10 years ago today the Heathen Apostles put out their first music video, The Reckoning. The band filmed the Western Goth music video before they played their first show, when the Heathen Apostles were just the OG trio of Mather Louth, Chopper Franklin and Thomas Lorioux. It’s the first thing they put out so this is pretty much the 10th anniversary of the band, they’ve really been hard at it non-stop. Violinist Luis Mascaro joined just after this, they’ve put out 6 albums, several EPs and singles, toured Europe several times and are heading to the UK in July. While Corporate Music has been conglomerating (and cannibalizing) itself, they’ve managed to fly under the radar, doin’ their thing (which the band admits ain’t for everybody). Thanks to all past band members, and all that have supported us; whether it’s one download, or buying every release and piece of merch the Heathen Apostles have had for sale. Click HERE to watch The Reckoning video.
Click HERE to purchase the CD, to purchase it on iTunes click HERE, for Amazon click HERE.
Directed by the Heathen Apostles
Featuring Edward Colver as the Demonic Preacher.
Production assistance by Monica Blair and Thai Knight. Special thanks to Karin Swinney.
The Heathen Apostles UK tour will begin in July of 2023, it will be their first one of the United Kingdom. The 18 date swing will be built around their appearance at the Rustic Stomp Festival in Dorset, Poole on 15 July and will also feature a video shoot for their next single from their current release Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4. There are some dates that are still open or unconfirmed, you can get booking information from Hawkeye Houlihan at hawkeyesbanjo (at) hotmail.com.
Heathen Apostles UK tour:
Thurs 13th July – Cobblestones, Bridgewater, UK
Fri 14th July – The Treehouse, Frome, UK
Sat 15th July – Rustic Stomp, Dorset, UK
Sun 16th July – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, UK
Mon 17th July – video shoot
Tues 18th July – The Cellar Bar, Bournemouth, UK
Wed 19th July – Lexington, London, UK
Thurs 20th July – The Reindeer, Norwich, UK
Fri 21st July – Facebar, Reading, UK
Sat 22nd July – Endorset Festival, UK 2023 (afternoon set)
Sat 22nd July – Tap & Grape, Poole, UK (evening set)
Sun 23rd July – Christchurch Festival, Christchurch, UK
Mon 24th July – The Six Six Bar, Cambridge, UK
Tue 25th July – The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, UK
Wed 26th July – The Anchor Inn Wingham, Canterbury, UK
Thurs 27th July – Prince Albert, Brighton, UK
Fri 28th July – The Plough, Torrington, UK
Sat 29th July – The Cavern, Exeter, UK
Sun 30th July – The Pig, Hastings, UK
“If there is such a thing in the current fringe roots genre as a supergroup, it would certainly be the Los Angeles-based dark roots and gothic country band Heathen Apostles, who includes ex-members of Radio Noir (Mather Louth), The Cramps (Chopper Franklin), Kings of Nuthin’ (Thomas Lorioux), and Christian Death (Stevyn Grey) in its ranks. That is one hell of a lineup.” – No Depression Magazine
January 31, 2023 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles UK Tour in July 2023
The Goodbye Family has made the Vulture Magazine Top Ten list of the best animated series of 2022. The Gothic Western series was created by Lorin Morgan-Richards and features a theme song, as well as other music, from the Heathen Apostles. Heathen member Chopper Franklin also does the score and SFX, and he and vocalist Mather Louth are part of the show’s cast.
Willing to squash and stretch the television and streaming mediums to their limits, the best animated television of 2022 relishes in anticipation and payoff. Returning series such as Harley Quinn and The Owl House cater to their respective loyal fan bases by emphasizing strong character writing and earned emotional heft — even when it’s nestled in humor. A handful of new shows, including The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder and The Boys Presents: Diabolical, leverage the goodwill that came from titles that preceded them to craft stories and art that look radically different from what came before but still feel natural in context. A few debuts break new animated ground entirely, delivering to us the digital worlds of Pantheon and the fantasy realms of The Legend of Vox Machina for our eyeballs to feast on. Now that we’ve presented the year’s top animated films and (specifically, separately) its top anime series, here are the animated TV shows we couldn’t stop watching this year.
10. The Goodbye Family
The Goodbye Family is pretty different from every other show on this list. It’s a webtoon that looks as if it was made with MS Paint and centers a family of undertakers trying to eke out a living in a pen-scratched, gothic take on the Old West that’s fleshed out by rootsy Americana music and offbeat humor. Aside from the voices and music, it’s almost entirely made by creator Lorin Morgan-Richards, who based it off his “Weird West” comic of the same name. The Goodbye Family is extremely lo-fi but also unnervingly fun thanks to how it leans into the characters’ peculiarities and morbid humor. In one scene from the episode “The Seedy Snare,” matriarch Pyridine rattles off the Goodbyes’ list of payment options — “We take Gravepal, Renmo, and Coffin Bell wires, although crypt currency … I’m not sure about that one” — as another member of the family cheerily mops blood off the floor. The Goodbye Family is not for everyone, but it just might be for you, if you let it.
December 18, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on “The Goodbye Family” Makes Best Animated Series List
It’s almost Halloween and it’s time to announce the Heathen Apostles’ annual Gothic Western Halloween “Play a Goth Themed Show One Night, a Honky Tonk Themed Show the Next”. We’ll be at Bar Sinister in Hollywood on Saturday Oct. 29th (with God Module), and then the Echoplex in Echo Park on Devil’s Night Sunday Oct. 30th (w/ Blue Drivers and Sie Sie Bernhoff, doors at 6pm). We’ll have guest musicians Aubrey Richmond on violin and Patrick Muzingo on drums. So pick your poison, we got your Goth and we got your Western, we hope to see all of you in So Cal at one or both of the shows!
Get Bar Sinister tickets HERE.
Get Echoplex tickets HERE.
The Gothic Western Halloween shows are also the first Heathen Apostles US shows since the release of their latest album Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4, out now on Ratchet Blade Records. You can check out the album HERE.
Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 tracklist
1. Bad Patch
2. Careful What You Pray For
3. Black Hawk
4. Demi Monde
5. Tall Rider
6. Roots Run Deep
7. Into The Wild
8. No Peace
9. Solitary
10. Shadow of the Crows
From the Heathen Apostles’ Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 press release: 2020 was a year of loss, reflection, and reevaluation. Trying as the times were to have a trio of tour cancellations both stateside and abroad as the live music industry seemingly evaporated overnight, the Heathen Apostles did not let the unexpected gift of time go to waste. To the contrary, the band channeled the turbulent year’s events and its complex emotions into their music, and the result- BLOODGRASS VOL. 3&4- is a dark country album of a collection of songs at once timely as they are timeless.
October 7, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Gothic Western Halloween 2022
The Heathen Apostles have released a new Western Gothic music video; Roots Run Deep is the first single from their new album Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 (produced by Chopper Franklin), out now on Ratchet Blade Records. The video was directed by noted Belgian filmmaker Caroline Poisson and filmed at Moulin Castral during the recent Heathen Apostles European tour in Spring of 2022 to promote the new album. You can check it out HERE.
Singer Mather Louth recently posted how important the song (and the Western Gothic music video) and the lyrics are to her: I wish I could take credit for these words. However, the truth of it is that the chorus of “Roots run deep” was channeled.
The words came to me in January as I had finished reading out on my sun porch, watching the movement of the wind through the trees. Simple words, but far too true to come from one person: “Branches may sway, but the roots run deep”. I had no idea what to do with them, but I wrote them down and carried on with my day.
Months later, when Chopper presented me with a batch of new song ideas that would become the second half of BLOODGRASS VOL. 3 & 4, it became clear: those words were meant for the chorus of one of the most personal and unfiltered songs I’ve written to date. I’ll admit- it’s been scary to strip away so much pretense and use honest, simple language. But in a way, it was freeing, and it allowed me to set the constant weight on my shoulders down, if just for a bit.
Those words are a reminder. Those words are a spell. Every time I sing them, it instantly grounds me and reminds me to stay present, to not be shaken by the day to day. Bad things happen. Sometimes, very bad things. But remember your roots. Ground down. Breathe. Carry on. You are an oak.
How lovely that we were able to pair the song with such a beautifully simple, elegant video thanks to the lovely @carolinepoisson. True, I may have been filming this on 3 hours of sleep and several weeks of living the fast pace of tour life, but that seems to be all the more appropriate for the honesty in the song. No more pretense. No more pressure to look perfect.
I hope you’ll take the time to go check out the video. The fact that the song is 3:33 minutes long only seems to offer more proof that its genesis came from the beyond. This song grounds me.
August 8, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on “Roots Run Deep” – The New Western Gothic Music Video
The Heathen Apostles will be returning to Bar Sinister for a Halloween show on Saturday October 29th. Bar Sinister is the premiere goth club is Los Angeles, located at 652 N. Cherokee Ave, Hollywood, just south of Hollywood Blvd.
The band will feature Pat Muzingo on drums, as well as other special guests that night. It is also the first Heathen Apostles US show since the release of their latest album Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4, out now on Ratchet Blade Records. You can check out the album HERE.
Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 tracklist
1. Bad Patch
2. Careful What You Pray For
3. Black Hawk
4. Demi Monde
5. Tall Rider
6. Roots Run Deep
7. Into The Wild
8. No Peace
9. Solitary
10. Shadow of the Crows
July 21, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles Return to Goth Club Bar Sinister
The Los Angeles-based dark roots and gothic country band Heathen Apostles continue their (very dark) interpretation of Bluegrass, Country and Blues. They have just compiled Volumes 3 and 4 of their collection of songs together under the title Bloodgrass.
Occasionally I’ll start a review along the lines of “not technically not a Celtic-Punk band” which usually means that that the band that I go on to review are not a Celtic-Punk band but are utterly brilliant and have a fiddle /accordion / banjo in them. Well welcome to the Heathen Apostles. A dark (very dark) gothic country band with their very own genre’s – ‘Doombilly’ and ‘Bloodgrass’. Heathen Apostles do to Country / Bluegrass music what the bands we all love here do to Celtic music but they also add on a dash of Goth as well. They may be based in LA but they sound like they’re from the Appalachian’s harkening back to a bygone chapter of American history while firmly keeping one foot planted in the present-day. The band features ex-members of Radio Noir (Mather Louth), The Cramps (Chopper Franklin), Kings of Nuthin’ (Thomas Lorioux), and Christian Death (Stevyn Grey) in their ranks. In fact it’s amazing the sound that only four folks can wring out. They have already started their biggest (yet!) European tour (mainly Germany) so be sure to check out the tour dates squeezed in here somewhere and move heaven and earth to get to one of their shows and then let me know how it was!
We have already reviewed Bloodgrass Volume 3 last September but here it comes with an extra five songs labelled as Volume 4 and in an attempt to tie in with the Euro tour we are more than happy to re-visit the whole album. The album begins with ‘Bad Patch’ and fiddle, banjo and mandolin accompany Mather’s beautiful voice as she sings of the tragedy of the 1930s Dust Bowl. Severe dust storms wreaked havoc on the mid-west prairies during the 1930’s causing untold misery to those poor unfortunates. Trying to survive through those times “by the skin of their teeth”. Great lyrics and one hell of a catchy tune with the bands dark side kept at arms length.. at least musically anyway.
The next song is much more Apostles at heart. ‘Careful What You Pray For’ tells of the danger of religious dogma and while not dissimilar to the opening track it has that much darker feel to it. Mather’s amazing voice is put to great use here. What we must beware is that people don’t replace the dogmatism and fanaticism of some religions with divisive ideologies. These days notions such as original sin, atonement, ritual and excommunication are as likely to come from secular groups as they are from religious institutions. ‘Black Hawk’ was the lead single for the EP and I’ll not pretend to have any idea what the lyrics are about except the band say it tells “of transformation by shedding the darkness in order to welcome in the light” so there.
One band we always sneak a mention in when we review the Heathen Apostles is the fantastic The Phantom Of the Black Hills. Along with sharing many similarities music wise, they also share a record label (Ratchet Blade Records), a producer, the Apostles, Chopper Franklin and a love for telling entire stories in their intricate videos. So if you like what you hear go back settle down and check on their older videos. ‘Demi Monde’ is a slow song shrouded in occult imagery paying homage to the fires of Beltane while ‘Tall Rider’ brings down the curtain down on what was Volume 3. Catchy as hell and a reminder of the possibility of healing through love. With their roots in the ‘Folk tradition’ the music mangles up several genres while all the time adding much to the final sound.
What follows are the five songs that make up Volume 4 that begins with the catchy ‘Roots Run Deep’ and not unexpectedly continues in the same vein. The best of this side of the album is ‘Into The Wild’ where moments of Mather’s primal snarl and swagger run parallel along some of her most beautiful singing on the whole album. A beast of a song that sees them at their thigh slapping foot stomping best. ‘No Peace’ was written in response to recent cases of police brutality. Despite the subject matter the song bounces along rather nicely. ‘Solitary’ speaks of following one’s own path in life, no matter how lonely the road it may seem at times. Meaningful words given even more meaning through Mather. The album closes with the amazing ‘Shadow Of The Crows’ with it’s hybrid of several genres, mixing Middle Eastern and borderline psychedelic sounds with the band’s distinctly gloomy bloodgrass. The CD which comes out at any time contains an extra song I’ve not heard yet. A cover of the late Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan’s song ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’.
If anyone knows of any promoters or venues able to help get this gothic country band over to the UK please get in touch. PLEASE!
The music here is exemplary throughout. Catchy as hell and heading there very happily! The various elements are once again handled expertly through the excellent production of master producer Chopper Franklin. With their roots in the ‘Folk tradition’ they mangle up several genres while adding much to the final sound and as you can imagine a band with their own genre it is virtually impossible to compare them to anyone else! The excellent artwork was done by their good friend Stephanie Inagaki, who also did the cover art for the previous Bloodgrass Vol. 1 & 2 album and EPs.
July 7, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Album Review of Gothic Country Band Heathen Apostles
The first batch of photos from the Heathen Apostles’ 2022 European tour are out, they feature pics from Ghent, Belgium, Dranouter, Belgium and Kempten, Germany. You can check them out in the gallery below, the tour lasted five weeks and was to promote their new dark country album Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4, out now on Ratchet Blade Records.
26/05/2022 Thursday – De Cactus, Henglo, NL
27/05/2022 Friday – De Pit, Terneuzen, NL
28/05/2022 Saturday – Paradox, Tilburg, NL
29/05/2022 Sunday – De Klinker Club, Aarschot, BE
30/05/2022 Monday – De Floeren Aap, Mechelen, BE
31/05/2022 Tuesday – day off
01/06/2022 Wednesday – Franzis, Wetzlar, DE
02/06/2022 Thursday – Unordnungsamt, Kalbe, DE
03/06/2022 Friday – Extra Blues Bar, Bielefeld, DE
04/06/2022 Saturday – Alte Schlosserei, Wuppertal, DE
05/06/2022 Sunday – Wild at Heart, Berlin, DE
06/06/2022 Monday – Buchholz Saloon, Altlandsberg, DE
07/06/2022 Tuesday – day off
08/06/2022 Wednesday – Oberstübchen, Regen, DE
09/06/2022 Thursday – City club, Augsburg, DE
10/06/2022 Friday – Alter, Mannheim, DE
11/06/2022 Saturday – Muziekcentrum Dranouter, Dranouter, BE
12/06/2022 Sunday – Deux Ours, Modave, BE
13/06/2022 Monday – day off
14/06/2022 Tuesday – Missy Sippy, Ghent, BE
15/06/2022 Wednesday – Die Heile Welt, Munster, DE
16/06/2022 Thursday – Monkeys, Hamburg, DE
17/06/2022 Friday – Schule 2, Bremen, DE
18/06/2022 Saturday – Kufa Löseke, Hildesheim, DE
19/06/2022 Sunday – Lokaal 42, Helmond, NL
20/06/2022 Monday – day off
21/06/2022 Tuesday – Teatro Munganga, Amsterdam, NL
22/06/2022 Wednesday – Pferdestall, Bremerhaven, DE
23/06/2022 Thursday – Mout – The Netherlands – Nijmegen, NL
24/06/2022 Friday – Rakete, Stuttgardt, DE
25/06/2022 Saturday – mySkylounge / 13th floor Kulturetage, Kempten, DE
26/06/2022 Sunday – Hafen 2, Offenbach A.M., DE
From the Heathen Apostles’ Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 press release: 2020 was a year of loss, reflection, and reevaluation. Trying as the times were to have a trio of tour cancellations both stateside and abroad as the live music industry seemingly evaporated overnight, the Heathen Apostles did not let the unexpected gift of time go to waste. To the contrary, the band channeled the turbulent year’s events and its complex emotions into their music, and the result- BLOODGRASS VOL. 3&4- is a dark country album of a collection of songs at once timely as they are timeless.
June 27, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tour Photos and New Dark Country Album
2020 was a year of loss, reflection, and reevaluation. Trying as the times were to have a trio of tour cancellations both stateside and abroad as the live music industry seemingly evaporated overnight, the Heathen Apostles did not let the unexpected gift of time go to waste. To the contrary, the band channeled the turbulent year’s events and its complex emotions into their music, and the result- BLOODGRASS VOL. 3 & 4– is a Gothic Western collection of songs at once timely as they are timeless.
The album opener “Bad Patch” uses the lyrical analogy of the 1930s Dust Bowl to express the collective desperation brought about by feeling at the mercy of the sort of devastation best described as an “act of God”. “Careful What You Pray For” touches upon the hypocrisy of self-righteous religious dogma and the damage it inevitably brings in its wake. “Black Hawk” moves the album in an introspective direction as Louth sings a tale of transformation by shedding the darkness in order to welcome in the light. As the title suggests, “Demi Monde” offers a return to the occult imagery the band has incorporated since its inception, while subtly paying homage to the fires of Beltane. “Tall Rider” closes the EP on a cathartically optimistic note, plaintively serving as a reminder of the possibility to heal through love.
The foot stomping single “Roots Run Deep” casts a lyrical spell in its own right, reminding the listener of the divine within. “Into The Wild” is a primal, incendiary runaway train filled with plenty of snarl and swagger. “Solitary” is an embrace of following one’s own path in life, no matter how lonely the road may seem at times. “No Peace” was written in response to the victims of countless cases of police brutality in recent history that have yet to receive justice for the crimes committed against them. “Shadow Of The Crows” offers an intriguing hybrid of several genres, mixing Middle Eastern and borderline psychedelic sounds with the band’s distinctly gloomy bloodgrass. You can check out this Gothic Western collection HERE.
May 13, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4 – New Gothic Western Collection Out Today
The Heathen Apostles have teamed up with gothic western writer and illustrator Lorin Morgan-Richards on his forthcoming animated series for The Goodbye Family (which originated as a comic series back in 2017.) Mather offered up vocals for the theme song, with Chopper Franklin composing the music.
Richards describes the Goodbye Family as such: It follows the lives of Weird West undertakers Otis, Pyridine, and their daughter Orphie. Pyridine is a witch and matriarch mortician, Otis is a brainless but bold hearse driver, and Orphie is appointed grave digger for her strength of twenty men. Through bumbling Otis discovers his neighbors are turning into zombies, a mystery that is directly affecting their burial business. In their backyard cemetery they travel to the underworld for answers and uncover a plot to surface the evil entities, that would otherwise burn in the Lake of Fire, have risen again through oil pumps that are being bottled as a tonic medicine for the ground above. The tonic is consumed and the host fully takes over the body when the body perishes. Can the Goodbyes hilarious gaffes and revelations plug up the works?
Chopper is currently scoring music for the rest of the animated Gothic Western series, which is slated for a Summer 2021 release.
Listen to the theme song here:
April 1, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles x Goodbye Family
The first tour dates have been announced for the Heathen Apostles September 2021 European Tour. This Southern Gothic music tour was booked to make up for the postponed tour of September 2020, with many of the same venues on board one year later. There are still four open dates, if you have a venue that would like to book the Heathen Apostles, or know of one, Kurt DeBont at Rootstown Bookings HERE.
Heathen Apostles September 2021 tour:
02/09/2021 Thursday Kulturrampe Germany Krefeld
03/09/2021 Friday Alter Open Air Stage Germany Mannheim
04/09/2021 Saturday City Club Germany Augsburg
05/09/2021 Sunday available
06/09/2021 Monday l’Usine Switzerland Genève
7/09/2021 Tuesday BlahBlah Italy Torino
08/09/2021 Wednesday available
09/09/2021 Thursday Willemeen The Netherlands Arnhem
10/09/2021 Friday available
11/09/2021 Saturday CC Muze Belgium Zolder
12/09/2021 Sunday The Grand Canyon Belgium Nazareth
13/09/2021 Monday available
14/09/2021 Tuesday Tortuga Germany Unna
15/09/2021 Wednesday Bei Chez Heinz Germany Hannover
16/09/2021 Thursday Monkeys Germany Hamburg
17/09/2021 Friday Wild At Heart Germany Berlin
18/09/2021 Saturday Sonic Ballroom Germany Köln
19/09/2021 Sunday BUSKERfestival Belgium Aarschot
March 27, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Mather and Heathen Apostles announce Southern Gothic Music European Tour For 9/21
To all women: I see you. I celebrate you. I thank you for all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you will be. ?? (photo of Mather taken at the 2019 SJOCK festival by Moomer Foto.)
March 8, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on International Women’s Day
Mather and The Heathen Apostles have cancelled their May/June 2021 European tour due to the continuing Covid 19 crisis. Here is their cancellation announcement:
Once again we are having to announce the cancellation of another tour, this one our May/June 2021 European tour. Due to the ongoing COVID 19 crisis, and the delay in getting vaccinations on both continents, our next appearance in Europe will be our September 2021 tour, and we are rescheduling the canceled tour to May/June 2022 (contact Kurt De Bont at Rootstown bookings for info). Beast wishes and wear your damn masks!
February 24, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles May/June 2021 European Tour Canceled
The Stray Pop when Mather and the Heathen Apostles performed live on February 20, 2015 is going to be rebroadcast this Fri (1/29/21) 11pm-3am PST on KXLU Los Angeles 88.9 FM and www.KXLU.com ! Tune in for Stella bringing you the Heathen Apostles and Southern Gothic radio for the evening!
January 27, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles Rebroadcast on KXLU – Southern Gothic Radio
Gothic Western EP Review by Luminous Dash zine – Featuring ex-members from Radio Noir (Mather Louth, vocals), The Cramps, Mau Maus and Nick Curran & The Lowlifes (Chopper Franklin on guitar, mandolin, banjo, keyboards, drums), Kings of Nuthin’ (Thomas Lorioux, bass) and top violinist Luis Mascaro, Heathen Apostles was formed in Los Angeles and born of the voices of past lives and baptized in the dust bowl dirt. They settle into a sound that merges the contrasts between goth and Americana in a darkly rooted bohemian country atmosphere.
The Heathen Apostles is band that never seems to rest on its laurels, as you can see from their many energetic live performances and a whole series of albums, EPs and singles in their discography. This year they had a string of canceled and postponed concerts, but it gave them the opportunity to record their new EP Prayers Before The Plague. They played, and filmed, a live set at the headquarters / home of the band ‘The Devil’s Doghouse’ in Echo Park (California), included the six tracks that ended up on Prayers Before The Plague. And although nothing can match playing in front of a live audience, on the EP we find the hard driven emotions of passionate musicians on every track. “It is the band’s gift to a world that has almost no live music for most of this year. It’s also a reminder of the importance of music itself, be it bad or good times. Music and art must continue and survive ”, they say.
“Without A Trace” is immediately a strong opener, showing the authentic sound of the foursome. Excitingly lively, the violin immediately takes us on a tour along southern dry roads, where the warm dark timbre of the dark diva Mather Louth works out for a devilish side, as well as for sweet playful indulgence.
“Death’s Head” sounds a lot darker. With a raw bass line and light grit on the microphone, this track sets the perfect soundtrack for a night in which you look death, the devil and your demons straight in the eye and continue to travel your own way with those country boots with determination.
“The song seems fitting for these troubled times, but it seems like there might be a light at the end of the tunnel,” the band explains about Drowned In Trouble . An up tempo track full of rhythm, where the vocals are loaded with melancholy while the strings keep flirting along.
“Two For The Road” sounds defiantly brutal , while “The Reckoning” sounds theatrically brutal, just because the instrumental is so rich and heavy and the roughness here brings a certain mystique to the song. “Paint The Stars” ends in a bluegrass atmosphere in embracing softness.
An EP that bathes in a country and gypsy atmosphere, but with a dark, almost bloody edge. Although we lack the experience, Prayers Before The Plague may look a bit like a night with Nick Cave and Johnny Cash. A musical threesome between overheated, dark sheets filled with melancholy and spunk, which may end in a murder ballad …
The EP Prayers Before The Plague has been released digitally on the Ratchet Blade Records label.
December 29, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on “Prayers Before The Plague” – Gothic Western EP Review
More tour dates have been announced for the Heathen Apostles May/June 2021 European Tour, check out the dates for this gothic Americana tour below. Their September 2021 European tour is also being booked, if you have a venue that would like to book the Heathen Apostles, or know of one, Kurt DeBont at Rootstown Bookings HERE. The band has posted the following statement on their media accounts:
Feels good to post some of our 2021 European tour dates for May and June in these uncertain times. We’ll have our Bloodgrass Vol. 3 EP done and it’ll be great to see you all again. We still have some dates available, so if you have a venue or know of one let Kurt DeBont at Rootstown bookings know about it – bookings@rootstown.be. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
20/05 Thursday available
21/05 Fri. Extra Blues-Bar – Bielefeld, GER
22/05 Sat. Treibsand – Lübeck, GER
23/05 Sunday available
24/05 Mon. Buchholz Saloon, Altlandsberg, GER
25/05 Tuesday available
26/05 Wed. Sonic Ballroom -Köln, GER
27/05 Thurs. Willemeen, Arnhem, NE
28/05 Fri. Kufa Löseke, Hildesheim, GER
29/05 Sat. Paradox, Tilburg, NE
30/05 Sun. The Grand Canyon, Nazareth, BE
31/05 Monday available
01/06 Tuesday available
02/06 Wednesday available
03/06 Thursday available
04/06 Fri. JC De Klinker – Aarschot, BE
05/06 Sat. De Pit, Terneuzen, NE
06/06 Sunday available
December 17, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles – Gothic Americana Tour Dates 2021
Live releases are probably experiencing their rebirth. Which is understandable and completely expected. However, even before the covid, Heathen Apostles pleased the audience with this. They are masters of live performances, and don’t forget about their spectacular and memorable clips. So studio work is only 2/3 of Heathen Apostles. To understand their concept, their southern rage and dark roots angst, you need to hear them live. But since such an opportunity will not be presented soon, this EP given to help us.
Without A Trace from the second LP and the undisputed hit Death’s Head create a powerful, authentic introduction, Drowned In Trouble absolute is successfully replaced by the intense history of Two For The Road. There was also a place in this set for the mystical The Reckoning from the first releases of Heathen Apostles (with a surprise intro) and the bluegrass theme of Paint The Stars.
Releases like this – an escapism session with immersive effect – will ultimately save both the genre and the scene. 8/10
In Russian:
Live-релизы переживают, наверное, свое второе рождение. Что понятно и совершенно ожидаемо. Впрочем, и до ковида Heathen Apostles радовали в этом плане. Они — мастера живых выступлений, перфомансов, и не стоит забывать про их зрелищные и запоминающиеся клипы. Так что студийная работа – это лишь 2/3 Heathen Apostles. Чтобы понять их концепт, их southern ярость и dark roots тоску, нужно услышать их вживую. Но поскольку такая возможность представится нескоро, нам в помощь данный Ep.
Without A Trace со второго лонгплея и безусловный хит Death’s Head создают мощное, аутентичное, колоритное вступление, абсолют southern Drowned In Trouble удачно сменяется яркой историей Two For The Road. Нашлось в этом сете место и мистическому The Reckoning с первых релизов Heathen Apostles (причем с неожиданным интро) и bluegrass теме Paint The Stars.
Такие релизы — сеанс эскапизма с эффектом присутствия — в конце концов, спасут и жанр, и сцену в общем плане. 8/10
November 27, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Prayers Before The Plague – Gothic Americana Live EP (Review)
The Heathen Apostles have debuted the second Heavy Western video from their live EP Prayers Before The Plague, out on Ratchet Blade Records. It was recorded live at their headquarters The Devil’s Doghouse in Echo Park, Ca. during quarantine for the COVID 19 pandemic, and shortly after announcing the postponement of their 2020 European and West Coast tours. The European tour is being rebooked, click HERE to contact Rootstown Bookings for booking info and tour dates.
An announcement about the Death’s Head video straight from the band:
“Today is the debut of our live video for “Death’s Head”, the perfect soundtrack for your Devil’s Night! It is from our upcoming EP “Prayers Before The Plague” out Halloween (tomorrow!) on Ratchet Blade Records. Today is the last day for the $4 pre sale, and a sincere thank you to all that have pre ordered this release so far, your support in these trying times means the world to us. Check it out by clicking HERE.”
October 31, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles – Heavy Western Video Debut
The Heathen Apostles have had to postpone one US tour and one European tour (as well as several shows) this year due to COVID 19. The European tours have been rescheduled for May/June and September 2021, and in the meantime the band are pleased to announce the release of their new Gothic Western EP Prayers Before The Plague, out this Halloween on Ratchet Blade Records. The songs were recorded, and filmed, live at the band’s headquarters/compound/home The Devil’s Doghouse in Echo Park, Ca., and it is produced and mixed by Chopper Franklin. While nothing can replicate playing in front of a fanatical audience, they really poured themselves into these songs.
The Heathens will be releasing four videos from the performance, the first (Without A Trace) coming out today, October 23rd, which is also when Ratchet Blade Records launches the pre sale. You can preview and pre order the EP HERE.
“It would mean a lot to us it if you could check it out and help support the band any way you can as we complete Bloodgrass Vol. III and finish booking these tours. We always appreciate when you spend your hard-earned cash to join us on this dark journey, especially now, as we realize times are tougher than usual,” the band says.
Prayers Before The Plague
1. Without A Trace (Live)
2. Death’s Head (Live)
3. Drowned In Trouble (Live)
4. Two For The Road (Live)
5. The Reckoning (Live)
6. Paint The Stars (Live)
October 24, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles New Live Cowboy Goth EP
As a noteworthy accomplishment during the pandemic, Mather shot, edited and designed the cover art for the latest Heathen Apostles release PRAYERS BEFORE THE PLAGUE. Details on the release to follow shortly.
October 23, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Mather Louth photographs, designs cover art for Heathen Apostles release
The Heathen Apostles’ 2020 European tour in September has been postponed due to the COVID 19 crisis, the band announced recently. Whenever possible the dates will be rescheduled to September 2021, several have already been confirmed, check back for announcements. The band will also be touring in Europe before that, Kurt DeBont of Rootstown Bookings is taking offers for May and June 2021. You can contact him by clicking HERE.
Here is the announcement that was posted on social media:
“The Heathen Apostles are sorry to have to announce we are canceling the dates of our 2020 European tour due to the COVID 19 crisis. We are happy to announce that we will be coming back to Europe in May/June 2021 and September 2021, we hope to see all of our European heathens at one or both of the tours. Beast wishes and wear your damn masks!
If you have a venue you can contact Kurt at bookings@rootstown.be to get in on either tour. We will be announcing some good stuff in the near future, stay tuned….”
August 5, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles’ 2020 European Tour Postponed
Booking has begun for the Heathen Apostles Europe 2021 tour, and the band is looking forward to bringing their Dark Americana music back there once again. Their September 2020 European tour is still on as of now, but will depend on future travel restrictions. Be sure and check the band out this year, see below for those tour dates.
The 2021 tour will start on Thursday May 20th 2021 and the last date will be Sunday June 6th 2021. If you have a venue, or know of a venue, that would like to book the band contact Kurt DeBont at Rootstown Bookings HERE.
Here are the dates of the Heathen Apostles September 2020 European tour, it will be their third tour of Europe, and this time around the band will be bringing their country gothic music to Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and more TBA. They will be promoting their gothic blues release Born By Lightning (out now on Ratchet Blade Records), as well as a special vinyl release of their 2019 Dark Americana album Dust To Dust that will be out on Urgence Disk Records. The Heathen Apostles will be playing release show at Urgence Disk in Geneva, Switzerland.
Here are the event dates, the show marked TBA will be announced at a later date, check back soon. To book the remaining date, contact Kurt at Rootstown Bookings HERE.
The Heathen Apostles are beginning work on Bloodgrass Vol. III, the third volume in their series of their take on gothic bluegrass, heavy country and dark roots. The band hopes to have the project completed before their September 2020 European tour, but will release a single from it if the EP is not completed. The sessions are being recorded both under quarantine and through remote recordings, and will be released on Ratchet Blade Records. Both Bloodgrass Vol. I (released in 2017) and Bloodgrass Vol. II (released in 2018) EPs were later combined for the full length Bloodgrass Vol. I & II, released in 2019 on LP and CD.
James G. Carlson wrote of Bloodgrass Vol. I & II in No Depression:
“Bloodgrass Vol. II & II opens with the Apostles’ dark, creeping rendition of Gershwin and Heyward’s classic “Summertime.” “Death Came a Ridin’,” a Heathen Apostles original, is a macabre piece dedicated to the reaper, with Louth employing a storytelling style of lyrical conveyance. “Dark Days” somehow manages to successfully marry gloomy folk with gypsy jazz, and features some of Louth’s best vocal work on the album. “Lady in Gold” is an energetic gothic country offering, while “Deadly Nightshade” is an ominous picker with a simple but nicely punctuating beat. “Paint the Stars,” an easy standout on this album, kicks off with lively violin, guitar strumming, and steady beat, and then incorporates a powerful vocal performance by Louth. Other covers include heavy country versions of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” (Darrell Scott), “Ramblin’ Man” (Hank Williams), and “Shady Grove” (traditional). “D.O.A.” has a roots rock feel to it, while the closer, “Fever Jane,” another easy standout, is a moody picker with darkly beautiful vocals.”
Check back for more details on this EP release.
June 28, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on Heathen Apostles Beginning Work on ‘Heavy Country’ Bloodgrass Vol. III
My next live stream costume drawing session is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, and it’s going to be a special one.
The First Nations communities have been utterly devastated by the effects of the pandemic, and it is with this in mind that I will be donating 100% of my session to the First Nations COVID 19 Emergency Response Fund as a humble means of trying to help. I’d greatly appreciate it if you can help share this flyer so that we can help even more!
I’ve chosen my Elf Archer as the theme for the evening, and she is a super fun and dynamic character to draw! Hope to see you there, and sign up for the countdown in my stories to make sure you don’t miss out!
May 31, 2020 | Categories: Uncategorized | Comments Off on First Nations charity benefit
