BULAHDELAH’S own singer/songwriter Elisa Kate has had her music picked up for a Netflix movie production, in yet another win for Myall Coast artists.
Elisa’s original song, “Now Or Never”, was originally written in 2018, and is based on her life experiences of leaving home for the first time and going out to live her dream.
Producers thought it was perfect for the new movie, “The Appleton Ladies Potato Race”.
“I had piano lessons on a 100-year-old piano back in Bulahdelah, and have been doing music for 15 years, including studying a music degree at the Australian Institute of Music,” Elisa told News Of The Area.
“Along the way I had auditioned and been rejected from all kinds of singing shows, I’ve been told ‘you can’t sing’, ‘you’re not good enough’, and ‘you’ll never make it’, but I didn’t give up.
“The funny thing about being told those things is there’s something in my spirit or brain that likes to prove people wrong, it makes me work harder, more of a motivation – and determination is key.”
After relocating to Sydney, Elisa began working with A&R Department, who helped get her music out via publisher Wise Music, including promotion of “Now Or Never” in 2019.
“It is a miracle that my song got picked up, but it was chosen to fit the scene of the movie where the main character leaves her own hometown.”
The movie has made its way from its original home on Paramount+, then TenPlay, and is now available on Netflix.
Her success story has been picked up by many news outlets.
Elisa’s journey had not dimmed her view of the importance of her support network, which centres on her parents who still live on the family farm halfway between Wootton and Bulahdelah, and have seen her perform around Newcastle, in front of a crowd of 30,000 at Speers Point, and even on a tour of the USA in 2014 with Newcastle’s Matt McClaren.
“The music video for Now Or Never is available on YouTube.
“Thanks to a long-time collaboration with my good friend and fellow Bulahdelah artist Shannon Guthrie, of August Peridot Photography, it also features parts of Bulahdelah, including Stroud Street, the cemetery, bridge and river, and of course the farm where I grew up just outside of Bulah.
“Shannon is based in Bulahdelah and he’s been doing my music photography for 15 years, and has been doing an amazing job designing my album and single covers – including the one for Now Or Never.”
Elisa continues to gig all the time in Newcastle and surrounds and is releasing a new song, “Pain to Fire” in summer with A&R Department.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
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