Almost A Dirty Dozen with PLAGUE GARDEN – April 2025

According to a recent press release: “Denver, Colorado-based goth rock band, PLAGUE GARDEN has announced the release of their fourth album, Under The Sanguine Moon. The album features a prominent vampiric theme. Delve into the catacombs of a nocturnal world, where tales of bloodlust at dusk reign supreme. Listen to fantastical tales of the undead and even a little bit of Greek mythology added in for variety. There’s even a very unlikely cover song that will surprise you. From the album’s blood-red artwork to it’s hemophilic lyrics, this LP is bound to please even the darkest children of the night. For fans of gothic rock, post punk, deathrock & darkwave. The members of PLAGUE GARDEN have a rich history in regional underground music scenes. Angelo Atencio and Fernando Altonaga have been established industrial artists in Colorado since 2015. Stephen Hannum brings a substantial history of performing in industrial, post-punk, and goth rock bands throughout California, Kansas, and Colorado. Daemien Alexander rounds out the band’s signature sound from years of experience in post-punk scenes across south Louisiana.” We get Stephen and Fernando to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

There are many references and nuances that one might miss, unless they knew exactly what to listen for. “Running From Satan” gives a nod to Sir Walter Scott, with the lyrics “It’s such a tangled ploy. When we practice to destroy”. On the other end of the spectrum, the ah, ah, ah in “Los Ninos Perdidos” is inspired by The Count from Sesame Street.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realize you wanted to be a musician?

We all have various origin stories.  Stephen, came up in the L.A area going to clubs like Helter Skelter and formed his first band at the age of 13. Listening to 101 from Depeche Mode, he and two of his friends decided to form a band and Stephen, having a Baptist minister for a grandfather, who was the bass player in a  gospel band, decided he would play bass. Fernando, the vocalist, is also from LA. He watched a lot of MTV as a child. He remembers seeing Twisted Sister videos, sticking it to the man. That’s when he decided that he wanted to rock.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

We each have different and also similar musical tastes. As far as the Plague Garden sound goes, we could agree that Joy Division, Sisters Of Mercy and Bauhaus are significant influences.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Guitarists Daniel Ash or Johnny Marr would definitely up our game, based on their distinctive signature sounds unparalleled skills.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

We like sacrificing goats (only the mean ones), howling at the moon, morphing to bat-form to save on air-fare, and reanimating corpses (better than training a new guitarist every month).

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

We keep it pretty old-school. If you like the sounds of goth rock from the 80s-90s, you will probably like this. People who are not familiar with the genre might compare us to Marylin Manson, which we would not agree with.

7. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Charles Levi, from The Thrill Kill Kult came to see one of our recent shows and he was one of the coolest people we have met.

8. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

There’s so many cool aspects of being a musician. You get to express yourself creatively as much as you want. Getting up on a stage and performing your art for an audience can feel very rewarding, especially if they like it. It gives you a platform to speak your mind and have your message heard. There are few feelings in the world that are undescribable, and one is playing live on stage for a loving crowd! If we weren’t musicians we would probably all be morticians or professional dendrophiliacs.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Should have taken the blue pill instead of the red pill.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Disintegration by Cure. That would have been amazing to see that recording process.

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Category: Interviews