Since the Washington DC ethereal band’s heyday in the underground of the early ‘90s, Strange Boutique has gone on to enjoy a somewhat legendary status in the annals of goth/rock and post-punk. The band became known for their very own eclectic brand of powerful, guitar-driven ethereal pop, with a touch of world music influence and mystical imagination. The group was a fixture of the DC club scene from 1987-1993. Their shows were a veritable gathering of DC’s misfits: freaks, goths, punks, scenesters and dreamers. Strange Boutique waved a bittersweet goodbye from the stage at the original Black Cat DC club in November 1993.
Monica Richards’ success in the acclaimed goth act, Faith and the Muse, kept interest in the band alive. They released three albums: ‘The Loved One’ (1991), ‘Charm’ (1993) and ‘The Kindest Worlds’ (1994) as well as two singles and an EP.
In 2017, Strange Boutique’s seminal guitarist Fred “Freak” Smith was murdered, which sent shockwaves through the Washington DC music scene. This caused Monica and bassist Steve Willett to get together and talk about doing a reunion show in his honor. They teamed up with Dennis Kane, who had been a friend and protégé of Fred’s. The DC 2019 sold out show was packed, and the band had a blast performing their music again, with Dennis playing Fred’s guitar lines flawlessly. After the show, it just became natural to talk about new music, and the songs just started happening.
Now, thanks to the perpetual, viral nature of social media and a growing interest in post-punk music, a new generation of ears have stumbled upon Strange Boutique. All three of their original albums have become revered, ‘The Loved One’ especially, which contains their beloved viral song ‘Drown’. ‘Drown’ has hit over 11 million streams on Spotify and over 15 million across all platforms.
A new era of Strange Boutique arrives… As the post-punk and goth/rock resurgence is in full swing, the time is just right for Strange Boutique to return, with appreciation for their past yet moving forward with renewed energy. ‘Let the Lonely Heart Sing’ is a captivating new collection of original guitar-driven songs that explore ghostly themes of love and loss, childlike wonder, echoes from the past, and a deep hope for the future. This elegant album showcases the band’s growth while retaining their unique and beautiful goth/dark wave sound.
‘Let the Lonely Heart Sing’ pulsates with heart, there’s an old-school spirit at work throughout, with lavish instrumentation, rich countermelodies and profound lyrics. Dennis Kane’s shimmering guitars provide lush layers for Monica Richards’ ethereal vocals and harmonies (which will delight original fans of Strange Boutique as well as Faith and the Muse, who have missed her voice), along with Steve Willett’s unmistakable chorus-drenched bass all layered over organic rhythms make this release truly enchanting. The album also features a live string quartet, adding breathtaking layers on three tracks.
Steve Willett served as the main creative force behind most of the album, while Dennis Kane also wrote the closing track and contributed his signature guitar sound throughout. The two would send their demos to Monica, who would then write her distinctive lyrics and work on the vocals. Through a combination of Zoom meetings, phone calls, texts, and demo recordings, the song arrangements were completed. Strange Boutique subsequently entered Baltimore’s Magpie Cage studio to track live drums. So far, two singles have been released: ‘The Night Birds’ and ‘Jet Stream.’ Both songs have generated genuine excitement among fans.
With an extensive and highly influential history achieved, Strange Boutique have unsurprisingly built a dedicated following with their mesmerizing post-punk approach. ‘Let the Lonely Heart Sing’ perfectly celebrates all-of the unique elements that fans know and love about the band, whilst hinting at an incredibly promising future.
‘Let the Lonely Heart Sing’ is available right now!
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