Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Princess Ugly is the collaboration of J. Christopher-Rome (words, vocals) and Christopher Moncrieffe (music, instruments), with frequent contributor Cat Powell-Hoffmann adding backing vocals on the new single The Out.
Blending elements of post punk, goth, and industrial, Princess Ugly creates a sound which naturally explores dark terrain. The project began as a solo effort for J. Christopher-Rome, who released the first album in 2006. Moncrieffe joined in 2007, and together they released two albums as a duo, The Past, One Second At A Time (2010) and It Should Be Clear By Now (2012). After a hiatus, the band resurfaced in 2021 with a series of singles and EPs.
On The Out, Princess Ugly state: "Dark days. We feel buried under endless unnerving headlines. We cling to past mistakes and regrets. We romanticize. We make excuses. We look for clarity and resolution, often finding neither.
"Even as the things we perceive as negative can sometimes light our way with an unsettling brilliance, we look away. Tear it all up. Everyone is looking for their out.
"The Out is presented in a jigsaw puzzle arrangement of staccato notes intended to motivate people to dance with existential reflection and find their escape."
Bringing their influences together in a unified vision, Princess Ugly embrace the resurgence of their dark roots to craft music that is both pulsating and electrifying.
ZR