The Widow's Bane

The Widow's Bane is an American band from Boulder, Colorado whose music incorporates elements of roots revival, sea shanties, klezmer, vaudeville, gothic rock, and murder ballads while evoking the comedic cabaret styles of Tom Waits and Nick Cave. The band defines their genre as Zombie-Death-Polka. Its line-up includes frontman Gov. Mortimer Leech (a.k.a. Clay Rose), Rutherford Belleview, Rictus Corpum, Franklin McKane, and Bat Catacombs. Previous band members were Jimson Crockett, Abracham Lynch, Frank Raven, James Calvin Thompson, and Philip Parker. Their live show is characterized by zombie-style makeup, Great Depression-era costumes, the creepy animatronic movements of lead singer Leech, and dancing by self-styled "snake-charming hussy," Madame Reaper.

The Widow's Bane
The Widow's Bane album cover
Background information
Origin	Boulder, Colorado, United States
Genres	Folk punk, sea shanty, gothic rock, klezmer, roots revival, murder ballad, vaudeville, cabaret
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Rusty Road
Members	Mortimer Leech, Rutherford Belleview, Rictus Corpum, Franklin McKane, Bat Catacombs, Madame Reaper, Jimson Crockett, Abracham Lynch
Website	Official website [1]

In 2018, The Widow's Bane wrote and performed the score, for a production of Wicked Bayou, with Denver based Wonderbound ballet company.^[1]

Awards

2013 - Best Music Video - Mile High Horror Film Festival^[2]

Press

You've never heard 'zombie death polka' quite like the Widow's Bane does it^[3]
An interview with Rutherford Belleview ^[4]
Zombies are just undead gentlemen: An interview with The Widow's Bane^[5]
Widow’s Bane: Roots music from the undead^[6]
Mortimer Leech Raises Hell for Wonderbound's Wicked Bayou^[7]
Widow’s Bane – The Afterlife Is A Never-Ending Party^[8]
KCSU Music: Live In-Studio Session with Clay Rose of Gasoline Lollipops and Widow’s Bane^[9]
Part 1: Zombie Death Polka^[10]
Part 2: Mortimer Leech, Age Unknown^[11]
Part 3: The Story Behind The Song^[12]
The Widow’s Bane find the sacred in the profane^[13]
Mortimer Leech & The Widow’s Bane: A New Lease on Death^[14]
Mortimer Leech of The Widow's Bane confronts his eternal past^[15]
The Widow’s Bane Brings Music From Wonderbound Collaboration To CPR’s OpenAir^[16]
Widow's Bane: The rocking dead^[17]

Discography

• The Widow's Bane (2009)^[18]
• Don't be Afraid; It's Only Death (June 6, 2013)^[19]

References

1. "Wicked Bayou". Wonderbound.
2. "Film Programs + Awards -MHHFF- Genre Film Festival".
3. Murphy, Tom (June 6, 2013). "You've never heard 'zombie death polka' quite like the Widow's Bane does it". Westword.
4. "Widow's Bane: The rocking dead". Coloradoan.com. October 21, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
5. September 2010, Molly Tanzer Issue: 27 (September 27, 2010). "Zombies are Just Undead Gentlemen: An Interview with The Widow's Bane".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. "Widow's Bane: Roots music from the undead". October 30, 2009.
7. Thomas, Andy (October 20, 2018). "Mortimer Leech Raises Hell for Wonderbound's Wicked Bayou". Westword.
8. England, Dan (October 16, 2018). "Widow's Bane - The Afterlife Is A Never-Ending Party - BandWagon Magazine". Bandwagmag.com. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
9. "KCSU Music: Live In-Studio Session with Clay Rose of Gasoline Lollipops and Widow's Bane". KCSU FM. November 1, 2018.
10. "Part 1: Zombie Death Polka". Wonderbound.
11. "Part 2: Mortimer Leech, Age Unknown". Wonderbound.
12. "Part 3: The Story Behind The Song". Wonderbound.
13. Forman, Bill. "The Widow's Bane find the sacred in the profane". Colorado Springs Independent.
14. "Mortimer Leech & The Widow's Bane: a New Lease on Death". March 6, 2019.
15. "Disappearing Completely With Mortimer Leech". October 30, 2018.
16. Mescher, Daniel. "The Widow's Bane Brings Music From Wonderbound Collaboration To CPR's OpenAir". Colorado Public Radio.
17. "USA TODAY". FTC.
18. "The Widow's Bane by The Widow's Bane" – via music.apple.com.
19. "Don't Be Afraid it's Only Death, by The Widows Bane". Clay Rose.