Gothic Americana juggernauts Heathen Apostles have just dropped their highly anticipated seventh studio album ‘The In Between’, which came out on Friday, July 5th via Ratchet Blade Records. Recorded in a furious creative haze during the early months of 2024, ‘The In Between’ lives up to its moniker both literally and figuratively; straddling the line in between darkness and light, personal and political, and the concrete past and the unknown future.
Masterfully produced by Chopper Franklin, the album features nine original songs that spin an enchanting spider web of bluegrass, murderfolk, gothic, and spaghetti western influences (with a ethereal cover of the late Mark Lanegan’s ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’ rounding out the tracks to an even ten.) And yet, despite the album’s diversity, ‘The In Between’ proves to be one of the band’s most cohesive sonic explorations of what Americana music can (and frankly, should) be, all while continuing to develop their intricate musical arrangements and memorable, introspective lyrics.
Coupled with eerie postmortem cover portraits painted by lauded fine artist Sean Cheetham, ‘The In Between’ is sure to rank among the year’s top releases within the Americana underground.
Speaking to the album’s title and corresponding opening track, singer Mather Louth states, “The idea of the ‘in between’ is all about learning to sit with- and eventually befriend- the uncomfortable times of not knowing what is coming next, either within one’s own life or within the collective. Uncertainty is a very ungrounding sensation, and the emotions that arise from that discomfort can be challenging to navigate. Exploring this sense of uncertainty proved cathartic for me, and I hope it will offer that same release for listeners.”
Born of the voices of past lives and baptized in the dust bowl dirt, the Gothic Americana music of the Heathen Apostles harkens back to a bygone chapter of American history. Using contrasting influences such as Bauhaus, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and The Pogues along with Howlin’ Wolf, Loretta Lynn (the band covers her classic ‘Fist City’) and Bessie Smith, the Heathen Apostles have created a style of music that at once conjures angels and demons and will enlighten a darkened soul.
Crossing paths at a gathering one Indian summer evening, femme fatale bellower Mather Louth (Radio Noir) and rock n roll veteran Chopper Franklin (The Cramps, Mau Maus, Nick Curran & the Lowlifes) quickly uncovered a mutual appreciation for murder balladry, Americana, and memento mori. It was not long before a collaboration that sought to marry these interests in a sonic landscape, the Heathen Apostles, surfaced. The landscape was further tilled with the addition of Thomas Lorioux (The Kings of Nuthin’, Legendary Shack Shakers) on bass and Luis Mascaro on violin.
Their previous 6 albums – ‘Boot Hill Hymnal’ (2013), ‘Fire To The Fuse’ (2015), ‘Requiem For A Remix’ (2016), ‘Bloodgrass Vol. 1 & 2’ (2018), ‘Dust To Dust’ (2019) and ‘Bloodgrass Vol. 3 & 4’ (2022) – along with their many EPs and singles (their release ‘The Fall’ was named Best EP of 2018 by Folk n Rock magazine), capture the essence of the Heathen Apostles modus operandi: Southern Gothic Americana imagery surrounded by haunting, minor-chord melodies, a myriad of musical influences including Gothic Roots, Bluegrass, Blues, and Gypsy Jazz, all deftly bound together by the band’s dark and sometimes brooding sense of a bygone age. Check these releases out on their Bandcamp page HERE.
Heathen Apostles are heading out on tour in support of ‘The In Between’ and they will be performing 22 dates throughout the UK, two of these being in Sussex. The first of these will be happening in Brighton at The Hope & Ruin on Sunday 21st July with support from Message From The Ravens and the second will be in Hastings at The Jenny Lind on Tuesday 23rd July with support from Vince Ray. Tickets for the Brighton concert can be purchased HERE. Tickets and details of all the other concert dates can be located HERE.
