Brighton-based Australian vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Penelope Trappes has released Red Dove, the new single from her fifth full-length album, A Requiem, which is due in April. We asked her the BIG questions . . .
Red Dove is "melancholic but aerial, recalling an `Armageddon dream' of Penelope’s that ended with the vivid image of a boy holding a red dove".
"I felt like this dream was about humanity becoming numb, stripped of emotion, and completely lost in their pain," Penelope says.
"Sleepwalking. swallowing the bitter pill. The general acceptance of destructive, violent and toxic social norms. The Red dove being a conduit of the world's negativity yet held peacefully in the hands of an innocent child".
The track’s accompanying video by Agnes Haus was inspired by Werner Herzog’s 1993 documentary, Bells from the Deep: Faith and Superstition in Russia.
Speaking about the video, Penelope says, "A distinct feeling about the fraught existential enigma of the human experience was hanging in the desolated air. For the music, I wanted ultra-soft vocals to say harsh things like a kind of beautiful decay.
"Months later, I was digging through old Werner Herzog documentaries and came across Bells from the Deep. In one of the chapters, Yuri Tarassov, a travelling sorcerer and exorcist, absolutely entranced me into the world of cult leader behaviour and I really wanted Agnes Haus and I to create a visual around the aura of 90s evangelical superstars.
"I was fascinated by the intensity of Yuri’s followers’ hysterical reactions - and I think there are correlations to modern politics in 2025. The followers have complete faith that Yuri can relieve their emotional and psychological distress.
"The collective power of persuasion, no matter how outlandish, feeds the hunger for a sense of belonging… which leads to the potential for power-hungry personalities to convince others to gather under the damaged wings of the world - a violent hope."
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I'm inherently a traveller, and I was even a flight attendant living in Bahrain at one point in my life. I’m vegan and an animist, caring deeply for all sentient beings, including Mother Earth. I collect leaves, seed pods, flowers, shells, feathers and other nature artefacts from around the world for my altar.
How would you describe your music?
Pagan liturgy and gothic drone opera.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Dead Can Dance, Cosey Fanni Tutti, This Mortal Coil, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Patti Smith, Beth Gibbons, Grouper, Björk, PJ Harvey, Nico, Kate Bush, Kim Gordon, Low, My Bloody Valentine, Hildagarde Von Bingen, The Shangri Las, Caroline K.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
Growing up in rural Australia, a lot of touring artists rarely crossed into my sphere. So, one year I took a road trip to Sydney with a friend to go to The Big Day Out Festival. The highlight was seeing Björk’s show. Her album Debut had just come out, and as a fan of the Sugarcubes, I was jumping out of my skin to see her live. Watching and witnessing the palpable energy on stage and in the crowd made me feel alive. For the first time I felt like I was with 'my people'.
What was the first record you ever bought?
Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd.
What’s your favourite song right now?
Gráminn by Hekla. I have been following Hekla’s since 2018’s album, Á. To me, the theremin has always felt like an unpredictable yet magical voice - almost human - that could really haunt your soul. Hekla’s manipulation and mastery of the instrument is so beautiful but also menacing. I personally resonate with artists who delve into the shadows. It feels like a natural human way to find the light in life. Her latest track is honest, brave, extremely dark, abrasively distorted and yet absolutely heavenly.
Favourite lyric of all time?
I can’t say it is my 'all time’ favourite, but definitely in recent times…. from Kim Gordon’s I’m a Man, "Jump on my back, 'Cause I'm the man, Pass me a black napkin, please".
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Alice Coltrane’s Journey Into Satchidananda.
Where can people find your music/more information?
My website.
Alan Corr
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