EXPLORING the HELLBENT SOUNDTRACK
with Music Supervisor JOHN NORRIS
Queer and Queer-Friendly Artists
Featured in Non-Stereotypical Line-up

What criteria did you make for
selecting music for the film?

John Norris: This music had to be loud and represent a part of the youth culture we see every day on the streets of Santa Monica and West Hollywood in California - a subculture of gays listening to their own music that expresses things about life and love but not always a quarter-note 32 beat-per-minute song.

What direction did you receive from
the film's director and producers?

JN: Paul [Etheredge-Ouzts, the director] described the sound he envisioned as a Black Orpheus - noisy and driving, without being stereotypical.

How did you find the
songs for the film?

JN: Lots of research and listening, mainly driven by budget restrictions. Music supervising is easy-good songs pop out at you. We were thankful to have easy-to-deal with artists and labels like Spitshine Records and Texas Terri (who covers The Dicks, one of the most outrageous gay punk bands [circa 1977ish] from Austin).

Why did you choose to go with the
rock sound over the traditional gay dance pulse we usually hear?

JN: Exactly because of that. The film is about drawing the audience away from the gay stereotypes. It creates a darker soundscape for the action to take place. The soundtrack features artists who are gay.

In your opinion, what is the music
scene like today for gay artists?

JN: Awesome. We live in a culture where you can, if you choose, be an openly gay artist (like Rufas, whose marketing issues have to deal wth his music, not his sexuality), and choose to exploit yourself for that quality if you choose-or choose other routes.

Pop music is in an awesome period right now; it's too bad the major distributers are clueless about what to do with it. They are dinosaurs, especially the publishers. We will see in the next few years that part of the industry collapse on itself.

Companies like Bug Music, who allow the artists to retain the rights to their songs and still work them to the marketplace, will have more effect in the music community than companies like Warner or Chrysalis who have lots of 'executives' to feed.

How can fans of the film get the
music featured in the movie?

JN: Both John and here! are working on a variety of ways to get the music from the soundtrack available perhaps though the official website, a record deal with a label or maybe iTunes! Stay tuned.

Nick Name at 'The Meatlocker' during the filming of HELLBENT.

Paul Lekakis

Texas Terri

Colton Ford