The solo project of emerging Brisbane artist Rhos Pridham, Kelpie is the exploration of the relationship between dark and light in nature, as well as his own fascination with Dracula and Frankenstein.
After playing with Brisbane band The Halls and a brief stint in Local Authority, Kelpie's music is best described as Gothic new wave, indie rock. He even self-describes himself as a gothic Springsteen.Kelpie's second single, 'Birthday Funeral' (out today), is about walking home under the influence of darkness and madness after too much hedonistic indulgences getting lost along the way in graveyards, haunted by demons and vampires.
Sonically it's like Nick Cave meets Robert Smith with the indie alternative energy of The Temper Trap.
"I named the song 'Birthday Funeral' to mean that with every metaphorical death in one's life – ego death, death of old ways that have become toxic, breakdown – there is an important space left for a rebirth.
"Like a phoenix from the ashes, through darkness and pain we can find growth and light."
Today, scenestr is stoked to premiere the music video for 'Birthday Funeral'. Enjoy.
Directed by Nila Vanwolf, Kelpie says the video was inspired by the age of silent horror films such as 'Nosferatu' (1922) with the pair shooting the scenes out of pure spontaneity.
"We even found one of props on location in the graveyard itself; an old rotten umbrella, perfect for the aesthetic," Kelpie says.
"You just gotta go with the creative flow sometimes and trust in it; it might not make sense but the eye stitches the images together and the psyche makes something of it – like a dream."
After the experience of filming this music video, Kelpie has acquired the acting bug. "Doing this video I got to act a little for the first time in my life.
"Now I want to be a silent movie star. The over-dramatic movements combined with the black-eye make-up integrated naturally into my personality I feel."
