Rising indie stars Draag join me for a conversation around their debut album, Dark Fire Heresy. The LA-based quintet, made up of musicians Adrian Acosta, Jessica Huang, Ray Montes, Nick Kelley, and Eric Fabbro, draws from personal experience along with underground punk, no wave, experimental jazz, and classical music training. Stream their new album, and catch up on our chat below.

Hi! Congratulations on the release of your album Dark Fire Heresy—how does it feel to have the project out in the world?

It was a pandemic baby, nearly 3 years in the making, so it feels surreal that it’s not just in our Google Drive anymore.

Walk me through the genesis of the Draag project. What brought the five of you together to form the band?

Craigslist and mutual friends through a long history of the punk scene in the Northeast valley of LA. Adrian started reviving songs he wrote on his karaoke tape deck when he was 10 and also wanted to create his dream project that’s both synth and guitar heavy along with androgynous vocals.

Religious trauma is unpacked in Dark Fire Heresy, which is an extremely cathartic listen. When did the idea for the album start to form for you, and why did you choose to focus on this subject as the project’s core?

I (Jessica) started therapy for the first time in the process of writing, recording, and mixing the record. Unpacking everything, I realized I had an unusual and unique experience with religious trauma—it went into the music without being really intentional about it. It’s kind of a lonely experience to heal from it, so giving it the form of the record just felt right, and it is scary, but I was ready to take this necessary step to finally start healing. The vision of the music videos felt like they fell in my lap and getting all of that out helped me move onto the next chapter of my recovery.

Where did the “Demonbird” character and story stem from?

I can’t disclose too much but has to do with roleplaying a powerful patriarchal figure and getting to imagine what it feels like after so long of being on the manipulated powerless end of things, and taking my revenge.

Processing trauma is an extremely personal experience, and although putting it into art is part of that healing, the work of recovery is an incredibly challenging journey. How do you make sure you re-fill your creative cup, so to speak, when you are writing about such heavy topics?

Yes you’re absolutely right, it’s not an easy road, lots of ups and downs. I indulge in other aspects of my life that aren’t necessarily music. Saw this great quote about how your life is the work, everything you breathe do listen etc. is still your work as an artist. Spending time in nature, skateboarding, finding new hole-in-the-wall food gems in the neighborhood, etc. all replenishes me.

You’re currently on tour with Cryogeser this spring and summer, with an album release show at The Echo in June. What are your top three essentials for tour survival?

Check the warranty on your vehicle and get it thoroughly inspected. Shit will happen anyway but we learned a few things after our van failed. It never seems easy to tour. Everyone who’s been on one is bonded by how difficult it is.
Don’t bring too much stuff. We were already told this but still we brought too much.
[Try the] Whole Foods hot bar!

Who are your most recent creative inspirations?

I’ve been watching entire walkthroughs of old PC games I used to play. The comforting nostalgia of the pre-render graphics and eerie soundtracks is what I hope to replicate in my work.
NBA basketball highlights from the last 25 years. Curated photos of liminal spaces.

What should fans know about Draag?

We’re working on LP2 and definitely entering new territory sonically.

Follow Draag on Spotify.