Candlelight records just released UK heavy rockers Black Moth's new album "Anatomical Venus" and to celebrate we asked Harriet Hyde to tell us about the track "Sisters of the Stone". Here is the story:
Sisters of the Stone is a call to arms to our sisters and brothers who are fighting the good fight for equality, embracing the divine feminine and cultivating a sacred inner strength.
In October 2016, a recording of the President of the United States of America boasting about using his power to "grab" any woman he wanted "by the [private parts" went viral. It was felt by womankind as a hot slap in the face and was the catalyst for an online uprising; international ripples of women sharing their own experiences of sexual assault. Days later, I was sexually assaulted in the street, in the kind of minor way that in the past I would barely have bothered to even tell anyone about. Previously I would have just internalized it and brushed it off, not causing a fuss. But things were different now. Women close to me shared stories of physical, emotional and psychological abuse that broke my heart and I wanted to do something, say something in support of those who have been made to feel like they are "crazy" or "oversensitive" when the circumstances have been so poisonous. A huge movement of solidarity and courage seemed to be taking place and I wanted to write a fist-in-the-air anthem for wronged women, finding their voice and their power in the ashes of a toxic system.
Considering this song was written over a year ago it felt very timely releasing it on the centenary of Votes for Women in the UK and alongside the wave of female empowerment around #metoo/#timesup campaigns. I had Tarrentino's Death Proof revenge plot idea in mind, as well as the Furies of Ancient Greece, deities that according to the Iliad, "under earth take vengeance on men, whosoever hath sworn a false oath." Wild women with nothing left to lose. I wanted it to have the fierce female energy of songs like Fast and Frightening by L7 but with added epic guitar harmonies! In fact, my favourite moment of our live show currently is when Jimmy and Federica cross axes on stage and play their amazing interweaving double solo harmonies. It feels like and expression of men and women standing strong together.
The single artwork features my bodybuilding aunt, Patricia Armstrong. I was searching for vintage photographs of bodybuilding women when my Mum said quite casually, "Oh that's like what Patti's been doing!" I was stunned to see the photographs of how my Aunt has transformed herself into a vision of strength rarely embraced by women. I thought she looked absolutely beautiful and was thrilled she agreed to take part in this way. The video by Noomi Spook is a video montage "herstory" of vintage archival footage. It depicts glimpses of female power, lovingly hunted and excavated from the swathes of old footage of Stepford Wives advertising domestic bliss to dead-eyed sex dolls selling automobiles. Noomi understood what we were trying to create immediately, and she paints a picture of the wild woman in all of us.
So this one's for the witches... Hop on your broomsticks and ride with us!
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!
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