Exploring the Gothic Electronic Sound: A Journey with Chateau Noir

I had the incredible opportunity to conduct a Q&A session with Gothic Electronic artists Emily and Brent from Chateau Noir. During our discussion, we explored their individual upbringings, musical journeys, the music they create, as well as their hobbies and interests. I hope you find this read enjoyable!

Amit Ahuja: I’m deeply interested in learning more about your backgrounds and the journeys that have shaped your identities. Could you share where you grew up and your hometown environment? I would love to understand how your upbringing has influenced your values and worldview.

Emily: I had a very turbulent and nomadic childhood, moving between my birth home of Toronto, Canada; Sydney, Australia; and the US. Because I moved around so frequently, I often turned to art as a source of stability ever since I was very young. As I grew up, and my life got more stable, I was lucky enough to continue cultivating my creative impulses and taking them more seriously. Now I do art and teach art for a living.

Brent: I had quite a different experience as a child than Emily. I lived in one place for the majority of my life. This afforded me the opportunity to be a part of lots of bands and have lots of transformative experiences. My good fortune is not lost on me, however. Having the opportunity to create the kind of music we make is something I have wanted since I was a kid, and doing it with Emily is a dream come true.

Amit Ahuja: In addition, I’d like to explore the role of your cultural heritage. How has your cultural background contributed to shaping who you are today? Have traditions, stories, or customs left a lasting impression on you? Lastly, have any significant milestones—accomplishments, challenges, or transformative experiences—been particularly meaningful in your personal growth?

Emily: My mom is Canadian, and my dad is British, so my cultural heritage is a mix of North American and British. I grew up learning a lot about England and the town in Yorkshire where my dad was raised – a town called Whitby. When I was in my early 20s, I spent a year living in England as part of a study abroad program and visited Whitby multiple times. It was really funny and interesting to learn that Whitby actually has a “Whitby Goth Weekend” which is held twice a year. Thousands of goth people from around the world go to Whitby to participate. I’ve never done this Weekend yet but it’s definitely on my bucket list. This knowledge isn’t meaningful to my personal growth per se; I just think it's funny since we make goth music. Like a fun full circle!

Brent: I would say the customs and traditions in my life are more self-created than from my heritage. I have little rituals that I do at certain times. Like certain movies I watch on certain days of the year, or music I listen to before I perform in one of my bands.

Amit Ahuja: I’m genuinely looking forward to learning about each of your musical journeys. Could you share a defining moment that ignited your passion for music? Perhaps it was a concert that left a lasting impression, a song that resonated deeply with you, or a pivotal experience that inspired you to begin playing an instrument?

Emily: I’ve been a fan and participant in underground music for a long time, and the shows that have left the deepest impression on me have always been the smaller, more intimate shows. One that stands out was seeing a band called Marriages at the Echoplex in 2014 or 2015. They performed in the middle of the room, surrounded by the audience in a circle. Because the venue was relatively small, the audience wasn’t very big — so I ended up standing right behind the singer, Emma Ruth Rundle (who is still a favorite musician of mine!). It was incredible to be that close to a band I admired, watching them perform their songs. I love those kinds of experiences, and I hope we get to play shows like that in the future — ones that leave a lasting impression on people.

Brent: My parents bought me a drum set for my twelfth birthday, and I have had a lifelong love affair with all things musical since then.

Amit Ahuja: What drew you to the goth scene, both musically and aesthetically?

Brent: To me, all extreme or underground music genres are part of a continuum, so Goth music feels like a natural evolution from other styles I love.

Emily: I definitely haven’t been in the goth scene my whole life. I was a bit of a late bloomer, and I attribute a lot of that to moving around a lot as a child. I really started to wear goth clothes and listen to primarily goth music in my late teens/early 20s. For me, once I discovered that subculture and started wearing the clothes/listening to the music/etc., I finally felt the most “me” that I’ve ever felt. That definitely has not changed even though I’m now in my mid-30s. If anything, it’s more the case now than ever.

Amit Ahuja: How did you all come to focus on the distinct genre of Gothic Electronic music?

Emily: I think some bands worry about being pigeon-holed with a genre, but for us, we really identify with goth music so we are very comfortable being “labelled” so-to-speak.

Brent: I think the trend among lots of electronic acts is to cultivate an impersonal or mechanical aesthetic. We lean into all things Gothic, so out comes music with an aesthetic to match.

Amit Ahuja: Who are some of the most significant musical or artistic influences on your sound within the gothic or dark electronic scene?

Brent: Ministry.

Emily: I love and listen to darkwave and goth music all the time. I don’t know if the stuff I listen to influences our sound per se, but lately I’ve listened to a lot of female-fronted acts like Pixel Grip, Dlina Volny, Boy Harsher, Glaring, Suzi Sabatoge, Corlyx, Youth Code, etc. Women are killing it in the genre lately!

Amit Ahuja: I’m curious about the story behind Chateau Noir. How did the band get started, and what does the name mean? Who originally came up with the idea to form the band, and what were you all hoping to create or express when you started?

Emily: Brent and I had a back-and-forth for a little while where we would share potential band names with each other. Chateau Noir came to us pretty quickly, actually. I was listening to Ville Valo’s solo album Neon Noir (both Brent and I were big fans of early HIM), and I really liked the way “noir” sounded. “Chateau Noir” kind of popped into my head, and I texted it to Brent. He was just like “that’s it!”

Amit Ahuja: Can you share where your lyrical inspiration typically comes from, and what it’s like to bring those words to life on stage in front of an audience?

Emily: Our songs usually have a title before any of the lyrics are written. We’ll write the music first and fit the vibe of the music to match the title we came up with, or vice versa (title the song based on the inherent vibe of the music). The lyrics usually come a lot later when the song is close to fully arranged.

As far as the content of the lyrics, we get a lot of inspiration from gothic and horror films, and gothic/horror fiction of any kind. Additionally, in our self-titled album “Chateau Noir,” the first and last song on that album – Skeleton Key and Chateau Noir – are about the ‘place’ Chateau Noir that we’ve invented as a way to build a gothic world that exists inside our minds. It’s a place of beauty and decadence, but also a place of pain and isolation.

Amit Ahuja: Can you provide detailed insights into each track from your most recent album, released last year? I am also particularly interested in learning more about your latest single, 'Creatures of the Black World.' What central themes or messages do you hope to convey to listeners through these works?

Brent: Every song has a distinctive theme, but together these songs seem to represent a cohesive record.

Emily: Yeah! To continue with the last answer about lyrical content, each song is sort of made to be a part of the fictitious world that is “Chateau Noir” – or at least to show certain aspects of it. Like the song “Fatal Glance” is about paranormal love, “Born to Darkness” is about the struggle of being a vampire and living in darkness. “Bloodlet” is about societal pressures affecting your life and mental health.

Emily: Creatures of the Black World was written to describe a dystopian world where the “creatures” are a metaphor for fascism or authoritarianism that live in the cracks of society, but the main voice in the song is choosing love as a way to fight against those dark forces. So the message is really supposed to be hopeful.

Amit Ahuja: Who are your biggest musical influences?

Brent: Aside from the obvious electronic acts we both love, 80s deathrock and post-punk are huge influences on us. We have a Shadow Project poster in our studio and another of Rozz Williams in our living room.

Amit Ahuja: What non-musical inspirations shape your songs (films, books, personal experiences)?

Brent: 80’s film, particularly Horror and Action movies. John Carpenter specifically as he scores the music to his own films. All vampire films as well. Chateau Noir is the musical equivalent of Interview with the Vampire + the Terminator.

Emily: Yeah, and to add to that: Stories by Anne Rice, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, illustrations by Edward Gorey, Harry Clarke, and Aubrey Beardsley, Film Noir, and films by Kenneth Anger, and film photography of all kinds. Just to name a few!

Amit Ahuja: How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with goth music?

Brent: To quote What We Do in the Shadows; “Dead But Delicious.”

Emily: Lol! I second Brent.

Amit Ahuja: How do your visual and fashion choices tie into your music and message?

Brent: Aesthetic is intentional, and we lean into it where most electronic acts like us shy away from anything too dramatic or personal.

Emily: We are basically living out our fantasies with this project, and indulging ourselves in every way. So the result is quite theatrical and grandiose, but so is our music so it all is connected and interwoven.

Amit Ahuja: I'm super curious about how the production process came together. Can you share your part in making the most recent album and the song? Also, I’d love to hear about any cool techniques or methods you used to ensure the tracks turned out great.

Brent: The process of every song is always a bit experimental and different from track to track. They usually start with big drums and basslines, but everything in between is up to our discretion. We spend lots of time tinkering with synthesizers.

Amit Ahuja: I would love to hear about any exciting projects, tours, or collaborations you have on the horizon! What are you looking forward to the most?

Brent: Playing as many shows as we can. I’m also excited to release an EP this year and another full-length record next year with lots of music videos to accompany them.

Emily: Yes! We have two shows in the greater LA area coming up in August and September. Plus we just did a photoshoot with a photographer and creative director named Aurelia, so we’re excited to see the result of that and show it to the world!

Photo on 35mm by Jeff Joyner

Amit Ahuja: Where do you see yourselves as a band in five years?

Brent: Making a film and scoring it.

Emily: This project has no bounds, so we’re going to let it take us where it can!

Amit Ahuja: What’s something about the day-to-day of being in a band that fans might not realize?

Emily: There is a lot of grunt work that is not always super fun, but very necessary. This can include social media posting, mixing and editing, etc. I personally edit all of our music videos and social media content, so I spend a LOT of time in the Adobe Suite editing stuff. So what fans might not realize is that the fun music writing part of the project is actually the smallest portion of the labor for an indie project.

Amit Ahuja: Emily, in addition to this creative project, you have a broader artistic background. Could you share what it means to be an interdisciplinary artist and how that perspective informs your creative process? Also, could you tell us about some projects you’ve worked on that embody this approach?

Emily: Sure! I am an interdisciplinary artist, which means that I make art across a variety of disciplines. This includes, but is not limited to, film, sculpture, painting, drawing, print-making, etc. I see all disciplines of art as unique, but also interchangeable depending on the vision. With Chateau Noir, the main “discipline” is the music, but there are also music videos, photography, etc. that are included in the greater project.

So Chateau Noir is a perfect reflection of how I work in general. For example, I’m wrapping up post-production on a short film I made called In the Light of the Afternoon, which will be debuted at a gallery in downtown LA later this year. The exhibition of the film will be "interdisciplinary," as it will include sculptural pieces and prints made for the exhibit.

Amit Ahuja: If you were given the fantastic opportunity to open for any band or go on a world tour, which bands would you choose to join on this exciting journey?

Brent: Spike Hellis.

Emily: Yes! Or any of the bands mentioned in my answer for number 9.

Amit Ahuja: What keeps you guys inspired as artists?

Brent: Each other.

Amit Ahuja: What advice would you give to young artists exploring darker, more experimental styles?

Brent: Don’t follow trends. Be authentic regardless of how strange it may seem.

Emily: You don’t need expensive and fancy equipment to get started. Just start with a used synth, or even a midi and a DAW, and see where it takes you.

Amit Ahuja: What insights or recommendations do you guys have for musicians who face rejection or experience setbacks in their careers? Specifically, how can these artists cope with disappointment and use those challenges as stepping stones for future growth?

Brent: If you get to get up and make music regularly, there isn’t much to be disappointed in. Try and focus on the positive.

Emily: Have fun, and try to cultivate a small but tight network around you. Set realistic goals and know that the numbers don’t matter. How you live your life is what matters.

Amit Ahuja: Can you both share three individuals who have positively or negatively influenced your lives, and why?

Brent: My friend Isaiah is influential to me with respect to both his creativity and his ability to seemingly live every day like it's his last. As for my musical endeavors, I would have to say my parents for always supporting me. And most importantly, I will say Emily for being the greatest source of inspiration for what Chateau Noir is.

Emily: I will say our sisters: my sister Madeleine, and Brent’s sister Megan. They are always there for us and our biggest supporters. Most of the photographs taken on our IG were taken by my sister, Madeleine. She’ll drop what she’s doing to help us with projects anytime we ask her. Brent, of course, has positively influenced my life as not only my bandmate but also my life partner. And lastly, my cat, Toby, because apart from Brent and Madeleine, Toby and I are codependent lol.

Amit Ahuja: What kinds of TV shows, movies, books, or podcasts do you both really connect with—and what is it about them that draws you in? Is it the storytelling, character development, the themes they explore, or just the overall craft?

Brent: Star Trek is the singular most important thing to come out of the Industrial Revolution. As for our music and stylistic influences, horror movies inform us the most.

Amit Ahuja: For each member, how do they define happiness in their life, and how does that connect to their vision of success?

Emily: Happiness is keeping what is important close to you. For me, being creative on a daily basis is part of that. Being able to work as an interdisciplinary artist and musician while making a living teaching art to young people makes me feel truly successful.

Brent: Doing things that keep you feeling young is a key to happiness for me. Playing shows and indulging in your passions are important examples of this for me personally.

Amit Ahuja: Do you guys have hobbies or interests outside of music that get you fired up?

Brent: I think our singular biggest influence and interest that informs our band is film.

Amit Ahuja: What message would you share with humanity if you had the world’s attention for five minutes?

Brent: Live long and prosper.

Emily: Be nice to each other, and even nicer to animals.

Amit Ahuja: Thanks to Emily and Brent from Chateau Noir for sharing their story with us.

Photo by Madeleine Gross

Please explore the following links to support and follow Chateau Noir:

Chateau Noir YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ChateauNoirBand

Chateau Noir Bandcamp:

https://chateau-noir.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacA8ksa-oXXdtTuY258b1TvjbKf_lpibZlehD3xwKkLnJzRPaRBhSEGI6T7cQ_aem_21JMAFcum0QgwafnRnyddg

Chateau Noir Instagram Page:

https://www.instagram.com/_chateau.noir/

***Video by Chateau Noir and Photos by Madeleine Gross & Jeff Joyner, unless stated otherwise.***