I am enthralled by the creation and meaning behind a song. Where did that idea come from? What caused that person to write the music like that? Because I am fascinated with the history of music, I have watched many music documentaries.
When I got the chance to preview Linda Perry’s very personal documentary and then later interview the songwriter/producer, I was all in. Let It Die Here will set you on an emotional roller coaster as filmmaker Don Hardy journeys through Perry’s fears, desires, and struggles.
If you can’t remember where you know Linda Perry from, she first rose to fame as lead singer of 4 Non Blondes with the song “What’s Up” which has had more than 3 BILLION streams even though it was released before streaming was even a thing.
But in the decades since that song topped the charts, Perry has reinvented herself as a songwriter and producer par excellence, penning hit after hit for artists like Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and P!nk.
In the early 2000s, Perry wrote and produced Christina Aguilera’s, “Beautiful,” P!nk’s, “Get This Party Started” and Celine Dion’s “My Love” to name a few. But what surprised me the most was when Perry worked with Dolly Parton in 2018 to write and score the music for Dolly’s film, Dumplin.
I never expected Perry to be interested in a movie like that. On the surface, you would expect the pair to have little in common. But Perry clarified, “We're an odd couple, but we work. We're just made of the same thing. Like She's a workaholic. I'm a workaholic.”
She continued, “Dolly Parton is one of the most gracious, professional, warm, selfless people I have ever met. Her mind is quick. But my favorite thing about her is whoever walks into the room, whether they brought her tea or they're just babysitting her dog or whatever, she treats everybody the same."
However, it was when Perry scored the music for Hardy’s film, Citizen Penn that he became drawn to the way she thinks, creates, and operates.
He told her, “You’re really interesting. Do you mind if I hang out in your studio sometimes and just record stuff?" Perry was like, "Yeah, sure.”
As I watched the film, I had to agree with Hardy. Perry was fascinating. Watching her create music is the equivalent of watching Michelangelo carve a statue. You know you are observing a mastermind. She knows everything there is to know about composing music, melodies, and lyrics. She also makes certain that the music fits the film/person it was created for.
After viewing his snippets of Hardy’s raw footage, with Perry’s blessing, Hardy decided to feature her in a documentary. It required delving into her childhood which included being raised by abusive parents and a failed attempt at suicide. It was her brother and music that showed her how to use her pain for good.
While Hardy was in the process of creating the documentary, Perry experienced breast cancer and the loss of her one-time abusive mother. With Hardy’s honest and moving treatment of the artist’s tragedies, you see why Let It Die Here received rave reviews at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Initially, Perry was part of the band, Four Non-Blondes, but little by little she got into writing and producing music and found her home in scoring music for movies.
She told me, “My passion is music. If there's a bunch of artists that I don't believe, I'm just not going to work with them and I'm not going to write for them. You can give me all the money in the world, and it's still not going to make me write an honest song for a dishonest person. The audience is important. The fans are important. And if you are lying to them and giving them bull$hit and expecting kids to pay for that just so you can be famous, I'm not part of that game.”
Let It Die Here features appearances by several close friends and collaborators, including Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Kate Hudson, Sara Gilbert, and Brandi Carlile. The respect her famous friends have for her is genuine.
She advised that she started writing for film until “true artistry came back.” Her film, Let It Die Here has inspired the artist to create a beautiful soundtrack to accompany it.
The film ends with Perry writing and recording a new song, “What Lies With You.” You can see her genius on full display as the movie ends.
This film has inspired Perry to once again write music for herself and possibly tour.
Perry professed, “I totally miss performing. I'm a great performer, so I miss that. I love these songs that I just wrote. They feel really honest and really different and really authentic to me.”
Let It Die Here is an intimate look at a vulnerable and courageous woman as she navigates life-altering personal circumstances amidst gnawing career decisions. Perry struggles with fear, shame, illness, perfectionism, as well as the burdens and gifts of family.
While the film and soundtrack have not been officially released, if you live in the Nashville area, you can view the film in person at the Nashville Film Festival. Let It Die Here can be previewed on Friday, September 20, at the Regal Green Hills Theater 1 from 6-8 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance here.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and X.