WIDOWSPEAK : Harsh Realm

2011-RELEASES

In the spring of 2010, the two started working out Hamilton's song ideas in her railroad apartment living room, and Stasiak invited Thomas, a Chicago ex-pat he'd met in college, to a practice. His additions to the songs were bizarre and frenetic and exactly what the band needed. They gave it a name she'd picked out years before, and Widowspeak was born.

Using primarily the 1950's and 1990's as stylistic jumping-off points, the band writes a combination of eerie ballads and swampy mid-tempo pop. The tension between Hamilton's dreamy melodies and Thomas's angular, psych-influenced lead guitar creates a visceral energy that permeates each of the young band's songs. Although initially a sparse setup, with Stasiak on a half kit, the band has since expanded their sound and even incorporated bass into new material. Widowspeak is currently at work on their debut for Captured Tracks, with their first 7" out March 8th.