Alternative Nation is hosting the premiere of “Home”, the debut single from NY/LA darkwave duo Prospertine.
Vocalist Arden Leigh’s ethereal vocals accompany a driving darkwave beat; the song begins somber and nuanced before shifting into something very dance worthy. Jeremy Bastard’s production strikes the fine line between glossy and grimy, and fans of goth bands like Sister of Mercy might appreciate the song’s drum machine-driven sound.
Interestingly enough, both Arden Leigh and Jeremy Bastard share the same birthday of January 27th, and this single is a commemoration of that. Alternative Nation wishes Arden and Jeremy a happy birthday!
Per their label: “Prospertine is Arden Leigh and Jeremy Bastard creating darkwave industrial dance pop. Arden and Jeremy met in New York City many years ago, now live on opposite coasts, and decided to create a music project together as a way of celebrating their shared birthday on January 27th.”
Their premiere single “Home” is released by Ghostcat Media International.
It was mixed by Pete Mills at The Audio Studio in Los Angeles.
Says singer Arden Leigh, “I wrote the melody and lyric for Home to a track Jeremy invited me to collaborate on. For the lyrics, I was interested in exploring the darker aspects of awakening and emotional catharsis, aspects that often get bypassed in discussions of spirituality that focus on love + light to the exclusion of the full spectrum of human emotion. While overall it’s an incredible and deeply worthwhile pursuit, spiritual awakening is also at times terrifying, humbling, utterly destructive, and exhausting. I want to open up a space for more music or art that speaks to and validates that part of the process.
“At the same time, there is also a lot of darkwave music that tends to glorify emotions of sadness, despair, and self-destruction – often to the point of creating a looping, self-fulfilling story – and since I learned in my solo project Arden & the Wolves that my songwriting deeply affects my experience of reality, I wanted to make sure that I was writing dark music that was ultimately narratively healthy. By focusing on some of the darker or more harrowing aspects of pursuing emotional mastery, we can create music that is ultimately supportive of spiritual growth and also fully honest and transparent about (and empathetic toward) the parts of the journey that feel more like a horror soundtrack than a campfire sing-along. I believe this fills a heretofore unseen thematic intersection.”
Jeremy and Arden met in NYC almost a decade ago and became fast friends in the messy underground nightlife scene of club kids, parties, and drink tickets, with Arden being hired to gogo dance at many of the same places Jeremy was slated to DJ. Some years later, now on opposite coasts, they’re excited for the opportunity to collaborate from afar.
Jeremy’s other projects include Autodrone, Unto Ashes, and his solo releases with Somewherecold Records. Arden’s solo project is indie pop rock band Arden & the Wolves, and during the daylight hours she helps facilitate others’ spiritual growth at The Re-Patterning Project (www.therepatterningproject.com). You can keep up with both of them on Instagram at @jeremybastard and @itsmeardenleigh, and follow Prospertine at @prospertinemusic.
