Photo Credit: Sara May

Ace Of Wands – Five Questions With

Jenna Melanson·January 20, 2023

Toronto’s Ace Of Wands have released their new single, “I Taste Blood,” along with a music video to accompany the release.

The single is from the band’s upcoming album, Desiring, which is set for release on March 31 via Fortune Stellar Records.

Mixed by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus), “I Taste Blood” has a dark and punchy treatment, capturing the raw and ferocious energy that Ace Of Wands can achieve in their live performance. Exploring the genre of Dream Rock through immersive/intricate soundscapes and captivating live performances – the band compels audiences to listen with attention and not shy away from the dreams that may reveal hidden parts of themselves.

At the core of the band, multi-instrumentalist Lee Rose sings and plays violin/guitar and synth-bass foot pedals simultaneously while Anna Mernieks and Jody Brumell accompany her on swirling guitar and thunderous drums. Their instrumentation, soaring vocals, and commitment to artistically-driven visual elements explore the depths of overwhelming emotion and transcend typical pop and rock forms. “I Taste Blood” was inspired by the magnetic, electrical energy of being in the presence of someone you desire, especially when you realize that the feeling is mutual. Exploring a gritty and sensual sound, this is the first song written for the band by guitarist Mernieks.

Watch the video for “I Taste Blood” below and learn more about Ace Of Wands via our Five Questions With segment.

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

We are Ace of Wands, a dream-rock band from Toronto. We’ve got Jody Brumell (Keeper of the Time, Ruler of the Skins) on drums, Anna Mernieks-Duffield (Goddess of Hell, Forest Mushroom Pixie, Knight of the Shadow Circle) on lead guitar and backup vocals, and Lee Rose (Slayer of Symphonic Sounds from the Gardens of Galactic Greatness) on lead vocals, guitar, violin, bass, and bass synth (watch her feet!!)

Tell us a bit about your most recent release.

“I Taste Blood” was inspired by the magnetic, electrical energy of being in the presence of mutual desire. “I Taste Blood” is unusual in that it wasn’t written by Lee – instead, it was written by Anna and adopted wholeheartedly into the family as an Ace of Wands tune. It was tracked mostly live-off-the-floor in Toronto, and mixer Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus) gave it the dark, punchy treatment we knew would capture its raw intensity.

Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?

We tend to pull inspiration from fleeting or everyday feelings and sensations. We dive into those feelings and try to describe them with lyrical stories, symbols, and the music itself. We’re always inspired by other musicians that we look up to who bare their souls and push the boundaries of human expression through music.

Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?

We are performing as part of the Long Winter series on February 4th and then not again in Toronto until our album release (!) on March 30th at the Velvet Underground! We’ll be playing some warm-up shows in Ontario the weekend before the album release and following up with a week-long tour. The best way to keep up to date with Ace of Wands is to follow our Instagram (@aceofwandsband) or to join our mailing list, which can be found on our website.