Atlanta gothic pop/rock and roll band Sarah And The Safe Word have announced the upcoming release of their new EP, “Red Hot & Holy,” out on all digital platforms Oct 26. The lead single (and title track) was released on Sept 21, and offers up an ambitious combination of gothicism, dark pop, and hints of gospel. A unique break in the modern rock mold, Sarah And The Safe Word is cinematic, sensual, and simply put, talented. About the EP, member Kienan states:
“Red Hot & Holy is the first Sarah & the Safe Word record to make full use of all 7 of us. We collaborated on a level we never have before, and I think everyone’s individual voice can be heard in each song—sometimes literally, since almost everyone in the band is a singer too. A lot of records can start feeling like the same song over and over, so we tried very hard to make each song its own original, cinematic world.”
Since taking Atlanta by storm in 2017 with the release of their debut full-length Strange Doings in the Night, Sarah & the Safe Word has been up to no good. After playing the Vans Warped Tour in 2017 at the personal request of founder Kevin Lyman, guest appearing on the CW show The Originals, opening for national touring acts like Motionless in White, booking independent tours across the United States, and headlining their own sold-out Atlanta shows, this 7-piece group has been brewing up something sinister in their basement. Now, they’re prepared to unleash their melodically macabre experiment onto an unsuspecting music scene. Sarah & the Safe Word are a band used to turning “What the fuck is this” into “This is fucking awesome.” Whether playing to an audience of 200 or 2,000, their unique twist to the standard rock formula—which includes a violinist, violist, and double keyboards—often endears them to unfamiliar audiences. Their queer and POC-positive lineup also means that Sarah and the Safe Word are a band for everybody, and they believe strongly that their shows should remain a safe, inclusive space for anyone who attends. Their new EP Red Hot & Holy fulfills the promise only hinted at by previous releases. Each song is an explosive cinematic adventure, careening from breakneck demon-powered race .cars (“Formula 666”), to swashbuckling pirate battles on the open sea (“Dead Girls Tell No Tales”), and back down home to the swampy, Southern marshes of revenge (“Lit Cigarette”). With a sound that speaks nostalgically of days gone by and a future that never came, Sarah & the Safe Word can safely guarantee a live experience like no other. They enthusiastically encourage all listeners, young and old, to prepare themselves for cabaret, vaudevillian antics, Southern gothicism, demented gospel, dark pop, and—of course—blistering rock and roll. The title track “Red Hot & Holy” is available on all digital platforms and YouTube (music video) NOW. The full EP “Red Hot & Holy” will be available on all digital platforms 10/26.
