Photo by_Kandiss_Bradley
“THE WHITE SWAN is the project fronted by Kittie drummer Mercedes Lander, and while Kittie hailed from the early 2000s nu metal scene and went on to dabble in groove and death metal, alt-rock, and more, THE WHITE SWAN are more of the psychedelic, atmospheric post-metal variety — fans of Neurosis, Kylesa, Hum, Deftones, etc. should take note.” — BrooklynVegan
Canadian atmospheric sludge rock unit THE WHITE SWAN, spearheaded by Kittie’s Mercedes Lander, is pleased to unveil a lyric video for their moving cover of Tracy Bonham’s “Tell It To The Sky.” Now playing at BrooklynVegan, the band’s rendition appears on their impending Nocturnal Transmission EP, set for release September 18th.
The EP’s four tracks see the trio – Lander with Kira Longeuay and Shane Jeffers (Bloodmoon Collective) – wearing their collective heart on their sleeves, delivering over twenty minutes of sprawling, melodic sound waves.
Notes Lander of “Tell It To The Sky,” “I’ve always thought that ‘Tell It To The Sky’ was a fantastically well-written song. I always try to really think outside the box when it comes to choosing covers and I tend to pick songs that you wouldn’t expect a band like THE WHITE SWAN to cover. Tracy Bonham’s The Burdens Of Being Upright was released the same year I started playing drums and started my first band and this was my favorite song from that record when it was released. I did my best to capture the soaring vocal melodies and we added some layered EBow for the verses which creates a bit of a darker vibe from the original.”
Adds BrooklynVegan, “…Mercedes does indeed do a fine job of both capturing the soaring vocal melodies and making the song a little darker. It’s a great cover, a nice mix of faithfulness to the original and adding something new.”
View “Tell It To The Sky” at THIS LOCATION.
View THE WHITE SWAN’s previously released video for “In Love And Ritual” HERE.
Nocturnal Transmission will be released digitally and on limited edition vinyl via War Crime Recordings. For preorders go to THIS LOCATION.
In December 2019, THE WHITE SWAN recorded three songs and a cover of what can only be described as love songs. Lander has penned lyrics that chronicle the joy, desire, longing, and eventual feeling of completeness that comes with a romantic relationship. From the night drives through the snow in the early days, right through to the handcrafted guitar built as a wedding gift from her now husband, the intricacies of true love permeate every moment of Nocturnal Transmission.
Reprising a long-time creative relationship with producer Siegfried Meier, Lander felt both at home and re-energized by the familiarity and collaborative nature of their work. Recording took just two days, retaining many of the hallmarks of THE WHITE SWAN‘s earlier output, but adding a slightly polished sheen to proceedings. With vocal layering and touches of psychedelic synths adding textural elements to the songs, the result is an enveloping experience of fuzzed out guitars and molasses-like melody. Describing Nocturnal Transmission as a “turning point” for the band, the album art by collage artist Caitlyn Grabenstein reflects the feeling of standing on the precipice, staring into the unknown. Acknowledging that there will always be a constant sound to THE WHITE SWAN, Lander states that their main intention is to “grow and grow.” With an ever-developing sound and a solid combination of creative musicians in their ranks, Nocturnal Transmission is the latest in what is sure to be an ever expanding back catalog of triumphs.
“…a gauzy, atmospheric brand of sludgy doomgaze…” – Revolver
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