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As much as the visual of Vecna endures, its his voice that cuts through the season.
Now hes back to making music this time as just Jamie Bower.
Also looming large areNick Cave, whose work Bower idolizes, and Tom Waits.
Ive always written some country and western music.
I love the structure of a country song.
Its always very fun to go into; its classic, says Bower of his melting pot of inspiration.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Counterfeit just dissipated.
But I love sadness, and I love grief, and I love the darkness.
Ive always written country and western music.
For me, it offers the opportunity to be very instinctual.
With this song, the guitar was the first thing that I came up with.
The vocal was all done in one take, and the video was shot a week after.
Can we get a video together?
We managed to find this incredible director, we pulled a video together, and now were releasing it.
Thats what this style of music is really offering me instant creative process.
Im working on those two things in conjunction, but theyre both discussing the same themes.
Why do you invoke American symbols of religion?How do you mean American?
Theres a certain Devil Went Down to Georgia quality to the music video.Yeah, 100 percent.
That comes back to my love of country music.
Its this idea of the blues and B.
King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Cash all these guys who emanated soul and spirit through music.
Your voice in this is different from how it was in your previous music.
How did you find it?Its ever evolving.
This song is written from the perspective of the Lord of the Underworld.
Ive come to realize that my baritone register is something thats very much who I am.
I dont have to force it out; its there.
What Im trying to capture is a truthful, honest vocal.
On this song and on everything that Ive released thus far, its been this really honest performance.
you might hear that.
Hearing you talk about adeep baritone voiceand being Lord of the Underworld, Im of course reminded ofStranger Things.
Those are your words.
We think that this will connect with a wide audience.
These incredible auteurs and writers that Ive worked with have this build it and they will come attitude.
I have a very interesting relationship with … myself?
And with whatever it is thatsout there.
Whos telling you to sit down?I dont know.
I really, really dont know.
Its just been that if Im chasing the wrong thing, I will often feel very sick.
Toward the end of Counterfeit, I felt like I didnt have power within me.
It took a good shit-kicking to get that power back.
While you acknowledge that theres a darkness, Ive heard you say that you cant consider Vecna a villain.
Then in your music video, youre playing a villainous preacher.
As an actor and a performer, I have to go,Oh my god, come here.
Let me love your inner child.
Let me understand you rather than judge you.I cant go,Oh, youre just a twat.
What Im about to say is risky.
Sorry, Lindsay Simon (my manager).
Why are you not more understanding?
Why are you not kind to them?And Gods like, Oh, shut up, get out.
And Lucifers like, Well, now I wanna have a war with you.
I feel like, often, when people hear the worddarkness, they are very afraid of it.
They consider it to be evil, but I dont.
I think that they are necessary parts of all of us that dwell inside of every single person.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
