UMPG’s Jessica Mauboy, Ilan Kidron and Louis Schoorl have joined forces to craft an original song for the forthcoming Australian feature film ‘The Sapphires’.

Set in 1968, The Sapphires is based on the true story of an all aboriginal, all female soul group that travelled to Vietnam to perform for the US troops amidst a simmering climate of racial, political and gender based tension.

Mauboy stars in the film as Julie, The Sapphires’ lead vocalist and a young mother from a remote Australian aboriginal community. When the producers requested an original Mauboy composition to feature amongst the soul classics of the era that feature so prominently throughout the story, UMPG organised a preliminary writing session with Jessica, hit-maker Louis Schoorl and Ilan Kidron, a writer best known for his work with Australia’s biggest dance act The Potbelleez. An effortlessly sexy tune emerged from this session entitled ‘Gotcha!’ and the song quickly found its way onto the closing credits of ‘The Sapphires’.

Written expertly to brief, ‘Gotcha!’ and its retro influenced production sits easily within the period context of the film but also boasts a modern attitude that will see the song equally at home on commercial radio. Mauboy sounds better than ever purring “I’ve gotcha, gotcha, gotcha by the collar and you’re coming with me” amongst a wall of old school soul harmonies, freaked our surf guitars and a Motown meets 808 drum sound.

‘Gotcha!’ is released in Australia on July 16 with ‘The Sapphires’ soundtrack hitting stores on July 27. The Sapphires film will open Australia wide on August 9.