A deal with the devil: GG Fearn releases soundtrack to acclaimed Welsh horror

Stephen Price

Welsh musician GG Fearn has released a ‘dark and strange’ soundtrack to the critically acclaimed Welsh independent horror film Scopophobia this week – led by sublime lead single ‘Deal with the Devil’.

Fearn is a Cambridge law graduate and a self-confessed weirdo – and her latest release is a perfect example of her slickly produced music which has echoes of alt-pop pioneers, Kate Bush and Radiohead.

After being impressed with her previous singles, Welsh Independent Film Production Company ‘Melyn Pictures’ reached out to her directly to write the ‘Scopophobia’ soundtrack.

She told us: “It’s dark, it’s strange, it’s something you haven’t heard before.”

Hailing from west Wales, 23 year old GG Fearn has been obsessed with storytelling since she was 13. She is a multi-instrumentalist always chasing a strange, unexpected sound.

GG’s work explores themes of self-identity, madness and perception, offering a dark and introspective commentary on the pursuit of power and identity.

Anthemic, dark pop

GG’s music has been described by critics as a “dark pop that confronts the realities of a world saturated with technology”.

A true musician, GG writes, produces and mixes much of her own music herself.

Ahead of the full length’s release, she took some time out to chat with Nation.Cymru about her music and her growing worldwide acclaim.

GG explained how she got got into the music industry, saying: “I’ve always been fascinated by stories. There’s something really compelling about transferring that into the medium of music.

“So I’ve always drawn from the stories I connect with. There’s a quote by Coco Chanel  – “only those with no memory insist on their originality”. My writing is characterised by visceral imagery, specific characters, building stories. It’s like therapy, but with a sick beat.”

The latest release is an accomplished affair. She told us: “I love working with others, I’ve collaborated with great producers – Charlie Francis on my EP “Black Mirror”, Luke Jones (Clear Wave Music) on some session projects.

“My latest projects are different because I controlled the process from start to finish. I’ve taught myself to produce through playing and being curious: hours of sifting through sounds is my idea of fun, finding new sounds and obsessively layering.

“It’s been wild, from stumbling through learning curves to mastering my own tracks. It usually happens in a fever dream session where I lose track of time and suddenly nine hours have passed.”

GG has recently moved back to Carmarthen after graduating. She told us that Cambridge was very different – with funk jam nights, playing infamous Cambridge May Balls.

She shared: “Carmarthen is a funny place. It’s a strange brew of quietude and chaos. Vast and open landscapes contrast with this claustrophobic nature of small-town life.

“That, for me, is a pressure cooker of creativity. It filters into my music. It’s like the soundtrack to a Gillian Flynn story, but with more existential dread and way more synths.”

Dystopian love affair

GG’s previous track “Permanent Record” came about in a fit of inspiration after she finished reading Edward Snowden’s memoir.

She said: “I really liked the phrase, the concept of our lives being reduced to ones and zeros.

“The music was a natural progression from there – apocalyptic, a tad paranoid, but also resigned. I wanted to create a soundscape that felt like acceptance of being trapped in a digital panopticon.

The latest music is very of its time – a refreshing subject in a sea of formulaic love songs and the like. She told us: “It’s interesting to explore themes that resonate with the zeitgeist.

“We’re all so addicted to the convenience of surveillance, it’s a weird, dystopian love affair. A hyper-connected world is fertile ground for looking at the darkness not only in individuals but in broader society.

“While love songs are so universal, I’m fascinated by anxieties, control, contradictions, identity.

“So, while digital obsession might not be the specific topic for my next project, I’ll always explore those feelings it evokes.”

Scopophobia movie

Written and directed by Aled Owen, Scopophobia tells the story of four girls who return home to a ghost town but find themselves being followed. “By someone who knows what they did? Or just their guilty conscience? There’s more to each girl than meets the eye.”

The feature stars a wealth of Welsh talent including Catrin Jones, Emma Stacey, Steffan Cennydd and Ioan Hefin.

With growing critical acclaim, the film has a limited number of screenings lined up in Carmarthen, Llanfyllin, York and even Ohio.

Scopophobia is a must-see for genre fans, with critics calling it ‘a super stylish Welsh take on Giallo’, and ‘an expertly told toxic friendship horror’.

Home grown talent

Aled Owen is a writer and filmmaker from Carmarthen. He founded Melyn Pictures in October 2021 with the aim of telling stories that take place within Wales. He is the writer and director of Scopophobia as well as one of its producers.

Aled called in favours from many of his talented friends in order to see his vision for Melyn Pictures come to life. This chosen family of gifted contemporaries contributed their expertise in getting Scopophobia made which wouldn’t have been possible without them.

And one of those talented friends just so happened to be GG Fearn. A win for both, judging by the moving and original music which has been a perfect fit for the production.

Stream the Scopophobia Soundtrack and previous releases from GG Fearn here.

GG will also be bringing the ‘Scopophobia’ soundtrack to life with her headline show on 7 September in CWRW.

Find out more about Scopophobia here.