Oakland Darkwave Project Sword Tongue Debuts Video for “To My Apparition”

As a child blossoms into adolescence, an emotional chasm often emerges between mother and child. The youth’s burgeoning quest for independence and self-identity can clash with a mother’s protective instincts – or even vice versa. This evolving dynamic, laden with misunderstandings and yearning, encapsulates the bittersweet complexities of love and the inexorable passage of time.

Emerging dark wave/alt rock band Sword Tongue (Jennifer Wilde, Dan Milligan, and Gaetano Maleki) explores the pain of this universal dynamic from the point of view of the mother with To My Apparition, the first single from their third EP, Taming the Night Wolves.

The anguish of the evolution is palpable as the lyrics depict this painful emotional drift. As the daughter becomes unrecognizable, the mother struggles to maintain the connection. Blinded by external influences and deception, the once familiar bond deteriorates. Overwhelmed by anguish, guilt, and loss, there’s a reluctant acceptance of letting go.

“To My Apparition is a familiar yet tragic tale of coming to grips with the chasm growing between two people,” says the band. “The plaintive lyrics give voice to the anger, fear, and confusion – not knowing what is next or how to make things right. Filmed in the North Beach neighborhood, the video is part love letter to San Francisco, part 90s throwback, as a backdrop to an epic clash between a mother and daughter.”

The song is an intense lament, highlighting the pathos of mournful vocals and mesmerizing guitar tones married with hard hitting drum lines and dark, crunchy percussive textures that increase the intensity and urgency. The self-directed video illustrates this timeless tale with a straightforward narrative.

Watch the video for “To My Apparition” below:

Sword Tongue partnered with accomplished drummer and producer Dan Milligan, known for his associations with members of notable bands like Ministry, Front 242, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Stabbing Westward, and KMFDM. Milligan’s discerning vision and expertise elevates Sword Tongue’s compositions, imbuing them with enhanced depth, vigor, and nuance.

In unison, Milligan, Maleki, and Wilde chart a fresh course as a collective, steering their musical expressions into a confluence of trip hop, industrial, and progressive rock, evoking hues of the 90s alternative era.

The Taming The Night Wolves EP is out now.

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