Veteran Calgary musician Tom Phillips has achieved a significant career milestone with his 2006 song Blue Shadows (For Billy Cowsill) being featured on the official soundtrack of the new Jennifer Lawrence film, Die My Love.
From Local Tribute to Hollywood Soundtrack
The film, which enjoyed a limited theatrical release beginning November 7, 2025, and is expected on streaming platforms soon, was shot entirely in Alberta during the summer and fall of 2024. Locations included Calgary, Okotoks, Didsbury, and Balzac.
Phillips experienced the surreal moment of hearing his music in the movie during a viewing with his wife and friends earlier this month. "I didn't hear it at first," Phillips admitted in an interview with Postmedia. "(My wife) was there and we were there with a few other people and she was like 'There it is.' I was like 'What? Where?' It's one of those things where it's a big party scene, with lots of people talking and noise. It's coming up on a stereo. Everybody with me heard it before I did."
A Song Steeped in Canadian Music History
The featured track holds deep roots in Canada's music scene. Phillips originally wrote Blue Shadows (For Billy Cowsill) nearly two decades ago for a memorial concert at Knox United Church honoring the late Billy Cowsill, who died in 2006. Cowsill was a revered figure, first as the vocalist for the 1960s family band The Cowsills—the real-life inspiration for The Partridge Family—and later as the leader of the Vancouver alt-country band The Blue Shadows, from which the song takes its name.
Although a live staple for years, Phillips did not release a studio recording of the song until his 2020 album, Satellites and Stars, with his band the D.T.s. The recording was made at Calgary's National Music Centre with a team of local musicians.
An Eclectic Soundtrack and Acclaimed Film
Phillips' heartfelt tribute finds itself in distinguished company on the Die My Love soundtrack. The eclectic playlist also includes classics like Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender, David Bowie's Kooks, and even Raffi's beloved children's song Bananas.
Directed by Lynne Ramsay, the film is an adaptation of a novel by Argentine author Ariana Harwicz. It stars Jennifer Lawrence as Grace, a writer and new mother whose sanity unravels while living in a remote farmhouse. The supporting cast features Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek, and Nick Nolte. The project wrapped filming in October 2024 and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where it received a standing ovation, generating early Oscar buzz for Lawrence's raw performance.
This placement marks a proud moment for the Calgary music community, showcasing homegrown talent on an international platform.
