The Haunt are ready to do just that. Come the eve of Halloween, all hallows shall beam a twisted dream. The third single from the band’s forthcoming Social Intercourse transmission, “Twisted Dream” is not a metaphor, it’s a living, breathing being.
Written by vocalist Anastasia Grace, she vividly recalls its inception, “It’s an actual dream about a fleeting relationship I had my freshman year of high school. I just couldn’t get this dream out of my head. My grandfather has a beach house not far from where I live and for a while I was going over there to be by myself and write. And I kept thinking about this dream. It was probably just an anxiety dream about being 15 and trying to figure out what I wanted but it was kind of gory and disturbing, so of course I immediately thought to make it into a song.”
At the production altar was sonic shapeshifter Matt Good known for crafting dense layered soundscapes for the likes of Asking Alexandria, Hollywood Undead, and Sleeping with Sirens. On Twisted, the immersive production provides an elliptical tether to the vocal, elevating the nocturnal journey with an enchanting melody soaring in-between the seams.
For the companion visual, the band linked with acclaimed film director Darren Stein (Jawbreaker, G.B.F., Sparkler) for a step into the ethereal void of phantasmagoric neo-noir, threading allusions from the 1955 classic Dementia (“Daughter of Horror”) to Clive Barker’s ‘Pinhead’ to the the eternal psychological stylings of modern masterworks, Blue Velvet and Memento.
“I was in love with the darkness of Twisted Dream from the moment I heard the song. I wanted to embrace the disturbing nature of the relationship with a literal demon set against aesthetic transitions. The eerie shot of Ana’s face behind the translucent fabric came from The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup album cover. I was always drawn to that image of Mick Jagger’s sensuously androgynous face behind that gauzy fabric. I knew Vander Von Odd, the winner of Season 1 of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, from being a guest judge on the series. Her demonic creature brought the visceral horror to life and really did terrify Ana,” says Stein with Anastasia adding, “Watching her transform herself into the creature from the video was seriously one of the highlights of my life. It was a real dream come true.”
Von Odd relished his role, “To embody the raw and sometimes monstrous nature of young love was a nightmare come true.” Brad Miska, an American film producer (Under The Bed, A Horrible Way to Die, SiREN, Southbound) and founder of revered horror brand, Bloody Disgusting, took to the warped wonderland, agreeing to host the exclusive worldwide premiere.
Infiltrating REM sleep cycles on October 30 via ONErpm, the lush polemoscope follows anthemic singles, “Brag About” and “Constant” which Spotify featured on its Fierce Femmes and New Noise playlists while Alt Press championed their “wicked alt-pop vibes.”
On the performance front, the S. Florida quartet, which also includes bassist Natalie Smallish and drummer Nick Lewert, is participating in an Election Day festival on November 3rd for voter advocacy group iVoted, who have partnered with Mandolin Live to virtually stage a nationwide digital concert series with nearly 700 artists to help encourage Americans to vote in the 2020 elections. With additional broadcast support from idobi Radio, the lineup also includes Young The Giant, Saves The Day, grandson, Drive-by Truckers, Transviolet, Allman Betts Band, The Dresden Dolls, 3OH3!, Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), and As It Is.
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