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What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
Leslie: Leonard Cohen's ‘You Want It Darker’ gives me goosebumps. The low bass-baritone of Cohen's voice leads the haunting choir that accompanies a voice singing the Hebrew word ‘Hineni’ (‘Here I am!’), propelled like a slow and steady musical force by the subtle percussion, guitars, and organ – a sanctified addition to a serious, yet poetic song. Cohen's complex and painful relationship with God as a complacent entity, as outlined in his lyrics, reflects the suffering of humanity and admits that, in a sense, we crucify ourselves as He watches. ‘A million candles burning for the love that never came. You want it darker, we kill the flame.’ What's darker than not having faith?
Anson: Probably ‘When I Shall Cease To Be’ by a band called Mischosen, or anything by Shining. Love that band, but Niklas Kvarforth has got some issues. There’s also the album ‘Goetia’ by Peter Gundry, and that is a masterclass in instrumental dark music.
How would you characterize your own music?
Anson: Pretty much just a mishmash of all my biggest influences, but they definitely always come out on the darker side, and the ones that don’t still have a sinister undertone to them.
Leslie: Provocative. Sultry. Confrontational. Dark. Moody. Emotive. Personal. … I write all the vocal melodies and lyrics, so my background in poetry and my passion for mental health shine through everything I write.
What are your musical aspirations?
Anson: For people to just enjoy it, honestly, and have something to relate to or get them through something. Pretty much giving back what music did for me.
Leslie: I’d love to see Mourning Candle perform at music festivals in the next few years. Dark Force Fest, Dark Castle Fest, and Nightshade Fest are on our radar for the future. We’d also love to collaborate with more artists, specifically from Artoffact Records or Metropolis Records. And we’d like to play more regional tours. It’d be so much fun to visit our friends in Atlanta and Tampa soon! International shows would be the ultimate aspiration. My family lives in Berlin, Germany, so that would be our first stop.
What are your main musical inspirations?
Leslie: There have been so many inspiring bands in the goth, darkwave, EBM, and industrial genres that have shaped who I am since I first got into this music scene in the mid-‘90s. Some of the bands that have stuck with me are Bauhaus, Depeche Mode, Ego Likeness, The Birthday Massacre, Razed in Black, and VNV Nation. I love ‘80s New Wave music just as much as the goth subgenres, so I’ve had a love affair with Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, and Simple Minds to name a few, too. My favorite artists to sing along to would have to be synthpop-era Ministry and Madonna. Weird combo, but my alto vocals suit them.
Anson: I’d say the biggest ones in general are bands like Children of Bodom, Watain, Tribulation and other bands like that. As for Mourning Candle, bands like Type O Negative, Christian Death, Poisonblack, and others like Depeche Mode, New Order, Skinny Puppy. Things like that. Too many to list.
What are your main goals in life?
Anson: They’ve definitely changed over the years, but since I’m a father, the biggest one is showing my son that he can accomplish anything he wants if he puts the work into it.
Leslie: Make music that makes a difference in someone’s life. Be a light bearer and offer hope and healing. Love hard. Live like today is the last day.
What motivates you to create?
Leslie: Music is my therapy. It’s how I express what’s lurking inside my brain and heart. It’s how I let out pain, release past demons, and allow myself to become fully empowered. It’s real, raw honesty. I love the connection between the band on stage and the audience. It’s an intimate moment of shared emotions. There’s nothing else like it in the world.
Anson: I’ve just always had an urge to create in general, but that urge definitely hits harder when going through harder, darker times in life, and also revisiting those times to reflect and try to capture those feelings in a moment. It’s pretty much therapy for me.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Leslie: I’m an elder goth now, so my favorite time of the day to create and be productive is in the late morning and afternoon. I value my sleep so much. By 11 p.m. I’m ready to curl up under the covers.
Anson: Definitely a night owl, but being a father to a school-aged child has forced me to become an early bird.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
Leslie: I love photography and film. The visual arts are just as appealing to me as music. But my go-to outside of music is poetry. I’m a writer first and a vocalist second. I never really considered myself a singer. It’s just something I enjoy doing. My grandmother was a music teacher, so I think I got that ‘music bug’ from her. It’s in my blood.
Anson: My girlfriend, Angelica, is an absolutely AMAZING painter and artist in general, so definitely painting. I’ve also always had a fascination with charcoal art, so that’d be a fun little experiment for sure.
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
Anson: The very first album my dad ever bought me was AC/DC’s 1991 live album. Angus Young’s guitar tone in that performance is just absolute god tier, and I think that really planted the seed to wanting an electric guitar. But the album that made me say ‘I’m learning guitar NOW’ was Machine Head’s ‘Through the Ashes of Empires.’
Leslie: As an only child, I would often listen to my dad’s record collection in the basement. The album ‘Help!’ by The Beatles was one of the first albums I remember inspiring me. The songs “Help” and “Yesterday” specifically helped shape me as a young vocalist. They were beautiful and slightly somber, which I felt drawn to. I was a weird, shy kid.
What is the best decade for music?
Leslie: The 1980s was, in my opinion, the best decade for music. It’s the one I keep going back to over and over again. I mean, c’mon – you’ve got David Bowie, The Cure, Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, INXS, and a slew of amazing New Wave artists! I love the ‘80s.
Anson: The ‘80s. Hands down. Are there better songs from different decades? Yes. But, overall, the ‘80s had literally something for everybody – from Bathory to Michael Jackson. There’s something there.
What do your future plans include?
Anson: Right now, just playing as many shows as I can, in as many places I can, and just enjoying the ride.
Leslie: It’s been hard planning for the future while surviving the current bleak state of the world. I’m just taking it day by day and celebrating the small joys and victories as they come. Thank you to all our friends and fans for believing in Mourning Candle. Thank you to our partners and families for helping us stay positive and on the right path. Thanks to all the DJs, promoters, venues, and journalists who have shared our story and songs. And thanks to you, Darkenin Heart, for this interview. We are grateful and are excited to see what happens next!
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Harbinger is out now! The new single is produced, mixed and mastered by Nick McLaren (The Static Architect).
Live from Fascination Street, a collection of 7 original live songs written and performed by Mourning Candle last fall.
Upcoming Shows:
Sat. March 7, 2026 Nashville, TN:
Mourning Candle with Artoffact Records' artists Bootblacks @bootblacks and The Discussion @the_discussion (post-punk/darkwave), and Nashville's General Trust @general_trust (noir duskwave) at The Cobra Nashville, 2511 Gallatin Ave. (@cobra_nashville). 7PM. 21+. $15.
Wed. April 8 , 2026 Nashville, TN
Mourning Candle w/ Jelani Rose @imrosegolden (post-punk) + The Other L.A. @theotherlaofficial (rock/metal) at @cobra_nashville by Secret Shadow Productions. 7PM. 21+. $15.
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Mourning Candle
Photos by Ray Rose Photography
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