INTERVIEW: New music from Until They Burn Me

Some musical partnerships are built over time, influenced by shared experiences and an understanding of how each other works. The creative connection between Cody Carlyle and Travis Jordan stretches back more than three decades, making their collaboration as Until They Burn Me the latest chapter in an artistic relationship that’s already taken them through numerous musical directions. Having first worked together in The Dry Season, the USA-based duo reunited in 2021 to form a project that brings together Americana, folk, punk, roots music and dark country, creating a sound driven as much by atmosphere and imagination as by traditional genre influences.

As Until They Burn Me, Cody and Travis have developed a sound that moves between murder ballads, garage rock intensity, punkgrass textures and haunting country storytelling, often drawing on the strange sphere where old-world folklore meets modern musical energy. By not beginning with a fixed idea of what a song should sound like, the pair allow each composition to find its own direction, resulting in a catalogue that feels unpredictable, with rustic instrumentation and cinematic arrangements providing a backdrop for stories that frequently venture into darker areas.

That creative freedom was already readily apparent on their 2024 debut album, Mud Music, a record which arose from a desire to make the type of music they themselves wanted to hear. The release introduced a project more interested in character, atmosphere and storytelling by mapping out a musical world in which different influences could sit alongside one another, while leaving plenty of room for the unexpected. Last year’s sophomore album, A Carnival of Reveries, took that vision further; dreamlike and dangerous in equal measure, the record explored the shifting boundary between reality and fantasy, creating a soundtrack to a world caught somewhere between beauty and disarray.

Now the duo return with COVEN, a six-track EP that takes their fascination with folklore and the darker corners of storytelling into new terrain. Witchcraft provides the central thread, although the project is far from a conventional concept record built around a single tale, with the idea appearing in different forms throughout the collection, connecting stories of obsession, bad omens, inherited folklore and the mysterious forces that influence human behaviour. Americana, dark country, folk, blues and rock move through the six tracks, with stranger influences appearing wherever the individual stories demand them.

The EP’s closing track titled “Sister Midnight” offers an expansive showcase of the duo’s dark alternative country rock sound. Running across six and a half minutes, it gives Until They Burn Me room to explore the full scale of their musical approach, bringing together the atmospheric qualities and storytelling instincts that have become central to the project. Forming with the moody plucks of lightly gritty guitar notes, the track builds with brooding vocals as tapped percussion and soft strings add to the arrangement.

Developing with crunchy guitar rhythms and punching drums capped by compelling vocals, the song rolls with intricate flickers of lead guitar, crafting en engrossing listening experience from start to finish. Transportive, memorable and highly original, “Sister Midnight” sees Until They Burn Me present an incredible display of their songwriting talent and musicianship flair.

Across three decades of collaboration, Cody and Travis have maintained a creative relationship capable of taking new shapes while retaining its shared origins. With COVEN, Until They Burn Me continue to embrace folklore and genre-crossing arrangements built around the freedom to explore the space between the familiar and the unknown. The physical releases of Until They Burn Me are available on vinyl here.

We caught up with Until They Burn Me to find out more about their musical journey so far, their new single “Sister Midnight” and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Until They Burn Me below.

How did you get together as a band?

We came from a very small area in eastern Oregon. The town musicians, artists and weirdos tend to gather together.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Tom Waits, Ween, Colter Wall, Bauhaus, The Stooges, Mr. Bungle, The Pogues, Pink Floyd, Chelsea Wolfe, Black Sabbath, Danzig, Misfits, The Clash, PJ Harvey, All Them Witches, Underworld, Bowie.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Books, poetry, film, and plenty of deep, ponderous introspection with an unhealthy, but abundant, helping of reflection on personal regrets, shame, suffering, and relentless tragedies.

What do you love about your local music scene?

Speaking from Ohio, I don’t love anything about our local music scene. Speaking from the Pacific Northwest, I suppose we are kind of proud of our local musical heritage. Music is still very alive and strong here with a large underground scene.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

That’s a good question. Probably multiple different scenarios or settings. Long night drives. Rowdy drunken gatherings. Laying down in a dark room. Or on covert earbuds in church.

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

We are pretty eclectic and always have been. We like lots of different kinds of music and we like to make lots of different kinds of music so in that respect, we really haven’t changed. But I think we are getting a little better at the recording process. The songwriting and end results are definitely getting better.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Tom Waits or PJ Harvey. I think they are incomparable songwriters.

How did you find making your song “Sister Midnight”?

Travis Martin brought that song to the table. Collaboration is a challenge since we mostly work from long distances, but Sister Midnight is one song that we had a chance to kind of sculpt in the studio together. At least part of it. We are proud of this song. Very happy with how it turned out.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

No message. No deep meaning. No agenda. There’s nothing complicated about it. It’s just raw, simple and honest music which we love. And we’re hopeful that other people will love it too.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

We listen to Until They Burn Me all the time. We love our own music. But aside from that, All Them Witches has been on pretty consistent rotation for the last few years. As has Chelsea Wolfe. Plenty of soundtracks too. Particularly work by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

Probably just connection. I think most art is fundamentally about connection. Human connection through art is both a primitive and an evolved form of communication. And often, it’s the most effective form of communication and connection.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

We don’t perform live. It’s simply not practical from a logistic standpoint. But even apart from that, we’re (or at least I’m) not that interested in playing live shows.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Kenny Loggins, Beastie Boys and the Captain and Tennille either in heaven or on the White House lawn would be awesome!

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

We are really in no position to give advice. But one thing we’ve learned over the years is that usually the simplest music is the most effective. Even if you are an elite level musician, generally, the simplest music is the strongest.

Finally, what do you have lined up next?

We are currently working on the next album ‘Odds & Ends’. But we also have another EP coming soon that we’ve been working on called ‘Tales From the Mountain’. We plan to release both next year.

Listen to Sister Midnight below