From the Underground to Unapologetic: Angel Lord Arrives With Haunting Vulnerability And Fearless Grit
- STAFF
- Jun 16
- 6 min read
By: Staff
With her latest single “Villain,” Angel Lord blurs the line between victim and villain, wrapping brutal honesty in tribal beats and alt-rock tension. It’s not just a song—it’s a shift in power.
Every once in a while, a voice emerges from the underground that doesn't just sing—it unearths. With a sound that merges haunting vulnerability and fearless grit, this rising artist has returned with her boldest release yet. It's a track that doesn't ask for your attention—it demands it. You’ll hear echoes of the early 2000s alt-rock rebellion but reshaped into something unapologetically her own.
Her latest single is a battle cry wrapped in atmospheric tension, tribal beats, and a lyric that cuts with unsettling honesty. It explores the blurred lines between victimhood and villainy—and flips the narrative in a way that’s both powerful and provocative.
As anticipation builds for her debut EP, we sat down with this boundary-pushing talent to talk creative sparks, emotional unraveling, and what it really means to take control of your own story.
Step inside the world of Angel Lord and discover the meaning behind her explosive new single, “Villain.”
Read the full interview below.
Hello Angel Lord, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. “Angel Lord” feels both ethereal and commanding—how did you land on that name, and what does it represent about the kind of artist you want to be seen as?
A. The name itself comes from a lot of different places. Firstly and the most obvious one “Angel” comes from a shortened version of my first name Angelica and Lord comes from a literary character I liked when I was young. I remember being 16 and thinking the name Angel Lord sounded like the name of a cool emo rocker chick. A name that would grab your attention when you were flipping through CDs. I always wanted to pursue music someday so I sort of just kept it in the back of my mind until I was in a place where I could start making my own music.
Q. “Villain” is such a raw, emotional track. When you wrote the line “Villainize your victims,” did you instantly know that would be the core of the song? What does that lyric mean to you personally?
A. Yeah. The idea of victim blaming and painting someone as the villain was a song idea I had for a very long time. I think this song has the most iterations of any song I’ve ever written. When I came up with the Villainize your victims it's like the whole song had come together, like I had struck gold and found the words to what I desperately wanted to say. I liked how forward and creative it felt. Like it invoked this sense of power.
Q. You’ve described this song as both antagonistic and empowering. How do you balance the anger in “Villain” with the strength it takes to own that so-called villain label?
A. I think it's all in the lyrics. I really try to write lyrics that paint a picture and tell a story as I think that's how some of the best and most impactful songs come from. So for this I wanted the listener to understand “hey this bad thing is happening but also there's power in that, use that to find the strength within yourself and move forward.”
Q. There’s a tribal rhythm and almost cinematic layering in the production—how did those elements come together in your DAW, and what feeling were you chasing as you pieced them together?
A. Yes! That was a style I was really trying to emulate with the drums! I spent hours fine tuning and working on how I wanted them to sound, experimenting with different things until I got the sound I wanted, after that everything else fell into place
Q. You’ve cited Paramore, Evanescence, and Halsey as major influences. Can you pinpoint specific moments in “Villain” where those artists’ spirits echo through your work?
For Paramore and Halsey I pull a lot of inspiration from just the vibe and energy of their early work. This idea of being young, passionate and having something to say. For Evanescence I take so much inspiration from Amy’s vocal talent and the way she can convey so much emotion with just her voice
Q. Was there a turning point emotionally when writing “Villain” where something clicked and the rest of the track flowed out of you?
A. Yeah, I remember struggling to come up with a cohesive melody for the song for awhile and then one night in the shower (where the best ideas are formed in my opinion) I came up with the opener. The ‘oohs’ with this loud tribal drum beat to lure you into the song. I still have the voice note on my phone from that night. After that it was like the rest of the vision just came together.
Q. Songs like this can feel like a release—or a reliving—of trauma. What was it like to record “Villain”? Cathartic, exhausting, freeing?
A. Recording this song was interesting experience, I had written it and figured out the melody long before I really started to work on it, and when I did I was actually going through a bad experience with a roommate and I think that sort of helped me find the power and emotion that I was desperately wanting for this track. It was a bit freeing to work on this track. To speak my mind in a way.
Q. This is your third single—how does “Villain” reflect your growth as an artist compared to “Trapped in Wonderland” and “Masquerade”?
A. I think I’ve grown a lot since my first single. This is the first single I really tried producing most of and building out. With Masquerade and Trapped, I just sort of wrote them and came up with the melody. For this one I really wanted to take charge of practicing my production skills and I think I did that.
Q. For new listeners discovering you through “Villain,” what’s something they might not expect about Angel Lord—musically or personally?
A. I guess that I’m shyer in real life then I am in my music. I think my music has a really in your face, let me call you out vibe while in real life I’m pretty non confrontational when I can be and can be a bit shy around people.
Q. Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Which instrument typically serves as the foundation for your songs, and how does it influence the overall mood and direction of the final sound?
A. It's different for every song I work on honestly. Strong and expressive lyricism is something I strive for first and foremost, from there its melody and there instrumentation. I’m usually a big guitar girl, which may shock you with Villain being so drum heavy but I really take inspiration from loud, heavy guitar riffs. I think if you left me to my own devices I’d end up putting a massive, energetic guitar solo into every song I work on.
Q. Do you have a favorite song from your early years of listening to music that you would love to cover in the studio—something that still connects with who you are as an artist today?
A. Force of Nature by Bea Miller. Honestly I think her whole first album was the driving force of my early teen years and I think that single still inspires me a lot creatively
Q. When you reach the stage where you have the admiration and respect of other world-known artists, what band or artist would you love to call and say, “Let’s go on tour together”?
A. Oh gosh, I mean I'd be honored to tour with any band but I think opening up for someone like Set It Off or NateWantsToBattle would be a cool experience. I think we could put on an entertaining show together sonically
Q. We can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what's next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love to be the first to share the news!
A. Well I’m currently working on the last two singles to my EP that should be dropping in the next few months, you can keep an eye on my socials for that and I’m going to start doing live singing streams on Twitch and Tiktok. Interacting with fans, singing originals and covers! Come check it out, starting June 13th on TikTok!
Angel Lord, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Angel Lord’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
