Oakland alt-rock trio Sword Tongue presents 'Murder White Noise', a wry commentary on the state of the world and our attempts to soothe ourselves to get through it. The latest offering from their explosive 'Bonfire In The Tempest' EP - their fourth to date.

In an increasingly stressful world, this song explores how people try to externalize their anxieties by consuming content that allows them to feel better about their own lives. We attempt to cope with the pressure of maintaining equilibrium by coming together to grieve, worry, and comfort each other, often finding that the only way to feel good about our lives is to reflect on others' misfortunes.

Creating dark music for dark times, Sword Tongue is vocalist Jennifer Wilde and guitarist Gaetano Maleki, a husband and wife who launched this project in the pandemic year of 2020, now joined by renowned drummer-producer Dan Milligan.

“I started consuming true crime content as a way to turn off the thoughts that kept me awake at night and distracted me during the day. One day I told a friend I was a listening to a livestreamed trial where a lady put her husband on a burn pile. She said “WHOAH, what is that, murder white noise?” As I told people about the song, I found many others watch crime stories as a release from their stressful lives. It is important to bring that into the conversation about how we are coping today,” says Jennifer Wilde.

"Finding comfort in tragedy is new for me; during the pandemic and especially in the last year I find myself needing to look for reassurance that whatever I am facing is not as bad as it could be. 'Murder White Noise' was written as a way to come to grips that someone else's pain is that content, and what that says about where we are as a society right now. Gaetano wrote the perfect guitar line that hooks you in to get to the truth of the song."

On 'Murder White Noise', soothing vocals contrast with the song's macabre lyrical content, while steadily thrumming instrumentation lulls you into a false sense of security. For a moment, the listener feels heard and encouraged, then questions their own motivations, left to wonder whether they are now the tragic victim in this story.

"From a songwriting perspective, this pulled a lot of anxiety out of me," says Gaetano Maleki. "While writing the guitar and bass lines, I wanted to bring out tension to mirror the vocals, but with some kind of seductive undertones. I feel the instruments really complement the lyrics, like a hard boiled soundtrack."

Showcased by 'We Are The Resistance' and 'Diamonds To Rust', this EP was galvanized during our current age of cultural upheaval. Bursting with raw emotion and tempered by sophisticated production, this collection blends alt-rock, post-punk and dream pop, giving voice to anguish, anger, transformation and triumph. Vocal lines that oscillate between a croon and a roar, seduction and rage, while shimmering guitar tones and bass lines mesmerize and intricate drum lines drive the message.

This EP was produced by Dan Milligan, brainchild of The Joy Thieves, who has co-created, produced and remixed such artists as Chris Connelly, PIG and Consolidated, and members of such bands as Ministry, Stabbing Westward, The Rollins Band, Killing Joke, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, among others.

The 'Bonfire In The Tempest' EP is out now as a first-print red variant cassette, including a special album poem inside, and als

Oakland-based alternative rock / darkwave trio Sword Tongue has received a Grammy nomination for their explosive 'Bonfire In The Tempest' EP, marking a significant milestone for the trio, placing them in a competitive field alongside some of the biggest names in music today. Such recognition is also a powerful testament to their unique sound and resonance with their growing fanbase.

Their fourth EP to date, 'Bonfire In The Tempest' was birthed in an age of cultural upheaval. Bursting with raw emotion, this release is tempered by sophisticated production, launching the band into uncharted territory.

This EP is a love letter to the music we adored in the 90s. Long delays, lush chorus sounds, deep flanges and modulations – a guitar tone chaser’s dream, married with deep distorted growling bass lines, hard driven drums and pulsing, electronic dance beats provide the texture over which soaring female vocals triumph. At times a whisper, and other times a roar, each song crafted in the crucible of these modern, unprecedented times.

In these five loaded tracks, vocalist Jennifer Wilde delivers alluring vocal lines that oscillate between a croon and a roar, seduction and rage. Gaetano Maleki's signature shimmering guitar tones and bass lines mesmerize and ensnare, while Dan Milligan's intricate drum lines drive the message and become the heartbeat of this sonic tour de force reminiscent of the 90s.

Capturing the essence of 90s alternative music, reimagined for a new era, Sword Tongue weaves together rock, industrial, shoegaze, post-punk and trip hop, giving voice to anguish, anger, transformation and triumph. Pulling from an array of musical styles, from electronic music to space rock, this EP is showcased by the singles 'We Are The Resistance' and 'Diamonds To Rust'.

“Originally, this album was meant to be more of a danceable opus with a trip hop flavor. However, after the U.S. Presidential election, we realized that our album had to carry a more specific message on the current pollical climate, on aging, and on transitions. We wanted to give voice to the frustration, the anguish, the strength, and the hope in all of us,” says Jennifer Wilde.

Debuting in 2020 during the pandemic, Sword Tongue creates dark music for dark times, casting a shadow of hope in the twilight. Formed by husband-and-wife duo Gaetano Maleki and Jennifer Wilde, the project is their love language and the culmination of their life’s work as musicians. Wilde, a classically trained vocalist who has performed with the Oakland Symphony Chorus, has been a guest vocalist and lyricist for seminal shoegaze band Love Spirals Downwards. Maleki brings an intensity from his background in heavy music, infusing his shimmering guitar soundscapes with sonic weight.

The pair were then joined by renowned producer and drummer Dan Milligan, whose driving contribution has infused the music with more depth, drive and dimension. The brainchild of The Joy Thieves, he has quite the history co-creating, producing and remixing such artists as Chris Connelly, PIG and Consolidated, and members of such bands as Ministry, Stabbing Westward, The Rollins Band, Killing Joke, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, among others.

The 'Bonfire In The Tempest' EP is out now as a first-print red variant cassette, including a special album poem inside, and also digitally everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.

Oakland's Sword Tongue unveils 'Murder White Noise', showcasing 'Bonfire In The Tempest' EP

Alt-rock outfit Sword Tongue receives Grammy nomination for 'Bonfire In The Tempest' album