Ex-Vöid is a new musical group featuring former Joanna Gruesome members Owen Williams & Alanna McArdle.
Taking influence equally from Black Sabbath’s “Into The Void”, D.C.-area hardcore legends “VOID,” and Raincoats number “The Void”, the group Ex-Vöid was formed and began to compose short power-pop songs with titles like “Boyfriend,” “Angry (At You Baby),” “Lying (To You Baby),” and “My Baby Is a Communist.”
While sonically a continuation of the “Gruesome Sound” in some ways (particularly in the inclusion of brief and aggressive ‘hardcore’ punk sections), Ex-Vöid exploit the use of vocal harmonies and twin-lead guitars to push the ‘pop’ qualities of McArdle and Williams’ writing into extreme and dangerous territory. The group also take an interest in spoken word, regularly experiment in different areas of vocal aggression, incorporate their daily occult/astrological practice into the band’s curricular and extracurricular activities.
Due to Mercury shifting into retrograde, Ex-Vöid have been able to quickly compose and record a three-song release or ‘single’ featuring the tunes “Boyfriend,” “Angry (At You Baby),” and “Anyone (Other than Ü)”. These songs will be released as a digital/cassette single by Don Giovanni Records on May 11th, 2018.
After having written two short albums of ‘critically acclaimed’ hyper-aggressive pop music, touring the capitalist west, and winning a kind of ‘National Music Prize’ with Joanna Gruesome, McArdle & Williams went their separate ways.
Following the split, McArdle (a Gemini) began a lucrative career selling occult & astrological speculations to various lifestyle magazines, while Williams (an Aquarius) earned a small monthly allowance playing electric guitar in the notoriously pathetic, prostration-centered punk-rock group The Snivellers.
After a chance meeting at a contemporary dance class, McArdle and Williams began to discuss working together again. Ideas were formed during breaks in their weekly sessions and, eventually, Laurie Foster (a Cancer) and Kester Davies (a Pisces) – also students from the class – were recruited as a ‘rhythm section’. Jonny Coddington (a Leo) later joined on guitar.
EX VÖID ON TOUR
5.12 – London, UK @ The Lexington #
5.13 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin #
6.11 – London, UK @ Oval Space %
6.12 – Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club %
6.13 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall %
6.14 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece %
6.15 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds %
6.16 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt %
6.27-29 – Derbyshier, UK @ Indietracks Festival
# w/ Radiator Hospital
% w/ Waxahatchee