Breakout country singer-songwriter Carter Faith is making her feature film acting debut opposite Academy Award winner Jessica Chastain in the upcoming Netflix mystery thriller Heartland, scheduled to premiere exclusively on the streaming platform on November 13, 2026. Ahead of the film's release, Faith debuted a new original track, "Still the Sparrow Sings," on October 30 via Gatsby Records/MCA Nashville. Written and performed by Faith specifically for her character in the movie, the song arrives alongside an intimate live performance video filmed at Nashville's historic Bluebird Cafe.

Inside Netflix's Nashville Mystery Thriller

Directed by Shana Feste, whose previous work includes the 2010 country music drama Country Strong, Heartland moves away from the traditional music biopic format to deliver a suspenseful mystery set against the backdrop of the country music industry. According to the official synopsis from the Netflix Media Center, Chastain stars as Misty Jones, a former country music legend who emerges from seclusion to investigate the sudden disappearance of her niece, a rising country musician, forcing Misty to confront her own past and the darker side of Nashville.

Coverage from CNET identifies Faith as the real-life musician cast as Misty's missing niece, Charlie. While Netflix's primary synopsis leaves the exact details of the investigation open-ended, secondary entertainment listings from Yahoo Entertainment note that Charlie is 22 years old and indicate that her boyfriend and manager become people of interest in the disappearance. A separate November slate preview from Yahoo Entertainment lists the film's total runtime at 112 minutes and notes that the standalone thriller should not be confused with the long-running Canadian family drama series of the same name also streaming on the service.

'Still the Sparrow Sings' and the 'Heartland' Soundtrack

Clocking in at 4 minutes and 20 seconds according to its Apple Music listing, "Still the Sparrow Sings" serves as the second official preview from the film's companion album. According to Universal Music Canada, the full Heartland soundtrack will drop on November 13 to coincide with the movie's global streaming launch. To ground the cinematic composition in authentic Nashville songwriting tradition, Faith recorded the accompanying visual at The Bluebird Cafe, a renowned listening room long associated with acoustic storytelling.

The broader soundtrack relies heavily on collaborations between established country recording artists and the film's on-screen ensemble. While the official Netflix press portal does not independently itemize the album's tracklist, a November 3 report by 1380 KCIM states that the project spans 15 tracks. In addition to "Still the Sparrow Sings," Faith is credited on a second soundtrack cut titled "Honeycomb" alongside songwriter Trannie Anderson.

According to That Eric Alper, the compilation also features vocal contributions from three-time Grammy Award winner Jennifer Nettles (who also co-stars in the film), Carly Pearce, Margo Price, and Channing Wilson. Several cast members step up to the microphone as well, including actors John Hawkes and Ross Lynch. Chastain lends her own vocals to the record, teaming up with Nettles on the title track "Heartland," which 1380 KCIM notes is a cover of the Hailey Whitters song penned by Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, and Forrest Whitehead.

A Breakthrough Year for Carter Faith

Faith's transition into acting caps off a major 12-month stretch for the Nashville performer. Just five days after Heartland premieres on Netflix, Faith will attend the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday, November 18, where she is nominated for her first-ever CMA Award for New Artist of the Year, airing live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.

That nomination builds on the commercial and critical momentum of her debut studio album, Cherry Valley. Developed over two years of writing with longtime producer Tofer Brown and recorded in 2024, the record earned an Academy of Country Music (ACM) nomination for Album of the Year. According to antimusic.com, the nod made Cherry Valley the first debut project to compete in that category in a decade, following Chris Stapleton's Traveller in 2016. Rolling Stone also ranked the record as the number one country album of the year and number 17 on its Best 100 Albums of 2025 list.

During the summer of 2026, Faith issued a deluxe edition titled Cherry Valley Forever, expanding the tracklist with five additional songs, including collaborations with Wyatt Flores on "Nothin' Better To Do" and Laci Kaye Booth and Baby Nova on "Pearl Handled Pistol." Earlier in the year, she made her late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following their 2025 holiday duet "Ugly Sweater." After spending the fall supporting touring runs for Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, and Shaboozey, Faith launched her headlining Cherry Valley Forever Tour, which KTLA noted included late-October stops in Santa Ana and San Diego's House of Blues, alongside scheduled appearances at Saint Louis' Old Rock House and Chicago's Joe's on Weed Street.

What Viewers and Listeners Can Expect Next

For country music audiences and streaming subscribers, Heartland continues a growing trend of Hollywood productions tapping contemporary Nashville songwriters to bring authenticity to music-industry narratives. By casting Faith as Charlie and having her write original material from the character's perspective, Feste's production bridges the gap between the film's dramatic mystery and its musical setting.

When does 'Heartland' premiere on Netflix, and is the soundtrack out the same day?

Both the feature film Heartland and its official 15-track companion soundtrack are scheduled to be released on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Who does Carter Faith play in 'Heartland'?

Faith portrays Charlie, a rising young country singer whose sudden disappearance prompts her aunt, secluded country legend Misty Jones (played by Jessica Chastain), to return to Nashville to uncover the truth.

Which other artists and actors perform on the 'Heartland' soundtrack?

Alongside Carter Faith, the soundtrack features country artists Jennifer Nettles, Carly Pearce, Margo Price, and Channing Wilson, as well as vocal performances from cast members Jessica Chastain, John Hawkes, and Ross Lynch.

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