Interview with Bandwidth Daily

Bandwidth Daily: Congrats on your growth! What inspired your creative path?

The Goths: We were originally introduced to each other through a mutual friend in our hometown of Brisbane, Australia, way back in the mid-1980s. Both of us had been involved in other local acts prior to meeting, but we soon discovered that we shared very similar tastes in music, literature and pop culture in general. Musically, our inspiration comes from a lot of 70s and 80s music, what you might call classic goth, such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. Lyrically, our songs take their cue from classic writers like Coleridge, Shelley, Lovecraft, Poe and Shakespeare, as well as more obscure scribes such as Mervyn Peake and Clark Ashton Smith. Our moniker was a name Johnny chose that we decided to go with because by calling ourselves The Goths there’s no question where we’re coming from.

Bandwidth Daily: The music business is a roller coaster, what are some of your proudest moments?

The Goths: One of our proudest moments would definitely be when the video of our song ‘Neck Romancer’ suddenly raced to over 10,000,000 views on YouTube. This came as a complete surprise to us, as our main focus had been to just get our material out there on social media. It’s also true that every time we get new followers or receive positive comments on Facebook or YouTube, we feel proud that our music can have such an impact.

Video link: Neck Romancer

Bandwidth Daily: Capitalizing on momentum is key to success, what new music or events are on the way?

The Goths: We’re keen to continue releasing our unreleased tracks and we’ve been able to build a new fan base through intensive interaction on social media along with uploads of remastered recordings and DIY videos on Facebook. Other projects have included the commissioning of those further tracks and remasters as well as high quality cover art for each album and song. As far as other future plans are concerned, we have a speculative memoir that we are going to publish, along with a speculative script for a musical featuring a selection of our songs.

Cult, Religion, Existentialism​ – Everything You Need to Know About The Goths

by Aayushi Mehra

An elegant mix of Gothic tales, catchy melodies and religious and existential musings, listening to The Goths can give you a dose of energy when you need it, or something to drift away with. 

Their songs contain references and interpretations of classic literature and folk tales, among other sources of inspiration, with themes of cult, religion and existentialism touched on.

To fully understand and appreciate their sound and lyrical inspirations, here are musings from one half of The Goths duo, Johnny Stowmarries, on these particular themes. 

With their influences, are The Goths a cult band?

When asked how he would define a ‘cult act’, and whether he considers The Goths to be one, Johnny’s response was, “A cult, I would say, as a thing, is something which is popular or fashionable among a particular group or section of society. The Goths might have begun a bit of a cult following in Brisbane back in the eighties, and we might have become a bit of a cult phenomenon on YouTube.

Either way, it’s only our listeners, fans or followers who admire or care about something we’ve done, or us as a duo, or one or the other of us as people. There aren’t any rites involved unless you class putting our records on as a rite.”

There are no pretensions here, just a musician who truly appreciates his fans without letting success go to his head. 

Don’t call it a religion

The Goths couldn’t be further from mainstream assumptions of what a goth is. Therein lies the beautiful juxtaposition of sound and theme. Hearing the name The Goths might conjure up images of death metal bands, screaming vocals and lots of black and leather, which couldn’t be further from their actual sound and influences.

Not calling The Goths a cult, Johnny goes on to say that the duo do not consider themselves a religious band either, as he believes that religion is a further step beyond. He classes religion as, “a pursuit followed with great devotion.” He goes on to say that, “[While] no one has followed us with anything like that whatsoever […] our single, ‘Cathedral’, touches on an idea about worship, where the word ‘building’ might be referring to an ongoing process of construction as an act of worship.”

An existentialist’s idea of goth culture

Existentialism is intertwined in the very fabric of The Goths and is crucial to understanding their genre. In particular, the driving forces of global culture, in its current state, and where it is heading, are heavy influences on the band’s sound and lyrics. 

The Victorian era is where existentialism had its roots, as people started developing a more modern way of thinking about human nature. In those times, such thoughts were only expressed in philosophical publications or novels. Prior to that period, the human condition such as depression, anxiety and alienation were treated as illnesses. The emergence of existentialism as a movement is to be thanked for redefining these experiences as normal and natural, Johnny notes.

He expands on this idea further by explaining that existentialism as a movement is “an expression that can lead people to a higher degree of freedom, meaning and well-being.” 

He believes that the last part fully encompasses The Goths and their self-actualisation of it, to the point they can attain a higher degree of meaning in their music, ethics and aesthetics. 

One of their singles, ‘Don’t Want To Die’, deals head-on with existentialism. This song contains one of The Goths’ most life-affirming messages, as Johnny succinctly puts it, “We as human beings would rather go on living than face death.”

Understanding what makes The Goths so unique but relatable

Knowing how one half of the duo interprets and interweaves these themes of cult, religion and existentialism into their music helps provide an understanding to The Goths. This almost undefinable duo has a lot to say, and knowing where they’re coming from makes the messages in their songs even more powerful.

To listen to The Goths, check them out on Spotify, visit their website, follow them on Instagram, and like their Facebook page. This will make sure you stay up to date with everything going on in The Goths world.

Meet Johnny Stowmarries and Percy Blakeney – The Schlock Vibe Mod Revival Duo

by Aayushi Mehra

The Goths are not trying to fit into contemporary trends. So, when the need to classify things is left unaddressed, a power-pop sound from the sixties akin to The Who, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds might be a rather appropriate way to describe their sound.

And, as The Goths fit into this broader musical landscape, their goal beyond might well be to make a statement against the pretensions of popular music. Take the spirit of despair, mix it with some melodic hooks, and the occasional vocal harmony, give it a massive dose of energy, and there you pretty much have The Goths. 

Understanding The Goths

The Goths had their music imprinted into their DNA from sometime in the late sixties, throughout the seventies, to having experienced the musical changes of the eighties and nineties well after their creative period had begun. When your musical upbringing takes place during some of the most prolific artistic periods of all time, you may be excused for having crafted a style that is difficult to categorise. 

With a range that includes psychedelic pop and baroque pop to art rock, throwing in a bit of surf guitar and ballad here and there, The Goths wear their influences on their sleeve in a cohesive menagerie of sound. 

What’s in a name? 

When Percy assumed the name Blakeney, after the famous swordsman in the “Emmuska” Scarlet Pimpernel novels, The Goths were led down a fan-fiction rabbit hole that revealed a character of Lord Stowmarries from the writings of Vanessa Sgroi.

The dynamic duo of Percy Blakeney and Johnny Stowmarries would henceforth become the personalities echoed by The Goths pair, characters of characters, both on stage and throughout their journey of song. 

Writing and producing as a duo

As most groups will attest, having two singer-songwriters sit down to create one song either goes very well or very badly. The Goth’s songs all have their origin in one member of the duo or another, with, as both would agree, a marked improvement with the additional assistance from the other. 

The Goths collaboration goes well beyond the writing of the song itself. It goes to the capturing of it on tape. It includes production elements in today’s digital studios with every tiny detail that might combine to achieving their unique sound. 

Who exactly are their influences? 

While The Goths influences may appear to be those of the Mods, the Rockers, and the British Invasion, it turns out the real impact on them came from the Aussie Pub Rock wave of the seventies and eighties. 

In 1979, a record by the name of ‘Not Like Everybody Else’ by Jimmy and the Boys shook this scene to its core. This was at the beginnings of new wave, a beginning to the unique personality of the artist sound of the eighties. Other artists such as The Church, Spy Versus Spy, and The Lime Spiders, continued to shape their eighties development, and in doing so, fine-tuned the blueprint of what can now be heard in The Goths.

Each song is an escape with The Goths

The Goths offer a unique soundtrack to the great escape from the mainstream that is less afraid than anything. Each tune tells a story lyrically and musically that is both well-conceived and in the end a thoroughly ripping yarn.

You can get away to a faraway place every time you drop the needle and escape to a strangely welcoming land for as long as you need to. Check them out on Spotify, like them on Facebook, visit their website, follow them on Instagram and stay up to date with the world of The Goths. 

5 Anthems for The Goths

by Aayushi Mehra

Columnist Aayushi Mehra’s ticket is punched after The Goths haunted mansion dark ride

The Goths are that self-proclaimed ‘schlock-vibe mod-revival duo’ formed back in 1987 in Brisbane featuring singer-songwriters Johnny Stowmarries (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Percy Blakeney (vocals, bass).

Coming off their self-described ‘Gothic tale’ style of writing, there are plenty of supernatural ghost stories and mythology-style tales in their songs to keep you well entertained.

Check out below the five best anthems from The Goths and be sure to click on the covers to head to Spotify and have a listen.

Number 1 – ‘Crusade‘ (Over 13,000 streams)

‘Crusade‘ was written and first performed in 1990, in The Goths ‘heyday’, and though it isn’t about any crusade in particular, it does dabble somewhat in the idea of the constancy of history.

Its main focus is on conflict and identity rather than telling a specific story. Written to be more a mirror of society of the times, it gives an objective view of the clash between peoples, and their ideals and their cultures, something which has been going on for quite a long while. ‘Crusade’ takes a swipe along the way at materialism and the inherent violence within those peoples’ codes.

While it is bizarrely compressed into a track that clocks in at just over two and a half minutes, ‘Crusade’ leaves listeners with an impression that these social and cultural aspects are as relevant today as ever. The Goths blazing performance is backed by a chorus of strong vocals, bass and guitar. ‘Crusade’ is a definite ‘must hear’.

Number 2 – ‘Put It On‘ (Over 13,000 streams)

‘Put It On‘ has its origins dating back to 1984 and is a subjective, almost self-exploratory song from The Goths that delves into tragic devastation and internal examination.

The beauty of this song is found in the juxtaposition of sirens calling and buildings falling, a smoke-inhalation-like chaos set against a positive chorus that speaks to something deep and passionate underneath it all.

Swirling guitars and the intricacy of the bass line brings a power and drive to the whole track that is simply irresistible.

Number 3 – ‘Midnight‘ (Over 8,000 streams)

‘Midnight’, also written and first performed in 1990, at its core, has an interesting take on death and life-after-death, yet expresses this idea in the context of a romance, making it a love song par excellence.

‘Midnight’ speaks to the search for love through the looking-glass of a dreamlike-state of mind. The narrative is a dream within a dream which explores fanciful places, and with a tantalizing, gracious nod to the Shakespearean line, ‘To be or not to be’. 

If you listen to just one of these gems by The Goths, make sure it is this masterpiece.

At just under three minutes, an entire world is explored.

Number 4 – ‘Neck Romancer‘ (Over 7,000 streams)

‘Neck Romancer‘ was written and first performed in 1991 and features an almost symphonic piece of music set against a poem dreamt up to complement that very symphonic vein.

A journey to a foreign land in a spiritual dimension, the song speaks of a ‘sorcerer’, the titular ‘necromancer’, which is spelled out in the song’s punchline, ‘Neck Romancer’.

‘Neck Romancer’ is influenced by, and is essentially a summary of, ‘The Return of the Sorcerer,’ a horror short story by Clark Ashton Smith. The story of an apprentice’s attempt to bring the dead back to life, its plot ends in havoc – as that sort of thing tends to. 

This is a brilliantly creative song, inventively referencing the theme found in many ancient works of art and traditions, ‘Der Zauberlehrling’, a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written in 1797, later popularized in the Paul Dukas symphonic poem and the much more famous 1940’s Fantasia animated film sequence based upon it.

Number 5 – ‘Skin Feature‘ (Over 7,000 streams)

The first inklings of funk-odyssey ‘Skin Feature‘ date all the way back to 1981. The song is impressionistic in its focus on identity, which, as noted in the lyrics, is seemingly at odds with the insidious influence of formal education and religion. This idea is melded with themes of media and virtual reality, with a specific focus on ‘B-grade’ feature films and the rise of video. 

‘Skin Feature’ also mentions by name the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, alluding to Nietzsche’s fame for teaching that individuals must craft their own identity through self-realisation, and not to do so relying on anything transcending life, singling out God or a soul.

The Goths cite their stylistic influences as ranging from The Shadows and The Zombies to The Doors, yet very much in the tradition of working against pretensions in popular music.

Take a journey with The Goths and escape via these fantastic worlds they create.

Take a listen and discover The Goths on their Spotify channel here. You can also like them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram.

The Goths Undead – Current Releases from The Goths

 by Aayushi Mehra

The majority of artists with the word ‘goth’ in their names are usually from the death metal or electronic genres. These artists have been springing up in some numbers predominantly through the last five to ten years. The word ‘goth’ has also been synonymous with the traits of the music genre in the early 1980’s that spawned the subculture. 

You could be forgiven for regarding The Goths as portraying a depressed image in line with their music genre, but that isn’t how they see it. As Johnny Stowmarries, one half of the duo puts it, “I do tend to write when I’m depressed.  But The Goths as individuals are not at all like that usually. People think we are but we’re not.” 

The Goths have six promotional singles to help accompany audiences through the post-pandemic lockdown period and beyond. Take a look and listen. 

Apocalypse

Written at the end of their 1990’s period, ‘Apocalypse’ has a totally different sound and feel to anything else by The Goths. It offers a very stripped-down, almost ‘unplugged’ vibe. This suits the thematic content of the song, which is heavily influenced by medieval depictions of the Apocalypse.

The track’s sound caricaturises its title perfectly for the current feeling that the Apocalypse is just around the corner and the world is falling apart, and The Goths it seems have documented this by grabbing whatever instruments are close at hand.

Frankenstein

First written and performed in 1991, ’Frankenstein’ is described by Johnny Stowmarries, who plays guitar and sings on it, as “a short poetic attempt at condensing impressions of key moments into a summary of Mary Shelley’s novel ‘Frankenstein’, which dates back to 1818.”

The novel was subtitled ‘The Modern Prometheus’ by Shelley, in reference to the myth she based her book upon. 

It starts with the ‘doctor’s at play’ and ends with ‘the monster’s on fire’, the bookends on the monster making a promise to burn himself to death on a funeral pyre when drifting away on a raft.

Experience this classic tale retold in the inimitable style of The Goths.

Battle Axe

‘Battle Axe’ is a classical fantasy narrative, first written and performed by The Goths in 1990, that combines myth and early history. However it raises the bar in terms of melding styles that sees epic fantasy and folkloric juxtaposition in varying degrees of imagined barbarian battle.

From Viking revival, to taking a swipe at romanticised heroic overtones, there is a lot to take out from this track.

Full Moon In October

Paying homage to the wolf man idiom, and to some extent following the werewolf legend, there is an irreverent sense of humour throughout ’Full Moon In October’. First written and performed in 1989, the creative impulse to compose the song came from viewing a full moon one night in October, which is also how the song got its name.

For something lighter in terms of content, this track takes a comic snapshot of life as the wolf man for all to enjoy.

Ruins

For a little more energy, the rap-like flow of ‘Ruins’ from Percy Blakeney, who plays bass and sings on it, and from when it was first written and performed in 1991, is at once a significant departure from any standard outing by The Goths. The bass and guitar offer diverse rhythms in a way that delivers a considerable amount of pep.

‘Ruins’ could be viewed as a retelling of an earlier track by The Goths, ‘Citadel’. Both songs delve into two people separately trying to find their way through what seems like the same environment, without it explicitly stated whether they’re looking to find one another or escaping from something.

Percy sums it up nicely, “‘Ruins’ is anything and everything that dissipates and falls apart and goes down a more explicit path, that of the image of the skeleton of the smouldering old cathedral or temple.”

Citadel

‘Ruins’ can draw many parallels from ‘Citadel’, the track first written and performed in 1989 and that serves as a marker for The Goths songwriting turning towards a classical fantasy orientation. 

‘Citadel’ appears to be set among the ruins of some post-cataclysmic event, perhaps a reference to ‘the post-modern predicament’, an age of innocence or the world itself lying in ruins.

Listeners are introduced to presumably a knight who is on a quest or search for something.

No detail is given around the circumstances as to why he finds the citadel in such a disastrous state of rabid rats and children going blind, ringing bells and holes and bones.

We discover that his aim is to rescue his queen, yet whether he ever does rescue her is also never explicitly stated.

Enjoy these releases from The Goths while we fight the pandemic

Keeping occupied while in isolation or in lockdown can be hard, but not when you have The Goths to listen to. Click the title of each song to listen to their tracks on Spotify, like them on Facebook, give them a follow on Instagram, and visit their website to stay current with The Goths.

The Humble Beginnings of The Goths: How the Duo First Met

by Aayushi Mehra

In a somewhat fitting turn of events, when you consider The Goths lyrical content, Johnny Stowmarries and Percy Blakeney first met at a Dungeons & Dragons session.

What better way to form a band that would go on to guide listeners through their own realm of magical wonder.

This was in 1979. They had both just started secondary school and it was then around that time The Angels had put out a record called ‘Face to Face’.

This band along with other Sydney-based ones like Jimmy and The Boys were crucial to the duo’s early-teen foundational years, not only informing their musical leanings, but in the way they bonded to form a partnership that would be forged writing some of their biggest hits.

Becoming The Goths

Fast-forward to the mid-80s.

The two next met at Stowmarries inner-city tin-and-timber Queenslander. This time it was for a random jam.

They exchanged songs that they had independently been writing, two songs of which ended up being the quite appropriate pairing of ‘Maddalena’ and ‘Fuchsia’.

Other songs began to evolve, including ‘Doppelganger’ and ‘Black Laugh’, developing a clear and particular gothic theme.

Percy soon realised that Johnny’s suggestion to umbrella this sound under the fitting name, The Goths, was the right one and a booking for the first round of gigs at the Bohemian Cafe as The Goths eventually came through.

The Formation of a Scene

The Goths were immediately star attraction at the Bohemian Cafe in Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. 

They were to perform in the early hours on weekend nights, and they played to a ready-made audience who wandered in when the larger spot, The Mass, up the street closed for the night.

The mix of this drug-infused crowd of teens, with their rough black-dyed hair and black eye-liner, blended well with The Goths sound, and a scene began to form. 

The crowd reacted to songs like ‘Maddalena’, itself an instinctive reaction to the ruthless capitalism of the ’80s, and The Goths dark imagery, that had audience members come dressed in costume as vampires.

It was a melting pot and at the same time, something new and exciting.

The Goths for Life

The attraction of The Goths and the world they were building with each new release continues to grow in a die-hard fan base that has spilled over from their humble beginnings in Brisbane across Australia to the World.

The audience has now turned digital, with tens of thousands of Spotify plays of The Goths music as older fans show new ones the escapism that The Goths music is.

As the world gets crazier, the idea and need for an escape from reality as provided by The Goths seems so very necessary.

It is a good thing The Goths are still around.

Australian Gothic: From The Goths to Nick Cave and Kylie

by Aayushi Mehra

Some people may be a little confused by the term “Australian Gothic”. Does Australia even have a goth scene? The answer is yes if you know where to look.

For Johnny Stowmarries and Percy Blakeney, the duo who are themselves known as The Goths, and one of the groups that proudly contributes to the Australian Gothic scene, it started with post-punk new-wave in 1979 with groups like The Boys Next Door and albums like their ‘Door, Door’.

The Boys Next Door’s ‘Door, Door’ album featured a young vocalist named Nick Cave, whose single off the album, ‘Shivers’, mentioned the word ‘suicide’ in the first line of the song, thus ensuring it wouldn’t get airplay at the time.

The Boys Next Door changed their name to The Birthday Party before eventually landing on The Bad Seeds. In 1988, the record ‘Tender Prey’ by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds had a significant influence on Johnny Stowmarries who had formed The Goths the year prior, in 1987.

‘Werther’ by The Goths’ Johnny Stowmarries who sings on the track was influenced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

Murder Ballads

If you were to pinpoint a pivotal moment for the Australian Gothic scene, a time when it was really given the mainstream light, it would have to be in 1995 when Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds released ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’, a duet with Kylie Minogue off the album, ‘Murder Ballads’.

The song was a worldwide success, reaching into the top positions of the charts in a number of countries. The fact that Kylie Minogue, a style icon and the leading Australian artist of all time was involved, spoke wonders.

Mostly known for fun pop hits, Kylie embraced Nick Cave’s darkness in a heart-wrenching tune that melded underground goth with regular living room pop.

The song beautifully paired a successful icon with the country’s leading gothic figure, who literally murdered her throughout the narrative. It thrilled those who were savvy of goth subculture, not only helping it along, but paving the way for many more artists like The Goths who proudly fly its flag.

The Australian Gothic Identity

Goth subculture is a strong, universal identity with specific values and distinctive style.

From the outside, goth culture may seem strange to some, but to the acquired taste, the lifestyle presents appreciation of art, culture, music, fashion and much more.

When The Goths began in the nineteen-eighties, goth subculture was a little less on the radar than it is today.

Nowadays it is much more widely embraced through music and fashion, sometimes twisted and manipulated, sometimes in a pure form at gatherings or nightclubs.

Either way, it’s safe to say goth culture will always be with us, especially if The Goths have anything to do with it.

The Story of Fuchsia: The Goths First Single

by Aayushi Mehra

If there is one track that all Goths fans hold close to their heart, it’s ‘Fuchsia‘, The Goths first single and a staple of their live shows.

The history of the song is involved, and the lyrical content goes far deeper than one may imagine from the first listen. Read on to understand exactly what went into the track that spearheaded The Goths fantastical catalogue.

Fuchsia and the forming of The Goths

Goths guitarist and vocalist Johnny Stowmarries has been writing songs since 1980, yet it wasn’t until 1987 that he was contacted by a friend of a friend, Percy Blakeney, who suggested the two begin writing together.

Little did Blakeney know at the time, but Stowmarries had been suffering from writer’s block, struggling with a song titled ‘Fuchsia‘. Somewhat ironically, the writer’s block was reason enough for Stowmarries to give the idea of a writing partner a go.

Johnny described the encounter, “I played Percy what I had of ‘Fuchsia’ and explained to him my concept of writing this type of remembrance to the character”.

Developing the first single

‘Fuchsia‘ was intended to be a memorialisation of the character in Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, Fuchsia Groan. The music was taken care of, but the lyrics had yet to move past the first line.

Stowmarries had identified with the character who he’d followed through the story from self-absorbed teenager to a young lady both imaginative and affectionate, yet who becomes progressively melancholic, to the point where she tragically drowns in a flood.

While the character of Fuchsia resonated with Stowmarries, he felt it might have been too ambitious a lyric, especially with the history of Fuchsia Groan so well established and so entrenched in the minds of so many.

Johnny made clear the quandary “I felt it was because the story was a very, very great work, one of the greatest sustained flights of imagination in literature, a classic, surrealistic, very well-known, widely praised and admired, and this character Fuchsia was absolutely central”.

Luckily the writing partnership proved to be the push required to conceptualise the idea in ‘Fuchsia‘, and Blakeney’s additions were enough to flesh out the lyrics in a way that reflected Stowmarries intentions for the track.

Percy was literal that “the ‘‘wildflower’’ line was simply a reference to the fact that this is someone who doesn’t bask in sunlight, and ‘‘alveoli ventrolic’’ is basically an off-the-cuff coinage, a roundabout way of saying ‘‘watery death’’”.

The tribute that started it all

Stowmarries had always intended for ‘Fuchsia‘ to be a tribute to the character, and from this tribute, the blueprint for The Goths was formed.

The way the song’s lyrics explore a theme that mirrors the experiences of everyday people became a benchmark for The Goths catalogue that was to follow.

The track pinpointed The Goths style in a way that propelled their writing further. The world of The Goths was formed and ready to be expanded on. As all Goths fans know, the duo went on to do precisely that.

Revisiting The Goths First Show

By Aayushi Mehra

It was 1989 when The Goths fine-tuned a set of songs to the point they were ready to unleash them upon the world. The question was, which local Brisbane venue would be first to give a band called The Goths their first show?

While strolling down Elizabeth Street one evening, the band noticed a small, alternative spot that featured live music. Strangely enough, the night the group first poked their noses in on the venue also happened to be its first night of operation.

Playing The Bohemian

The venue allowed the band to audition, so The Goths decided to pull out the stops and really impress the owners. This included outlandish Baroque-like, frilled garments, with a 60s American horror film twinge like something out of Poe’s ‘cardboard-castle’ costumes from the ‘House of Usher’.

Johnny Stowmarries wore a gold-embroidered waistcoat over a lace-cuffed chemise with lace-ruffled neckband, while Percy Blakeney opted for a Victorian-era ruffly-billowy white chemise with Jim Morrison leather pants.

All of this impressed The Bohemian who, on the strength of The Goths mind-blowing performance, decided to make them their star attraction in the early hours on weekend nights.

A little Goth in the night

The late 80s was an interesting time musically as many genres were finding their feet. Rock music was obviously at a height, grunge was gaining popularity, while other genres like hip-hop were also vying for attention.

The sound of popular music was changing, and hair bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Guns n’ Roses were ruling the airwaves. While all this was happening however, a burgeoning alternative rock scene built by bands like R.E.M. and Sonic Youth was bubbling away.

A place for The Goths

The Goths signature tinge to the stack of fable-type ballads that laced their sound was perfectly positioned to be so new and unique that they captured the attention of a scene that was already well established yet interested enough in broadening their horizons.

The band’s performance, in full costume, while offering a deadpan approach to the audience, was a bizarre sight. Punters were caught off-guard by this new act who seemingly came out of nowhere with a style, both musically and visually, that was ultimately their own. Who were The Goths? For those who were interested, finding the answer to that question would be a journey, to say the least.

The Goths Songwriting Process: The Late-80s Songs

by Aayushi Mehra

Two aspects to any great band are live performance and songwriting – one without the other offers little if no longevity.

In The Goths however, those two skills are concurrent, each relies heavily on the other.

The Goths proved to be effective showmen in the 1990s, driven by their late-80s songwriting.

After they began, with writing ‘Fuchsia’ in 1987, The Goths embarked upon figuring out their sound, moving first to a cow punk tinge that would eventually become the track ‘Maddalena‘. 

There was never the intention to sound like any specific genre. For The Goths, their musical melting pot was one of a range of influences, and one of the many charms of this band.

Ballads and Fables

‘Doppelganger‘ began as a reference to the spooky appearance of a being who looks exactly like one’s own self or that of another.

Franz Schubert’s lieder ‘Der Doppelgänger’ is an influence, a haunting by the vision of another self who apes the torments of a once suffered past.

‘Black Laugh‘ is a reference to the cliche of someone laughing ‘blackly’, befitting the stereotype of the evil mastermind or the Count in his castle, and derives from a few classic cliches of late 18th century Romanticism, the brooding aristocrat, unattainable love, and faux mythological references.

The Sound of the Late-80s

By the end of the ‘80s, the music industry needed something to happen in rock music.

It was crying out for a more authentic sound, one that was less corporate to the ear.

This worked perfectly for a band like The Goths who weren’t looking for any kind of social standing.

The Goths sound isn’t exactly New Romantic.

Their stories and sound are more deconstructed – and that, itself, defies defining.

‘Wilderness‘ is a three-minute composition that features its own share of dreamlike imagery, delving into both brink-of-cataclysm and post-cataclysm settings.

Listening to ’Wilderness’, and trying to place it within the context of the sound of those times, one can only conclude The Goths influences are but pathways to something unique.