Scream is an iconic film franchise, the slasher series that seemingly never ends, but it’s also famously, distinctively an American horror. So how did an unpublished Australian artist like Hugo Basclain end up on the soundtrack of Scream VI

The answer may surprise you – Basclain’s track “Right Now” was simply pitched to Paramount Pictures who instantly fell in love with it, and soon enough “Right Now” was included in the film’s soundtrack. If only being a musician could always be that simple.

Now, Basclain finds himself on a soundtrack alongside superstars like Billie Eilish and Girl In Red. Not bad for an artist on the rise.

The singer-songwriter’s track was actually born out of a songwriting session with production team The Gifted (who are managed by Eilish’s manager), and was influenced by a long-distance relationship Basclain was in that he knew wouldn’t work out.

“I was doing anything I could to avoid falling and letting anything develop further due to the fact of how hard it would’ve been,” he explains. “I just remember thinking how perfect this relationship could’ve been but the unfair reality of distance.

“So, when I went into the session this was something that weighed on me heavily and the whole story just kind of unfolded. Every time I write a song, I really try to capture the feelings I have in that moment, we really strived to create something lighthearted and nostalgic, but a certain melancholic undertone and I think we nailed it in this track.”

For the vulnerable singer-songwriter, getting on the Scream VI is just the next step in an already promising career. After starting out making music as a teenager in Gosford, Basclain released his debut EP, NOSTALGIA IS A LIAR, last year, which “Right Now” featured on as the closing track.

Love Indie?

Get the latest Indie news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

Combining emotive and soulful vocals with raw songwriting – there’s another track about the pain of being cheated on – the EP was unafraid to leave Basclain open to listeners. “You sit down and confess,” as he says about his songwriting approach.

You can listen to Basclain’s Scream VI track, as well as his latest EP, below.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine