Photo by: Corinne Schiavone
Drab Majesty, the post-punk and darkwave endeavour of Deb Demure and Mona D., recently rekindled our fascination with the essence of existence. Their creative spark was reignited last month through “Vanity,” a collaboration with Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell. Today, they introduce a six-minute journey into the psyche: “The Skin and the Glove,” an unbound pop tune pulsing with Madchester and Dream Pop influences. This new melody adds another layer to the formation of their mini-album, An Object in Motion, set for an August 25th release via Dais Records.
The track is a sparkling example of gossamer and multifaceted psychedelic shoegaze. The ethereal jangle beat pays a beautiful homage to the spirit of the Stone Roses, Primal Scream, and The Veldt, and the interplay between the dreamy delivery of Mona D and monotone sonorous monotone vocals from Deb in the chorus brings the metaphysical lyrics a unique, hypnotic gravitas.
Influenced by the relentless progression of time echoed in the song’s lyrics, the duo chose an artistic medium that captures the mosaic nature of memory for the song’s visual representation. The Super 8mm camera, a tool that seems to edit time itself, was used to seize snapshot vignettes from the band’s personal and emotional moments of touring life collected from around the globe. The act of transitioning through moments, pressing the camera’s button, and selecting which fragments of a day, an expedition, or a long-term journey to commit to memory resulted in a montage of carefully curated, yet beautifully fragmented memories.
Watch the video below:
In the heart of Los Angeles, Andrew Clinco unveiled an intriguing musical brainchild, Drab Majesty in 2011. Best recognized for commanding the drum set in the band Marriages, Clinco immersed himself into this endeavor, assuming the genderfluid role of Deb Demure. As the project took shape, Mona D (born Alex Nicolaou), a gifted keyboardist and vocalist, joined the group in 2016, introducing an extra layer of complexity to their sound.
Since partnering with the forward-thinking Dais Records, Drab Majesty has spawned three thought-provoking albums: their hauntingly beautiful debut, Careless (2015), the introspective journey of The Demonstration (2017), and the evocative Modern Mirror (2019).
An Object In Motion was written during a 2021 retreat to the remote coastal Oregon town of Yachats, where Deb Demure leaned into the neo-psychedelic resonance of a uniquely bowl-shaped 12-string Ovation acoustic/electric guitar. After early morning hikes in the rain, Deb would record ambient guitar experiments the rest of the day, tapping into “flow states,” letting the sound lead the way. These sessions were then refined or recreated, and later elevated further with key collaborations by Rachel Goswell (Slowdive), Justin Meldal-Johnson (Beck, M83, Air), and Ben Greenberg (Uniform, Circular Ruin Studio).
An Object In Motion is true to its title, capturing the chrysalis moment of an artist evolving, reborn and untethered, silhouetted against an open horizon. It presents a showcase of potential futures from Drab’s evolving domain, their sound poised to bloom at the precipice of transformation.
An Object in Motion will be released on August 25th via Dais. Pre-order here.
Drab Majesty has also disclosed their European tour dates for the coming autumn and a scheduled performance at the Darker Waves Festival in Southern California. They’ll be sharing the stage with acclaimed bands like New Order and Tears for Fears, among others — the complete itinerary can be found below.
Tour dates:
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