INTERVIEW: Iris Marlowe's Haunting World
In our interview, Chicago's gothicana specialist Iris Marlowe reveals how Sam Raimi inspired her newest album, her path to country music, and why it's so important to create the community we've been searching for this whole time.
Iris Marlowe has been haunting all the best honky-tonks in Chicago with her eerie take on gothic country. Her latest album Dead By Dawn, is a blood-curdling good time (that our resident horror aficionado Bee Delores will review in good time!) We were first drawn to Marlowe's desert-scorched country with When the Devil Bid the Owl Goodbye. In our interview, Marlowe reveals how Sam Raimi inspired her newest album, her path to country music, and why it's so important to create the community we've been searching for this whole time.
Explain the title of your album.
Dead By Dawn was inspired by the classic cult film Evil Dead 2. In the film the protagonist is taunted by demonic deadites that shout “dead by Dawn” throughout the film. I felt that the saying would make for a great spaghetti western song with lyrics inspired by a movie that I’ve adored for so long. I am inspired by the director (Sam Raimi) and his path to make an independent and low budget horror movie into such a cult classic. I wanted my album to feel like a horror cult classic though a western lens.
How do you feel your queer identity ties into your performance style or music?
Even though some of my songs branch into horror storylines there’s still elements of queer identity in my songwriting. Each album has an anthem I’ve written for the queer experience. I really want to make country music for folks that don’t relate to some of the subjects of modern day country music. Until I became part of the Chicago queer country community; I wasn’t really accepted as a country musician. I struggled with feelings of being “too much” while also not being “country enough.”
The queer country scene was the first audience that understood what I was doing and made me feel accepted as a musician but as a queer person as well. Their support really helped me gain confidence in my songwriting and in my stage presence.
Tell us your favorite show you’ve ever played?
This October I had the absolute pleasure of playing at Struther’s Library Theatre in Warren, Pennsylvania. They have a series called Roots Rising (run by the wonderful Baylie Hoffman) that I got to be a part of. It was a room of folks who took a chance on someone they’ve never heard of and we all got to connect over country music together. During intermission and after the show I met so many wonderful people and it still brings tears to my eyes thinking about how magical that night was.
How have you healed or grown your relationship to country music/Americana?
I grew up in a small town in Illinois…. We are talking two stoplights and a gas station sort of place. I struggled with my identity as a whole there. Country music was prevalent, but the nationalism messaging wasn’t my cup of tea. When I started creating country music it was my opportunity to make songs for those who don’t feel accepted, BIPOC and queer folks, and listeners that wanted something different from mainstream sounds of country music. I healed my feelings of self doubt and acceptance by creating my own small corner in the world of horror/gothic country music. I’m so grateful to be making music and for all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way through it.
Do you have songwriting tips?
When I first started making music I made a rule to write every single day. Three full songs. It didn’t matter if they were masterpieces or not. Songwriting is a skill that needs practice, just like everything else in life. It gets easier with practice and you become more confident with your writing. Once you hone the skills of songwriting then write about whatever you want to write. Don’t focus too much on perfectionism. In a world of AI people don’t need perfectionism from musicians. Listeners need emotion, stories, compassion. They need you.
