Formed in 2017 in Chicago, Horror-themed punk rockers WON’T STAY DEAD has been playing with the current lineup since late 2018, blending catchy hooks and harmonies with macabre lyrics in their own style. A little over a year since the release of their debut full length “Purgatory”, we are teaming up to give you a brief, yet adventurous track by track commentary and some more details on this depraved project.
Vocalists Violet and Saffron have been involved in Chicago’s punk scene for over a decade. Starting out together as angsty, teen political punk band When Flying Feels Like Falling, they opened for Reagan Youth, The Unseen, We Are the Union, and Mischief Brew, among others. They moved on to poppy, ska-influenced Ultrahazard, and played with bands such as Mystery Actions, Vanessa Silberman, Run and Punch, Melkbelly, and The Bollweevils.
These bands lead to the forming of the horror-themed punk project Won’t Stay Dead, which blends catchy hooks and harmonies with macabre lyrics about murder and all things otherworldly.
The band released their first full-length album ‘Purgatory‘ in October of 2021 via Don’t Panic Records & Distro, featuring songs inspired by horror movies including The Lost Boys, Ginger Snaps, Deep Red, and Rear Window.
Won’t Stay Dead on Purgatory were: Angelo – Drums, Saffron – Bass/Vocals, Tyler – Guitar, Violet – Guitar/Vocals
In October 2022, they were featured on ‘Horrorpunk’s Not Dead! Vol. 1,’ a prolific horror punk compilation CD in the style of Punk-O-Rama, via the UK’s We Are Horror Records. The comp aims to showcase the best modern horror punk, deathrock, and psychobilly bands in the world, and features tracks by Voice of Doom, Grave Robber, 5¢ Freakshow, Evelyn’s Casket, Chesty Malone and the Slice ‘em Ups, Siblings of Samhain, Robby Bloodshed, Diechotomy, and many more.
Won’t Stay Dead has played all over Chicagoland, at Subterranean, Beat Kitchen, Reggie’s, Cobra Lounge, Liar’s Club, Livewire, and more, opening for local and national acts such as Days N Daze, Flatfoot 56, Calabrese, The Bollweevils, Stellar Corpses, Huntingtons, Grave Robber, Much the Same, and Squared Off.
Catch the band live on November 19th at The Bakery with Heet Deth + MORE Chicago, IL, and December 3rd at Riot Fest presents: The Eighth Annual War on X-Mas Chicago, IL.
New EP “3 Hits from Purgatory” coming up in February 2023 via We Are Horror Records!
“A lot of the songs on “Purgatory” were written purely about the movie or story that inspired the lyrics, usually from the perspective of a certain character or point of view. I would try to embody that character and write from their perspective.” – comments bassist / vocalist Saffron.
“Sometimes, I would use the story as a starting point to write about personal feelings or experiences of my own. This is a process I relied much more heavily on when writing our second album, which is currently written and waiting to be recorded; nearly all of the songs that will be featured on the album are much more personal lyrically, often still under the guise of describing a movie plotline.”
Window Shopper: Rear Window – Voyeurism, the dangers of the Saviour Complex.
You Will Kill Again: Deep Red – Murder, intrigue, mystery, suspicion, and stage blood.
Watch Him Drop: Hard Candy – An early example of commentary on the evils committed by men, specifically against women and girls (a theme that will be heavily explored on our forthcoming second full-length) – his justification just doesn’t matter.
Somebody Put a Cross on My Head (And it Burned): Mortal Remains – Based on a story of a satanic prostitution cult. Another take on female exploitation at the hands of men.
Continued below…
Purify: The Salem witch trials – Temptation, seduction, and the dangers of mob mentality and organized religion.
Dig In: Alice, Sweet Alice – More thoughts on religious extremism, and the consequences of those beliefs being pushed onto others.
The Ugliness of the Human Spirit: Starry Eyes – How far would you go for success? What would you sacrifice?
Pray You Never Need to Call Us: The Lost Boys – Conformity, and the seduction of the dark side.
Dead Lungs: Riding the Bullet – A lonely highway ghost story.
Vacant (This is Ten): 1408 – A surrealist nightmare trapped in a grotesque hotel room.
Kiss That Severed Head Goodbye: Slumber Party Massacre – Blood and empowerment. When everyone around you is a victim, be the Final Girl.
Sink Your Teeth: Ginger Snaps – Sisterhood vs. external forces. Does it matter if blood is thicker than water when that blood is splattered on your bedroom floor?
Damaged Brain: Nightmare in a Damaged Brain – You can’t fight fate, or generational trauma.
