Sony Music Masterworks today releases Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with music by Oscar-nominated composer John Debney. Available everywhere now, the album features an original score written by Debney for the first chapter of Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Costner's cinematic event chronicling the Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. Working in close collaboration with Costner, Debney has crafted a grandiose, nostalgia-inducing soundscape that pays homage to classic Western soundtracks while capturing the onscreen action and emotionality of the original story. The album arrives alongside today's theatrical release of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 and will be followed by a secondary album of music from Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2, which debuts in theaters on August 16 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Of the project, composer John Debney says, "Some of my fondest memories growing up were weekend outings with my dad, Lou, where we'd head to the vast Griffith Park trails in the hills of Los Angeles and ride horses while wearing our cowboy hats and boots. And whether it was watching TV shows like Gunsmoke, or the latest Western film playing in theaters, a part of me has always had dreams of being a cowboy. Suffice to say, I was so incredibly honored to get the call to join the legendary Kevin Costner on his immense storytelling journey into the triumph and tragedy of the birth of the American West.
"He's been such an inspiring leader throughout and his vision for the music for these films has never wavered, as he told me from our first meeting to 'go big' with 'memorable themes that take us back to the Westerns of the Golden Age.' I strove to the best of my abilities to give him just that, and along with it, a large part of my heart and soul to his epic saga," he continues of working with the director, producer, co-writer and star, adding, "Kevin's passion, grace, and deep love of music kept me inspired everyday, pushing me forward and allowing me to live out my cowboy dreams in the only way I know how. I now consider him a brother in arms, giving me this gift of a canvas to paint on, or a metaphorical 'horse' to ride alongside him into the Old West and explore all of the people, places and events that make up the incredibly rich tapestry of this time period in American history."