Mourning Candle debut with the single ‘Never’ – Out now
The Nashville-based darkwave duo Mourning Candle debuts with their single “Never”, produced, mixed, and mastered by California’s Nick McLaren.
Mourning Candle (Photo by Ray Rose Photography)
The Nashville-based darkwave duo Mourning Candle debuts with their single “Never”. “Never” was produced, mixed, and mastered by California’s Nick McLaren (The Static Architect).
The duo consists of vocalist and lyricist Leslie Irene Benson, known for her work with God in Rehab and formerly The Sweetest Condition (featured on “Burn This City” from the Side-Line Magazine compilation “Face the Beat: Session 4“), and Anson Taylor, guitarist, synth programmer, and songwriter of the former symphonic black metal band Vatican. Musically, Mourning Candle blends darkwave and gothic metal influences.
Mourning Candle officially launched in the Summer of 2024 after Benson and Taylor met at a volunteer cemetery cleanup event hosted by Benson’s community charity organization, Goth Bats. Their debut single, “Never” “explores the harrowing journey of surviving domestic abuse, transforming pain into healing,” says Benson. “It’s a battle cry for those who feel they don’t have a voice to fight back. It’s a living memorial to all those we’ve lost. We live for you now. This journey of healing is never-ending.”
Benson also adds, “In light of the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine, ‘Never’ stands as an ode to what should never have been.”
The band’s name, Mourning Candle, pays tribute to a dear friend of Taylor’s who passed away, symbolizing “a bond that transcends loss.” Reflecting on the recording process, Taylor shares, “Recording our first single was exhilarating. I haven’t been this excited about music in a long time.”
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Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!
