Throwback Thursday: The Haunting Beauty of Amy Lee’s “Speak to Me”

Released on March 17, 2017, “Speak to Me” is a hauntingly evocative ballad by Amy Lee, composed for the soundtrack of the psychological thriller Voice from the Stone. Directed by Eric D. Howell and starring Emilia Clarke, the film tells the story of a nurse named Verena who cares for a mute boy who believes he can hear his deceased mother’s voice.

The music video for “Speak to Me” was also directed by Howell and filmed at the Castle of Celsa estate near Siena, Italy—the same location used for the film. The visuals mirror the eerie, haunting atmosphere of Voice from the Stone, with Amy wandering through the desolate, castle-like setting, representing the lingering presence of the deceased mother.

Amy Lee collaborated with the film’s score composer, Michael Wandmacher, and Howell to craft the song, infusing it with personal emotion drawn from her own experiences as a new mother. Although the video features a young boy, it is not Amy’s son, Jack Lion Hartzler, but the director’s son.

Watch “Speak to Me” Music Video:

Amy Lee

Amy Lee’s song “Speak To Me” won a Hollywood Music in Media Award

Last night the Hollywood Music in Media Awards were held at the nightclub Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles where Amy Lee‘s song “Speak To Me”, the end title theme from Voice From The Stone movie, won in the category best original song in an independent film.
The song competed with the following nominees:

ORIGINAL SONG – INDEPENDENT FILM
• “Calling to Me” (One Percent More Humid) Written by Nathan Halpern. Performed by Emily Forsythe
• “My tiredness Hasn’t limit” (The Enchanted) Written by Ivan Ruiz Serrano, Ricardo Davila and Angela Boj, performed by Angela Boj
• “PBNJ” (Patti Cake$) Written By Geremy Jasper & Jason Binnick. Performed by Danielle Macdonald, Siddharth Dhananjay & Cathy Moriarty
• “Speak To Me” (Voice from the Stone) Written by Amy Lee & Michael Wandmacher. Performed by Amy Lee

“Speak to Me” is a song by American singer Amy Lee recorded for the ending credits of the independent movie Voice from the Stone (2017). It was published online and made available for digital download on March 17, 2017. For the song, Lee collaborated with the movie’s score producer Michael Wandmacher and director Eric Dennis Howell with whom she got acquainted to Voice from the Stone and its plot. Inspired by the movie’s story line which she could relate to her personal life as a recent mother, Lee decided to contribute to the soundtrack with an original song. Musically, “Speak to Me” is a piano ballad instrumentally complete with strings, booming drums and cellos and features lyrics in which the protagonist pleads for love.

Upon its release, the song received critical acclaim from music critics most of whom praised its haunting and cinematic sound accompanied by the singer’s trademark vocals. A music video for the song for which Lee collaborated with Howell was filmed at the same location as the movie, in Siena. It serves as a backstory to the movie and it features Lee singing the song and playing the piano in a gothic castle setting; shots of her walking at a garden with a boy are present throughout. As the song itself, the visual received positive feedback from critics who felt that it was a fitting accompaniment to the song’s overall musical style and the movie’s tone. [Source]

Amy Lee

Splice Provides Editorial, Color & VFX For Amy Lee’s “Speak To Me”

The creative team at Splice combined forces with Evanescence’s Amy Lee for her latest music video, “Speak To Me,” the original song written for the “Voice From The Stone” feature film soundtrack. The music video pays homage to the film’s tonality and mood by taking us on an intimate journey around an Italian castle rich with character, eclectic architecture and stunning landscapes.

To view the new music video, go here: http://splice.tv/pith/amy-lee-speak-to-me/

Shot on the same location as the film in the Italian region of Tuscany, the piece bodes as an enchanting reflection of the landscapes, ethereal ambience and melancholic themes observed throughout Director Eric D. Howell’s “Voice From The Stone,” starring Emilia Clarke. Splice also contributed editorial, color and VFX to Howell’s film, which was released in select theaters and through streaming services this spring.

“I was very moved by the movie, and after having my first conversation with Eric and composer Michael Wandmacher, I felt a surge of inspiration and immediately began writing,” says Amy Lee. “It was an honor to be able to work with Eric on the music video as well, which was shot outside Sienna, Italy, at the same beautiful location as the film. We conceived the video as a parallel and backstory to the film, which explores the strong bond of love between Malvina and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death.”

“I’ve been a long-time Evanescence fan, often listening to Amy Lee’s music when editing or rendering late nights throughout my career,” says Editor Clayton Condit. “It was a huge honor to get her talent and musical genius behind the project. ‘Speak to Me’ really sums up the spirit of the film. The opportunity to cut an Amy Lee music video was just one more bonus for the Splice team and for the film.”

“Having a single stop post house that not only handled the film and its promotional needs, but also collaborated wonderfully on the music video was just another example of the professionalism and expertise Splice brought to this project,” concludes Producer Dean Zanuck.

[Source]

Amy Lee

Speak To Me (Official Music Video)

Amy Lee has posted the Official Music Video for “Speak To Me” on her youtube channel check it out below!

“Speak To Me”, the end title theme song off the upcoming movie, Voice From The Stone. Buy “Speak To Me” on iTunes now! http://smarturl.it/SpeakToMeIT

Written by Amy Lee & Michael Wandmacher (who also composed the film score).

Orchestrated by Susie Benchasil Seiter.

Amy Lee

‘Voice From the Stone’ Trailer featuring Amy Lee

Voice From the Stone is based on Italian writer Silvio Raffo’s 1996 novel by the same name, and the film includes haunting music courtesy of Evanescence’s Amy Lee, whose original song “Speak to Me” will play over the closing credits (and is the most terrifying name for a song possible given the film’s plot).

You can check out the trailer for Emilia Clarke’s latest big-screen venture here via USA Today—but don’t say we didn’t warn you if you need to sleep with the light on after:

Amy Lee • Facebook

Amy Lee on Facebook “Speak To Me”

When I was in Italy filming the video for “Speak To Me,” I fell in love with a song I heard on the radio there. L’amore Esiste by Francesca Michielin. It seemed to follow me everywhere, got under my skin and just wouldn’t leave. I couldn’t stop listening to it, over and over the whole way home. I started piecing together what the lyrics meant and wrote my own twist on them in English. I showed my idea to one of my dream producers, Guy Sigsworth, and somehow convinced him to come to New York and re-create the song with me. Dave Eggar contributed his lush string arrangement and we all just lived in this song for a week at Flux Studios on the lower east side.

What an incredibly fulfilling experience it was to make this beautiful thing. And with such a talented, down-to-earth, and inspired team- with no rules or limitations beyond the ones we created. Guy pushed me in new ways and I learned a few things. It was a unique honor to work beside someone I admire so much on something that at the time had no plan, no album to go on, and made no sense other than how good it felt. It’s easy to get bogged down by the “point” sometimes, when what matters most in my opinion, in music-making, is following your heart. Finding a way to satisfy that deep need to express something that can’t be said with words alone.

Love is anything but simple. And it manifests itself in countless forms. It can be inconvenient. Painful. Easier to ignore than to trust. But we are still connected, despite how alone we feel sometimes. Can we be brave enough to love, knowing it’s going to hurt? Can we drop our cynicism long enough to see beyond the frustrations, the discontentment, the fear of the unknown and the anger for all we can’t control? Love is all around. Even in the darkest places. And it is worth everything. Look out, look in. Love exists.

Artwork by Jennybird Alcantara

Get “Love Exists” now on iTunes! http://apple.co/2lynqwk