"American Folk" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"American Folk" Soundtrack Description

A road, a guitar, and the soft electricity of voices in harmony

The “American Folk” soundtrack lives small and powerful—like two people trading verses in a kitchen at 2 a.m. It doesn’t chase bombast. It leans into breath, wood, and string. You hear the scuff of a pick, the space in a motel room, the hush that always falls when a song you thought you knew suddenly feels like it’s about you. Released alongside the film’s U.S. roll-out, the album collects traditional tunes and originals performed by the film’s leads, singer-songwriters Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth, with a few choice cameos from the wider folk canon. It’s a road movie you can hold in your hands.

Background & Context

Set in the days immediately after 9/11, the film follows two stranded musicians driving from Los Angeles to New York, discovering the strange solidarity of those weeks and the old songs that still knew how to hold people together. The movie itself premiered on the indie circuit before landing in U.S. theaters in late January 2018—quietly, stubbornly hopeful. Inside the credits sits a nice wrinkle: the film’s score credit belongs to Ben Lovett, while the album spotlights diegetic performances by Purdy and Rubarth. That split tracks with what you hear—brief score cues as connective tissue; the songs as the beating heart.

Who’s singing and why it matters

Both leads are working musicians first, actors second, and that choice gives the record its weathered tone. They don’t belt. They confide. The voices meet halfway, like two strangers in a van threading their way east, trying not to spook the silence.

Musical Styles & Themes

• Tradition-forward folk: Familiar standards (“Oh Shenandoah,” “Hello Stranger”) sit beside new writing that feels of a piece—plainspoken, sturdy, open to the room singing along.
• Spare arrangements: Acoustic guitars, harmonies, a little fiddle or mandolin dust here and there. Plenty of air left for the listener.
• Americana fingerprints: A roots cameo or two broadens the palette—one track even pulls in a Garcia/Grisman collaboration, tipping the cap to folk’s long road with bluegrass and country picking.
• Healing-as-motif: The record returns to the idea that songs don’t fix grief; they give it somewhere to sit. That’s the throughline.

Track Highlights (not a full list)

“This Old Guitar” — campfire intimacy that sneaks up on you

A Purdy original that plays like a letter you forgot you wrote. The lyric circles around an instrument as witness and companion—no grand gestures, just the knot-in-the-throat truth of carrying a life in six strings. In the film it doubles as a character beat; you feel Elliott’s guard lower, measure by measure.

“New York” — a postcard written mid-drive

Rubarth’s song moves with a traveler’s heartbeat—steady, forward, a little frayed. It’s the track that lets the horizon line widen. When it lands on the album, it reads like a promise: we’re going to make it there, even if “there” isn’t the same anymore.

“Hello Stranger” — the quiet duet

Their harmonies find that sweet third voice couples share when they stop trying to out-sing each other. It’s not polished to death; that’s the magic. Two people, one room, an invitation to come a little closer.

“Oh Shenandoah” — the America-sized sigh

A standard handled with respect and restraint. They underplay it, wisely. The river in the lyric does the talking; the harmonies bring you to the bank and let you watch it move.

“Freight Train” — a borrowed breeze from the archives

A notable pickup from the broader folk universe: a version associated with Jerry Garcia and David Grisman surfaces, adding grain and history to the mix. It’s the soundtrack tipping its hat, saying: we didn’t start this, and we’re not trying to finish it either.

Film Plot & Characters (so the songs have faces)

Two musicians—Elliott and Joni—meet on a grounded flight the morning the world pivots. With airlines shut down, they accept a beat-up van and a favor and start driving east. The route is as important as the destination: truck stops, small towns, side porches, kindnesses that don’t expect a receipt. He’s a little stubborn, she’s a little brave, and the way they listen to each other becomes the film’s love story.

Main players

• Elliott: A songwriter who’s learned to hide in his own songs. The road teases him out.
• Joni: Quick to reach for melody when words fail. Not naïve; just unjaded enough to try.
• Scottie: The friend who hands over the keys and, quietly, a way through.
• Across the map: Folks who open doors, share coffee, point toward the next county line. Bit parts that feel like a chorus.

Why the music fits the story

Because the film is about repair, not spectacle. Folk songs are built for that—durable, portable, easy to teach a stranger on a porch. The arrangements stay lean so the words can carry their weight. Nothing begs for a standing ovation; it asks you to breathe easier.

Production & Behind the Scenes

• Road-bred cinematics: The movie was filmed across thousands of miles and more than a dozen states, which you can hear in the album’s dust and daylight. That lived-in travel feel—motels, diners, two-lanes—bleeds into the takes.
• Score vs. songs: Ben Lovett’s score keeps the film’s pulse subtle; the soundtrack leans on in-story performances from Purdy and Rubarth. It’s a smart split between narrative glue and emotional foregrounding.
• First-time actors, long-time musicians: Casting working singer-songwriters means the musical scenes don’t feel staged. The phrasing, the tiny hesitations—those belong to people who’ve played to ten folks and a bartender.
• Release timing: The album arrived with the U.S. theatrical bow, carrying a “℗ 2017” imprint and an indie-distribution backbone. It’s very much a handmade project that still found its way onto major digital shelves and even onto vinyl for collectors.

Reviews & Reactions

“A simple story, beautifully told… a timely reminder of a dream not yet dead.” Eye For Film

“Quietly affecting.” The Hollywood Reporter

The wider critical read tilted gentle-positive: praise for the warmth of the music, the unfussy tone, and two leads who feel like people you might actually meet at a roadside coffee counter. Not everyone bought in—some critics wanted sharper edges or fewer familiar road-movie beats—but even the skeptics often circled back to the closing stretch and the way the songs carry it home.

How it plays with fans

It’s become Sunday-morning listening, or the album you pack for a long drive when you don’t want the car to feel empty. Folks who keep Townes and Gillian on their shelves clock the references and textures; newcomers just hear two voices making room for each other.

FAQ

Who are the primary performers on the album?

Singer-songwriters Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth carry most of the songs, with a few well-chosen appearances from the broader folk community.

When did the soundtrack come out?

It released in late January 2018, accompanying the film’s U.S. theatrical run, though the imprint notes a 2017 phonographic copyright.

Is the music mostly traditional or original?

Both. Traditional standards share space with new material written by Purdy and Rubarth, crafted to sit naturally alongside the classics.

Who composed the film’s score?

Ben Lovett is credited with the score; the album focuses on the songs performed within the story.

Is there a vinyl edition?

Yes—an LP pressing exists for collectors who want the analog road-trip experience.

Additional Info

• Route vibes: The production team logged roughly 3,500 miles through 14 states. You can hear it in the album’s geography—desert hush, mountain air, the soft hiss of highway under the melody.
• Songwriting credits that matter: Purdy’s “This Old Guitar” and Rubarth’s “New York” and “Townes” land like journal entries. They’re new, but they feel inherited.
• Coffeehouse to silver screen: The leads performed selections on promo stops—Grammy Museum, morning-TV nooks—keeping the songs close to their natural habitat: small rooms, real ears.
• Garcia/Grisman nod: Folding in “Freight Train” with that lineage attaches the project to a bigger tree: folk, bluegrass, and the jammy back roads where they meet.

Technical Info

• Soundtrack type: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (songs from and for the film)
• Year (film): 2017
• U.S. theatrical release: January 26, 2018
• Album release window: Late January 2018
• Runtime (album): 19 tracks, approximately 43 minutes
• Primary performers: Joe Purdy, Amber Rubarth
• Score credit: Ben Lovett
• Notable inclusions: Traditional standards (“Oh Shenandoah,” “Hello Stranger”), originals (“This Old Guitar,” “New York,” “Townes”), and a Garcia/Grisman-associated “Freight Train.”
• Label / distribution: Imprint from American Folk Records; distributed via an indie partner known for roots releases.
• Format availability: Digital, CD, and a vinyl LP pressing.
• Genre tags: Folk, Americana, Singer-Songwriter

American movie for Americans – it’s rather the best description of the entire thing. It depicts two who want to bring some folk songs to the hearts of American listeners. It has only some drama – too small to uncover and has a big fatty lump of music. A folk music with lyrics is performed by Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth. They also depict two main roles. The story begins when a flight they undertook on September 11, 2009, was urgently landed because of terrorist attacks on the US mainland. As they were heading to the distant state across the country, they still had to get there somehow. It turned out they had nothing better than to buy a used van to hit the road. During this ride, they talk much about life in general, their visions and places of it, own feelings of inconsistency to this world, and eventually fall in love. This all happens in the background of music, which is the main direction here. We have some original songs in the soundtrack (like ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘Moonlight’) and some are already existing hits (like ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ or ‘Red River Valley’) in which they only cover lyrics using some original music. For example, ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ is a very old song, which first approved mentioning comes to 1909 but surely existed before. It is a spiritual music for African Americans. It has many traditions incorporated & the most prominent existing covers of it were done by Eric Clapton & Harry Belafonte. It was somewhat popular at the beginning of 20th century and then was forgotten for some decades. Then revived in 1960ies, especially due to 1969 Woodstock festival and the movement for civil rights. Just like in the aforementioned song, the film tries to resurrect folk music’s popularity (though we don’t think it has ever lost one in the US) and they somewhat succeed.

September, 23rd 2025

Visit 'American Folk' profiles and read user reviews on Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes

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