Bastards of Soul Documentary: Director Paul Levatino & Producer Max Hartman Reflect on Chadwick Murray's Legacy

October 18th, 2024

Today, I have the privilege of diving into the heart and soul of a remarkable documentary that has captivated audiences and garnered critical acclaim. Bastards of Soul, directed by Paul Levatino, recently won Best Documentary Feature at the Catalina Film Festival and is set to screen at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival. This powerful film chronicles the rise of the electrifying Dallas soul/R&B band Bastards of Soul, fronted by the dynamic Chadwick Murray, whose unexpected passing left a lasting impact on both the band and its fans. And now, we find ourselves gathered here to honor the late Chadwick Murray. Paul Levatino, the film's director and producer Max Hartman, one of the documentary’s key subjects, have stepped into the room. The atmosphere shifts—there’s a palpable, almost spiritual energy in the air—heightened by dramatic piano music played by an unannounced pianist at the interview location. Together, they take me behind the scenes of this emotional journey, sharing insights into the creative process, the bonds of friendship, and the powerful legacy of Chadwick Murray that lives on.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Now, let's talk about Bastards of Soul. Oh my goodness, there’s so much to unpack here. I find there's a bit of synchronicity, and I want to share it with you, Paul. Literally less than 12 hours before PR reached out to me, I was hanging out with an artist who's prominent in soul and R&B music. And then this film landed on my desk. What perfect timing! As I explore my appreciation for soulful singers, I always feel that when we lose someone from that community with such extraordinary talent, it’s like losing a part of ourselves. Do you feel the same way?

Paul Levatino: I do. I feel like we lost a friend. We were very close with Chadwick, and his talent felt like it was cut short because there was so much more music he could have shared—especially with his live shows and the passion he had for performing. He was finally becoming that rare singer who could control the audience. It was truly something to watch him live, right, Max?

Max Hartman: Yeah, I mean, he was a dynamo. He had been playing music for many years as a bass player, mostly as a backup singer for bands—including my own for a while. I knew he could sing because I’d hear him at the house and stuff. We lived together, and everything, but I’d never seen him perform in front of a band, and he’d never even gotten up to do karaoke. He never did, but then he started with this band, and he just leapt off the stage—like he was leaping off the screen. He was incredible from the jump. 

Paul Levatino: Yeah, but he got better as a musician as the band grew. So, when we were capturing the final moments of the band and him, it felt like we were capturing him at his best.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: That brings me to something I want to discuss—the diagnosis. Or, rather, the lack of one. It’s interesting, given all the advances in medical technology, that some issues still seem to be dismissed as "just allergies," when there could be something more going on beneath the surface.

Max Hartman: Well, no, certainly Chad thought it was allergies, just like the doctors initially did. The doctors said, “Oh yeah, this seems like it might be allergies,” but once it got worse, the doctors at the hospital realized it wasn’t allergies. They were like, “Okay, what is this?” So, they tested for this, that, and the other. 

Paul Levatino: Yeah, his oxygen levels were dangerously low, so they knew something was seriously wrong.

Max Hartman: It was bad. It felt like COVID, but it wasn’t COVID. 

Nicole Alicia Xavier: So, there wasn’t a specific illness tied to it?

Max Hartman: There’s a term for the ultimate diagnosis, which was determined partly after his death. It’s called dermatomyositis. That’s the technical term for the disease, but it’s complicated. Normally, it presents itself in different ways than it did with him. He had a rare version of it, so the doctors couldn’t figure it out in time. But it’s not their fault. He was one of those cases that was like a severe COVID case, where things progress very quickly. They had to put him on a ventilator, and without the machinery, it was just over. That’s it, unfortunately.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Given the darker context of Chadwick's passing, there was one line that really struck a chord with me. It's the line that he says, "Unless God forces me to."

Paul Levatino: Oh, yeah. He was referring to the birth of his son. He said, "I'm not going anywhere unless the good Lord forces me to." That was just one of those moments when we were digging through the footage, and I found this piece where I was actually holding the camera in the studio. We were all just hanging out, bullshitting, and we were talking about the name of, you know, his child. “What’s your child’s name?” But that was very much Chadwick—he talked like that, and he believed like that. To have that moment, I knew I had to include it in the film. 

Max Hartman: Yeah, he definitely had his guard down for most of that piece. The whole time he was filming, he wasn’t performing for the camera—he was just being himself.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: How eerie is it that you captured that moment so organically? I mean, it’s hard to call it synchronicity, but it almost feels like something divine was happening right there.

Paul Levatino: Yeah

Nicole Alicia Xavier: It's really eerie, Paul. What did the band think when they saw that footage, especially that particular moment?

Paul Levatino: I mean, the band—everyone who’s been a part of this—has found it very therapeutic to see the film, but it’s also been very painful. It’s painful every time I watch it because, you know, we’re marching through our lives and we don’t always realize what’s about to happen. But I think you have to step back and recognize that every day is like that—you don’t know what’s going to happen today, or what’s going to happen tomorrow. I didn’t want the film to just be about, “Okay, they were amazing, and then suddenly this great guy died.” I wanted it to be about who he was—chasing his dreams and realizing them before it was too late. And I think that’s a message we can all hold on to, you know?

Max Hartman: He 100% went out fulfilled in what he was trying to do. He was giving 100% in every facet of his life. I’ve never seen anyone in my adult life grow up more than I watched him grow, become a man, and do what he said he was going to do. And he did it. I can’t imagine he had a single regret. I really don’t think he did. (Tearfully) I’m sure he did, because we’re all human—we all do. But the dude…

(A collective pause)

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Thank you, Max, for sharing truth and honesty. I appreciate it, wholeheartedly. Paul, you captured the film so beautifully.

Paul Levatino: Thank you

Nicole Alicia Xavier: You really did. And speaking of manhood, in terms of the deep emotional moments, one thing you captured so beautifully—and I truly commend you for this—is including the band members crying. Now, men don’t often publicly show their emotions, especially when it comes to crying. But you chose to, and that takes a lot of vulnerability and strength. We’re even seeing it here with Max. As I mentioned, men usually don’t express that kind of vulnerability openly. So, was there ever a moment when you hesitated to reveal those raw emotions?

Paul Levatino: I think it was actually me. During the interview with Hannah, I choked up, and it took me a minute—we actually had to cut because I just couldn’t get through that conversation. I thought about redoing it, but then I decided, "Whatever, we'll just figure it out." And through the process, for me, I’m telling a story about reality, about what really happens. No matter what, it’s just what happens. We were talking about this today, too—there were creative choices to keep shots that were a little out of focus or a little shaky, because we just grabbed the camera and captured this one second of something we had to have in there. It was real. And even with the band playing and Chadwick singing, there’s one moment that nobody really notices except me. I can hear it: he hits a wrong note for just a second, but it’s real. It’s reality, and it’s raw. And I think that’s the beauty of it.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: And no one hesitated, right, Paul? Or Max? No one hesitated to show that kind of vulnerability on camera, knowing it could make it into the film.

Paul Levatino: (Laughs)

Max Hartman: They didn’t know they were making a film, which is what’s so interesting. Most of the interviews were done before he got sick; only a small percentage were done after the fact. To me, what’s fascinating is that here’s a group of guys being interviewed in a studio, talking about recording these songs, explaining what it’s all about, and hoping it will go somewhere. They’re expecting certain things to happen, but they have no idea that, in just a few weeks, everything they’re talking about—the band, the whole thing—won’t be the same anymore. They still had the record they’d recorded, so they released it, but they weren’t really a working band anymore. And to me, I mourn with them for that, because not only did we lose a dear friend, but we also lost something bigger—the whole journey of The Bastard's of Soul.

Paul Levatino: Yes, absolutely. 

Max Hartman: So, aside from everything else... it lives on in this film. To me, that’s the great upside: Paul had the gumption, foresight, and insight to capture all this footage.

Paul Levatino: Yeah, and I think the band— they’re all perfectionists, too. They wanted to have the best recording they could. But then they realized that the story was the story, and they decided it was okay to release it as it was.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Paul, I’m sure you’ve thought about this concept—that you’re not just capturing Chadwick’s legacy and shining a light on Bastard's of Soul, but it almost feels like there’s a "part two" to this. There’s the legacy itself, then Bastard's of Soul, and now it seems like it will continue into a "part three" with his son, Lennox. 

Max Hartman: Right.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: What a gift for you to give to him. I mean, can we talk about that a bit? Have you really reflected on what you’ve created? It’s a bigger picture, Paul.

Paul Levatino:  Yeah—(laughs)

Max Hartman: That's kind of one of the reasons he did this, I think—he wanted to leave his son a picture, a true picture of what his father was like. 

Paul Levatino: Yeah

Max Hartman: (Tearfully) He was a great performer and singer, but he was also this sweet, nerdy man. He loved his wife and kid, and that was what he was most proud of—more than being a great frontman. Above all, he wanted to be a father and a good husband. And he says that in the film, straight up. I mean, he says it—that's the most important thing to me, in a way. 100%. Yeah, so for him to be glorified like this is just icing on the cake—sorry.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Thank you, Max. I really appreciate you sharing that. Very beautiful. 

Paul Levatino: So, I think there was a point after everything happened, when the dust had settled a bit, that the label came to me and said, "Hey, you have this footage, you have these materials—why don't you create a documentary?" I talked to a few different people about it, and I’ll admit, I had a bit of imposter syndrome. I was thinking, I'm a producer, not really a director, and I’ve never done a feature film. But I was encouraged to do it, and as I started, I had done some meditation and had an experience during a journey I took with a shaman. It felt like Chadwick came to me and told me he wanted me to be a part of his son’s life. At that moment, when I felt that, I woke up from the meditation and just knew—I had to finish it. After that, everything seemed to fall into place. It was almost like Chadwick cleared the path for everything to happen—like, Okay, we’ll figure out how to edit it, we’ll figure out how to get funding. Everything just kind of lined up, and I knew I was on the right path.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Wow, that's really beautiful. And this is exactly what I mean—it feels like a higher calling. Throughout this whole journey, do you both sense his presence in some way?  Are we tapping into something spiritual here? How do you both experience that?

Max Hartman: I believe that anyone who’s absolutely certain they know the deal is the furthest from understanding what the deal is. To think you understand what’s really happening on a spiritual, metaphysical, or dimensional level—look, I don’t mean to sound like a crackpot, I’m just saying. I’ve felt Chad guiding me in many, many ways. I’d hear little clues, like his songs coming on in the grocery store, all those little signs that felt like, hey, I’m still here with you. I’m still pulling for you, from wherever he is. Or maybe it’s like, you’re on the right track. And I don’t know if it’s really him. I don’t know if it’s a guardian angel, or if he is one, or if he already was while he was here—that could have been the whole thing. I don’t know. But I believe anything is possible, because I don’t know. And knowing that I don’t know makes me feel wise, more than it makes me feel ignorant.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Yes, definitely. Paul, is there anything you’d like to add to that?

Paul Levatino: We’ve been seeing signs since the beginning of this. I mean, I had a life-changing experience—just a career shift, but still life-changing. I was finishing up a project, and as I was walking out that day, I thought, Wow, what am I going to do next? The film was almost done and about to be released. I walked into a restaurant, and the band’s song was playing. And at that moment, I thought, You know what? Everything’s going to be fine. Sometimes, you just see those signs. But I think for us, it’s also been therapeutic. It’s like we’re on tour with Chad right now.

Max Hartman: Take him on tour, bring him on the road. Yeah, everyone gets to meet him, and everyone falls in love with him—just like we did. And, you know, he’s an easy person to love.

Paul Levatino: Yeah, and the music—the whole band's music—is incredible. Everyone ends up falling in love with it.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: I love that, thank you. Fatherhood is undeniably crucial for a child, but father figures come in many forms. I’d love for you to draw inspiration from your own experiences—whether from your fathers or other father figures in your lives. As both a director and producer, how were you able to weave that into the film, especially knowing you had to navigate it so carefully? This isn’t just about presenting it for an audience—Lennox will grow up and witness this. How did you approach that with such sensitivity and thoughtfulness?

Paul Levatino: I don’t know. I mean, I really made sure that the family and Max were my guiding lights throughout the editing process. There were edits early on that I wasn’t sure about, and I had to ask Hannah, Hey, would you watch this? Even a few of them, she was like, You know, they’re fine. Then I just went with my gut. I thought, What was said in the first part makes sense, but the second part is unnecessary. So, I made the choice to leave out the unnecessary parts, knowing that Lennox might not understand that when he’s growing up.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: I think you made the best decisions, Paul, which is why I asked the question—how much footage did you shoot? How much did you have to work with, and how much did you ultimately cut?

Paul Levatino: Just enough to get through. (laughs)

Max Hartman: Yeah, there wasn’t a whole lot of extra footage. (laughs)

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Oh, there wasn’t? (laughs)

Paul Levatino: No, there wasn’t. (laughs) 

Max Hartman: In fact, we built some sequences—montages, etc.—to help bridge gaps and explain that he was more of a bass player and not really a frontman to begin with, especially in certain parts of the film. 

Paul Levatino: I did my best to break it up a little, because the studio footage is really intimate. I think anyone who watches it and gives it a chance will realize that this is a unique process—a way of recording music that most people don’t capture in such an intimate way. But it can also be repetitive, and it can go on for a long time. So I had to make some artistic choices to keep the film flowing by breaking it up a bit.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Max, can you talk about your role as a producer? Were you a producer before this? What’s your filmmaking background?

Max Hartman: I’ve been involved in a few films where I helped move things along. I also executive produced a film called The Finale, which is a comedy-horror set at a theater camp—it was a fun project we did a couple of years ago.

Paul Levatino: And you’re an actor.

Max Hartman: Yes, I’m also an actor, a voiceover artist, and I do some scoring. I actually scored that film as well. For this project, I contributed some music and helped bring people together. I also played a role in introducing Chad and the band in the first place. So, that's where most of my contributions lie in this particular deal.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: So, how about the distribution side of things? Are you involved in that aspect?

Max Hartman: No, right now, we’re focusing on the festival circuit. We’ve been going from festival to festival. We don’t have distribution lined up yet, but we’re actively looking for it. We’re interested in securing distribution to get the film on platforms, etc.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: So, what are your goals looking ahead? I know you mentioned wanting to see this on platforms, but what’s the bigger vision? Feel free to speak as far out as you want—just put it out there, because everything seems to be coming together now.

Max Hartman: We're just grateful to be here. We want people to see the film and discover Chad and his music. I believe the film will speak for itself—it’s on solid ground. As for what it says, we'll see. There’s no way to predict in this crazy business. There's no clear path—it’s not like you do this first and then that. But we’ll take it on. We’d love for this to be a huge success—ideally, the biggest hit.

Paul Levatino: When I started doing the film festival circuit, I spoke to one guy who told me, "You're doing it wrong. You should get a distributor first. They’ll help you with the film festival circuit." And I said, "Well, we don’t have a distributor. The film is done, and we have festivals calling us. We’re already seven festivals in." Then I met another guy, a sales rep, who was really interested in picking up the film. He said, "You're doing a great job. You’ve done my job for me. You’ve gotten great press and great reviews—let’s just keep it going. I’m going to help you." I don’t think anyone has a golden ticket for how this works, but I do see it ending up on a streaming service. It will be accessible to anyone, and it might end up on platforms like Amazon or Tubi, which we’d be honored by. We’ve also been in talks with PBS, which could be a really interesting opportunity, along with expanding into different markets. For me, the ultimate goal when my angel investor came on board was simple: I just want people to learn about Chadwick and the band. If they can see the story, then I’ve done my job. So that’s the goal.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: And you definitely have. Have there been any challenges in terms of negative perceptions or reactions? Has there been any negativity at all?

Max Hartman: I don’t think there’s been anything negative, luckily. 

Paul Levatino: Of course, there are always challenges. 

Max Hartman: For example, there are festivals you apply to and don’t get into—that happens with any film. 

Paul Levatino: But there were thousands of films submitted to this festival, and they only picked a hundred or so. Our film, about a small band in Texas made by a first-time filmmaker, got selected. That’s reassuring and confirms I’m on the right path. 

Nicole Alicia Xavier: You know, there are always challenges to face, and you can never really predict how things will be received or how they’ll be perceived. 

Paul Levatino: Right.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: So, I’m just trying to pick your brain for a moment. Everything about this film has been amazing, and my review will be coming out after this interview. I gave it five stars—I absolutely loved it. 

Paul Levatino: Wow, that’s amazing, thank you. (laughs)

Nicole Alicia Xavier: One element I was particularly curious about, Paul, was whether the film would feel organic and genuine. I’ll admit, at first, I was a little skeptical. I saw the trailer, read the synopsis, and went in with some preconceived notions based on what PR had sent me. I had a few questions, wondering if it would feel genuine or if it was one of those cases where people might just be riding on someone else’s success. 

Max Hartman: Oh, yeah.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: But I have to say, you navigated it perfectly. I was really hoping it would be exactly what I wanted it to be—and it absolutely was. Now, if someone else had doubts going in, how would you respond to that?

Max Hartman: We got the blessing of both his mother and his widow on everything. 

Paul Levatino: They've been involved throughout the entire process.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Let’s explore that idea for a moment, in case someone from another outlet were to say, "Oh, these guys are just riding on his success." What would your response be to that? Is there anything you’d want to say or address in that regard?

Max Hartman: Politely? (Laughs)

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Yes. (Laughs)

Paul Levatino: For me, it would be an honor because Chadwick and I played in bands together. He asked me to manage his band as an artist manager, and he wanted me to help him with his career. Even after he left us, he gave me the platform to tell his story—and I’m truly honored by that. If anyone were to say otherwise, I’d just say, "Okay, well, whatever, that’s their opinion."

Max Hartman: There’s no doubt about it—one hundred percent, from his family, his wife, all of us. We loved the man to the core. This is about love. It’s a tribute to him. He cared more about being a family man and a true friend than he ever did about being the frontman of a band. So, this film is really about that. It’s about his life and how he almost got to live the "rockstar" dream, but the love and the relationships came first. None of us are making money off this documentary. It’s truly a tribute to him.

Paul Levatino: I think it goes back to the whole Lennox thing. When I was working on it, I started thinking about what his son would look back on. About halfway through, I realized that this project was going to be dedicated to Lennox. And I knew it would also be dedicated to him. From the beginning, I had this sense that, no matter what, I was doing this for Lennox.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Wow, that’s really beautiful. Two more questions, and we’ll wrap up since we’re short on time. So, what’s the future for Bastards of Soul? Where do we stand with them?

Max Hartman: I know they've taken a break and have essentially paused their operations. They’ve released albums, including the one they were working on during the film, along with those singles. You can find them on all streaming platforms. We’re hoping people will buy the vinyl or download the tracks. They’re not currently performing live together, though I don’t know if that will change. If the film gains more attention and gets a wider release, who knows? I’d love to see them come back together, maybe with guest vocalists or something like that, if the opportunity arises.

Paul Levatino: They had a reunion during Chadwick’s memorial, which is featured in the film. Max hosted, and Keith, one of the background singers, performed This Love. There was talk about getting the band back together and doing more shows. Right now, each of them has their own individual projects, but I think the next step for the band could be reuniting for some reunion shows. It’s definitely something that’s been discussed.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: I think it would be fantastic to bring everyone together. Having watched it multiple times, does the process of revisiting this get easier, or are you still working through the same emotions? Is it still something you're processing?

Max Hartman: Yeah, it's different every time, and different things hit you. When I watch the film, certain moments that used to always hit me in the gut, I'm kind of ready for now. But other things, like when he laughs, can still make me teary. And then there’s the part where I’m watching myself talk about stuff on film, and you always get that ego, that critical voice, thinking, “Why did I say that like that?” Usually, I'm past all that—I don't care about it—but it’s the moments about him, the chance to hang out with him again, that really get to me. To me, that’s the best part of the film: seeing him 100%, not faking it. He’s just the way he is in that film, and I think you captured it perfectly. Watching it, I get to be in a room with him again, and that’s awesome.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: How about you, Paul?

Paul Levatino: Yeah, I've watched it so many times, and it never gets any easier. It affects me in different ways every time. But honestly, I do enjoy it. A lot of people will say, "You're at the festival—just step out, hang out with us, and come back after." But I always tell them, "No, if someone’s going to sit down and watch my film, I want to be there with them. I want to experience it alongside them." It just feels important to share that moment together.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: That's really sweet. So what's next for you? What's the next step?

Paul Levatino: (Laughs) I'm currently working on a music documentary based on another Texas music story. A guy from the music industry saw our film and was really moved by it—he’s eager to collaborate and tell this next story with me. I'll be directing again, and this time, I'll likely co-produce as well. It's going to be much better funded, which will allow me to bring in additional production support. With Bastards of Soul, I did a lot of the work myself, but for the next one, things will be different.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: What a great learning experience!

Paul Levatino: (laughs) Yeah, exactly. I get to figure out what I enjoy doing—and what I don't.

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Well, all the stuff you don't want to do, Max will handle. (laughs)

Max Hartman: Hahaha!

Nicole Alicia Xavier: Thank you both, Max and Paul, for speaking with me today. Paul, especially, thank you for creating this film—it truly means a lot. It will be great to see the reception at the Newport Beach Film Festival. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to sit down with you both.

Paul Levatino: Thank you, Nicole.

Max Hartman: Thank you for talking with us.