Whatever David Lynch has coming down the pike in terms of film or TV projects is anyone’s guess, but the beloved director has served up a very, well, Lynchian slice of filmmaking while we wait. To celebrate the Scottish psychedelic folk singer Donovan’s 75 birthday (that’s today, May 10), Lynch has directed a new video for “I Am the Shaman,” a 2010 track that Lynch also produced. The filmmaker’s sonic fingerprints are apparent in the droning ambient aura of the song’s sound design. Check out the new video below.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Donovan talked about collaborating with Lynch on the song and video. “It was all impromptu,” the singer wrote. “I visited the studio and David said, ‘Sit at the mics with your guitar, Don.’ David in the same room behind the control desk with Linda. He had asked me to only bring in a song just emerging, not anywhere near finished. We would see what happens. It happened!”
Donovan continued, “I composed extempore. The verses came naturally. New chord patterns effortlessly appeared. On another day, David ‘sound sculpted’ my Ferrington acoustic guitar ‘Kelly,’ and he played his unique modal chord Ferrington guitar textures with ‘effects.’ David and I are ‘compadres’ on a creative path rarely traveled. And we bring TM Meditation to the world.”
As for what else David Lynch has coming up, we know he is definitely working on something, but as always, whatever shape it will take remains a riddle wrapped in a mystery. Reports emerged in 2020 that Lynch was working on an episodic project with the working title of “Wisteria” at Netflix. (The streamer declined to comment.) Currently on IMDb, Lynch is listed as the creator of a 13-part series title “Unrecorded Night” now in pre-production.
Lynch’s last feature film project was his 2006 “Inland Empire.” From there he returned to the beloved world of “Twin Peaks” for the Showtime limited series “The Return.” The filmmaker has yet to announce any new feature films or television projects since “Twin Peaks: The Return” wrapped its run in September 2017, though the 2017 short “What Did Jack Do?” debuted on Netflix last year.
Until Lynch’s next series or movie, follow along with his life and creativity via the David Lynch Theater on YouTube.