I Used to Have Black Hair and Bangs

In the past few months, I’ve reconnected with my moody, goth, teenage self - which involved listening to a heavy rotation of The Gun Club, Sisters of Mercy, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure and Siouxsie & The Banshees. The f/w 2018 collection was born as a result. I’ve put together a playlist of the tracks I couldn’t stop listening to while I made these new pieces. Come ride the sonic dark wave with me for a bit ~ hope you enjoy!

Listen to the playlist here

A few thoughts on some of the songs:

Jockey Full of Bourbon, Tom Waits

I was incredibly inspired by a trip I took to New Orleans in January, which got me thinking about the film, Down By Law. The opening sequence is a beautiful black and white montage of the city, with my favorite Tom Waits song playing throughout. The pairing of the song with the imagery sets such an intriguing melancholy tone - I listened to this song on loop while I made a number of pieces from this collection, so naturally I thought I would open the playlist with it.

The Killing Moon, Echo and the Bunnymen

I love the picture that this song paints with its lyrics. The motif of the moon to me is  romantic, mysterious, a bit dangerous. A favorite line is “In starlit nights I saw you / So cruelly you kissed me / Your lips a magic world / The sky all hung with jewels.”

The Breaking Hands, The Gun Club

My absolute favorite Gun Club track - I’m obsessed with it. Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s voice is haunting  and hypnotic. This song transports me to a different world - dreamy, sparkling and dark. If any song on this playlist embodies the mood for this collection, it’s this one.

Lucretia My Reflection, Sisters of Mercy

One of my very favorite songs by my favorite goth band. Andrew Eldritch’s breathy vocals layered with the industrial beats are so wonderfully theatrical.

Ornaments of Gold, Siouxsie and the Banshees

Siouxsie Sioux is so great at immersing you into her world - in addition to being rich with sonic textures, this track is visually opulent. I can really see this song, which I love.