Last week, Dayton-based band Eerie Avenue Detective Agency joined WYSO Music Director Juliet Fromholt for a live studio session and interview. They played several songs from their new album, The Frankenstein Lovers, live on air, and discussed the recent lineup changes that inspired the album’s theme of resurrection. The band also previewed their upcoming live performances, including at Blind Bob’s on Saturday March 23.
Eerie Avenue Detective Agency have always indulged in ghoulish imagery. The band’s Facebook page describes their sound as “sinister shoegaze, paranormal punk rock, and skull screaming metal,” and the cover of their debut 2023 album, The White Star, features a grinning skull superimposed upon a starfish. Yet, according to lead singer and songwriter Mr. NIM, the band is itself something of a zombie. After the release of White Star, the band’s drummer and bassist left the group. “We started this year off trying to go one route, and fate had a different idea,” Mr. NIM said. Rather than disband, the remaining members improvised; guitarist D. Ward began filling in on electric bass and Morrigan Faust joined the band as drummer.
This period of transition spurred a burst of creative output. Mr. NIM told Juliet that he wrote the band's latest album, The Frankenstein Lovers, in a remarkably short time. "I literally could not write it fast enough," he said. Mr. NIM finished composing the album in just two days, scribbling lyrics at work and setting them to music in the evenings.
Despite the recent personnel shakeup, the band also found their groove quickly. "It was very strange," Mr. NIM said, "Because we ran through a rough take of it, and everyone just kind of was getting the feel of it. And then by the second, maybe third take, we just had it. So it was very kismet." Guitarist D. Ward added that the band finished an impressive 13 new songs in just three weeks.
The Frankenstein Lovers was released on March 15, 2024—the first of three albums Eerie Avenue Detective Agency plans to release this year, according to Mr. NIM. Fans also have several opportunities to see the band live in the coming weeks. They will perform alongside Viceroy Kings at Blind Bob’s on March 23, and at South Park Tavern on April 20. For updates about the band’s releases and live performances, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or on their website, eerieavenuedetectiveagency.com.
Text by Peter Day, adapted from an interview recorded by Juliet Fromholt on March 13, 2024.
