Unusually, in parallel with publication of the novel 'Dirt Music', a "soundtrack" was produced, put together by the author Tim Winton and musician/music radio presenter Lucky Oceans; it included both bluegrass and classical music and was intended to embody the quote in the novel, "Anything you could play on a verandah. You know, without electricity. Dirt music."
Heath Ledger bailed out of the movie due to scheduling conflicts with Batman: El caballero de la noche (2008).
Speaking of the movie 'Dirt Music' in a radio interview with Elvis Mitchell on 'The Treatment' on KCRW (Santa Monica) 21 July 2010, director Phillip Noyce revealed that Russell Crowe "has been preparing for it for a number of years, he's written and recorded a number of songs that will be featured in the movie, in fact he's going on tour later this year with his band, and people around America will be able to hear a lot of the songs well in advance of the movie coming out".
Tim Winton's novel 'Dirt Music' was first published in 2001, and won the Miles Franklin Award in 2002; in the same year it was also shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.