Key Takeaways
- Twin Temple's controversy: The band faced backlash for using Satanic imagery in their shows, leading to dropped tour dates.
- Support from Jack White: After the controversy, Jack White offered Twin Temple a spot on one of his shows, showcasing solidarity.
- New album insights: Their upcoming album, Doomed Lovers, reflects personal struggles and artistic evolution.
- Embracing diverse influences: The band blends various genres, including countrypolitan and rock, to create a unique sound.
Twin Temple are speaking out after recently finding themselves at the center of controversy, having been dropped from tour dates over the use of Satanic imagery in their shows. Headliner Charley Crockett made the call, but much to their surprise, Jack White then jumped in with an offer to join one of his shows after hearing about their plight. This all comes as the band ramps up to the release of their fourth studio album, Doomed Lovers.
We recently had a chance to speak with Alexandra and Zachary James about the sudden spotlight surrounding them, and what it meant to have the unsolicited backing of Jack White following the initial stir over Crockett’s decision to remove them from his dates.
The couple also discuss how Satanism became part of their lives, both personally and from a creative perspective, and how the rock and metal community has embraced them. They also touch on the countrypolitan influences and hard times that have permeated their new album, Doomed Lovers.
Check out more of the chat below.
Twin Temple are a rather unique band. There’s really not anyone doing what you do. I kind of get it from hearing the music, but how did Twin Temple end up on a bill with Charley Crockett, and were you more surprised by the invite or by being dropped?
Zachary James: The offer came in like all offers do. We just received an email from our agent proposing the idea.
Alexandra James: I personally wasn’t surprised when the offer came in. We’ve been fans of Charley’s music ourselves for a while, and Shooter [Jennings] produces both of our records.
With Charley, I think the through line, in our opinion, is that he’s bringing classic American traditional music into contemporary conversation. I think we share a lot of the same ideals — individualism, freedom, and fighting for spaces for the independent artist in today’s landscape.
So we thought it would be a really cool way to actually build bridges. This record has some vintage, early ’62-to-’64 countrypolitan Nashville flair. I think Zach can talk all day about the production side, but we just love all the stuff that came out of there — Owen Bradley, Floyd Cramer, Patsy Cline, RCA Records, Roy Orbison. Those references are definitely showing up a lot on this record. So it was like, “Cool, let’s build some bridges into some alternative spaces,” ’cause I definitely feel a really cool, whole vintage country, traditional country, alt-country scene out there.
We’re a weird band, right? The first time we went out with Uncle Acid or Ghost, we were like, “We don’t play metal; we play the oldies.” So I think everyone had questions like, “Is that going to be weird to go play with super heavy bands?” But to us, in the end, it’s all rock ‘n’ roll. If you look at Chuck Berry — is he playing country or is he playing rock ‘n’ roll? It wasn’t about genre.
So we’re very much about pushing the boundaries of what music is and pushing back against strict genres because a lot of times strict genres just feel like marketing. To us, at the end of the day, music is music, and we see the musical DNA that we share with Charley.
So when they asked us, we were super excited and thought it would be a really different but cool lineup. We gladly accepted.
Obviously this caused quite a bit of stir in the public space. Charlie came out strong backing his stance on social media, but he’s also deactivated his socials in the pending days as we’ve seen. But have you been surprised at all by the amount of public reaction this has gotten?
Alexandra: We never expected this level of response. I would say we were surprised with how quickly it all snowballed.
Shortly after you lost the two shows, Jack White stepped up. You got an invite to the Los Angeles date, and I love his line, “Get in front of me, Satan” — very clever. He’s also shot down some social media pushback. Have you spoken at all with Jack since his initial invite, and can you talk about your thoughts on his support of you in this situation? [Editor’s Note: Since the interview, the band has now been confirmed to open a Sept. 29 date for Jack White at the Hollywood Palladium]
Zachary: Obviously, we were taken aback.
Alexandra: Shooter [Jennings] texted us the screen cap and I was like, “That’s so funny.” He’s like, “No, it’s real.”
And I was like, “Oh my God.” I actually don’t have Instagram — I deleted it a long while ago. But I downloaded Instagram to write back to Jack White because we’ve been fans of his music. I’ve been a fan of his music since I was young.
I own all his records from when they first came out. “Dead Leaves in the Dirty Ground” was literally the second or first guitar song I ever learned. It was Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” and then a White Stripes song.
So it meant the world to us because when you get removed from a show there’s always the fear as a smaller independent artist that you’re being rejected by the industry. Charley’s a pretty well-known — I won’t call him mainstream — but he’s a much bigger artist than us. So you’re always like, “Okay, are other people going to do similar things to us?”
But I think Jack coming in and backing us up meant a lot to us — not only because we’ve been fans of his for so long but because him just saying “Nah they’re alright,” [meant something too].
So as stated earlier, Twin Temple aren’t exactly easy to categorize. You’ve opened shows for heavy bands like Ghost Rammstein Uncle Acid and I know there are Danzig dates coming up. What did it mean especially early on to have the hard rock and metal community embrace you? Were those fan bases accepting? Was there any pushback? And why do you feel the heavy music community has embraced you?
Zachary James: There was no pushback. I think there’s just a shared ethos — I think that’s what connects us all. There’s a shared love of subversion. That first tour with Uncle Acid was incredible because we’d been fans of Uncle Acid prior to the shows. So at that point to be invited on that tour was a nightmare come true really.
Going into it we didn’t really know how the crowds were going to react so seeing their acceptance and their reaction and understanding the music on a deeper level and seeing that shared ethos meant a lot to us. And it continues with doing shows with Behemoth — they’re black metal and we get to talk about “Well what kind of blood do you use onstage?”
Zachary: That’s been pretty surreal. These are bands that we’ve liked for a very long time — Danzig Behemoth Uncle Acid all these bands. It feels really really good to be accepted by other artists you respect.
I think that’s one of the things that kind of gets me off most is just having other artists connect with them and them voicing their support — that just means the world.
So for both of you Satanism is something that has bonded you. It’s part of your personal life but it’s also something you’ve made part of your art. Can you talk a little about what initially drew you in this direction? And how has having each other helped you tap into and explore your beliefs and spirituality in that way?
Zachary: We feel that people are born Satanists so we both just kind of found the vocabulary at the same time together. We discovered like “Oh there’s a name for these things” — these thoughts that we have these ideas that we harbor these images that we’re drawn to.
Alexandra: We got our start in punk rock scene and that’s how we came together. And I think a lot of Satanic philosophy left-hand path philosophy occult — it definitely has a lot of through lines to punk rock in terms of nonconformity individualism anti-establishment tear down old guard break through walls push boundaries rattle cages you know? And exploration taboo.
I really think at the end of day we’re a lot of things but punk rock ethos is very much in line with Satanism.
As far as us starting this project — by that point we’d been playing in punk bands and different rock bands then we got married and we were like “What’s a way to combine everything that we love into one project?” We didn’t really know who it was for.
At that point we’d been going for really long time We actually had management we had producer all this other stuff we’d been writing writing writing for over year just thinking about how we could combine our mutual interests into this We call it our magical child ’cause it was sort like we got married and had this child you know? It was Twin Temple We didn’t really know who it was going to be for.
Zachary: We made it for ourselves It was just for us It was for pleasure joy and we started playing out locally in L.A., and it resonated with other people It just grew from there It was all very organic natural and we got to build on things that we love and do it together.
Alexandra: But yeah we really didn’t know who it was for because at first we were going to lot vintage-guy kind shows But I guess we thought it would be for rare vintage record collectors like ourselves Like if I went to record shop saw something that sounded like The Ronettes but had black mass on cover I’d pick that record up so fast you know what I mean?
So that’s why we made it — just get ourselves off And very quickly I think because ethos it was actually heavy metal scene stepped up for us.
We were so grateful because it didn’t seem like it would find audience — thought it would just be us and we were fine with that But heavy community stepped up and that rules because we’re huge fans rock ‘n’ roll love metal.
Visually everything from Behemoth King Diamond black metal is there But we also love traditional pop love classic American music early rock ‘n’ roll ’60s So that’s why made what made.
Can you talk about what you put into live setting how you came up with idea what wanted present? How close is what you’re doing now to what your ultimate show would be?
Alexandra: Ooh it’s so far off We have long way go.
Zachary: Lots ideas for future that won’t share yet but I think felt important incorporate traditional magical ritual into show?
Alexandra: That’s why there’s an element version lesser banishing ritual pentagram And there’s this whole really cool history ’60s occult music where occultists England were getting involved with rock ‘n’ roll There’s Alex Maxine Sanders who were teaching Coven Black Widow — maybe they didn’t mess with Coven but with Black Widow they taught them how do some these rituals you could actually see them doing them their performances.
So that communication between music magic is super inspiring to us Obviously there’s tons precedent there but always knew wanted have big theatrical element ’cause that’s just what love.
READ MORE: See Twin Temple Sacrifice Loudwire Writer to Devil
We love vintage ’60s horror Hammer Horror films like Devil Rides Out, anything with cool ritual scene Satanic altar we’re so in That’s just visual language resonates with us so definitely something wanted put our own spin on And I think it’s kinda fun ’cause get kinda do everything like this band.
Twin Temple “Satan’s a Woman” Live in New Orleans
I’m going give you Mount Rushmore influences on your live show Do you have four things you’d say okay these are things that definitely influenced what wanted do terms our live show presentation?
Alexandra: When I was kid on my first Walkman bought an Elvis cassette totally fell in love with rock ‘n’ roll I don’t know if it’s because I’ve got weird super rare vocal register for woman — I’m contralto which is really close male tenor actually So feel like as kid when figured out loved singing just started singing along all male tenors ’50s ’60s Elvis being first one really loved I just fell in love with whole ethos rock ‘n’ roll.
Also I think just because my upbringing as mixed-race woman first-generation America always kind felt like outsider realized very quickly that never going be prom queen So think rock ‘n’ roll made me feel like “Nah it’s cool be part subculture underground art You don’t need accepted by mainstream In fact maybe mainstream bunch middle-of-the-road stuff cool stuff not everyone gets behind.”
So it made me feel empowered accepted get into rock ‘n’ roll punk from get-go which I’ve found has always been most inclusive accepting open-minded group people ’cause it’s baked into scene.
