Music composed by Bundaberg-raised singer, songwriter and producer Chelsea Stutchbury will feature in the horror anthology series Deadhouse Dark.
Chelsea’s song, Run, is featured in the main trailer for Deadhouse Dark, a series of six short films created by Australia’s horror mastermind Enzo Tedeschi.
It was always Chelsea’s dream to write music for film and television, and she said she composed Run using digital instruments; she was blown away after Enzo said he loved the piece and wanted to include it in the series.
“I reached out to one of the directors, Enzo, and he said he had spent the two days before looking for music, and when he listened to my music he said it was perfect for the series,” Chelsea said.
Enzo said Run was the perfect soundtrack to be front and centre as audiences got their first taste of Deadhouse Dark.
“When my co-producer Rachele Wiggins and I were searching high and low for a really great track to build our trailer around, I got an email out of the blue from Chelsea,” Enzo said.
“We had never crossed paths before. Her music was just the combination of musical darkness and cinematic elegance we were looking for – we were both very excited!
“We couldn’t move to secure Run fast enough.”
Chelsea said Deadhouse Dark was inspired by recent social, cultural and online occurrences, and all six stories take place within the same world – a modern world driven by online connections, constant surveillance, insta-celebrity and an ability to instantly gratify just about any need or desire, no matter how fleeting or dark.
“I am really thrilled that the song is finding a purpose, I am so interested in how music can create atmosphere and tell a story, especially when it accompanies good film,” Chelsea said.
“I do hope this opportunity will lead to other ones, I am currently doing my honours thesis focusing on film soundtracks, so it’s definitely an area I want to keep working and making contacts in.”
A life growing up in the Bundaberg Region for Chelsea before Deadhouse Dark
As a young girl growing up in the Bundaberg Region Chelsea said music and film had always been two of her favourite things in life, so being able to create and get involved in productions like Deadhouse Dark was a dream come true.
“My home will always be Bargara beach, but Sydney is currently my home away from home as I complete my Honours in Contemporary Music at the Sydney Conservatorium,” Chelsea said.
“I love fantasy/supernatural genres and I love creating a dark aesthetic especially in music so horror is definitely a genre I am interested in and can get into more.”
Chelsea, 22, takes inspiration from her teenage life when writing her songs.
As she was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 17 when she was in her final year of high school at Shalom College.
Her debut single Vincristine, co-written with musical director of The Voice Australia Scott Aplin, was named after the chemotherapy drug she was taking, and inspired by her battle with cancer and the fear treatment would affect her voice.
Chelsea said Run was written during her time at university and the ideas formed while she was in a lecture.
“The song was inspired by the feeling I sometimes get in nightmares, being in a life and death situation and being unable to run fast or move, sometimes it feels like I’m sinking into the earth, feeling unable to escape something dark no matter how hard I try,” Chelsea said.
“I wrote, performed and produced Run myself as part of an EP assessment for University. My EP titled Noir was made mostly from playing around using digital music methods.
“The melody and lyrics for Run hit me when I was in a class at uni.
“I actually left the class early in fear I would forget my idea and headed into one of the studios down the hall to quickly record my ideas.”
Although Chelsea hasn’t had the chance yet to watch the full series of Deadhouse Dark she said after watching the trailer she was eager to see it later this month.
“The world premiere for the series will be this month in Cannes at the Canneseries as the only Australian production in a mix of 10 series from around the globe,” she said.
“Starring in Deadhouse Dark is Nicholas Hope, Barbara Bingham, Lauren Orrell, Naomi Sequeira, Eliza Nicholls, Jenny Wu, Ryan Morgan, Adam Sollis, Gemma Bird Matheson, Anni Finsterer, Akosia Sabet and Roxane Wilson.”
Deadhouse Dark is Australia’s only 2020 Canneseries Horror Short Form contender with the competition taking place from 27 March to 1 April.
Chelsea said a release date for the general public to view wasn’t yet available, but the series would be on YouTube and deadhouse.tv shortly.
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