ETHAN HAWKE VS. PHOSPHORESCENT
Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke’s latest venture behind the camera is Blaze , a freewheeling biopic of cult country musician Blaze Foley, who died of a gunshot wound under unclear circumstances in 1989. Hawke directed, produced, and co-wrote the film, which stars Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Zahn, and Sam Rockwell, and debuted to glowing reviews at 2018’s Sundance Film Festival. In the film, Dickey performs songs as Blaze Foley, while Sexton takes on the role of the legendary Townes Van Zandt; a soundtrack album featuring their cover songs has been released by Light in the Attic Records.
Matthew Houck is the Alabama-born musician best known under his recording name, Phosphorescent. His music blends influences from country, rock, and Americana to accompany lyrics that often sound deeply personal—it was unsurprising to discover that Hawke, given his deep interest in Southern music, counted himself among Phosphorescent’s fans. Houck’s newest album, C’est la Vie, arrives this fall after five years’ break from the studio. This record follows up his highly acclaimed 2013 album, Muchacho, which many consider his breakout.
When actor/filmmaker Hawke and Houck hopped on the phone to chat about their latest work, it was clear the two had many shared interests. In the extended Q&A below, featuring sections of the joint interview not included in our print article, Ethan and Matthew discuss a few of their favorite outlaw country songs, share amazing stories about Kris Kristofferson, and ponder the role that myth-making played in the careers of several music legends.
Ethan Hawke: I’m wondering, have you ever covered any of Townes [Van Zandt’s] songs?
I did, yeah. There was a compilation that came out a few years back [], and I’ve played tons of songs over the
