Creative shape-shifter James Franco has just signed a worldwide deal with the Kobalt Music Group for an album based entirely on his poetry about The Smiths (I know, I know) with his shoegazey concept band Daddy (with musician Tim O'Keefe.)
Aside from the album, Franco will also be directing a film made up of music videos from each song on the album; both the LP and movie will be (boringly) called Let Me Get What I Want (you know, based on that one song??? That song!!!!! Yeah!!!!).The Smith-inspired poems are from Franco's book, Directing Herbert White, which saw the actor reflecting the titular serial killer character of Frank Bidart's poem "Herbert White," his struggles with celebrity, and general straight white male anxiety about mortality.
The musical duo has also convinced Andy Rourke, the bassist of The *actual* Smiths, to make some kind of appearance on the record; Et tu, Andy?
The band (aka Franco feverishly typing from a blanket fort in his hotel room with a flashlight in his mouth) released this statement about the deal:
"Kobalt has the right forward-thinking approach to work with a project as unique as ours, where we see our work not only existing within the music realm, but extending into the film, art space and beyond on an independent basis."
"As unique as ours," I screamed, dropping a milk glass into a blender.
Here's a video for Daddy's song "This Charming Man," which they premiered on Vice last year.