Border Widow is the new project from Chardine Taylor-Stone (Big Joanie) and Hatty Carmen (Thigh High, Princess Republic).

Our music is a gothic journey into the dark feminine realms of sound. Characterised by haunting darkwave pop melodies and atmospheric soundscapes, we create an immersive experience that is both eerie and beautiful. Our influences draw from a range, but are primarily Tricky, Portishead, Massive Attack, Anita Lane, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Fever Ray, and a lot of Lynch/Badalamenti. Starting the band, we wanted to explore the dark side of femininity, taking in concepts from folklore, mythology, and murder ballads.

The band name comes from an old English folk song, “The Border Widow’s Lament.” In one version, the widow cuts off her hair and joins the King’s army, lives as a man, and eventually marries the King. She was “discovered” to be a woman, having been woken up by her fellow soldiers as they found her at night “swimming in a sea of blood.”

We’ve been described as “Gothic Sade,” but would also add that if The Kills and David Lynch had twin girls with a tendency towards melancholy and vengeance, that would be Border Widow..