Psychedelic post-punk outfit Mayflower Madame present their darkly sinister single 'Swallow', the second taste of their new album 'Prepared for a Nightmare', a dark and distinctive blend of post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia. French label Only Lovers Records will be releasing this long-play in collaboration with Portland's Little Cloud Records and Parisian label Icy Cold Records.
The accompanying video for 'Swallow' was created to visualize the mood of the song, using both symbolic images and color effects. It was directed by Astrid Serck and filmed in Oslo and Niagara Falls.
This follows lead track 'Vultures', partly inspired by the art of George Grosz and Hieronymus Bosch, the video for which includes live footage of the band and a dance sequence by Norwegian drag artist Remi Johansen Hovda. Unlike this darker, more hard-edged first single, 'Swallow' shows a dreamier, more pop-oriented side of the band.
Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Mayflower Madame is Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitars, bass), Håvard Haga (guitars) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums).
"Musically, we would describe 'Swallow' as a combination of shady psych-pop and shoegaze with elements of surf and post-punk. Those who are already familiar with our previous work might say it shows a new, more pop-oriented side of the band, but still definitely recognizable as Mayflower Madame," says frontman Trond Fagernes.
"Swallow' is a love song - it's about the dependence and fragility one might feel in a relationship - involving both a fear of and a desire for submission."
Mayflower Madame formed in 2011, at first rehearsing in a desolate industrial building where they shared space with a carwash company. Their hazy, smoke-laden sound was conceived naturally amidst these gritty surroundings. The band soon recorded a four-track demo. leading them to be named 'Unsigned Band of the Week' on one of Norway's biggest radio stations.
After a few years of playing shows across Scandinavia, carefully honing their sound along the way, Mayflower Madame finally released their debut album 'Observed in a Dream' in 2016. Through eight tracks of theatrical psych-gaze exploration and dark romanticism, the album conveyed the wintry feeling of their home country - icy and gloomy, haunting and majestic.
Tours in North America and Europe followed, followed by the 'Premonition' EP in 2018, a 4-track collection of apocalyptic love songs, and more touring and festival circuit in France, Germany, UK and Eastern Europe between recording sessions for their second LP.
Mayflower Madame has shared the stage with bands like Killing Joke, Moon Duo, Night Beats, Psychic Ills, Froth, The Underground Youth, Crocodiles, Cosmonauts and La Femme.
Their much-anticipated second album 'Prepared For A Nightmare' sees the band delving even deeper into their own distinctive blend of psych-noir and post-punk with elements of shoegaze and noise-rock.
As of February 25, 'Swallow' is available across digital platforms, including iTunes and Spotify. The 'Prepared for a Nightmare' LP will be released on March 27 and can be ordered online at https://mayflowermadame.bandcamp.com/album/prepared-for-a-nightmare.
