Chris DeLine

Singled Out is a feature focusing on the stories behind a song, as told by the artists behind their creation. In this edition, Closet Witch vocalist Mollie Piatetsky discusses “My Words Are Sacred,” the first track released from the band’s album Chiaroscuro. Featuring Dylan Walker of Full of Hell, the track encapsulates lyrical themes of social betrayal within 70 seconds of blistering drums, guitar, and bass. In the Q&A, Piatetsky discusses how her relationship with the music on the new album has changed with time, how the collaboration with Walker developed, and what’s on tap for the band’s already tracked follow-up to Chiaroscuro.

villin: Recently on the Everything Remade podcast, you discussed how Chiaroscuro has been in the works for several years. Have you noticed a change in your relationship with these songs over that time, and how do the songs sit with you now?

Mollie Piatetsky: I do think for awhile the songs felt “old” and lost in time as we began to focus and learn new songs and play them at shows more than a lot of the Chiaroscuro songs, but now that the album is finally coming to it’s release I have realized hearing them again recently how much of my emotions and heart sit with the songs lyrically and how much catharsis I have always gained when performing them in the past.

villin: I believe I heard it mentioned in that conversation, as well, but if I understood correctly, the idea behind the name Closet Witch deals with a concept of feeling like you have to hide part of who you are away while also wanting to shout about it and bring it to light. In the spirit of that idea, are there ways in which the band’s music helps you express yourself in ways that other outlets might not?

Mollie Piatetsky: I think for most of us in the band our jobs are completely separate from our band family we have developed over the years, and as most adults know, having a hobby/creative outlet can feed the soul therapeutically in ways we need after giving ourselves to jobs we need to stay afloat.

villin: How did the connection with Dylan Walker develop and what made them a good fit for “My Words Are Sacred”?

Mollie Piatetsky: As a band we have played with Full of Hell and became, as many bands do in the scene, loving acquaintances and made good connections. We love to support them and I think it is clear they’re an awesome gang of humans, and we have been blessed because been great to us as pals in return. Alex [Crist] suggested we have guest spots on this album so he just reached out to various pals of ours and we were honored most jumped in to join on tracks of their own pick.

villin: In that same interview, you also mentioned that the instrumentals have already been laid down for a whole other album. Stylistically, how does what the band has planned with that set of songs compare to Chiaroscuro?

Mollie Piatetsky: In my opinion this future album still houses a lot of our classic sound but also has a lot of emotional moments, more slowed down and entwined instrumentals. Alex wrote most of the guitar through his recent journey with health and I think just the musical aspect tells a strong story.

For more from Closet Witch, follow the band’s work via Instagram and Facebook, and listen to “My Words Are Sacred” via Apple Music, Bandcamp, and Spotify. Photo shot by Brittle Bones Photography.

[This article was first published by villin.]