Take a journey through horror to liberation on the Sweeping Exits EP

By Ben Tipple

‘The Projectionist’, the latest EP by Portland trio Sweeping Exits, tells the tale of a female vampire working in a theatre, devouring misogynistic men. It has emerged out of vocalist and guitarist Mira Glitterhound’s personal experiences as transgender. “I experience harassment, threats, violence and dehumanizing mockery on a daily basis,” she opened up to us last month. “These experiences make me feel afraid, angry, helpless. When I write I create a world where the queers have all the power, because we’re all vampires. It helps me psychologically to be able to escape into this world, and I hope it will help other people when they listen.”

Influenced by all things horror, the record flips bigotry on its head by offering a fantastical (in sound and theme) alternative that hopes to encourage a real-world balance. It’s about femme and queer empowerment as well as introducing the dark world in which their forthcoming ‘Glitter & Blood’ LP plays out. “It represents a sort of ‘birth’ for the current incarnation of the band,” Mira adds. “This is our first official release with this lineup, this sound, and this method of storytelling… so it’s a huge step for us as individuals!”

The concept is taken from one of Glitterhound’s short stories, and marks the first time Sweeping Exits have followed a distinct plot. “It sat for a long time, and honestly I was scared to write it,” she admits. “When writing non-canonically, I can generate as many pop songs as I need to get to a good one. When I’m preparing something that will be focal point of a storyline, there’s a lot more pressure put on the individual song. I got up the courage to write the title track after I’d discovered some new methods for changing keys… I finally felt I had the tools I needed to tell the story.”

The story is accompanied by an innovative horror overtone, in parts all-out ominous spoken word and in others, overt 80s goth-punk. “I took a lot of cues from 80s goth like Siouxsie and Christian Death, but also from Schoenberg, Bernard Herrman and 60s jazz like Wayne Shorter. I feel there’s this secret connection between goth music and jazz harmony, however accidental it may be.”

Throughout, ‘The Projectionist’ is a considered homage to everything from literature, screen and music. ‘Reprieve’, the EP’s most macabre track, takes influence from 30s and 40s radio theatre, particularly readings of of Edgar Allen Poe. Unsurprisingly, Mira gives much of her credit to Gothic maestro and ‘Murder Ballads’ creator Nick Cave. “When I discovered his music I felt I had found a whole new medium,” she enthuses.

“My hope is that ‘The Projectionist’ will serve as a formal introduction to who we are as a band,” Glitterhound concludes. “Our goal is to reclaim horror for femmes and queers, give voice to the frustration that we feel as marginalized people, and carve a space for us in mainstream culture. I have no qualms about trying to make the band as big as possible, because this a band I wish I’d had growing up. I want to force the overarching culture to make space for us, by generating material that’s strong enough to reach a mass audience.”

Stream ‘The Projectionist’ exclusively below. The record will be available from the 20th October 2016 through Bandcamp, followed by ‘Glitter & Blood’ due in early 2017. For more on Sweeping Exits, head to Facebook.

OCTOBER
27 BELLINGHAM, WA Mosh Eisley
28 SEATTLE, WA Hollow Earth Radio
29 OLYMPIA, WA Fuschia Lounge
31 EUGENE, OR House Show

NOVEMBER
01 OAKLAND, OR TBA
02 LOS ANGELES, CA Bridgetown DIY
03 LAKE FOREST, CA OCDIY
04 SAN FRANCISCO, CA El Rio