girl that gets mad because the girl leaves her for a man. It’s almost stereotypical, but I wanted them to live in a world that feels not real because it's so personal. I needed to detach myself from it in a way. So, it lives in a fantasy of sorts. There are no details that indicate what time period the film takes place in. 

Are there any films that inspired SPEED KILLS? 

Yes, there are a lot. My Own Private Idaho is a big one. The biggest one is Funny Games. 

Which one? I personally prefer the Naomi Watts version. 

I love that one, but I do respect the original version. You'll see in the film, but there are so many shots that directly pay homage to that movie. Another inspiration was Nowhere by Gregg Araki. It's so bright and just ridiculous. It’s about this weird version of LA, it’s so cool. But, we did not shoot this in LA. We shot it in upstate New York.

What are some of your favorite music short films/documentaries?

I love The Devil and Daniel Johnston. I love all of the Elliot Smith documentaries. One of the first long form album visualizers I watched was Radiohead: In Rainbows - From The Basement. Honestly, one of the first, like, moments I was like, “Wait, this person made a film for their album?” was Lemonade by Beyoncé. I loved the Turnstile film, which I saw here at Brain Dead! I watched that and felt so inspired. I've always wanted to make a film for my music, but this was the first time it felt right. 

I follow you on Letterboxd, so I know, but tell us your top 4. 

My first favorite is A Woman Under the Influence, I watched that right after a really bad breakup. It gave me a false perception that I was the victim. But, then I realized actually no...but it's so good. My Own Private Idaho, obviously. Gay boys always make me cry. The Bird Cage is just lovely. Nathan Lane and Robin Williams, always. And then, Bruno. I actually rewatched it when we were filming this because we kept quoting it. It's just the most ridiculous, most offensive movie I've ever seen. I love it. When I'm sad, I watch it. 

If there was a movie about your life, which song would you pick for the end credits? And which song from your own catalogue?

This has already been used, but “Exit Music (For A Film)” by Radiohead is the most perfect end credit song. It hits so hard and there's a perfect mixture of every kind of emotion in that song. And from my own songs…honestly? I was listening back to my first album the other day because I realized I hadn’t heard it in forever. I listened to the last track on that album, which is called “Fear Of God" and thought, “Damn. I still really relate to this.” So, I think that song. 

If your music could be in any director’s movie, alive or dead, who would you choose? 

Gus Van Sant or Gregg Araki. 

Watch the SPEED KILLS short film now: