At long last, Big Thief have unleashed the previously-unreleased, long-desired “Vampire Empire.” The single arrives via the “Vampire Empire” / “Born For Loving You” limited 7”, out October 20th from 4AD. The track garnered attention online after the band debuted it on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this spring, quickly becoming lauded by fans. Much to their chagrin, Big Thief made no announcement as to the song’s status for months, instead playing it as an encore at many of their tour dates for the critically revered Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You and watching quietly as leaks of the song and social media usage propelled it to widespread fame.
“Vampire Empire” starts out soft, as a muted guitar strum and a quiet drum line melt atop each other while Adrienne Lenker’s twangy, raw voice sputters a rhythmic chant. The song clanks to a crescendo as her voice swells into a falsetto and cascades back down to a throaty, desperate key we rarely hear from the singer. The chorus is fantastically cathartic; an explosive release of built-up tension and impossible relief. Daggers of sound fly into your ears, the kind of uncontrolled fervor that guides you out of the darkness and into self-love.
Listen to “Vampire Empire” here.