Echo in the Canyon celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of LA’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-60s as folk went electric, and The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas gave birth to the California Sound. It was a moment (1965 to 1967) when bands came to LA to emulate the Beatles, and Laurel Canyon emerged as a hotbed of creativity and collaboration for a new generation of musicians who would soon put an indelible stamp on the history of American popular music. Featuring Jakob Dylan, the film explores the beginnings of the Laurel Canyon music scene. Dylan uncovers never-before-heard personal details about the bands and their songs and how that music continues to inspire today. Echo in the Canyon contains candid conversations and performances with Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr, Michelle Phillips, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Roger McGuinn, and Jackson Browne as well as contemporary musicians they influenced such as Tom Petty (in his very last film interview), Beck, Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and Norah Jones.
“The delight of Echo in the Canyon is in the delicious details its subjects impart.” — Helen T. Verongos, New York Times
“By keeping things short, sweet and dutifully tuneful, Echo in the Canyon is like the doc version of one of the period’s sonic nuggets, leaving you with a peace/love/understanding high and a desire to break out the vinyl for more of the same.” — Robert Abele, LA Times
“Rich with revealing observations and engaging anecdotes, [this] documentary skirts the nostalgia trap by engagingly connecting with an impressive lineup of contemporary singer-songwriters…” — Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter
Andrew Slater
Eric Barrett, Andrew Slater
Lou Adler, Fiona Apple, The Beach Boys, Beck
Greenwich Entertainment