To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cult classic folk-horror film The Wicker Man, Studiocanal has enlisted Katy J Pearson to reimagine the films soundtrack as part of the release of the 50th anniversary collector’s edition of the 1973 masterpiece. ‘Fire Leap’ is the second single released from ‘Katy J Pearson & Friends Present Songs From The Wicker Man’ and features additional vocals from Wet Leg, Drug Store Romeos and Sarah Meth.

The genesis of this project can be traced back to Pearson’s 2022 album ‘Sound of the Morning’, which featured a cover of ‘Willow Song’ from ‘The Wicker Man’ soundtrack. This cover caught the attention of Studiocanal leading to the release of a re-recording of ‘Willow Song’, alongside the announcement of the upcoming EP. Candy Vincent Smith of Studiocanal recently commented that the hope for the project was to “bring a whole new generation of film and music fans to worship at the feet of this brilliantly scary cult film”.

The song expertly expands on the source material of the original track , almost doubling the runtime and including more layered production that explicitly aims to emphasise the malevolent intentions that lie behind the initially eccentric appearance of the island of Summerisle’s customs. The production on the track begins with a soft though discordant combination of recorders, strings, and harmonic vocals that creates an ambient yet foreboding atmosphere. As the song progresses, the discord between these elements only intensifies, perfectly mirroring the pace of original film. Pearson effectively captures what feels like an almost inescapable descent into the grasps of the disturbed and ritualistic society that surrounds Sergeant Neil Howie in ‘The Wicker Man’.

What we’ve heard so far from Pearson in ‘Willow Song’ and ‘Fire Leap’ suggests to us that her upcoming EP will continue to breathe new life into this beloved classic, adding a whole new dimension to the enduring legacy of The Wicker Man.

‘Katy J Pearson & Friends Present Songs From The Wicker Man’ will be released digitally on all major platforms on the 31st of October, alongside the release of the 50th anniversary collector edition of ‘The Wicker Man’. The collector’s edition will feature 5 discs of content, including Pearson’s EP alongside 3 cuts of the film restored in 4K definition.