or the past decade and a half, Vudu Sister has quietly haunted the fringes of the Providence music scene. Their sound is distinct – for the uninitiated, think chamber music meets late-1980s grunge, with shades of shadowy gloom, often described as “songs to sing in the dark.”
The now-trio, founded in 2011 by Keith J.G. McCurdy and Diane O’Connor, defies simple categorization, weaving a seemingly disparate mix of folk traditions, gothic mystery, and classical depth into a unique, evocative sound. Their lyrics explore themes of the macabre and draw on literary influences
from J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft. Burnt Offerings, the band’s 2021 album, featured songs sung in Latin and Greek, written from the perspectives of mythological figures. (Songwriter McCurdy brings legit credentials – a degree from the University of Rhode Island, where he studied classical languages.)
In addition to singer/guitarist McCurdy and violinist O’Connor, cellist Isabel Castellvi joins on their new album, Adynata, expected to be released on March 20. This latest effort is a well-produced, mature release from an enigmatic band, with songs that incorporate lush string arrangements and a romantic-classical feel, giving the music a chamber-meets-folk quality. It’s a work that gathers every thread of the band’s identity and weaves it into something heavier, stranger, and more intimate than anything they’ve released before. The songs are compelling – like the ones you Shazam while watching a movie - although certainly a far cry from today’s pop hits.
Recorded and superbly mastered by Bradford Krieger at Big Nice Studio in Lincoln, the album was engineered and produced by Emma Newton, who also contributed vocals, piano, and harp. “Recording at Big Nice was the best experience I’ve ever had recording,” says McCurdy. “It felt highly collaborative, just as the writing of the album did with Diane and Isabel; it was a joy working with Emma, who was insightful, precise, quick, and contributive.”
Originally conceived as a literary concept album, Adynata gradually became something more intimate. “When I was starting to write this album, I set out with a more intentional concept that was rooted in different literary sources, but as I was writing it, it sort of became a little more personal, something I haven’t done in a long time,” explains McCurdy. “It gets taxing emotionally, and I didn’t want to cheapen those feelings, so I started to explore different perspectives because I’m older now. I definitely wanted to give this album a sense of weight and heaviness, almost like a burden.”
“Lyrically, the themes and motifs that became very prominent during the writing of Adynata include home, or lack of finding one,” says McCurdy. “‘Having Trouble Sleeping,’ which I wrote while in Sicily for a month, not feeling homesick at all, the deterioration of home on ‘The Valley,’ alienation/othering on ‘Non-Euclidean Geometry,’ and death/loss, in the sense of reflection and mourning on ‘Passage of Ships,’ which I originally wrote for
my late father.
“I often write about the feminine perspective, from the viewpoint of a character who is femme,” he continues. “This is especially the case with ‘Under the Light of the Moon,’ which is a spiritual sequel to my song ‘White Satin Evening Gown’ from Mortis Nervosa. It tells the story of a girl who returns from the grave to exact revenge on the men who hurt her. ‘Lilith’ and ‘Magic Powers’ explore both vulnerability and power in femme personae, neither pitying nor placing on a pedestal, but desperately calling for
recognition of their humanity.”
For McCurdy, the tension between art and survival remains ever-present. “When you make art, you make it for yourself – something you’re proud of,” he says. “But once it’s done, everything after that is an advertisement. You’re trying to convince other people to care.” With Adynata, that task may be easier than ever. This is Vudu Sister at their most focused and fully realized – a record that doesn’t ask for attention so much as quietly demands it. Learn more at VuduSister.Bandcamp.com
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