Seven years since the critically-hailed Between the Devil And Two Black Hearts (their last studio release), Los Angeles-based 8MM returns to the forefront of the orchestral alternative scene with their stellar new EP HEART-SHAPED HELL, which is out now and can be streamed here. When talking about the new EP PureGrainAudio noted, "[Heart-Shaped Hell] is helping to establish both Sean and Juliette as one of the most experimental and diversely gifted musical duos that pushes the boundaries of the many sub-genres that their music covers." To help celebrate the release, 8MM will be playing an EP release show February 27 at Los Angeles' Soundcheck Live at Lucky Strike.
Featuring Grammy-nominated producer/mixer and multi-instrumentalist Sean Beavan(Nine Inch Nails, Thrice, No Doubt, Slayer) and multi-faceted wife/vocalist Juliette Beavan, 8MM has grown and evolved since their last release. "In the past few years, we've found some really cool and interesting new artists putting out very cool work that reminded us of the vibe of our first EP, Opener," Sean explains. "It gave us the itch and inspiration to get back to our moody, cinematic roots. So, when one of our outside projects got pushed back, we found ourselves with a month free so we sat down and banged it out. It's our favorite collection of 8MM songs so far."
Kicking off with the pulsating "Self-Inflicted Heartache" highlighting Juliette's bluesy vocals that dance in and out of Sean's anxious soundscape, Heart-Shaped Hell's six songs push the boundaries of their brand of slinky dark pop. The atmospheric "Bring It On" builds an emotional arc amidst a trip hop-esque structure, establishes the band as premiere songwriters who imbue an innate melodic backbone that grasps at the heartstrings like a drowning man to a lifeline.
While they haven't released music as 8MM in seven years, it doesn't mean they have been absent from the entertainment scene. Far from it. Aside from his earlier credits as a much sought-out producer and mixer that include Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, No Doubt, Slayer, Thrice and Depeche Mode, he's been very active in the current musical landscape as well. "Sean has produced and mixed several records, including releases by Shining, Goliathan, 3Teeth, Eric Tessmer, Emptiness, Automatik Eden, Heartstrings, to name a few," says Juliette. "We've composed original scores for a dozen short films and five feature films as well."
Previously tapped as a celebrity model for the popular red-carpet line Stop Staring! (other clients included Nicole Kidman, Eva Mendes, Trisha Yearwoood, Christina Aguilera), Juliette has dabbled quite a bit with film production, film score, as well as work in front of the camera. She made her acting debut in 2014 in acclaimed indie films, June and Death Valley and most notably recently guest starred in Fox's hit TV series Gotham. She has produced and co-produced indie films such as the upcoming short films Jane Doe and Bloody Preacher. She produced and starred in 2015's Everything In Its Place and 2016's Lion Den, which is collecting nominations at festivals across the U.S. Recently, she spent two months in Puerto Rico as an associate producer on a feature film starring Laurence Fishburne. "We also wrote a musical, so we're not just sitting around," she laughs. Sean and Juliette together scored the award-winning supernatural thriller short The Cleansing Hour, which is currently being adapted to feature-length with the pair again at the scoring helm.
Championed by some of the industry's leading tastemakers, such as Nic Harcourt of KCRW, and been named in the past as one of the Bands You Need To Know in Alternative Press and a "Buzz Band" by the Los Angeles Times, 8MM's music has been featured on Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Shark and the Underworld: Awakening soundtrack, amongst many others.
8MM is Juliette Beavan and Sean Beavan. Heart-Shaped Hell was produced by Sean Beavan and is out now on and can be streamed here.
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