Photo: Alexander Schipper

October and the Eyes faces her fears on the skin crawling, slow burning rocker “Dark Dog”

London-based Kiwi songwriter October and the Eyes is releasing her debut EP, Dogs and Gods, this Friday, but ahead of that she has shared one final preview: “Dark Dog”. October says:

“It’s about the uneasy feeling of being watched, that at any moment something bad could happen. There’s an anecdotal malformed dog who’s always near – limping, snarling, growling and drooling. It’s one you feel equally sorry for as you do fear it. You cannot outrun this dark dog, so you decide to make peace.”

That prickling, skin crawling feeling is ripe in “Dark Dog”, as chunky slowcore guitar crawls and curdles among an atmospheric soundscape. We feel like we’re on the inside of October’s paranoid skull as her voice, high and wary, floats above this darkness, but is always looking over its shoulder with tension. As “Dark Dog” reaches is bristling finale, October stares down the titular beast and her voice settles into the gritty setting, combining with the electrifyingly massive guitar tone to create a monumental whole that is both thrilling and terrifying.

You can listen to “Dark Dog” on streaming platforms or watch the video below.

October and the Eyes’ Dogs and Gods EP arrives on Friday, November 20, via KRO Records. You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.