Oh the rooms are empty
the walls are bare.
Are you really there?
Hemlock for Socrates, Pittsburgh’s brooding yet danceable electronic art-rock duo (Heather Shore and Kegan Heiss), unveil their “dark and angry, lush disco” single and video, You’re Not Here. Their music is a molten blend of electro-cabaret, industrial blues, and math-wave, creating a unique alloy. Sometimes experimental and esoteric, sometimes dramatic and deeply personal, their tracks traverse a landscape where genres melt and reform, reflecting the raw and eclectic essence of their creative minds. It’s music for those who find beauty in the clash of contrasts and the harmony of discord.
In this nocturnal ballad, trust is a fleeting spectre, hiding in the shadows. Embraced in darkness, we hear a wailing plea to connect is met with an eerie absence. Hands on skin feel nothing but an empty void as the search for presence turns into a haunting echo. The empty rooms and bare walls amplify the despair, questioning the very existence of the one sought. The repeated cry to be let in underscores a longing that remains unanswered, lost in the night. Shore’s powerful voice sends icy chills straight through your central nervous system.
The DIY, monochromatic video invites us into a dimly lit hallway, where a black cat saunters across our path. It’s unsettling and peculiar, guiding us through this unfamiliar, in-between space armed only with a flashlight. We find ourselves in the role of an intruder, groping through the darkness, searching for something elusive and unnamed. The experience is both eerie and intriguing, a nocturnal adventure through the shadows of uncertainty, where every creak and whisper suggests hidden secrets and uncharted territories.
Watch the video for “You’re Not Here” below:
Heather Shore (guitar, vocals, programming) and Kegan Heiss (bass, vocals, programming) spoke to Post-Punk.com about You’re Not Here.
Tell us about the back story of the song and video.
Heather: You’re Not Here was written after a breakup. It’s about trying to connect with someone, but they won’t or can’t open up. It’s bitter – they didn’t care enough about me to share their feelings. But it’s also still pleading – let me in to you. There’s also a hint of the fear that after desperately trying to get through the brick wall of someone’s apathy, maybe there’s no one actually behind the wall.
Kegan: I feel there’s a current of optimism in the music despite its minor key and burnt-out synth soundscape. Heather’s vocal delivery reveals the longing behind the reprimand in her text, and we worked to tie that feeling into the constant driving rhythm section to pull the listener through all the anguish and frustration. The guitar solo over the syncopated breakdown is a cacophony of emotional release.
Heather: It’s basically a dark and angry, lush disco track. The lyrics and vocal melody were written first and the song kind of fell together after that. The video is an extension of the central metaphor – searching the dark house for someone, but they’re just not there.
What are you most looking forward to on tour with [melter] in a few weeks?
Kegan: Meeting new people! Playing in a bunch of cities we’ve never been to before, getting to see a lot of the stages we’ve known about from afar and from stalking other bands’ tour itineraries. Also, playing with a diverse group of bands – hip-hop, electronic dance, industrial music, we love to build mixed bills and are really very excited about all the artists we’re going to be sharing stages with.
Heather: I think our and [melter]’s music really play off of each other well. We love their sound and are excited to see how our collective music will meld with other bands’ in new contexts. Getting more chances to perform, especially in front of people who haven’t heard us, is also really what it’s about.
Listen to You’re Not Here below or order here.
Hemlock for Socrates’ upcoming tour with [melter] kicks off in Louisville, Kentucky on July 26, before taking in dates mainly across the US Midwest (Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois), and winding up in Hemlock for Socrates’ hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 11 August 2024. Catch them in the following cities:
Tour Dates
- 26 July – Louisville, KY – Art Sanctuary Event Page
- 27 July – Columbus, OH – The Spacebar Event Page
- 31 July – Ypsilanti, MI – Ziggy’s Event Page
- 1 August – Madison, WI – Crucible Event Page
- 2 August – Grand Rapids, MI – Mulligan’s Event Page
- 3 August – Fort Wayne, IN – The Ruin Event Page
- 8 August – Cincinnati, OH – The Comet Event Page
- 9 August – Alton, IL – The Conservatory Event Page
- 10 August – Chicago, IL – Bourbon on Division Event Page
- 11 August – Pittsburgh, PA – The Government Center Event Page
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