Autumn - Venice
US ethereal-darkwave trio Autumn (Minneapolis, MN) have unveiled ‘Venice’: the second single and video to be revealed from their forthcoming new album, Songs About Dying. Neil McKay (guitar) and Jeff Leyda (bass) generate a hypnotic, amniotic whorl of pulsing electronics, flickering guitars, and driving bass and drum-machine: echoing a sense of Venice’s transition and movement down through the ages, edging ever-near to a watery grave. It is a backdrop befitting vocalist Julie Plante’s impassioned lament for the ancient city’s uncertain future, whereas the song also celebrates Venice’s endurance as a symbol of romance and majesty, as Plante explains.
“Venice is on one level about the death of a city, in that nothing remains unchanged. Everything we experience in this world, all that we create, it is all in a constant state of transition, whether we realize it or not. Venice is a striking example of slowly drowning under the weight curated by our actions and inaction. Venice is also one of those iconic places that we hold a romantic hunger for, a celebration of decadence in spite of everything going on around it. We want to immerse ourselves in it, even as our collective hunger creates the environment that threatens its survival. So, for that reason, this track is also about resilience, and that beauty, once created, can never truly be destroyed. Its continued existence gives me hope for my own.”
Autumn began as a collaborative effort between bassist Jeff Leyda and guitarist Neil McKay in the summer of 1992; consolidated by the addition of vocalist Julie Plante in February 1994. With soaring vocals against a lush landscape of intricate guitar sounds and propulsive bass and rhythms, they have cultivated a loyal following over their 30+ years. Following some early cassette releases, in 1995 Autumn signed to Tess Records, and embarked on what would become a long working relationship with William Faith, who co-produced the debut album The Hating Tree (Tess Records, 1997). Holding stages with the likes of Clan of Xymox, Faith and the Muse, Switchblade Symphony, Lycia, The Wake, and Sunshine Blind, among others, Autumn followed up with the sophomore album, Return to the Breath (Tess Records, 2000).
While members intermittently made space for family and career aspirations, Autumn returned with renewed energy for the release of their third album, Chandelier (Sett Records, 2018), produced again by William Faith. The band has since embarked on several mini-tours of the US supporting Clan of Xymox and The Bellwether Syndicate, and in2019 were invited to play the prestigious Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, Germany. More recently, Autumn have once again been working with Faith to produce their upcoming fourth album, Songs About Dying, which includes last year’s popular single ‘Catacombs’, and newest offering, ‘Venice’.
‘Venice’ by Autumn is available from Bandcamp now.
