Dark Moon Lilith tells us about a script found in the attic of their new home that inspired their latest single!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
Dark Moon Lilith is a play on the astrology term Black Moon Lilith, which is the furthest point of the moon’s orbit around the earth, when the moon is dark and the most isolated. We also refer to new moons as dark moons. The female spirit known as Lilith is also a huge inspiration in the band name. Representing equality for the feminine as well as honoring and indulging in the darker parts of the human psyche. Lilith represents our shadow selves, a dark animus.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
Tara: I grew up in Springfield, MO where I started singing and writing songs as a child. By the time I was a teen, things had come to a head, and I began to professionally pursue music. I started training professionally as a guitarist and singer, (working with the likes of John LeCompt of Evanescence and Phil Taylor of Future Leaders Of The World) before moving to Nashville TN in 2014, shortly after where I met Mathew.
Mathew: I grew up in Little Rock, AR, playing bass in and out of local bands as a teenager. It was in and out of these bands that I found a love for music production and by 16 I had started recording any band in town that would let me. It was that passion that took me to Nashville TN in 2013 where I met Tara. The rest is history!
How would you describe your sound?
Tara: Dark, guitar driven, theatrical, alternative rock laced with an ethereal, cryptic vibe…
Mathew: Yeah, I’d say that covers it.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
My Chemical Romance, Placebo, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage
What’s the last song you listened to?
Tara: “Just Pretend” by Bad Omens
Mathew: “Right Where It Belongs” by Nine Inch Nails
What’s your source for hearing new music?
Tara: Streaming services like Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube.
Mathew: Yeah, we’re always digging around, wherever we can, looking for new bands similar to our vibe
Who is your dream producer?
Tara: Ohhh that’s tough! Rob Cavallo, John Feldmann…
Mathew: We’re such a production centric band we could probably come up with a pretty long list.
Tara: Maybe Butch Vig too…
Mathew: Oh him, definitely!
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Tara: Music has always been there for me when nothing else has. To me music is spiritual and connects us all. It’s a fantastic outlet to let your creativity and emotions go wild. Songwriting has always been the most fascinating thing in the world to me, and I am constantly inspired by new music to keep creating new songs. I also am super inspired by the fans that reach out to us and tell me how some of my music shaped them and moved them in their life. To connect with someone in that way means the world to me.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
Tara: It changes every time. Sometimes it is a chord progression first, other times it’s a melody or a lyric idea. Writing songs is weird because sometimes it feels like you’re channeling something through you and you have these songs that seem to fall out of the air so perfectly and so simply. Other times you have to work for them and craft them. Both are rewarding and amazing.
Mathew: Typically Tara brings in the song and then we bring them to life in the studio with other instrumentation, production, effects, hexes etc.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
Tara: Social media, live streams, anywhere you can. Please reach out! We love hearing from our fans!
Mathew: Yes! Please do! We don’t bite…unless you’re into that!
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkmoonlilithmusic (@darkmoonlilithmusic)
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_darkmoonlilithmusic
(@_darkmoonlilithmusic)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkmoonlilithmusic/
(@darkmoonlilithmusic)
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DarkMoonLilith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_darkmoonlilith
(@_darkmoonlilithmusic)
Website and Merch shop: https://www.darkmoonlilith.com
What’s next for you?
Tara: Promoting “Eclipse” while going back into the studio to work on our next single!
Mathew: Lots more stuff in the future!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about your new single Eclipse?
Tara: We had moved into an older house in the east part of Nashville, It was up in the attic (along with a lot of other junk) we found the box containing the movie script, Blood On The Moon. We thought that the fact it was just left behind was actually really eerie.
Mathew: It’s a classic retelling of the fabled werewolf story and was probably intended to be a fairly local production. As far as we could tell this movie was never made nor can we trace down any specifics on the author, but they clearly put a lot of work into it. It just kept haunting us until we folded inspiration from it into this release.
Tara: It’s our first original single in 5 years! Which means you basically HAVE to check it out!
And where can they check it out?
Tara: Basically anywhere you can stream music!
Mathew: Be sure to check out the video on our YouTube channel!
MUSIC. LINKS
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4MAbPbU6vzD7b9VoGSaSXO
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DarkMoonLilith
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dark-moon-lilith/1220212019?itsct=music_box&itscg=30200&ct=artists_dark_moon_lilith&ls=1&app=music
Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/darkmoonlilithmusic
Bio:
Established 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee, bedeviled indie rock duo Dark Moon Lilith (DML) casts a dark shadow over a discography which weaves the occult into the fabric of the human condition. Through melancholic melodies, haunting guitar riffs, and unsettling storytelling, DML coaxes listeners to connect with those dark places society deems they should tuck away.
Comprised of Tara James (vocalist/songwriter/guitar) and Mathew Fulper-Smith (production/bass), Dark Moon Lilith infuses discordant melody with jarring vocal performances, reflecting the angst of their lyricism in vitriolic soundscapes. Edgy. Raw. Profound. Such words only hint at the depths of despondence DML consistently reach. For they know, to emerge at a state of spiritual and sensual freedom, their fans must first confront their most ominous existence.
2017 album Occultation embodies this odyssey. Its eight-track landscape incarnates The Netherworld, enveloping listeners in a chaotic stasis of devastation and repose. Lauded by The Swindonian as “the perfect soundtrack for my half-lit domain”, Occultation marries the propulsive force of classic rock with James’ ethereal, introspective vocal performances.
The theatrical nature of the duo’s music is obvious and DML have embraced this, consistently releasing harrowing videos to visually accompany their work. Meticulous, lucid, and chilling, the sensory experience of cabalistic visuals paired with gothic incantations creates a visceral air of disquietude.
After relocating to Orlando in 2022, James and Fulper-Smith are set to release their first original single in five years: Eclipse. Spawned from an esoteric script discovered in the attic of a new home, fans should expect another abyssal sojourn through the forthcoming release. One that leads directly to the core of their vexatious soul.
