She Wants Revenge

She Wants Revenge, the dark-alternative duo who first exploded onto the scene with the 2005 hit, “Tear You Apart”, are back with a new song, festival appearances, a new lineup, and a massive global audience hungry for the 3rd wave gothic rock they ushered in 2up and down decades before.

For Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin, She Wants Revenge began as a production duo making songs to DJ at clubs. But when a 3-song demo was passed to a friend, they signed to Geffen records, and soon the songs became the basis of their 2005 self-titled LP. They hit the road supporting Bloc Party, The Kills, and OKGO, and along the way, “Tear You Apart” became a bona fide hit. Soon they were opening for Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs, Placebo, co-headlining with Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, headlining Coachella alongside Daft Punk, and in constant rotation on alternative rock across the country. In under a year the oddball tune they thought to be an evil cousin of the B52’s and Wall of Voodoo saw them blitzing through the late-night talk show circuit, and with singles “Out of Control”, and “These Things” also climbing the charts, they went on to sell over 300,000 albums.

Though they came to prominence in the mid-aughts post-punk revival, Justin and Adam were more indebted to their early influences; Prince, Tangerine Dream, ELO, Giorgio Moroder, and 90s hip-hop. It was their true to the era production style, thoughtful songwriting, and heart-on-the-sleeve lyricism which ran counter to the studied dance punk and emotionally distanced, clever sound of their contemporaries which endeared them to the legions of fans who hungered for their brand of bold, emotive music which was sorely lacking at the time. In doing so, they made fans of both the older “all-black” crowd as well as their younger counterparts, and more pointedly, drew nods and praise from the bands who directly inspired them - cementing SWR’s legacy as torch bearers for the moody and morose who came before.

They release their 2nd LP (2007) This Is Forever, followed by back-to-back EP’s Save Your Soul (2008) and Up and Down (2009), and finally, their swan song, Valleyheart (2011). Musically and creatively, their sound evolved, but as blogs and streaming reshaped the industry, the live shows still grew as more and more devoted fans discovered them. Along the way they collaborated with Timbaland, made videos with Shirley Manson and Joaquin Phoenix, and created a body of work that both broke new ground, while also paying homage to the music, films, and pop-culture of the 70s and 80s which shaped their youth.

Road-worn and weary from a breakneck touring schedule, the band announced in 2012 that they’d be going on an indefinite hiatus. For their fans to whom they’d become like musical family, this was nothing short of heartbreaking, the uncertainty of the word, “hiatus” only making it worse. But behind the scenes, it was clear; this was a break-up, and difficult as it may have been, it was the only way to retain the friendship which was at the heart of all they’d done, so they went their separate ways, played a round of farewell shows, and dove head-first into separate projects and creative pursuits.

But as sometimes happens, the universe had other plans, and in late 2015, following a 4-year hiatus, fan, friend, and vocal supporter Lady Gaga put “Tear You Apart” in the premiere episode of her star turn in American Horror Story, instantly reigniting interest in the band. Suddenly SWR was back in the charts and steadily streaming, and overnight, the broken-up duo was now the “favorite new band” of young audiences longing for more of what they heard on the show.

The band could no longer ignore the signs, and in 2016 they reunited for the 10-year anniversary of their debut album and hit the road playing the album in its entirety for captive audiences worldwide. Old fans were ecstatic, and new fans were thrilled to finally see them live. What started as a tour to honor their anniversary turned into a 4-year sprint across the US, Canada, Europe, and the UK. The band was in top form, the tours were well-attended, and the momentum was building.

In early 2020 after a run of sold-out shows in LA, they sat down to finally record a new album, but when the pandemic hit, like everyone else, their personal and professional worlds were turned upside down.

 

In 2022 they reconvened, and more driven than ever, set about touring like they had in the early days, covering the entire US, Eastern and Western Europe, the UK, and Australia. What they discovered wasn’t just sold-out shows in nearly every market, but new, young audiences of teenagers and 20-somethings brought up on the 3rd wave goth that the boys inspired, yet never had the chance to see them live. Reinvigorated, inspired, and more certain of their place and purpose than ever, they began work on their long-awaited 4th album, writing and recording between tours.

2024 not only saw the band become the most popular they’d ever been on DSP’s (2.5 million monthly listeners, but also was the year a deep-cut from the 2009 EP Up And Down went viral on TikTok, with hundreds of thousands of creator-generated videos circulating, hoisting the song to the #2 most popular of the band’s catalog.

Now, with a revamped lineup featuring Justin on vocals/guitar, Adam on Bass VI and synths,Thomas Froggatt (formerly guitar) on bass, Tony Bevilacqua (The Distillers) on guitar, and Lia Braswell (Sextile, A Place To Bury Strangers, TR/ST) on drums, the revitalized SWR exudes the same sort of spirit they first hit the road with 20 years ago.

With prominent slots at their beloved hometown Cruel World festival, the UK’s sister fest Forever Now, plans for the Summer and into next year, a new song in the wings,  and recording of the long-teased 4th LP still underway, She Wants Revenge is doing what would seem impossible for bands of their era - staying true to the dark dance music and gothic sound they first pioneered decades past, while also remaining fresh, reinventing, and playing music with joy to the millions of kids getting to experience it for the first time.