WITH BEAST-LIKE SUPPRESSION

Photographs by Michelle LoBianco

Post-wave band The Silk War discuss confronting their inner demons, the supportive music scene in New York City, and addressing gun violence in their latest single, “Slender Slander”.

Makeup By Claudia Lake

Hair By Bibb Joel Dickey III

New York City, USA

Who is Silk War and what is your music all about?

The Silk War is a five-piece post-wave alternative band based in Brooklyn, NY that soundtracks the night and its infinite, dark alleyways. There are various recurring musical and lyrical themes that we explore on our upcoming first record, Come Evening, however, we truly go out of our way to never get pigeon-holed into one sound or idea. Every song has a mind of its own. Our music is cinematic in nature and when mixed with raspy vocals and lyrics inspired by existentialism and classic lit, the result is an atmosphere that explores themes such as despair, anguish, self-doubt, and the violence of loneliness.

Since playing together as The Silk War, what have you been learning as musicians? How has this project challenged you differently than previous projects?

The writing of our first record required every one of us to expose our vulnerabilities in order to reach the part of the mind that we all try to suppress, the part of ourselves we never wish to meet. We all had to come to terms with our inner demons and find the strength to unleash our diffidence and terror for everyone to hear.

The most challenging aspect of this project was how to bring a studio band to a live audience. The lush orchestrations of our songs were very difficult to pull off live when we first started playing, so when we finally figured out how to bring our world to life for a New York City crowd the result was a magnanimous victory. We all (the band and our audience) began to feel understood, and we could tell, which is I guess the one thing we all have ever really wanted.

What is your music community in New York City like? How does it encourage you and push you?

Pre-pandemic, there was (and continues to be) a strong punk influence in the New York rock scene that really seeped into our live sets. We became wild, dynamic, and pushed our way through the crowd which just brought everyone that much closer together. It is something we have mourned tremendously during the pandemic, especially because so many of our songs were tweaked based off of how a New York City audience reacted. The music scene in New York was so alive and pulsating with support for one another when the pandemic hit, so we are just counting down the days until we can play again.

You have just released your single, "Slender Slander". Written as a response to the Parkland School Shooting, how does this song reflect your emotions and feelings? Why is this important to you?

"Slender Slander" is chaotic in nature in order to reflect the plethora of emotions that one feels when one witnesses an unbelievable tragedy. The song is rooted in darkness and anger. We chose to use the unique strategy of marrying a strong, lyrical message about gun control with upbeat music in order to fool the people who do not support gun control, our corrupt enemy, into a state of understanding. This is an enemy that does not care about anything until it happens to them, until someone they love loses their eyes. This is the one that we dedicate the song to; the ones we aim to catch. It was important for us to attack this weakness of character, this greediness, and this silent violence of people who veil their ignorance with “thoughts and prayers” because they need to be held accountable. Mass shootings affect all of us, and very soon we will all know a victim of gun violence. We found it necessary to shed more light on a topic that requires both legislative and subliminal change.

How does "Slender Slander" show your growth as a band since your first single, "Velvet", in 2019?

Although both songs tackle sensitive issues that hold immense weight (gun control and bullying/self-affliction respectively), the strategies used for each song are stark in difference. “Velvet” is incredibly introspective and dark, while “Slender Slander” is externally-focused and angry with condemnation. The largest difference between the two from a lyrical perspective is that “Slender Slander” charges down a pathway by nailing the enemy to the fire and finds hope by convicting the ones that are responsible. The hope in “Velvet” lingers on the idea that time heals everything, which is not necessarily something that is easily digestible. We have grown because we have come to terms with the importance of clearly distinguishing where hope can be found. The depths of despair are pivotal for us to touch and for us to understand whether it be in oneself or the world; transcendence can only be reached when hope is achieved.

What's next for you?

We are releasing our debut album, Come Evening, on May 14th that features 11 original songs. The album is based off of a 4 line poem of Alexandra’s that reads: “These chains have thickened/with beast-like suppression/ Come Evening/ of this flesh I take leave.” It is an album that takes the listener through New York City in one night, speaking with strangers that you’ll never see again, drowning in darkness to only come up for air during The Blue Hour.

We are hoping to get back on stage this summer or as soon as venues start to open up in New York. We are also back in the studio writing our second album, so there is definitely more to come.