Meet Kai Kaldro

We recently connected with Kai Kaldro and have shared our conversation below.

Kai, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
In some weird confusing way, I think growing up kind of miserable was both a gift and curse, because kids that come up happy and “well-adjusted” are boring and never do anything. They peak in high school, college, or grad school or whichever indoctrination center they buy into, then it’s all over because they don’t understand that you’re not just going to get grades and trophies for the rest of your life.

Whereas I think if you’re exposed to the ugliness of the world early on and understand how hard and screwed up the world can be… as much as it hurts; I think that anger, alienation, and the ability to reject authority and reject the “building blocks of life” that people try to download onto you… all that pain can actually be channeled into a chance not many get, to grow up and go do something really kickass. I’m not saying it’s good to be pissed off, but truthfully, it can lead to the will to act. So I think as a rock singer and filmmaker, I think I’m motivated by revenge? Haha.

I was born in NYC, but grew up in a tiny shithole town in Southwest Virginia where my family moved, so put in perspective, I appreciate the vast opportunities here. As a kid, I didn’t have many friends and lived in a crazy fucked up household that social services were often in and out of because of physical violence.

I dropped out of school when I was 16 and moved back to NYC right when I turned 18. Ever since, I’ve been traversing the proverbial young pissing-in-your-ramen-cartons poor artist rite of passage… but given having only been here 4 years, the limited resources, and all while the covid-pandemic happened, I think I’m really lucky to have had a good run so far and have done some work I’m proud of and am thankful to have found some good people who share my determination and passion.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a heavy metal singer and filmmaker from New York City. Musically, I go as far as I can with the horror-themed theatrical elements and dark industrial sound, what’s referred to as “shock rock”, and lyrics that demonically satirize classic film noir and Golden Age Hollywood, particularly Alfred Hitchcock’s films.

My debut single POST COITAL, PRE MORTEM went live recently, accompanied by the music video I directed & edited that can be seen on YouTube, and is soon to be heard in the soundtrack of DESERT FIENDS. An all-star cast slasher film featuring Bai Ling, Eric Roberts, Scout Taylor Compton, Tom Arnold, Lorelei Linklater, Lisa Wilcox, Michael Pare, Spencer Breslin, William McNamara amongst many others. Directed by Shawn C Phillips, produced by Nicole Vegas.

I was mentored by my late great production sound mixer M Wolf Snyder (1985-2021), known for running sound on 2021 best picture winner NOMADLAND, starring Frances McDormand. My dark sci-fi action short DISSOLVED GIRL was one of Wolf’s final productions, who was then honored by McDormand and director Chloe Zhao at the 2021 Oscars. At age 19, I was solidified as one of, if not the youngest film director to have a best picture winning crew member enlisted on his own production.

Whilst recording my upcoming EP album, shooting the music videos, and beginning to play live shows… A full-length upgrade of my 2019 short SINNER’S LULLABY is now in production. Attached as composers are Kim & Kathryn Kluge, the master maestros behind Martin Scorsese’s religious epic SILENCE, solidifying what aims to be a musically hellbent gothic neo-noir as my feature debut.

I also appeared in the music video for iPAD The Chainsmokers.

Most recently, my second single REDIAL FOR REMNANTS just went live last Friday the 13th and in time for spooky season, so please be sure to check it out and add it to your Halloween playlists.

 

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Being honest with yourself, staying busy on productions (even if they’re smaller and aren’t the ultimate end goal), and most importantly; being amongst the right people who can give you an honest, but supportive perspective.

It’s very important to understand that judging yourself is actually just as subjective, useless, and uncalled for as when other people do it to you, so don’t judge yourself. We often don’t realize this because we naturally think “I’m me, therefore I know myself best”… well even so, you also can’t engender this as a means to play judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to you… but also, definitely don’t listen to assholes or old cynical sad bastard guys either!

For a long time, I pigeonholed myself into strictly being involved in film and behind the camera, but then I decided I had more to offer than just bossing people around. There was always this writing on the wall that I had a photogenic and rockin’ music potential that I self-deprecatingly dismissed it when anyone said so, I guess out of fear of being perceived as hokey or vain, but I wasn’t really happy with where I had placed myself either.

Once I found my way into the very effusive horror world and started attending conventions… there was suddenly a lot of interest in my being on stage or on camera. That was a big push and support, which I’m eternally grateful for, in terms of me finally compounding my filmmaker life with a music one and even an acting one. Thankfully in the world’s reopening after the pandemic, I discovered the horror community and all its effusion through conventions and have met some good people in the last year. Professionally, personally, and spiritually; it’s been a big step in the right direction.

The new music video for POST COITAL, PRE MORTEM was a big artistic rebirth with cast & crew who were all unshockable horror hounds. Gone were the days of me worrying about my work being deemed “too violent” “too sexual”, or “politically incorrect”. It was a great open environment where we were allowed to create. SFX prodigy Sara Freericks (look out her work in FROM THE SHADOWS with Keith David & Bruce Davison), DP Lakota Ruby-Eck, and Larry Stephen Hines were a powerhouse. Can’t wait to shoot the next music video, for my song REDIAL FOR REMNANTS.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Nicole Vegas, producer of DESERT FIENDS, has been a huge support this year who I’m eternally grateful for. It’s really kickass what lengths she’ll go to cutting whatever red tape to get people from all around the world together and utilize their different skills to their fullest potential.

Nicole is very open, honest, caring, and I’ve learnt a lot from her. She’s someone who gets me back in the swing of things when I have sh*tty days. I think musically, she’s been my biggest support and advocate. Love her.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Lakota Ruby Eck New Jersey Horror Convention Spooky Empire Orlando

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