Vera Farmiga Is Killing It In A Gothic Rock Band “The Yagas”!
Horror fans should memorize the name Vera Farmiga even in their sleep. The American actress of Ukrainian origin plays Lorraine Warren in the “The Conjuring” films, the most successful horror franchise ever. Of course, she appeared in other films in the franchise as well. Farmiga was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for her excellent role in “Up in the Air,” played in acclaimed films such as Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,“ and also did several other horror roles, such as the excellent “Orphan,” “Godzilla: King of Monsters“ or the series “Bates Motel.“
However, an actress with box office success and dozens of nominations for important awards, such as the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and the Emmys, can also surprise us in other ways. A few days ago, the 51-year-old Fermiga showed she is also talented in another field, which shows why she has a place in our scary songs section. Meet the vocalist of the new alternative rock band “The Yagas,“ who released a first single called “The Crying Room“ for an album that will be released during the following year. And the truth? It sounds pretty good!
Witch, Actress, And Rock Musicians Meet: The Yagas
If you know a little about horror folklore, you may have heard the name “Baba Yaga,“ which gave the band its name. Baba Yaga is a very familiar and scary figure in Slavic folklore. It is a figure of an old and ragged witch, with bony limbs and a skeletal appearance, who lives in a small cabin in the forest’s heart. According to the stories, she kidnaps and probably also eats children, to then leave their skin on her fence. Baba Yaga has appeared in quite a few cultural texts, including music, literature, television, and, of course, cinema, starting from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, through the 2019 film “Hellboy“ to series such as “Supernatural“ and “The Witcher.”
The other central side of Yagas, beside Farmiga, is Renn Hawkey, who produced the song. Harkey is a member of an instrumental rock band called “Deadsy“ and also happens to be Farmiga’s husband. The other band members are drumist Jason Bowman, guitarist Mark Visconti, and Mike Davis on bass.
It could very well be that what is more interesting to the average music fan who is not necessarily familiar with the names of musicians from rock or metal bands is those who are in the studio, especially their achievements. The mix was done by Brian Virtue, who worked with the “Deftons“ and also with another actor who demonstrated impressive abilities in the field of singing: Oscar winner Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Requiem for a Dream”), the vocalist of the excellent group “Thirty Seconds to Mars.“ Grammy winner Emily Lazar, who has worked with Beck and Coldplay, is responsible for the mastering.
The Crying Room – Gothic Music, Inspired By A Solar Eclipse
The first single from the album is “The Crying Room,“ with a clip that was uploaded to YouTube a few days ago and has already garnered tens of thousands of views.
The clip was shot in a forest in upstate New York, a scary forest that looks like a horror movie location, and starts with over a minute and a half of instrumental music. When Farmiga starts to sing, she turns out to be not a bad singer at all. As someone who grew up and still occasionally listens to symphonic metal/goth rock/whatever you call it bands with a dominant female vocalist – for example, Amy Lee of “Evanescence,“ Sharon Del Adele of “Within Temptation,“ Cristina Scabbia of the Italian “Lacona Coil“ – You can’t compare them yet.
I am not sure that based on the debut single, you can describe the music or “The Yagas” as a metal, but more of an indie rock, but don’t kill me. However, as a fan of the genre, the result is pretty impressive to my non-professional ears, and there’s something to look forward to.
What Is The Crying Room About?
“‘The Crying Room‘ is about release and relief. It’s about crying your heart clean. It’s a song filmed during and in the aftermath of an eclipse, and it’s about the eclipse of our soul”, Farmiga wrote. “Eclipses have potent effects on our psychology. They evoke awe and wonder. They are energetic portals that trigger epiphanies and outpouring of emotion. They help us shift.”
“Humans are capable of getting stuck in our shadows from time to time. It’s in this balancing of the dualities of shadow and light, one literally eclipsing the other, that we have an opportunity to look deep into our hearts and what is going on internally and bring that into the light. No matter how dark it is.”
This “darkness“ is not only an emotional state but also describes what has happened in our world in recent months. The clip itself is dedicated to the “brave people of Ukraine,” obviously referring to the terrible war between Russia and Ukraine.
This dedication is not surprising given that Fermiga and Eugene Hütz from the band Gogol Bordello, who appears alongside her in the music video, are of Ukrainian origin. As part of the single launch, the band is trying to raise awareness of Ukraine’s situation in the United States and raise donations for the Ukrainian people.
When Will The Yagas’s Debut Album Come Out?
The album, which will be released as mentioned during 2025, will be called “Midnight Minuete“ and include ten songs, with the debut single “The Crying Room“ also opening the album.
In the meantime, you can follow the Instagram page of “The Yagas.”
