Interview: Curse Mackey
Curse Mackey’s new album, Instant Exorcism, was released on May 10th. Austin, Texas based artist Curse Mackey is best known as lead singer of industrial supergroup PIGFACE and notorious Texas Tribal-industrial legends EVIL MOTHERS and as a periodic member of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. Mackey has now launched a solo electronic-industrial project that includes new material and revamps of classic Pigface and Evil Mothers songs (including Spider Sex and Car Wrecks). Curse's sound is a future forward homage to the experimental side of industrial music, with doom fueled drones, sinister synth pulsations and dirty-minded beats layered upon hypnotic noise manipulations, scream of conscious lyrical prose and near trance inducing improvisations that evoke the ghosts of Throbbing Gristle, early Skinny Puppy, Lustmord, Coil, and the iconic projects Mackey has been a part of.
1. Thank you for taking time to answer some questions for us. Can you tell us how you got started working in music?
My pleasure. I began working in music as a DJ spinning dark electronic and experimental music in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. From there I began creating music on synths, samplers, drum machines, and tape manipulation ultimately leading to the formation of my first band Evil Mothers and subsequent involvement in other projects.
2. You're currently a vocalist of Pigface and a member of the bands My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and play live in Clan of Xymox in the past. How did you start working with each band? Do you find it hard to juggle being involved in so many projects on top of your solo work?
To clarify, yes, I have worked with these bands in various capacities and the scheduling is quite simple. I just focus on one project at a time. As for Clan of Xymox, I’m not a touring member of the band. However, I toured in the U.S. two times as the supporting act for them and also Ronny Moorings of Clan of Xymox plays guitar on my new album INSTANT EXORCISM. We will doing more shows together later this year. My involvement in My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult has evolved over time and I am currently the support act for their “Strange Affairs Tour” which will continue into Fall 2019. It is also an exciting year for Pigface with the just announced tour! So yes, there is a lot going on, fortunately there are 365 days in the year so there is time for everything.
3. You recently filled in for Peter Murphy on the final date of Bauhaus' 40th Anniversary tour. How did that fall into place and what was the experience like?
It was a quite unexpected and surreal experience, and a very positive one. I was in Orlando only to perform on stage with SINE, who were the opening act for Peter Murphy. David J invited myself and Rona Rougeheart of SINE to perform with him once it was known near the end of the SINE set that Mr. Murphy would be unable to perform. We only had 20 minutes to collaborate on the musical approach and the set list between the time SINE completed their set and the beginning of the final show on the “40 Years of Bauhaus tour”. It was of course an honor to perform with David J, Mark Gemini Thwaite (Peter Murphy guitarist) and Marc Slutsky (PM drummer), and to sing the songs on such an iconic Bauhaus set. I had a lot of fun and it will always be a stand-out memory. Perhaps we’ll create some more memories in the future.
4. Your music is described as electronic-industrial. Who have your major musical influences been and how do you think they've impacted your sound?
I don’t attempt to emulate any particular artists, or to fit a specific genre. I’m into music that evokes a darker, ethereal, mysterious atmosphere and that can come in the form of classical music, ambient, experimental and into industrial and the dark 80’s sounds. I am a fan of Skinny Puppy, Bowie, Iggy Pop, early The Cure, IAMX, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Coil, later era Depeche Mode, Godflesh, Trentemöller, Killing Joke, Chopin, amongst others and so my own music may be created using some of the same paints and brushes so to speak at times.
5. Was writing solo material more difficult than writing with members of a band?
Quite the opposite for this particular album. It was a challenging process, at times both painful and pleasurable however it was never difficult in the way that a full-band collaboration can be.
6. What was the song writing process for "Instant Exorcism" like? Does the title have a personal meaning? INSTANT EXORCISM, is about transformation and cleaning the mental slate to reach a point of greater clarity. I believe that by creating art and music, we provide ourselves a pathway to overcome the obstacles of oppression and depression we face as individuals and as a digitally connected society. So for me, these songs represent an energy that needed to be exorcised from my soul and manifested into art that now serves to provide enjoyment, entertainment, and some supernatural thrills to the listener. It’s a very diverse album that will appeal to fans of any band we’ve talked about here.
7. You're going to be touring with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult this spring. Will you be opening and joining them on stage?
We’re on tour as we speak, we just sold out last night in Seattle and it’s a non-stop thrill ride with new surprises on and off the stage every day. I can only encourage you to come to a show and find out what goes on behind the closed doors of the venues hosting the “Strange Affairs Tour”!
8. What can audiences expect from your live show?
A live exorcism no doubt, for both performer and audience alike with high-quality sound, energy and intensity. I expect the same from the audience.
9. Any last comments for our readers?
Thank you for reading this far, please get a copy of INSTANT EXORCISM and if you like, share it with others and come to a show if you can. I’m quite happy with the record and I think you’ll be rewarded in the depth of the album upon multiple listens. Beast witches to you all!
Connect with Curse Mackey
www.facebook.com/cursemackey1
www.cursemackey.com to listen to INSTANT EXORCISM