Have you heard of The Palace Of Tears? And I don't mean Tränenpalast in Berlin but the USA-based ethereal darkwave duo. If so, good for you; if not, here is your chance, especially since The Palace Of Tears is releasing its sophomore full-length, Veiled Screen, Woven Dream, tomorrow (8 April). Let's start again. The Palace Of Tears is a relatively new project in the dark music scene, blending elements of electro-shoegaze, ethereal witch house, neoclassical and ritual ambient drone, where hypnotic electronics and swirling guitar lay fertile ground for sultry seductive vocals that soar and dreamy lyrics that captivate. The Palace Of Tears' creators are Erick r. Scheid, a long-time member of Mercury's Antennae, and renowned dancer LV Darkling. Since its debut full-length offering, Of Ruination, in 2020, The Palace Of Tears has showcased an outstanding musical approach that shouldn't go unnoticed. And now, with Veiled Screen, Woven Dream delivers the second plate of it. Enjoy The Palace Of Tears' new offering and the interview!

Interview with: LV Darkling and Erick r. Scheid
Conducted by: Jerneja
Edited by: Jerneja

Jerneja: The Palace Of Tears burst onto the dark music scene with the full-length offering Of Ruination in October 2020. Considering the quality of your music, I'm sure you've worked on musical projects before The Palace Of Tears...
Erick: My previous band was Mercury's Antennae with Dru Allen (This Ascension) and bassist Cindy Coulter (This Ascension, Faith And The Muse). We released two full-lengths on Projekt Records and several EPs. Our third album will come out in 2024 on William Faith's record label, Sett Records. Mercury's Antennae's music was more dark dream-pop/shoegaze with darkwave elements (mercurysantennae.bandcamp.com). Before Mercury's Antennae, I was in a project Translucia, which released two full-lengths on Plan 11 Records.

Jerneja: How did it come to the formation of this new project, and what was/is the idea behind it?
Erick: I met LV in Berlin when my previous band was to perform at the illustrious WGT festival in Leipzig, Germany, in 2018. We met through mutual friends as she had only recently heard of Mercury's Antennae. At some point, while working on the third album for Mercury's Antennae, I started to visit LV in New Orleans and heard her sing once in a reverb-drenched staircase and thought to myself...WOW, what a voice. I was living in Portland, Oregon, when LV visited me, and by the time we had started a long-distance relationship. Recognizing her many talents, I offered that she join Mercury's Antennae as a ritual dancer for a special feature performance, as that is her primary background as a performer. Though that never came to fruition, I eventually presented two demo ideas to her, offering that she try adding vocals, and we birthed two demos out of my home studio. It would create a sound that was a bit heavier and darker than my work with Mercury's Antennae. As the saying goes, the rest is history... The Palace Of Tears was born.

Jerneja: When I heard about The Palace Of Tears, I first thought: "Oh, wouldn't it be ironic - living in a palace full of tears?" But the only ones competent to explain are the two of you...
LV: I love that! I think it's great for one to have their own interpretations, though, in actuality, we first came across the phrase while viewing the beloved horror film Suspiria. We were quite taken with it, and it was only much later that we realized it referenced a real physical location in Berlin, Germany (where we met!). Tranenpalast - a crossing point from East to West Berlin when the wall was still up. This crossing point became "The Palace of Tears" because it separated loved ones from each other and was a place where you said goodbye, not knowing when you might see each other again. While significant, it is not entirely the reason for our choosing the title, but perhaps the idea of a vast cavernous space such as a palace could also represent the earthly embodiment, as well as a grandiose space to fill with all of our earthly emotions, whether it be melancholic and sombre, or transcendent and liberating. It also seems to capture the vastness of our sound, as it reaches deep into the internal landscape, making it "Palatial".

Jerneja: What does your composing process look like; do you work on the songs together, or who does what and what (usually) comes first (music or lyrics)?
Erick: I usually will track demos for LV for her to listen and see if there is a theme or story, and it's always a bare-bone skeleton of a song. Sometimes it's almost completed or very new, like a chord progression with textures. Then, we usually, discuss where my inspiration comes from - usually from some form of nature or esoteric questioning, among other things. Sometimes, a song has different meanings for each of us. I've been known to hear an idea of hers lyrically or vocally, and it will spark a whole new song.

Jerneja: Your latest track, "Our Deathbed", was released on Terra Relicta's compilation password: darkwave27 on 21 December, while in October, you shared "Veiled Screen, Woven Dream" alongside the video. The song is "about reuniting after prolonged separation and isolation, and the intensity that accompanies the experience, sometimes as a blissful revelry, while at other times it is almost painfully sweet", as you stated. Since "Veiled Screen, Woven Dream" is your upcoming sophomore full-length title track, shall we expect its theme to be the album's red thread?
LV: The title track does weave together some themes, yes. The fact that things can be so "interwoven" is perhaps the best clue. Each track is interrelated to the next. I found as the album came closer and closer to fruition, that these interesting commonalities presented themselves quite synchronistically. Veiled Screen, Woven Dream touches on relationships, separation, pain, and grasping the idea that this is perhaps part of the illusion, that our dreams and the unconscious are a gateway: that which is just beyond our current understanding of reality, consciousness, and the realm beyond. "Black Obsidian Beyond Oblivion" - our unconscious and subconscious mind, mirrors (figurative) and truly seeing oneself, the self-undoing, secrets we keep from ourselves; "Lair Of The Undying" - the soul's journey once it departs the earthly body, "The Embers Of Your Being Glow Still" - the phoenix archetype of death, rebirth, and resurrection; "The Serpent Bearer" - grasping for hidden truths, our grappling with acceptance of death and mortality, and the cycles as related to the serpent eating its tail, and of the Kundalini serpent energy; "An Echo In Time" - the viscerality of death and its effect on those of us left behind, the pain, agony, and anguish both in life and in death; "Cimetiere de'l Absinthe" - the gateway symbolic of a souls transition from the physical body to the other side beyond the veil. It's definitely all connected, at least for ME. For the listener, I hope that it will be its own story and interpretation and that to each their own, they can weave it together in a personal and unique way. The work shifted dramatically after my brother took his own life in October of 2022. We paused our work as I was grieving heavily, but once we returned to it, things took on a whole new meaning. Things went from conceptual to visceral, and profoundly so. 

Jerneja: And when can we expect the album or, at least, its next single?
Erick: We just sent our final mixes for mastering and are currently designing the artwork for CD and vinyl. This upcoming work is two years in the making. We are aiming for an April 2024 release and are currently deciding on the next single/video before our release. We will present a concert stream showcasing the new work and a possible dark folk acoustic EP in the future.

Jerneja: Erick, so, love brought you from Portland to New Orleans, universally considered the birthplace of jazz music. How is dark music doing there (also in comparison with the Portland dark music scene)?
Erick: I'd say it's not easy to really "compare" music scenes between NoLa and Portland. Both cities have their own way of expressing all that is dark, moody and atmospheric through their own art based on the city's history and influence and, of course, geographical location. New Orleans' dark music scene is small but growing but has a lot of potential to become a new "hotbed" for the gothic music scene. 

Jerneja: And LV, wasn't there anyone before Erick noticed your outstanding singing talent and beautiful voice? But you must have been aware of it... So, how come you haven't gone into musical waters long before? Was the love of dance just stronger? What kind of dance did you do, or do you still do?
LV: Thank you so much! Honestly, I was shy about singing for a very long time. I could always carry a tune and had an excellent ear for music, but yes, my passion for dance and all kinds of movement took precedence and priority. I was always very serious about dance. I've always been acutely aware of wanting to do ALL of the artistic disciplines but at the same time always having to choose where to put the focus to excel at and master any particular craft. Early on, I knew that the body was finite and that I would need to push for that pinnacle of human athletic potential. In the back of my mind, I knew I would get opportunities to express other latent talents down the road, such as acting, singing, visual art, musicianship or playing an instrument, etc. It was at my performing arts high school that I began singing aloud in front of people for musical theatre auditions. (I remember singing Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" acapella. At that time, with no training, my singing voice was first acknowledged, but I was incredibly shy about it! It was terrifying, actually! Dancers are seen, not heard lol!) I continued my studies of concert dance in NY, at the conservatory, and around the city, freelancing in a Baroque Dance Company and various gigs performing classical pieces as well as contemporary. I began exploring the bridge between dance, theatre and acrobatics (Cirque) and eventually cultivated my own acts as both a contortionist and aerialist. Paratheatrical Research (Antero Alli) was the first time I explored more freely using tones and vocalizations. During one particularly challenging gig overseas, I began singing more and then pursuing my love of acting more, and this led to studying improv - one thing led to the next, and I found a great team (voice coach and technique) that I really liked, and I really focused and honed in. Some of my credits include Lyric Opera Chicago (principal dancer), the musical Chicago (ensemble), and Celebrity Cruises (production cast dancer/aerialist). Currently, I am working with a folk dance ensemble (Komenka), which performs dances from all over the world.

Jerneja: Given that you are life partners who make music together, how do you resolve disagreements regarding The Palace Of Tears? Perhaps by drawing lots in the end? ;)
Erick: Good question, and we get asked this from time to time. It is not easy, at least for us, to be partners and bandmates. I know for myself, I wouldn't want it any other way... To connect to my partner in an artistic/musical capacity while challenging is truly a gift. The challenge, out of many, is to be able to find a healthy balance. We are still trying to figure it out as we go along.
LV: There are definitely times when we "agree to disagree"! Eventually, one of us has to compromise, but, for the most part, we always work it out. It does get a little hot and spicy sometimes, but in the end, we figure out where the middle ground is, and that takes time, patience, and some real processing and troubleshooting. Most of our disagreements have been fairly small and trivial. But it can certainly be challenging when you realize that you may not always share the same vision for some things.

Jerneja: The Palace Of Tears only has a few videos, both somehow spooky, especially "Cimetiere de'l Absinthe 333", which reminds me of The Blair Witch Project... Will you charm us with some more videos? Perhaps with LV also dancing?
Erick: We hope to have one more video before the release of our upcoming album; the question is... which song?

Jerneja: You've released one cover track, "Venus In Furs", also a part of the Terra Relicta cover compilation, Coverstations (2022). "Venus In Furs" has always been my favourite The Velvet Underground track - well, it's the darkest one. And you did a great job with its cover! Was there any "special" reason for choosing "Venus In Furs", and are there other tracks you would like to, or even planning to cover (and why)?
LV and Erick: Thank you! "Venus in Furs" is definitely our favourite Velvet Underground song, too! The drone-like and hypnotic quality of that song really spurred the inspiration to create a homage. We felt our sound resonated with some of those dream-like entrancing qualities and would make for an interesting exploration. We did perform a cover of "Burn" by The Cure a couple of times and had considered recording that as well, but just haven't yet. We've discussed and considered several covers; as far as jazz, we've considered "Summertime", as we've been quite inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, and we have discussed covering other songs by The Cure, David Bowie, and Dead Can Dance. It's really gotta grab us both for it to happen. It has to be a song we both really want to cover.

Jerneja: LV, I know the album has an even more special meaning for you, as you dedicated it to your late brother...
LV: It is still shocking to me that Erick never got to meet my brother Kirk... such an important person in my life. I was already mourning Kirk before he passed on - he was struggling deeply when I met Erick. For Erick, he is merely a ghost... This is not the first time I wrote a song or songs about my brother... "Shadows of Whispering Phantoms" is also a song about Kirk... while he was still on this plane, in his physical body. I mourned him twice. He did in fact know about our music, and he did listen to one of the songs, which he said brought him to tears ("Tears Of The Moon"). It comforts me to know that we still were able to connect through music, and that is really all that he knew of Erick, as far as I am aware... He perceived the music, and that means a lot to us... It somehow reached him - through all the pain, suffering and distance...

Jerneja: What about the music itself; what would you point out as the most important differences compared to the debut?
Erick: Having our signature sound already, I find this next release to be a bit heavier and even darker sonically. It's a bit more layered and minimal, with more layers of guitars and atmospheres, and LV's singing and lyric work truly are the highlight of this album as she takes her emotive vocals to another level. This release lyrically is a bit more "thematic and esoteric" than our first album, for sure, due to the content/theme, which is grief, the unseen world and exploration of the shadow self, which are only a few of the lyrical themes. Each song tends to connect to the next - like telling a tale in its whole if that makes sense. This album sonically may be a bit more "aggressive" in the most subtle way, and there are lots of intros, instrumentation and even cello, which makes the songs a bit longer. There are no 4 - 5-minute pop songs on it.

Jerneja: The two of you did almost everything by yourselves: music, lyrics, recordings, mix, videos, even photography and CD design,... Which part of the process did you enjoy most, and which one you found the most annoying?
LV: I would say that creating and coming up with lyrics is perhaps what I enjoy most... The moment when the words all sort of swirl around the song's concept and unfold almost magically. It emerges from the subconscious in such a way, and I have to trust into the unknown for a bit. I enjoy that challenge and syncing the words with the music so that it all fits together in an organic way - for me, both poetically and phonetically. The actual ART is always the BEST part... Creating. ...The more annoying bits tend to be the nitty gritty situations where you have to get really sharp, and for this, my attention to detail really comes in handy! Grammar and spelling checks constantly before something goes into print, etc. 

Jerneja: And you are without a label... Do you prefer to be "labelless" (if so, why), or are you waiting for the right offer?
LV: This is a source of contention, to be honest, as it seems we've yet to find a label that we align with that is actually accepting more bands onto their roster. It also seems that the labels don't know where to put us, but we have been checking some out for a while now. If it lines up organically, then that would be fantastic! Waiting for the right offer, yes! :-) On the other hand, we have wondered if it isn't better to remain labelless and retain more control over what, when, why, and how regarding our art. It's a mixed bag, with pros and cons on both sides.

Jerneja: Now, the cover art - a beautiful work of Antonella Di Mattei. You, LV, were the witch model and took care of the costume... The cover art looks like some photography/painting hybrid...
LV: Yes, it is a collaborative hybrid, and we absolutely LOVE Antonella's work and the way the cover art came out. Erick took some impromptu photos once when we were out in nature, and I was wrapped and enveloped in mesh fabric and a blind mask.

Jerneja: What about The Palace Of Tears live? Do you plan some tours/gigs outside the USA? Is there a special country/city/place you would like to perform with The Palace Of Tears, or perhaps a festival?
LV: Live is a whole other level of production and resource that is not currently sustainable but we are more focused on getting the recorded work published and circulating and fulfilling our Kickstarter rewards. When it is feasible and aligns with our vision and our aesthetic, then performing live is certainly something we will consider. We are also focused on relocating to a new city in a different region of the county, and that is taking a lot of energy/intention/focus to manifest; so, out-of-town gigs/tours just aren't something that we can really do until we get moved. All of our focus and energy has been on releasing the second album and completing our Kickstarter, and then getting ourselves moved cross country! Once we get that going, we'll see how things unfold with the second release, as we know it is ideal and customary to have a performance to celebrate the work! All in good time. We have talked about performing in Germany someday and would love to perform at WGT, amongst other festivals that are appropriate and receptive to our aesthetic and style. We truly feel that the European circuit would be a more ideal audience for our sound, so anywhere over there would be simply wonderful, I'm sure!
Erick: I agree with LV here...while I love performing this music live... it's not been an easy road so far for us.

Jerneja: What else do you do besides music, or would you like to do (hobbies,...)? Do you have any pets?
LV: It has already been mentioned in this interview that I continue to dance, though I have never been much of a hobbyist. If I do something, I do it all the way, so calling something a hobby has always been a little bit foreign to me, if I'm being honest. The only thing that I perhaps could admit to being a hobbyist at is modelling (not currently) - as a form of visual art. I have also dabbled in makeup and worked as a makeup artist, particularly due to my theatrical background. Crafting and costuming have been sort of a hobby, too, as I have put together headpieces and costumes for many of our live performances. I've always been a costume/wardrobe freak! I've worked in wardrobe and costuming a bit as well. A truly serious interest of mine, which may also count as a hobby, is the exploration of mind-body medicine and vibrational medicine. I also very much enjoy nature, hiking, camping, and any sort of travel. I live for travel! We do not have a pet of our own, but our roommate has a black cat, Ripley, whom we love and enjoy. 
Erick: I'm a chef by day... so I've been cooking for almost 28 years. But as for a hobby? Well, hiking, outdoors, forest, trees and any such is best. I also love to work on music, constantly learning to record and program electronics and be a better guitarist and songwriter.

Jerneja: How would you accompany the imminent release of the album? Do you have any message for the Terra Relicta readers and/or The Palace Of Tears' fans?
Erick: Thank you for your interest in our work and the interview!
LV: Thank you for listening! Whatever this may bring to you, may it stir the imagination, the language of your soul and keep you searching for the deepest truth.

The Palace Of Tears links: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, YouTube