Miami darkwave band Astari Nite have just released a brand new music video for their new song “Sunday Queen” and Cvlt Nation has the exclusive! Having formed a decade ago in 2008, the group’s synthy goth rock feels right at home among 80s staples like The Cure, New Order, and Depeche Mode. The video for “Sunday Queen”, the first song from their new album Midnight Conversations which is being released on Cleopatra Records later this year, features an aesthetically pleasing mishmash of witchy ritualistic occult and 80s trad goth imagery. Astari Nite are one of the few established goth bands out there who manage to evoke the essence of dark post-punk while being unique and exciting with each release. I was lucky enough to get to interview the band about their latest endeavors. Read below!
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What was it like to tour with Das Ich and finally visit the UK?
Bruno Kramm of Das Ich signed ASTARI NITE to his record label “Danse Macabre” in 2015 for European distribution so the relationship between him and I was already a major part of my life. As you know Das Ich is legendary so the amount of history that spoke to us through them meant so much. The respect that we have for Bruno, Stefan and Damian will always remain, they took the time to share a bit of their world with us and we will never forget the moments spent with them. The UK is a land that we intend on touring as often as possible, during our last visit everyone made us feel at home.
What’s the weirdest or craziest thing to have happened to you on any tour?
Being detained at the Heathrow Airport by border patrol was pretty crazy. The way this world tends to function now left me with question marks in my mind. Luckily for Astari Nite, on that morning the U.K. government was simply doing their job and had us on the next plane to Glasgow. Everything major normally happens to Illia and Howard. I just have stories like my flatiron dying in Manchester and never coming back to life. RIP
What is the goth scene like in Miami/Southern FL? Do you find yourself playing locally often?
Our scene is beautifully strange in many ways and Miami will always have a special place in our heart. The loyalty that this town continues to show is overwhelming. ASTARI NITE makes it a point to play 2 to 3 times a year, saying hello and thank you to the many that got us to where we are is always a kind gesture.
Tom Shear of Assemblage 23 is producing your next album Midnight Conversations on Cleopatra Records! How surreal is that? Is there anything else you can tell us about the new album?
It’s a fairy tale story to say the least. Seeing the name Tom Shear of Assemblage 23, Cleopatra Records and Astari Nite in one sentence is very surreal. Tom was able to capture the sounds in my nightmares and add them to these tracks we’ve been working on the past few months. I’ve always admired his music and will continue to do so. Cleopatra records taking on the project makes me understand a bit more that the music Astari Nite creates is acknowledged and that helps me sleep a bit at night.
What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not making music?
As of lately I’ve been trying to find a balance between fact and fiction. I tend to get lost when writing so I find it hard to come back from time to time.
Who has been your favorite band to tour with so far?
I would have to say Das Ich and The Exploding Boy.
How did you first get into the subculture? Was there a particular band you heard that changed everything for you?
Growing up with two older brothers and attending Catholic school in New York played a major role in the music I listened to. For the most part, songs by Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure and Duran Duran played throughout my home. That is what my siblings enjoyed at the time and it slowly stuck in my head for what seems to be forever now. I guess some childhood memories aren’t meant to be banished in this case.
Do you have any pre or post show rituals?
I find myself to be alone for the most part before we perform. I tend to reflect on the meaning behind it all. Our songs are very personal as cliché as that might sound. A certain kind of sadness sets in and that is what helps me get through our time on stage or perhaps that feeling is happiness – SAD/HAPPY. I also make it a point to listen to Spark by Tori Amos, this keeps my focus.
You guys seem to pump out songs on a very consistent basis. How do you manage to create releases so often? What drives you to create?
I guess it’s the ones that I let into my life that can take credit for the songs I write. Howard and Illia have the vision, I just tell the story. I also think witchcraft and a few others that cast spells on me tends to make song writing come naturally, sort of like breathing.
What’s next in store for Astari Nite?
After our performance in early April at the Out from the Shadows festival in Portland, Oregon we come back home to finish up the Midnight Conversations album which also includes another music video. Traveling will continue to LA, New York etc. Howard and Illia already began writing for our 2019 release so Disneyland does not seem to be an option for me any longer.
