"YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT, OR YOU CAN DO IT THIS WAY.
YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO, FUCK WHAT OTHERS SAY."
"MAGNET HEART" - SEX WITH STRANGERS
Sex With Strangers is back with their new EP release Curses, the follow-up to the 2016 album Discourse. The group's unique combination of genres, a mix of new wave, post-punk and rock with haunting synth stands out in the Vancouver music scene. The band's longevity has kept them growing with every release but never failing to provide us with their "dance music with an edge" vibe. Hatch Benedict, vocalist and keyboardist of Sex With Strangers gave us a look into the creation of Curses and what goes on in that lyrical brain of his.
"I wanted to come up with an idea where the four songs are actually all about one person, either male or female, just a person that’s struggling but also has mystical powers, a little science fiction piece," Benedict explains. "Each song is told from the perspective of someone that’s meeting this person, so it’s not told from the person itself. It’s told from someone who has come in contact with this person. Even with our earlier records, I liked the idea of thematics, having things that tie the whole thing together."
This being the band's ninth release, Sex With Strangers knew they wanted a more focused sound, and were eager for it to reach the ears of the masses.
"We wanted to really get into the core of our sound which is more of that new wave, dark-wave post-punky, kind of darker but danceable type of music. So that’s the other reason really just for wanting to get the EP out these songs felt like they fitted each other. “ Benedict continues: “This is a little more reminiscent of what we were doing early on when we first started 150 years ago.”
The producer of the EP, James Corbett, vocalist and guitarist of the band Actors, has had a connection with the band longer than their past few releases. Corbett also played in bands with Hatch as far as the late 90’s developing a long time musical bond.
The EP has a combination of soft reverb surrounding itself with a sea of minor chords, Mysterious synth, honest lyricism and percussion that invites you to dance. Together creating an orchestrated reel of an untold story for your eardrums and mind. "Magnet Heart" provides us with an authentic chorus with words we should all abide by.
"When it comes to our music, we always come together and really put our best foot forward and you know we don’t want to put music out unless we feel it's moving us in the forward direction, which is really hard once you put out as much stuff as we have. A couple of these songs we feel are some of the best we've ever done."