Around this time of year, it\u2019s natural \u2013 or should I say supernatural? \u2013 to think about the mysteries of the unseen. Ghosts, spirits, forces \u2013 things we can feel but don\u2019t know how to explain. While some of us like to dabble in the supernatural world for a few days out of the year, the members of LA-based band Death Valley Girls (Bonnie Bloomgarden, Larry Schemel, Nicole Smith, and Laurie Kelsey), live in a spiritual realm year-round. The band has made a lifestyle out of seeking answers to the world\u2019s mysteries and translating their experiences into hard-hitting, ghoulish rock \u2018n\u2019 roll music.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s latest album Darkness Rains <\/em>is a lurid body of work that reflects the group\u2019s exchanges with the spiritual world, accompanied by their qualms with the material world. While past records like Glow in The Dark <\/em>ride the band\u2019s recurring theme of celestial encounters, Darkness Rains <\/em>is clouded with an overarching sense of gloom that\u2019s not present in past works. While lead singer Bloomgarden says the ominous theme wasn\u2019t intentional \u2013 the record was named after the studio dog \u2013 she blames the album\u2019s solemnity on her surroundings. \u201cI think we can safely state that it\u2019s been a really dark, hard few years,\u201d says Bloomgarden. \u201cThat\u2019s just what\u2019s happening. I didn\u2019t want it to be somber, I wanted to make people happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

We talked to Bloomgarden about channeling spirits while writing Darkness Rains, <\/em>performing at haunted hotels, and Iggy Pop\u2019s undeniable reign as the coolest person ever.<\/p>\n