Salem Belladonna
Salem Belladonna | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Madison Chase Baldwin |
| Also known as | Madison Chase |
| Born | January 18, 1996 Chesapeake, Virginia, United States |
| Genres | Cello rock, dark cabaret, indie rock, folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, Singer-songwriter, Cellist, Pianist |
| Instruments | Cellist, Pianist |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Associated acts | Madison Chase |
| Website | www |
Salem Belladonna also known as Madison Chase (born January 18, 1996) in Chesapeake, VA as Madison Chase Baldwin is an American film composer, singer, and songwriter. She released her first album Circus of Alice[1][2] at the age of 13 in 2010 under the name Madison Chase. Belladonna's movie credits include performing as a cellist on the soundtrack for the 2012 Brazilian-American Christian drama film Destiny Road, composer for the 2022 found footage horror film The Outwaters[3], composer for the film Tinsman Road[4], scheduled for release in 2023, and has been selected to be the composer for the film Exvallis to be released in 2024. She is also cited as a cellist on pop/folk singer-songwriter Abby Lyons'[5] debut album.
Background
Born in Chesapeake, VA as Madison Chase Baldwin, she has commented: "the first song I ever heard was actually High and Dry by the band Radiohead, I know this because I have a home movie as an infant leaving the hospital with that song playing in the background."
In 1996, shortly after being born, her family relocated to Houston, TX, followed by Latrobe, PA in 1997, before settling in Raleigh, NC in 1999 where she and her sister grew up watching her parents perform in a number of bands. Both her parents are musicians; her mother, Marie Kim Baldwin, is a classically trained vocalist, and her father, Gary Dean Baldwin II, is a guitarist and keyboardist. She began learning piano at the age of 7, and at 12 asked her parents if she could begin studying cello after becoming a fan of artists such as Kanon Wakeshima, Rasputina, Emily Autumn, and Tina Guo. Even though she began playing cello at a late age, she developed quickly, earning positions with the Triangle Youth Philharmonic and eventually receiving an invitation to leave traditional public school after her sophomore year at high school to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school program. While she enjoyed the curriculum, she found traditional classical training to be mildly uninspiring, preferring instead to break the rules of music by composing dark pop compositions rather than playing in a traditional orchestra. Upon graduation from UNCSA, Belladonna pursued a BA degree in cello performance and composition at the California Institute of the Arts, which she graduated from in 2018.
Album: Circus of Alice
In 2010, at the age of 12, she began experimenting with digital audio workstation software Cubase 5.0, and with the assistance of her father completed a concept album called The Circus of Alice, which explores the idea of regret through the eyes of an adult reflecting on pressures and decisions made as a child. The album has been described as "creepy pop".
Reception
In a review for Reverbnation, Mint's Candy Shop referred to it as a "spellbinding aesthetic," stating Salem's music as "absolutely Delicious! The grim harmonic richness delights like the darkest dark chocolate," and Stuart Munro simply said "Superb".
It takes its listeners on an emotional journey and forces us to empathize with Alice as we learn more about her. It combines unusual instruments with a more traditional pop sound to create a totally engrossing world that completely sucks the listener in.
— ThoroughlyModernReviewer, REVIEW: “Circus of Alice” by Madison Chase
Her songs are a soundtrack for eying shelves of broken dolls in a forgotten antique store, or for the greatest tea party…in hell. These are the lullabies discarded toys sweetly sing to each other through cracked lips.
— She Walks Softly, Madison Chase Music
Circus of Alice: Track listing
All tracks written by Madison Chase and Dean Baldwin.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Regression" | 1:50 |
| 2. | "Circus" | 5:21 |
| 3. | "Trapeze" | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Amphigory" | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Human" | 5:34 |
| 6. | "Mind Tickle" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Breathe" | 3:08 |
| 8. | "Masquerade" | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Mind Tickle (acoustic)" | 3:47 |
Movies
Cellist
- Destiny Road
Composer
- The Outwaters
- Tinsman Road
- Exvallis
Discography
Albums
- Circus of Alice – September 19, 2010
Singles
- Escape – July 9, 2019
- Danse Macabre - October 23, 2020
- Enjoy The Silence [cover] - Released by MilaSe7en, October 22, 2021
Education
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts
- California Institute of the Arts
Song inspirations
In addition to citing Danny Elfman as one of her major influences, Salem draws musical inspiration from a variety of genres, including classical, metal, pop, rock, R&B, bluegrass, and folk. Her unique synthesis of styles contributes to her eclectic sound.
See also
References
- ↑ "Madison Chase Music". She Walks Softly. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
Her songs are a soundtrack for eying shelves of broken dolls in a forgotten antique store, or for the greatest tea party…in hell.
- ↑ "REVIEW: "Circus of Alice" by Madison Chase". thoroughlymodernreviewer.com/. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
She grounds the eccentric music with a real, emotional performance in every song.
- ↑ Nigrin, Al (February 9, 2022). "New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2022 Filmmaker Interview with The Outwaters Director Robbie Banfitch". New Jersey Stage. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
Salem Belladonna’s music score is really amazing
- ↑ Nigrin, Al (February 9, 2022). "New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2022 Filmmaker Interview with The Outwaters Director Robbie Banfitch". New Jersey Stage. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
She also did the score, original folk songs, and voice-work for my upcoming movie Tinsman Road
- ↑ "Meet Abby Lyons". Fender. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
External links
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