Faith and the Muse is an underground
gothic/
darkwave band
composed of two musicians,
Monica
Richards and
William Faith. They
are well-regarded in the gothic music scene as innovators and
icons. Their music encompasses many genres, from folk-style songs
to darker compositions. Richards is the primary singer, although
Faith sings one or two tracks on each album. The band is hard to
place in any single genre. Their influences include
dark alternative,
gothic rock,
Celtic,
and other folk influences. Welsh and Irish mythology have often
served as inspiration to many of the band's songs.
Biography
Monica Richards, a native of Washington, DC, is a
musician/
artist/
poet/
scholar.
She met William Faith
in 1993 when her band, Strange
Boutique, opened for Shadow
Project in Norfolk,
VA
. Before starting Faith and the Muse, both
had had experience in the
gothic rock
and
post-punk culture of the '80s.
Richards had sung for the band
Strange
Boutique, while Faith had performed with gothic/death rock
icons
Shadow Project,
Christian Death,
Mephisto Walz, and
Sex Gang Children. Faith and the Muse was
started in 1993 with Richards and Faith exchanging tapes while
Richards was still living on the east coast.
Shortly thereafter she
moved to Los
Angeles
where the duo is still based.
They recorded their debut album 'Elyria' in March 1994. Not content
to sit on their laurels, the duo followed this up in 1995 with the
concept album 'Annwyn, Beneath The Waves', based round Welsh
mythology. The band would follow this up with an extensive touring
schedule, playing with both guest musicians as a full line-up and
as an acoustic duo - the latter tour documented on the 'Vera Causa'
album in 2001.
Their third album 'Evidence of Heaven', released in 1999, marked
the end of the first creative phase of Faith and the Muse. They
then modernised both their image and their overall sound, the
result appearing on their 2003 album 'The Burning Season' - their
first on
Metropolis
Records.
Over the last ten years, they have toured extensively in mainland
America and central Europe, and performed at major alternative
events such as the
Convergence 13 (usa) and The
Whitby Gothic Weekend X
(England). Their live performances feature a full band with a
rotating line-up of live musicians.
Outside of the band, Faith and Richards are
permaculture designers who are actively working
to
retrofit their home into a practical
example of a sustainable suburban homestead .
Discography
References
- Faith and the Muse, bio at Allmusic. Accessed on line
December 4,
2007.
- Faith and the Muse, bio at Metropolis
Records. Accessed on line December 4, 2007.
- Ars Terra website http://www.arsterra.org/aboutus.html
- [1]. Accessed on line September 29, 2009.
External links
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