VENUS GRRRLS have released ‘Carmilla’, a new single from their upcoming EP, To Die as Lovers May. The EP is set for release on 16 October via Killabop and marks the band’s first physical release, available for pre-order on CD and vinyl, including a blood red variant.
The band states that ‘Carmilla’ draws influence from 80s goth and industrial sounds. The music video for ‘Carmilla’ was filmed in part at Whitby Abbey, in collaboration with English Heritage. Whitby Abbey is known as an inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Sheridan Le Fanu’s novel Carmilla also influenced Stoker’s work.
Vocalist GK explains that the inspiration for the song came after reading Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla. The EP’s title, To Die as Lovers May, is taken from an extract in the novel. GK states that the lyrics aim to capture the contrast of allure and passion with the lethality and confrontation of romance with a vampire. She describes it as “dark and forbidden, but it’s enticing and everlasting.” GK recorded the vocals for the track in the Spanish mountains, some in an abandoned chapel.
‘Carmilla’ follows the gothic-inspired tracks ‘Mother Knows’ and ‘Eve’, which also appear on the EP. These tracks have received attention from publications and broadcasters including Kerrang!, Rock Sound, BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, Radio X, and Kerrang! Radio.
VENUS GRRRLS describe To Die as Lovers May as an exploration of death, love, and viscera, drawing on dark romanticism. The band states that the EP combines the melancholy of 90s grunge with 80s goth, and explores the “peculiar and darker corners of the human experience.” Influences from 19th-century literature and mythology are also present.
The band states that To Die As Lovers May is their most fully realised project to date, featuring storytelling and atmospheric soundscapes. The EP’s five tracks feature GK’s vocals, Eliza’s guitar work, Alannagh’s drumming, and Hannah’s bass.
VENUS GRRRLS have performed at festivals including BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, 2000Trees, and Rock For People. They have also toured with Nova Twins and shared stages with Witch Fever and Tigercub. The band recorded the new EP with producer Brad Mair in Spain.
VENUS GRRRLS will embark on a UK headline tour in October. Tickets are available via www.venusgrrrls.com.
UK HEADLINE TOUR DATES:
- 28 Oct – Glasgow – Audio
- 29 Oct – Newcastle, Cluny 2
- 30 Oct – Stockton, Georgian Theatre
- 31 Oct – Nottingham, Bodega
- 02 Nov – Bristol, Exchange
- 03 Nov – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
- 04 Nov – London, The Lower Third
- 06 Nov – Liverpool, O2 Academy 2
- 07 Nov – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
FURTHER LIVE DATES:
- 14 Nov – Sheffield, UK – Network – Stage 2 (Echosound Festival)
- 27 Nov – Gothenburg, Sweden – Musikens Hus (Viva Sounds Festival)
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