Drifting between two coasts, Los Angeles and NYC-based multi-instrumentalist AMMO has released her debut 2-track single Rose + Crown via California-based Mourning Sun Records.
AMMO’s distillate aesthetic can be described as “otherworldly ethereal shoegaze,” driven by the pulse of primordial percussive rhythms that provide a backdrop for haunting vocals and lush, atmospheric guitar lines. Siouxsie and the Banshees, Rudimentary Peni, Dead Can Dance, Cranes, Cocteau Twins, and Enya act as the influential foundation, supporting the lens through which AMMO channels her art. With further nods to Kate Bush, Chromatics, and Jane Siberry, AMMO’s entrancing voice comes straight out of the ether of a David Lynch film, by way of enchanted forests holding the secrets of the fairies and elves.
“Rose + Crown” was born of the isolation and swift emerging darkness wrought upon the world by the current pandemic, echoing themes of catharsis and freedom from self-imposed shackles, whether physical or psychological,” says AMMO.
The song was co-produced and recorded with Alex Posell, former Black Flamingo bandmate, who also contributes drums and percussion, and mixed and mastered by Robert Duncan IV. The result is a haunting dreamscape whose ethereal vocals and lush production gently pull at the thread between this dimension and the next.
Accompanying this release is the surreal and mesmerizing video for the main track, directed by AMMO herself, with camerawork by Christopher Slater. The clip is hypnotic and enveloped in gentle red-hued psychedelic gauze, with masked apparitions, along with the captivating visage of AMMO, weaving their way along with the music like a Lychian lullaby.
Watch the spellbinding video for “Rose + Crown”, below:
The B-side to ‘Rose + Crown”, “Total Recall:, was originally released as part of Do You Feel That Way Too? A Tribute to The Sound, the first charitable compilation on the Dune Altar label, aimed at increasing awareness about mental health conditions plaguing millions today. The track was inspired by the story of The Sound’s Adrian Borland, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and severe depression.
AMMO has enveloped herself in a number of music, photography, and film projects. Her band Brass Box released their full-length LP ‘The Cathedral’ in 2019. Past music projects include Black Flamingo, Darklands and Tête. Her music has been said to “shackle the living or free the dead…” by creating mystical magnetic soundscapes – “the kind of music that should soundtrack a sand-dune-to-shoreline road movie by David Lynch”.
Pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo is a constant in AMMO’s life. A rock and roll photographer, musician and songwriter, AMMO spent her youth ditching school to delve through record store bins and scour the LA music and art scene in hopes of running into like-minds. She shot and produced a feature film, co-founded PLAG Presents, a platform for women musicians and the LGBTQ community voices to be heard. Her storied history in shooting fashion editorials and directing short films and music videos have given her the tools to achieve a deeper connection with her listeners. These artistic mediums empower her exploration of illusive and melancholic topics which offer listeners an emotional and visceral experience by creating a dialogue between the imagined and physical.
Listen below on Bandcamp or Spotify and order here.
Rose + Crown is available across online stores and streaming platforms.
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