Through the muck and more of the last few years, we’ve been lucky enough to get some incredibly high-quality noise bands out of the madness, from Chat Pile and meth. to Body Void, Portrayal of Guilt, Crippling Alcoholism… there are countless more, but something we’ve realized is that noise music doesn’t necessarily have to result from chaotic, unsympathetic world we live in. But the best of it is often exacerbated by it, often finding itself pushed beyond the limits of their original intent.
Haunted Horses are one of those luminary noise bands whose intent has taken shape over the last decade, and they really hit their artistic stride with 2022’s The Worst Has Finally Happened, almost surging upwards to METZ-like heights with their industrial edge and murky, borderline Lovevraftian imagery. It was also their first album to officially feature bassist Brian McClelland of Filth is Eternal and He Whose Ox is Gored.
The band is about to officially release their next album, DWELLER through Three One G, and it seems their path continues to descend through darkened madness, but of course, it’s to the listeners’ benefit – their suffering sounds incredible. The drums are massive. The vocals are perfectly mixed and layered while also remaining super raw and emotive. All of the instrumentation seems so damned natural that you don’t even really stop to wonder if you’re hearing a guitar, bass, synthesizer, or mechanical death growl because even if you don’t know what it is, you know why. It’s some of the most muscular, best executed music of this style since Daughters‘ enrapturing if somewhat cursed modern goth classic, You Won’t Get What You Want.
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“Dweller is an album based around the concept of transition, and the existential dread that often accompanies it in many stages. Lyrics, ideas and sound elements came through a practice of meditating to the hypnagogic state. A space between wakefulness and the dream state. Through nine songs we set out to create an experience for the listener that takes them through the threshold.”
The statement from Colin Dawson certainly tracks, and we’re extremely honored to present this exclusive Bandcamp stream of DWELLER in it’s entirety, which is out officially on January 10th. We’re also excited to show off this QNA with the band, not to mention our first giveaway / raffle of the year for a limited edition gold and black variant of the record!
Scroll down to the end for the giveaway details, otherwise, enjoy the stream of noise caviar that is the new Haunted Horses as you read our QNA with Myke Pelly and Colin Dawson. We touch on stuff like hypnogogic meditation, growing up goth, and how DWELLER represents both a logical progression for the band as well as a new intent – don’t miss it.
FB: This is technically your second record with bass player Brian McClelland (or third if you count the split with FiE) – how did you guys meet?
Pelly: Brian has been a friend and collaborator in the Seattle music scene for years through his work with Filth Is Eternal and He Whose Ox Is Gored. We always admired his energy and style, so when we started looking to expand our sound, he felt like the perfect fit. His addition brought a whole new dynamic to the band, pushing us into uncharted territories sonically and creatively. It’s been an exciting evolution having him with us for The Worst Has Finally Happened and now our new material.
FB: Would you say songwriting was easier or more difficult as a two piece?
Pelly: As a two-piece, songwriting had its advantages—it was raw, focused, and came with fewer moving parts. However, it also felt limiting at times. Adding bass opened up new possibilities and gave the music a fuller, more layered sound. It’s been less about “easier or harder” and more about how the extra dimension lets us explore ideas we couldn’t before. The challenge is now balancing those new layers while retaining the chaos and intensity that define the band.
FB: One thing I always like to ask bands about is their environment – how would you say Seattle has impacted your sound, if at all?
Colin: I’m not sure that Seattle so much impacted our sound as much as we were so lucky to be a part of a great supportive community. What personally impacts me is the dark season, typically Nov – March. When the months are cold and dark, days are short, I find a good time to turn within and work on projects. It’s harder to do this in the summer months, though I do like escaping the light for some dungeon studio time.
FB: The band’s industrial punk sound is definitely one that borders on, or is at least congruent with, the gothic. While it seems like calling modern music goth is a bit weird, the genre’s influence also seems increasingly relevant. Do you feel the term relates to Haunted Horses?
Colin: I definitely grew up a little goth kid, obsessed with the occult and trying to find scary shit. I can see elements within our music that sound that can translate goth, that gets mixed with noise, and punk hardcore influences to make something a bit different.
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FB: Your last record took the noise world by storm with its intensity, but it was also a logical progression from what you’d done before. With Dweller, it seems like things are expanding yet still very true to HH’s roots. Did you do anything consciously different this time around?
Colin: Yes, the songwriting on Dweller was much more intentional. As we were all living in different states, we had to start our writing approach in recording sessions. Pelly and I pretty much learned how to play and write music together, so this provided a new challenge. Previously, we had been in our practice space at least 3 times a week, meticulously analyzing and hammering out songs. With Dweller we had to imagine the desired impacts instead of getting to be together and refine over months.
FB: Are there things you routinely go to or practice for inspiration? Were there any events or new inspirations behind the Dweller sessions?
Colin: It sounds cliche, but when I am looking for inspiration it’s a process of getting quiet and noticing things. For me, I find the best ideas do not come from straining to produce, but from relaxing and almost letting words, or ideas appear in a playful way. In Dweller, I had learned about Hypnagogic Meditations, and started doing this daily for about 20 minutes, it was a very useful device.
FB: Were there any difficulties in the recording process? Or conversely anything that happened quicker than anticipated and/or was more enjoyable?
Pelly: Recording is always an intense process, but this time around, we came in with a stronger sense of what we wanted. Having Brian in the mix made things feel fresh and exciting—his heavy basslines helped the songs come together more quickly than expected. That said, we’re perfectionists, so dialing in the right textures and tones for each track still took some serious work. The most enjoyable part was hearing everything come to life in the studio and realizing how much we’ve grown since our earlier releases.
FB: Is there a song or a moment on the record you are most excited for people to hear?
Pelly: It’s hard to choose, but the moments where everything locks into this overwhelming wall of sound—those are the most thrilling. Songs like “Grey Eminence” and “Dweller on the Threshold” stand out because they embody the intensity and unpredictability that we strive for. There are sections in those tracks that feel like they’re on the verge of unraveling, but they stay just barely tethered together, and I think listeners are going to feel that visceral energy.
FB: So much of Haunted Horses’ discography sounds like pure catharsis or exorcism, which can be hard to revisit – that being said, you released a redux for your debut in 2023. What made you want to revisit the Watcher material?
Pelly: Watcher represents a raw, foundational moment for us—a snapshot of where we started. Revisiting it after all these years felt like a way to honor our evolution while giving those early songs the sonic weight they deserve with our current approach. It wasn’t about nostalgia; it was about reclaiming and reshaping that chaotic energy with the benefit of everything we’ve learned since. Plus, it was cathartic in itself to return to those roots and push them further.
FB: Even if it’s more apparent now, since the debut, HH has seemed like an extremely intentional project. How does your relationship change with the songs or records change over time?
Colin: I think we both fear the idea of redundancy, or being predictable. With each new record we work to outdo what we’ve previously done. I see the records all as ladders sonically and conceptually that lead to the next record.
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GIVEAWAY / RAFFLE DETAILS:
To celebrate the release of DWELLER, we’re giving away ten copies of the limited-edition Bright and Bold, Black and Gold edition, which are silkscreened DIY… of course, this is for people in the U.S. specifically, as international shipping is currently insane but… snagging yourself a ticket is easy as hell, all things considered. We’re going with Music Cares on this one, an amazing organization that offers resources for addiction and recovery. If you make a donation to them here at least $5.00, or donate to our BuyMeACoffee with a note that it’s for the raffle (subject could be ‘raffle,’ ‘giveaway,’ ‘music cares,’ ‘haunted horses,’ etc.), we can submit it for you and you’ll be entered for a chance at a stellar record in a limited-edition print. We’re going to try and close the drawing / announce the winners January 17th!
Steps:
1. Listen to Haunted Horses.
2. Go to https://musicares.org/get-help/addiction-recovery and donate in the top right corner.
2A. OR – go to https://buymeacoffee.com/feckingbahamas and donate with subject or memo like ‘raffle,’ ‘giveaway,’ ‘music cares,’ ‘haunted horses,’ etc.
3. Send a screenshot or receipt to us on Social Media or at informashun@feckingbahamas.com. Wait for 1/17.
4. Receive excellent DIY silkscreen Black and Gold variant of Dweller.
5. Feel good.
(Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for more music, check out our Bandcamp compilations here. If you like us, or possibly even love us, donations are always appreciated at the Buy Me A Coffee page here, but if you’re in a generous mood you can also donate to folks like Doctors Without Borders, the PCRF, Charity Water, Kindness Ranch, One Tail at A Time, Canopy Cat Rescue, or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that could probably use it more – click on their names above to check ‘em out if you’re so inclined. Thanks again!)