DARK SMITH – “IT GETS WORSE”
A Spill Exclusive Video Premiere
Dark Smith is a Seattle-based alternative outfit formed by post-punker Danny Denial, Post Rapture Party guitarist Ashe Tempest, Nashville-bred bassist Lia Lovecraft and T-ROX drummer Nozomi Momo. Together, they’re combining elements of shoegaze, metal, and 80’s new wave to create a genre they call “dreampunk.” For now, anyway.
“I’m just a horribly depressed person who likes to dance whilst staring into the void,” says Tempest of his inspiration behind the band and its sounds. His guitar riffs are influenced heavily by metal and industrial music, while the dreamy synth tones touch on something otherworldly. It’s that marriage of snarling nihilism and dissonant sound. The track is a heavy one that storms out the gate, tackling everything from millennial apathy (“American youth are growing grey at the speed of crashing lights”) to societal alienation and resignation. Pronouncing the unsettling, frenetic atmosphere is Momo’s breakneck drumming and a funk-infused bass line. “I just reacted to the music and the lyrics and let the bass line grow organically to support the song,” says Lovecraft of the EP sessions, which began when the band formed in June.
The song’s music video stars Jade Dynasty, Raven Matthews and Cameron Lee Price in the roles of Mary Magdalene, Jesus and Judas. Directed by Toran Whitaker at famed Seattle art space Fred Wildlife Refuge, the video takes anachronistic liberties in a retelling of the biblical story that finds Mary Magdalene paying for the sins of mankind. Up next, the band plans to release the follow-up to the story, which casts Judas as a tormented lover in “Lie To Me”.
“It Gets Worse” is now available for streaming, with the band’s debut EP Prehysteria to follow in February 2018. Their single release show in Seattle is on Tuesday, November 21st at Fred Wildlife Refuge with Familiars and RVN.
Dark Smith
[Single]
(Independent)
Release Date: November 21, 2017
Artist Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DARK SMITH – DEGRESSIVE
