The Jezabels are an Australian indie rock band formed in Sydney in 2007. The group consists of Nik Kaloper (drums & percussion), Samuel Lockwood (lead guitar), Hayley Mary (lead vocals) and Heather Shannon (piano & keyboard).
From 2009 to 2010 the group issued a trilogy of extended play (EP) recordings, The Man Is Dead, She’s So Hard and Dark Storm—all produced and engineered by Lachlan Mitchell. Two of their releases have reached the ARIA Singles Chart Top 40: the Dark Storm EP (October 2010) and their single “Endless Summer” (August 2011).
They released their debut studio album, Prisoner on 16 September 2011. It peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and won Best Independent Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2012. Their second album The Brink was released on 31 January 2014. Synthia, their third album, came out on 12 February 2016.
Also, they have released the chilling music video for their latest single “My Love Is My Disease”.
The chilling rock opera is met by scenes of a panicked commuter, tracked through the streets of Tokyo by a rabid attacker – who is played by Kenichi Ito, the fastest man in the world on four limbs.
Frontwoman Hayley Mary describes the video, “It’s about de-stigmatising illness I think, particularly mental illness, but physical too. I guess it can be such a burden for people when they feel alone in it. Maybe the hyperbolic tone of the song is a little bit of an attempt to be a bit self satirical and bring a lightness to the topic of illness, because sometimes owning your ailments, and laughing a little at yourself and the incredible tragicomedy of life helps you get through it I suppose.”
The video definitely reminded us of a Japanese horror film similar to “Ring”. It’s chilling, thrilling and a tad bit scary. But instead of making us want to leave all the lights on before we sleep, it became a unique aesthetic due to the very exciting music brought by the band. The conclusion to the commuter’s fate in the music video will surely send shivers down your spine.
“My Love Is My Disease” has a slight touch of darkness and has been described by fans to be “cool and raw”. The high notes within the song provide that operatic feel without losing its “rock” touch. It’s both beautiful and haunting.
The dark opera of ‘My Love Is My Disease’ is the latest song to be taken from The Jezabel’s recently released third album Synthia. It follows on from the industrial swell of ‘Come Alive’, and the pulsating gyrations of ‘Pleasure Drive’.
Hayley Mary has recently been touring Synthia acoustically throughout the States, and the band hope to reschedule their global headline tour – which has been postponed while keyboardist Heather Shannon undergoes treatment for cancer – as soon as possible.
What do you think of The Jezabels? How about “My Love Is My Disease”? Let us know what you think in the comments below or tweet us @CelebMix!