BUTCHER BABIES have released another new single, “Yorktown”. The song, which features a guest solo from guitarist Andy James (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH), was produced and co-written by Matt Good (FROM FIRST TO LAST), and can be streamed below. It is the third taste of the band’s forthcoming EP, tentatively due later this year via an as-yet-undisclosed record label. Previously released tracks “Bottom Of A Bottle” and “Sleeping With The Enemy” are also available below.
BUTCHER BABIES singer Carla Harvey said: “What the hell is Yorktown, you ask? Well, it’s our very own little Gotham, a world we’ve created wherein two vamps patrol the city at night while stalking each other like prey! The magic happens when our two anti-heroines form an alliance to defeat the seedy Yorktown underbelly.
“It’s one of my favorite BUTCHER BABIES songs that we’ve written as of late; a true nod to our love for building characters and storytelling over heavy riffs. We scream, we sing…we save Yorktown from impending doom.”
An official music video for “Yorktown” will premiere this coming Monday, February 15.
BUTCHER BABIES co-vocalist Heidi Shepherd said: “When writing the song ‘Yorktown’, it was fairly obvious as to what the video was going to look like. A superhero with nine lives! But this is BUTCHER BABIES, and what is better than one superhero? TWO SUPERHEROES! Offering a nod to female empowerment, when strong females unite, we can take over the world. Our two characters form a bond and promise to defend the residents of Yorktown together.
“From concept to edit, we had a hand in all aspects of our very own ‘Gotham’. This video was filmed in Orem, UT at my parents’ film studio, Shepherd Grip & Lighting, where the entire family joined forces to bring this idea to life. You can definitely say that this was a family affair. Both of my parents and all of my five siblings created the set design, lighting design, ran all the equipment, and took on many roles in front of and behind the camera. We were lucky to snag my brother-in-law, famed VFX artist Aaron Sorensen as our director.
“From the all of stunts to the performances, we are so excited to show the world the silly, comic side of BUTCHER BABIES. After all, we all have a little superhero in us waiting to break free!”
Asked in a recent interview with Syfy Wire‘s “Metal Crush” how BUTCHER BABIES‘ new material differs from 2017’s “Lilith”, Shepherd said: “It differs a lot. You still have the classic BUTCHER BABIES metal behind us, but I found myself wanting to sing more.
“When I first started BUTCHER BABIES, I was an angry young girl, and I had a lot to scream about. I’m a happy 35-year-old woman now, so I have a lot that I wanna sing about.”
During a recent appearance on the “Hardcore Humanism With Dr. Mike” podcast, Shepherd and Harvey discussed their decision to part ways with their longtime record label. Century Media released the band’s first three albums, including “Lilith”, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and No. 15 on the Hard Rock Albums chart.
“When we decided to exit our record label, it was a really hard decision,” Heidi said. “We had the opportunity, and they were offering us money, to stay. And we didn’t feel like it was going well, in a way. So, we just kind of, like, we dipped out. And ever since then, we’ve gone back and forth, like, kicking ourselves: Did we make the right decision? Did we not make the right decision? Like, how could we — we’ve always been signed, you know, and what kind of decision was that to not be signed? It felt almost, like, ‘Shit, what did we do?’ And I think that’s where we were when we were writing the songs — like, why did we make this sort of decision? Well, now fast forward, as the songs are coming out. I don’t feel as, like, ‘Oh, crap.’ I feel, like, okay, maybe we did make the right decision, because things are just fine. And it was a gamble. And having that gamble, I think, puts you in a really vulnerable state, by all means, and it was a huge decision. And in the end, I’m glad we made it. But I spent a couple of years really kicking myself about it. But the end result did turn out okay, and we’ve had it where the end result didn’t turn out okay. We’ve had both.”
Added Carla: “But that’s okay, because the other special thing about our band — at least the three of us, the core members that have been together for so long — we’re adaptable in all areas of our life, and that’s a huge, huge thing to have on your side. And I’ve found that most people are not. If something changes in their life, it really sets them off, and they go off the deep end. But with us, we analyze the situation and really think about what we can do to put it back in our favor, and we’re all committed to fixing it, even if it takes a while.”
In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.
