Following Touring With The Libertines, London Art-Rock Risers Black Bordello Share New Video For ‘Fugue’, New EP

Art-rock provocateurs Black Bordello announce their new EP, Midheaven Tempest, due 18th September via AWAL, and unveil its first offering with the new single ‘Fugue’, 24th July, a Fitzgeraldian world of sepia-tinted nostalgia.

‘Fugue’ offers the first glimpse into the immersive world of Midheaven Tempest, a collection that sees Black Bordello deepen their singular dialogue between art-rock, post-punk and cinematic atmosphere. Expansive yet intimate, the EP embraces contrast, where ornate arrangements meet raw immediacy, and gothic romanticism collides with moments of striking clarity.

With ‘Fugue’, the band continue to blur the boundaries of artistic, gothic and experimental rock, while drawing more openly from the dramatic sweep and melodic ambition of 1970s rock music. Threaded with baroque flourishes and taut post-punk tension, the single unfolds as a richly layered introduction to the conceptual landscape of Midheaven Tempest, hinting at an EP that is both emotionally resonant and sonically adventurous.

The romantic Hammond-organ introduction to ‘Fugue’ evokes 1920s picture houses and travelling carnival calliopes, hinting at a Fitzgeraldian world of sepia-tinted nostalgia. But any promise of reverie is quickly upended by the verse’s psychedelic, buoyant theatricality. Dripping with the weary, eye-rolling detachment of Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is?, the track instead unfolds in a haze of Velvet Underground fuzz, Black Heart Procession gloom, and Nick Cave–esque refrains. It moves through jarring shifts in tempo and melody, each one underscoring the band’s restless drive to experiment rather than settle into nostalgia.

Speaking on the single, vocalist and songwriter Sienna Bordello says: “Fugue is a joyful stab into the cardboard cutouts on the set of society’s stage. It’s our gift to music nerds, inspired by Bach.”

Produced by Balazs Altsach, Midheaven Tempest expands the band’s sound into darker and more expansive territory, blending industrial textures, trip-hop atmosphere, gothic rock, and chamber arrangements into a cohesive but unsettled whole. The EP continues Black Bordello’s evolution into increasingly cinematic and experimental forms while maintaining their distinctive theatrical identity.

Black Bordello are rooted in South East London, bringing together musicians from a range of international backgrounds. Fronted by Sienna Bordello, who is of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean heritage, the project is led through her vocals, songwriting, and rhythm guitar. The lineup is completed by Daniel Gowers on drums and backing vocals, Melody Wayfare on keyboards and backing vocals, Jerome Alexandre on lead guitar, and Nick Dimitriov on bass.

The band’s multicultural identity, including Hong Kong-born keyboardist Melody Wayfare and Bulgarian bassist Nick Dimitriov, informs their expansive, genre-blurring sound, drawing on a broad spectrum of cultural influences to shape their distinctive musical approach.

Since forming after the pandemic, Black Bordello have built a strong reputation for their intense live performances and critically recognised output. They have toured with The Libertines and Pete Doherty, and supported acts including Goat Girl, Fat Dog, Bad Nerves and Pretty Sick. Their work has received support from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, particularly for the single ‘Nunhead’, and has been reviewed by outlets including CLASH, Loud & Quiet, So Young, DORK, Fred Perry Subculture and Louder Than War.

The band have also performed at major venues such as Electric Ballroom, Dingwalls, MOTH Club and The Lexington, and have taken their live show internationally, including performances at New York’s New Colossus Festival. Their remix history includes a rework of ‘Nunhead’ by Bauhaus bassist David J Haskins, further linking them to gothic and post-punk lineage.

Black Bordello’s sound continues to evolve at the intersection of post-punk, psychedelia, gothic rock, vaudeville and chamber pop, with comparisons often drawn to Kate Bush, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Björk and Massive Attack. ‘Fugue’ offers a focused entry point into the world of Midheaven Tempest, which promises a more industrial, emotionally charged and sonically ambitious direction for the band.

‘Fugue’ will be released on 24th July 2026, with the EP Midheaven Tempest following on18th September 2026.