Josie Cotton Shares Ennio Morricone-Inspired New Single 'Painting In Blood'

Inspired by the campy yet beautifully filmed, blood-drenched Giallo horror movies of the 1970s, New Wave icon JOSIE COTTON's new single "Painting In Blood" (taken from her upcoming album DAY OF THE GUN out May 2, 2023 on Kitten Robot Records) was inspired by the music of "the wondrous" Ennio Morricone who scored many of the films from that era.

As a longtime fan of B-movies, comedy/horror and only recently of Giallo movies, "[she] was amazed that someone of his stature, considered a genius, would be slumming it in my world," Cotton says jokingly.

"I knew him only from the epic Spaghetti Western soundtracks he became famous for like A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. But the truth is he elevated and re-defined every genre he touched and his influences knew no limit. From Beethoven to surf music to demonic children's choirs and beyond, he transformed the music of the low-brow horror movie into unforgettable art."

Her new album, DAY OF THE GUN, features guest appearances by Kevin Preston (Long Shot, Prima Donna), Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers), Clem Burke (Blondie), and Lee Rocker (Stray Cats), Day of the Gun was recorded over a four-year time frame at Kitten Robot Studios and was produced and mixed by Josie and Paul Roessler (TSOL, The Screamers, Nina Hagan).

For the album writing process, she drew from multiple sources of influence. The speedy, subconscious writing process of her song "Disco Ball" she says, "was like being a stenographer on a train." While the lyrics for her previous single "Cold War Spy" were inspired by John le Carré spy novels, James Bond and intensive research on the Cold War. Proving that her inspiration can come from anywhere, "The Fathomless Tale of Silky and Sam" came from a dream about a spider.