Founded and fronted by New Yorker Anna Kunz, Torture and The Desert Spiders are a mainstay on the Liverpool and London live music scene. Inspired by great musicians around her, especially her collaborators Max Meunier (drums) and Clara Cicely (bass), the music moves and shifts between pulsing drum beats and dense and nervy guitars, all united by Anna’s captivatingly powerful vocals that build in intensity and looming dread as the track progresses. 

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

Torture: Our latest release is a single called, ‘The Tooth, The Gap and the Filling’ which features a B-side, ‘if you go, then i go’. The single was originally a poem I wrote while having dinner on my own about my state of mind at the time, about being dissatisfied and tired of working to get nowhere… tired of feeling angry at my situation (but always to the point that it was humorous.) I demoed it and showed that to Pete Harrison who ultimately took an interest in producing the track and we all began working it in the studio.

The B-side was a voice note for my mother I made in August at around 2am so she’d have it in her inbox the next morning, supposed to make her feel better cause we were both a bit down and out which is hard when yer 3000 miles from each other. Later Clara (bass) took a huge interest in it and helped push for it to be the B-side. I now agree that it was a good choice as the tracks really compliment each other as they are both different lenses for viewing a similar dissatisfaction with one’s situation.

What should a song or piece of art communicate in your opinion? 

Torture: It should say exactly what yer brain meant to say at that exact moment of creation, no matter if its against what you thought you believed, or its false or its a metaphor so beyond recognition that it fails you to see any relevance, cuz one day that lyric will stick out and be the clearest reminder of what you felt at that time, usually in retrospect. A not-too-edited version of your truth. That momentary truth that you needed to say right then. And one day someone maybe gets it and for them it’s like lightning.

Hopefully, you believe in enough and consume and feel enough to write something that resonates, but if not that’s what the trash is for. We write for ourselves, it is a purging of feelings… but then it isn’t. All of a sudden it can be a communion.

Who were your top 3 artists last year?

Torture: The Districts, Wilco and Leikeli47 pretty much live at the top of my spotify at all times. Also King Giz, Amadou and Mariam, Sinead OConnor… my daily listens. 

Probably my top artists this year though were Courting (big up the boiz), Wet Leg, Opus Kink (that spider song is amazing), San Lorenz (Accessory)… 

What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?

Torture: Listen to Tommy with a candle burning Clara: Yea and go for a walk… in a park or by a lake. 

What are your 2022 projects and goals?

Torture: We’ve achieved a few of our goals this year already, we are ready to wrap up recording for our forthcoming EP and prep for a busy Spring and Summer touring.

Clara: Keep doin what we’re doing

Favourite movie or TV show?
Clara: Almost Famous
Torture: Probably same, or Paris, Texas.
Clara: Also Sopranos
Max: Star Trek.

What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?

Torture:

  • Gatekeeping
  • Pay your bands
  • calling bands with women / non-men ‘girlbands’ or ‘women fronted’… it aint a genre. 
  • Low income kids not getting a chance to play a guitar / any instruments till they are way older. Instruments are amazing and connecting with them saves us

Can you outline your creative process?

Torture: I spend most of my time collecting lyrics on scraps, writing songs on my acoustic… then bring em to the band and see how far from the original they can take them while still retaining the feeling I had when I wrote it. Stretch, stretch, stretch. Sometimes there are pretty fully formed songs but they make them what they are. They let me make mistakes and find new sounds within the old ones. And the live set informs that. People let us know what they are connecting with and I wanna know why… so we just keep playing them cuz that’s important to us.

Who inspires your style and aesthetics?

Lol… Gothic architecture , gargoyles?

For max i think it’s Eccoy2k 

For Clara, she likes latex and leather… plants.

Torture: I really just like oversized suits, charity shops bits… baggy mens clothes because I grew up in my brothers’ hand me downs, which I still predominantly wear. My few cute gal fits I nicked from my mom

What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?

Torture: I think playing Kendal Calling was that for me. Just seeing everyone buzzing, and pitching tents with Fion and seeing loads of bands we all (Clara / Max / Jana / Fion) dig. I got excited boiling water that friday morning. Maybe also playing with our mates, Crawlers. Was really cool to experience a room with that much energy. Their fanbase is pretty amazing and they really connect with each other.

What do you think an artist should sing about nowadays?

Torture: They should sing what they feel… if you’re present in the real world, yer probably hungry or tired or feel love or loneliness or want more or are afraid of the future. Or maybe it’s none of that. But whatever it is ya should sing about it.

A sort of romance between yer state of mind and the state of the world around you. You have so much freedom as a songwriter…

Do you have any regrets?

Torture: I can’t live in the past. I am so grateful for where I am at right now and the artists around me. I look forward to these new releases and touring for the rest of my life (like Bobby D)

What is some piece of advice you would give to yourself right now?

I’d advise myself to not have a fourth pint of Dortmunder, I have a gig tomorrow.

Cheers,

Torture / AKA Anna