Halloween Web - Sean Keller Part 1

 A last minute surprise to the Halloween Web line up for this year, it's the crazy genius behind the Killer Sounds of Halloween albums, Sean Keller! Part 1 (today) is going to be more music focused and Part 2 (Saturday) will be the traditional Halloween Web interview.

Thanks so much for joining us! Please introduce yourself for the readers.

 

I’m primarily a screenwriter. Most recently I wrote the Blumhouse/Hulu movie ALL THAT WE DESTROY for Chelsea Stardust. I co-wrote Dario Argento’s GIALLO and did work on John Carpenter’s THE WARD. I also place songs in movies regularly including a track in Axelle Carolyn’s upcoming Blumhouse/Amazon film THE MANOR. And when I’m not doing that, I’m acting for friends films, most recently in Graham Denman’s GREENLIGHT.

 

How did the Killer Sounds albums come about?

 

I had been making Halloween mix tapes and CD mixes for friends for years and had hit a wall and started recycling songs from past mixes, so I decided to start recording my own odd takes on some classics – I did TV on the Radio’s “Wolf Like Me" in the style of Love & Rockets and Dolly Parton’s “Drinkenstein” in the style of White Zombie.

And then I wrote an original haunted country song, and it just hit me. A mix tape of fake bands in every Halloweeny style I could imagine and it just sort of snowballed from there. The crucial point was when my fiancé told me that no matter how different the songs styles were, it would still sound like it came from one guy unless I brought in some friends to sing a few of the tracks – and that’s where it became what it is now.

Speaking of friends, how did Amanda Wyss (Tina in the original Nightmare on Elm Street) and other celebrities get involved in the album?

I met Amanda when I was playing Roger in the 1st National tour of RENT. She was good friends with my cast-mate Carrie Hamilton, and we hit it off right away. We’ve been friends for quite a while, but I still felt a little weird asking her to read one of my creepy kid’s poems for the 1st album. But when she said yes and then came in and had a blast recording, I knew I could count on her to kick off the next album. The rest of the “celebs” are friends. I make horror movies and the L.A. horror community is pretty close, so when I find out a friend can sing, I rope them into my lunacy.

 

 What are some of your favorite Halloween albums?

 

I grew up loving Disney’s “Thrilling Chilling Sounds of the Haunted House” and Pickwick’s “Sounds of Terror” and have always been in love with all genres of music, so I love digging for lost classics and discovering new Halloween tracks every year. 

 

What artist(s) were an influence for Killer Sounds?

 

As a bit of a punk, there’s nothing that compares to The Cramps or The Misfits on Halloween and I have tracks in both of those styles on Revenge of the Killer Sounds of Halloween.

In your interview with All Hallow’s Geek, you mentioned the possibility of Killer Sounds 3D. What styles/artists/subjects haven’t you done yet that you’d like to do?

Yeah, I’m definitely going to do a 3rd album and I still haven’t tackled Marylin Manson/Nine Inch Nails-type industrial/goth track. I want to make a My Chemical Romance-style anthem, I’m desperate to create a Jim Steinman/Bonnie Tyler-style mini rock opera about possession. I’d like to try a 60s girl-group “dead Boyfriend” tune. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and I want to cover it all so I can put this concept to bed after 3 albums.

I think I speak for anyone that's heard the Killer Sounds albums when I say we wouldn't mind it going beyond a third installment! Be sure to tune in on Saturday for Part 2 of Sean's interview. While you're waiting, you can check out both Killer Sounds albums on Bandcamp. They're free to stream so try em before you buy em!

 

Honestly though, just buy them, they're a lot of fun!

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