Three-track EP comes as the first of a two-part release; summer & fall tours in support
NEW YORK CITY | JULY 12, 2019 – Post-punk rock trio Castle Black return with a new EP Dead in a Dream today. Delivering a blend of raw yet addictive material, the band pulls from a range of punk, post-punk, grunge, alternative rock and new wave influences, crafting a sound of their own. With three punchy tracks, this release comes as the first half of their forthcoming EP Take Her My Life, due out later this year.
New Fury Media premiered the release earlier this week sharing, “The band plays an interesting style of alt-rock that draws from Sonic Youth and L7, so if riot grrl bands are your thing (they should be!), this band might be right up your alley.” Castle Black have continued to develop their sound and delivery, with drummer Joey Russo providing his recording debut for the band on this release. Roaring guitar riffs, melodic yet driving bass lines, and thunderous drums all are led by vocalist/guitarist Leigh Celent’s raw, angsty vocals; combined, they demand attention in a power-packed delivery. Carefully honed, they provide an authentic and unfiltered delivery, with melodic hook-filled passages building an emotional performance that keeps listeners guessing, yet always returning for more. Utilizing their music as a reflection to society, the lyrics are often left intentionally broad; open for interpretation on personal, societal, and political levels. “I think a lot of the themes of this album also build on previous themes,” mused Celent. “But they also go beyond those previous themes in a way that I’m not even sure that I understand. So maybe this EP is just about going beyond, and there are lots of interpretations of that idea.”
Celent shared the reasoning and concept behind the band’s decision to release the music as a two-part collection. “We decided to take the idea from 2018’s the gods that adoredyou a step further. With the gods, we partitioned the EP into two parts, as a way to differentiate one chunk of songs from the other on the album, and as a way to better express how we saw the album thematically. With Dead in a Dream, we are releasing this EP in advance of the full EP, Take Her My Life. It will include both mini-EPs: Dead in a Dream and Born in a Dream.”
Dead in a Dream was recorded by Michael Abiuso (The Venetia Fair, Kiss Kiss, The Gay Blades) at Behind The Curtains Media in Brooklyn, NY. It was mixed by Mark Plati (known for his work with David Bowie, Prince, Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik), and mastered by Tom Scheponik. The album’s cover art focuses on a rag doll sitting in a window; the simplicity evokes numerous emotions, open to interpretation as much as Castle Black’s music. From nostalgia for the innocence of childhood days, to a sense of sadness, viewers are left to ponder. “I had a strong image in my head of what I wanted the cover art to look like,” said Celent. “I had a specific idea of the type of doll that I wanted, and how I saw her posed. At some point, I remembered that I had a doll as a kid that totally fit the bill, at least as I remembered her. I texted my mom right away, hoping that the doll was still at her house and that she actually looked as I’d remembered her. When I went to pick her up, she was it.”
Dead in a Dream is out everywhere today, including Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music; physical CD’s are available from the band and a limited release 7″ vinyl will be available later this summer. Castle Black have a number of shows lined up in support of the new release, with numerous regional and NYC dates, as well as an appearance at the female-fronted Ladybug Festival in Wilmington, DE. They will continue with a September tour across the midwest and southern U.S.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
July 13 – Reggie’s 42nd Street Tavern – Wilmington, NC
July 16 – Goldsounds – New York, NY
July 19 – Ladybug Festival (Spaceboy Clothing Showcase) – Wilmington, DE
July 20 – Shamrock Inn – Baltimore, MD
July 31 – Showroom – New York, NY
August 3 – Elephant Talk Festival at The Watering Hole – Hamilton, NJ
August 4 – The Map Room at Bowery Electric – New York, NY
Aug 17 – The Pompei Lounge – Staunton, VA
Aug 24 – American Dissonance Fest – Trenton, NJ
Sept 13 – SchwonkSoundStead – Port Huron, MI
Sept 14 – The Port of Kenosha Beverage House – Kenosha, WI
Sept 15 – Bremen Cafe – Milwaukee, WI
Sept 16 – CtHouse – Elmwood Park, IL
Sep 17 – The Wisco – Madison, WI
Sept 18 – The Ruin – Fort Wayne, IN
Sept 19 – Care Less Lounge – Louisville, KY
Sept 20 – Betty’s Grill – Nashville, TN
Sept 21 – Tommy’s Pub – Charlotte, NC
Sept 22 – The Odditorium – Asheville, NC
Sept 23 – The Jinx – Savannah, GA
Sept 24 – The Camel – Richmond, VA
Sept 26 – Westside Bowl – Youngstown, OH
Sept 27 – Spruce Goose – Indianapolis, IN
Sept 28 – The Old Miami – Detroit, MI
Oct 12 – B&B Saloon – Atlantic City, NJ
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ABOUT CASTLE BLACK:
Castle Black is a Brooklyn-based rock band, bringing a powerful and thunderous sound, full of hard-hitting jams, never sacrificing the hook. Described as drawing from punk, post-punk, grunge, alternative and new wave, Castle Black defies the average rock genre. Each song careens through an almost stream of consciousness depiction of life stories, social anthems and raw emotions. With an intense live show, “impossible to tell what was coming next, except that it was bound to be loud and hard and intense – and catchy” (NY Music Daily), Castle Black is a “reminder of what dominating guitar riffs, melodic basslines, booming drums and a powerful singer with rock prowess can do.” (Subversive Zine)
“The trio seamlessly blend ’80s punk with the heyday of grunge across powerful tunes that roar with a gritty melody,” (New Noise Magazine) and are “the kind of band you want to catch on the way up” (New York Music Daily), whose “sound is an inventive and stimulating mixture of genres,” making “Castle Black’s style one of a kind.” (Indie Rock Café) NY Music Daily included their 2017 release Trapped Under All You Know on their Best of 2017 list, included the single “Broken Bright Star” on the Best Songs of 2017 list, and included their live show on their Best Shows of 2017 list. Music Existence named the band among their Top Alternative Rock Picks of 2017.
Their fourth studio EP, the gods that adored you, was released on June 29, 2018, and includes mixes from Mark Plati (known for his work with David Bowie and Prince, among others). The first single “Sierra” was released on June 15, 2018, and has been widely adored, “taking to issue all of the tremors that are shaking the world today with the punk and tone strong voices can only make.” (Uncivil Revolt) They have released three other EPs: Trapped Under All You Know (2017), Losing Forever (2016) and Find You There (2015), as well as several singles and official videos, in addition to a limited-edition run of a lathe-cut record for their single “Blind Curtain,” released on Leesta Val Sound Recordings in 2017. Their 2019 EP will be released in two parts, with the first part being released in July 2019.
Castle Black has played several popular festivals, including MacRock, Mondo Fest, Northside Fest, NJ Shore Fest, Elephant Talk and Staten Island’s PrideFest. They are excited to play the 2019 LadyBug Festival this July. The band was selected through an audition process as one of a handful of female-fronted groups for Summer on the Hudson’s Make Some Noise Festival in 2017, which highlighted women musicians making an impact on the NYC music scene. They were asked back to the festival this May, which features Make Some Noises’s favorite acts from previous years. Castle Black has opened for several notable acts, including Richard Lloyd (of Television), Big D and the Kids Table, POD and War on Women. This relentlessly touring band has had their songs played on both domestic and international radio shows, including Strawberry Tongue Radio, Banks Radio Australia, Vulcan Sound Radio, Rock Radio UK, Radio Free Brooklyn, Radio KSCR, Lionheart Radio UK, Lucky Star Radio, Radio Tatras International, Kane FM, Valley FM 89.5, 3rd Strike Radio, Riviera FM and many more.
Castle Black is: Leigh Celent (Vocals/Guitar), Joey Russo (Drums), Scott Brown (Bass)
Press inquires can be sent to [email protected]
