A new documentary following the life, career and influence of legendary songwriter Guy Clark, Without Getting Killed or Caught, has been released on demand – and is available to stream worldwide now.

Opening to the public on what would have been Guy's 80th birthday - the music icon passed away in 2016 - the film follows his life and career, as well as his relationship with his wife Susanna, and his instrumental role in the country music scene of the '70s and '80s.

Wife and husband duo Tamara Saviano and Paul Whitfield directed the film. Saviano previously released an eponymously titled book recounting the songwriter's life and career back in 2016. The documentary was originally slated to debut at South by Southwest last year, but due to the pandemic, it was delayed till the 2021 edition of the festival.

Guy Clark's influence on music is hard to fully gauge. For much of his career, from the outside, he appeared as an ancillary figure in the country genre. He always shied away from the limelight, never becoming a household name like many of his contemporaries. As a musician, he wanted to make poetry not hits.

Yet, the likes of Steve Earl and Rodney Crowell would call him their mentor. He wrote chart-topping hits for the like Jerry Jeff Walker, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill and the Highwaymen. By many, he is seen as the father of Americana.

"Songwriters with lofty ideals knew where to find Guy," Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek narrates in the trailer.  "He didn't care about mainstream music, his only desire was to write songs as great literature."

The documentary is as much about his wife, fellow songwriter and painter Susanna as it is about Guy. The film narrates their unique, sometimes inspiring, sometimes heart-breaking relationship; as well as their unusual bond with fellow country songwriter Townes Van Zandt.

“Guy and I were married, but Townes and I were soul mates,”  Susanna wrote in her diary.

You can rent the movie for $20 for one-day access or $25 for three days at www.withoutgettingkilledorcaught.com. A $35 all-access pass is also available, including three days of streaming plus interviews with Tamara Saviano and Paul Whitfield, as well as Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle and Sarah Jarosz.

You can watch the trailer for the documentary below: