Combining the darkwave soundscapes of the early 80’s with a visceral post-punk edge, York’s Mary And The Ram are preparing to unleash their brooding new single, Eclipse, out now via Syndicol Music.
Exploring themes of love, faith and ghosts of who you want to be, Mary And The Ram create a compelling narrative that connects with those of us who have peered into the abyss of apprehension. The result of which is a style that is nihilistic, cerebral and, at times, downright aggressive.
Eclipse encapsulates Mary And The Ram’s hostile soundscapes perfectly. While wrapped up in a cathartic, sombre lyrics, Eclipse bristles from the get go as layered vocals are accented by a relentless, pounding beat and leaden guitar notes. Eclipse plays out like a punch to the guts, each segment building a sense of dread as of what is about to pass.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with the band about the new music, technology, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
Man, the darkness of industrial stuff like Nine Inch Nails, the frenzied nature of post-punk like Squid, Black Country, New Road or Killing Joke, and I think the ominous, brooding tones of spoken word like Tom Waits.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
The desire to create art, whether it kills us financially, personally, professionally or infinitely.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Good question. Tea influences me. Wine influences Kiran [Tanna, vocals], and his cat and his leather pants, and his exceptionally driven and creative brain.
I used to be massively into the industrial rock of the 90s, which is why it’s cool to do stuff like this now, but add elements of modern post-punk, or crank wave. So yeah, like I grew up on Stabbing Westward, Sunna (who we are now on the same label as in the UK, Syndicol Music), but also the likes of The Doors, The Who and The Beautiful South. Now, I listen to those bands, but being in a grindcore band [The Parasitic Twins] alongside this, I listen to a lot of DIY bands, and still a lot of metal, and hardcore – I feel like Turnstile, Code Orange and Culture Abuse are doing great things now. Post-punk is great now too, with bands like Idles, Viagra Boys and LIFE doing great work!
I’ll forever love grunge, and alt-rock too, and bands like False Advertising, Dinosaur Pile-Up, NEWMEDS, Sick Joy, This House Is Haunted, Faux Pas and Fangclub are doing awesome work to bring that back. Lastly, I still love industrial and electronic stuff, so bands like Cyanotic, Rabbit Junk, Birthmarks, Bone Cult, Black Futures, Daughters, Aesthetic Perfection, Drab Majesty, Have A Nice Life and Street Sects smashing it.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
It was my dream to be in an electronic rock band or project. That’s done. Anything else is a bonus now!
What was the last song you listened to?
Black Country, New Road – Sunglasses.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
MP3s
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Bandcamp. It’s a beautiful platform for new and emerging artists. Still, I do love Spotify’s playlists and accessibility.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
The fact that everyone thinks we’re a goth band! Ha! No, we do what we can, if five people connect, that’s cool, if 500 do, awesome. Beyond that, mega.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
We’ve got all the good stuff! Bandcamp, Twitter, Insta, Spotify – whatever you feel! Just give us a search, and hopefully you’ll find some stuff you like from us!
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Go check out Kiran’s Harold & Arthur theatre project. Have a gander at my Gimme A Hull Yeah! Wrestling podcast (if you like that sort of thing!), and also help me support new and established artists over at Soundsphere magazine. Big love, and thanks for supporting MaTR!
