Cowgirls and Synthesizers: proof that you can make country music with ANYTHING | First Take at CineWyre

SYPNOSIS: UK hit-maker and Eurovison songwriter Ricardo Autobahn follows the synthesizer pop duo Hyperbubble, described by Alternative Press as "the sonic equivalent of a truckload of Twizzlers", as they drive to Nashville to record a country and western album using only synthesizers, drum machines, and theremin.

Film festivals present the opportunity to see some truly bonkers and unique work from around the world, and as part of CineWyre the festival presented one of those rare curiosities: a fanzine about what the festival's creative director describes as "the best band you've never heard of". It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for what it's worth, god this is a fun little documentary to watch.

Joe Wallace is the man at the helm of this documentary, coming in at a lean 1 hour 21 minutes that really takes viewers on a journey into the world of the American synthpop duo, their history, and the way they've gone about making their mark within indie music. Blending live action, animated segments and the original music itself, this is a proper mix of 80s nostalgia with some good discussion about the role of synths in the industry - bringing some educational benefit as a result. It's written relatively well by Wallace and Hyperbubble themselves, with Pete Barnstrom doing a decent job behind the camera for what this feature is: a look at one of the most unconventional mixes of music you could ever see, music which, well... it grows on you as you see them make the album.

Understandably the main focus of this piece are Jeff and Jessica DeCuir - Hyperbubble themselves - as they go on the journey to make this truly one-of-a-kind blend of synths and country, winning a Dolly Parton-endorsed contest in the process - the doc goes into their history, their influences, and style in a manner very similar to something you'd see on a Friday on BBC Four (during their dedicated music blocks), and on the way the documentary features their influences, fellow musicians who helped forge their path, and tell a story that shows off everything that independent film and media is about: two people who dreamed big, went all in on their mission, and made something genuinely brilliant and bonkers as a result.

THE VERDICT

Cowgirls and Synthesizers is a documentary that epitomises what you can see on the film festival scene - lesser heard of stories that bring heart, soul and passion to what they do in the hopes of landing with the widest possible audiences. Was a pleasure to screen this one during my role on CineWyre's jury, and as I type this, we're all hoping audiences love this film as much as we did.

RATING: 3.5/5

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