Wax Idols’s New Video for “Deborah” Is a Riot of Purple Light

I love Wax Idols; not just because vocalist Hether Fortune is such a fascinating enigma of a person with rose gold pipes, but because they make me want to dance—and as someone who hates dancing and is also trapped in the same dystopian nightmare as the rest of y’all, that means a whole hell of a lot right now. The band’s latest record, American Tragic, lobs polished barbs of 80s pop, goth rock, and snappy electronics straight at your heart—and at your hips.  

That said, I’m stoked to be premiering their entrancing new video for the track “Deborah” below. The video was filmed in Los Angeles and Oakland by Omar Acosta, and features live footage, artsy lighting, and cold color tones, and drops on the same day they’re announcing their upcoming tour with Thursday, a band that has had a serious impact on Fortune’s fortunes.

Hether Fortune told Noisey, “I started going to punk/hardcore shows when I was around 13. It was very important for me at that time to prove that I was tough, to demonstrate my anger. I was trying to outwardly deny my more sensitive, emotional self as much as possible. So when I discovered Thursday, it felt like the perfect middle ground for me. Music rooted in punk and post-hardcore but intensely introspective, poetic and emotional. Thursday became my number 1 band obsession. I saw them every time they played within a 200 mile radius of my rural home in Michigan for many years. They eventually got used to seeing me around and would talk to me after shows, let me take pictures with them and stuff. I started bringing poems I’d written to the shows in the hopes that I would one day work up the courage to show them to Geoff [Rickly]. Eventually I did and he would read them and give me feedback on the spot and then via email. It gave me such a huge boost of self-esteem and made me feel like perhaps I had something to offer the world, that maybe I had some talent. 

Anyway, fast forward several years and somehow Geoff and I got in touch again. By this point I had started Wax Idols and was an adult—he hadn’t seen me since I was maybe 16 or 17. It became this full circle experience because he was now a fan of my music as well and started working to support me as an artist. If I could go back in time and tell my 15-year-old self that she would eventually be on tour with her favorite band—wow. 15-year-old me would fucking die. What a trip! We’ve been through a lot over the years but we have a truly special bond that never seems to weaken or break. I feel truly honored to know him and to have the opportunity to play to Thursday audiences. I grew up in that audience. “

Wax Idols will release American Tragic on cassette via Etruscan Gold Records on March 10. The tape will include an exclusive remix of “Deborah” by Peter from the band., and is currently available for preorder here.