Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: "Possible Love Interest (Ringtone)"

Discontented with releasing not one but two LPs this year, Owen Ashworth has gone and scored his first feature, right down to the chirping on the characters’ phones every time they answer on screen. Here’s how it works: first-time director Laurel Nakadate contacted Mr. Painfully Alone for licensing, asking whether he’d clear a partial back-catalogue for her film, Stay The Same Never Change. Ashworth said yes, saw the film, fell in love with its Less Than Zero for the Bratz market angle, and decided to head back to the studio. Tweaking his originals to fit better with the picture (and making a quick “Man Drawing House” cameo), he first aired his work a year ago—on the STSNC Instrumentals EP and again on the Town Topic compilation—but seeing as the film itself only hit Sundance this year, I’d say this little snippet’s worth a mention, particularly as the bastard thing’s been stuck in my head ever since I caught the first screening. You see, if ever there was someone born to write ringtones, it’s Ashworth; the mute introverts he realizes in his songs would love nothing better than to curl up content with their Nokias, wishing they only had more Contacts.

“Possible Love Interest” is a hypnotically breezy motif, everything a true earworm should be. In keeping with the classic “ring ring, ring ring” style, Ashworth’s fragile radar lullaby plays twice—once with bass, once without—fidgets a little, and dies. You can imagine the girls from the film doing weird shit to this (like looking at MOM on their caller ID and wishing they cared enough to answer), and if you’ve bought the EPs or pirated the film, it’s yours to use as you fancy.