VOWWS are an Australian-born, LA-based duo who call their sound Death Pop. After 2018’s Under the World, the next full-length took years, a pandemic, and an almost complete reset. The new album I’ll Fill Your House With An Army arrives as the payoff of that stubborn delay.
The gap wasn’t just logistics. It was standards. ”We always want every album to be better than the last one.” Matt says. The pair wrote 40–50 sketches, cut them down to 20 songs, fully produced them as a two-piece, and then walked away. By the end of 2022 they decided the material didn’t hit where it needed to. No filler, no ”good enough.” If it didn’t raise the bar, it didn’t make the record.
That decision opened the door to outside help and a wider sound. One key shift was dropping the old live restriction: VOWWS used to write with the rule that everything had to be playable as a duo. For I’ll Fill Your House With An Army they removed that limit. Live drums, bass, extra layers, whatever the song needed. The result is still lean but less boxed in, death pop with more teeth and more space.
The writing process stays rooted in instinct. VOWWS stockpile ideas, chase them without editing, then step away. Coming back later tells them which ones live. ”It’s obvious within one second whether the idea is worth pursuing.” Matt explains. Instrumentals come first, lyrics last. Songs sit around long enough that they ”tell” the band what they want to be about. The feeling leads, not the concept.
Themes land where their music has always lived, relationships, alienation, introspection, the urge to throw yourself into something even when it’s not safe. Matt points to Shudder as a personal high point, especially the line ”I’ll get you into any trouble you want,” a phrase he says came straight out of a dream. The song centers on wanting to be consumed by something that excites, burns, and maybe destroys you a little.
The tracklist is built to reflect their intensity. I’ll Fill Your House With An Army opens with Blood’s on Fire, a front-loaded hit to the head after a long silence between albums. From there the sequence moves on feel rather than strict narrative, a flow VOWWS arrived at almost subconsciously. When it works, Matt says, he can’t even remember the decisions, the order just appears and suddenly the album has its own logic.
Relocation sits behind all of this. Growing up and starting out in Australia meant long distances, small scenes, and limited chances. VOWWS made an early call to move to Los Angeles instead of waiting until a ”right time” arrived. Part of it was practical, more opportunities, more touring, more connections. Part of it was personal. Leaving their comfort zone was the point, doing something difficult to see what would surface. Matt is clear that without that move, VOWWS would be a different band making different records.
VOWWS interview 09.11.2025
Matt James
Producer: Janne Vuorela
https://vowwsband.com/
Picture: VOWWS
