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.
CREDITS
Lyrics by Jennifer Ryan Wilde
Music written & arranged by Sword Tongue (Wilde / Milligan / Maleki)
Jennifer Ryan Wilde - vocals
Dan Milligan - drums & percussion
Gaetano Maleki - guitar & bass
Produced by Dan Milligan
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
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