New Music: Mourning Candle – Sycophants

For many minorities, life can often focus on the club or bar as a vital outlet for socialising and being yourself. But that, too, can bring problems.

It’s a topic that Nashville duo Mourning Candle explore on Sycophants, which draws the veil of the less wholesome side of club life. The track focuses particularly on the goth scene and blends in the electronic and guitar dualities of that scene skilfully.

Vocalist Benson has a glacial and bewitching quality, warning of dangers, as a pounding dark wave beat and shimmering guitars invite the listener to dance but also to be themselves, to be truly free.

Says the band about Sycophants, “Sometimes we pretend we’re something we’re not, whether it is to fit in, to survive, to hide/escape, to make up for what we lack or are afraid of, or because we want to pretend to be the thing someone else wants us to be.”

“In the goth community, we fight amongst ourselves and over-cancel each other. We even wear masks to protect us from our insecurities. Some of us feel entitled and make others feel small.”

“Who are we to judge? At the end of the day, we’re all relatively the same. We all wear masks. We should unite instead of fight. We are stronger as one. And in this traumatic world, we have to support each other. We’re all weirdos, mister.”

Sycophants can be heard on Spotify and downloaded on Bandcamp. Mourning Candle make their live debut at Stay; Fest – a fundraiser for mental health awareness in their Nashville hometown – you can get tickets here.

Mourning Candle are Anson Taylor and Leslie I. Benson. For all the latest band news, head to Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.

Header photo by Ray Lee Rose