Most people know Kevin Bacon from his long and storied acting career. From his starring role in the nostalgic classic Footloose to his more serious turns in A Few Good Men, Sleepers, or Hollow Man, Bacon has proven time and again that he’s one of the most versatile actors in the business. Recently, he took the lead role in the series The Bondsman. He portrays the guitar-playing, demon-hunting, resurrected bounty hunter Hub Halloran.
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Bacon did more than star in the series, though. He also co-wrote most of the songs featured on the show with co-star and fellow musician Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland). The songs listed below are highlights from the soundtrack album, The Bondsman: Hell and Back.
1. “Hell and Back” (Kevin Bacon/Jennifer Nettles)
The Bondsman soundtrack opens with this toe-tapping love song. Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Nettles prove that they have just as much chemistry in the studio as they do on the screen with this fun duet. It may not be the kind of song you’re going to dedicate to your special someone, but it fits the personalities of Hub Halloran and Maryanne Dice (Nettles) and the vibe of the show perfectly.
2. “A Special Kind of Crazy” (Bacon)
This is another incredibly fun love song. Kevin Bacon combined his acting and songwriting skills to write this one.
“It’s a song I wrote from Hub Halloran’s point of view,” Bacon said of the song. “I think it’s like a song that would have been something that he probably wrote right when he was falling in love with his ex-wife,” he added. “It’s just one of those, I’d say almost like a little Springsteen-inspired, it’s a rocker.”
3. “Digging” (Kevin Bacon/Michael Bacon)
Kevin Bacon teamed up with his brother and longtime musical collaborator, Michael Bacon, to write “Digging.” It’s one of the best and more somber tracks on the album.
“It’s kind of a regretful, kind of sad song,” Bacon said. “The character, Hub, does dig a grave in The Bondsman, and I was just thinking that, as a physical act, having to dig a grave, became kind of a nice metaphor for a darker time in one’s life,” he added.
4. “Red Flags” (Bacon/Nettles)
“Red Flags” is a hilarious song about two people who ignore all the red flags they see and fall in love anyway.
“We were kind of inspired by John Prine and Iris DeMent when they did ‘In Spite of Ourselves.’ I just love that duet,” Kevin Bacon said. “It was a little bit of a nod to that fantastic track, and we love John Prine,” he added. Bacon wrote the song with Jennifer Nettles, but they don’t sing it together in the show. “It was fun for Jen and me to put our spin on it in the studio.”
Featured Image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Stagecoach
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