If “Survey Says” is any indication, Holy Death Temple isn’t here for a subtle revolution — they’re here to throw a rave in the ashes of the old world. In their conversation with TAGG, the goth dance punk outfit breaks down the controlled chaos behind their latest single, from Family Feud-inspired lyrics to sub-shaking synths and anti-genre ambition. It’s a song built to start fires — in the club, on stage, and in your mind.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of “Survey Says”?
The best ideas happen when you turn your brain off. I wrote the bouncy and snotty chorus riff while watching TV. It’s an old-school “fuck you” punk hook to the extreme, with a call-and-response chorus. Keeping the “just burn it down” response going after the chorus through the solo section makes it feel like things are starting to get out of control. That’s when the song really came alive to me.
The song tackles the theme of social collapse through the metaphor of a rigged game show. How did you develop that concept lyrically?
I wanted to write the ultimate nihilist party anthem. When the “Survey Says” line came to me, the next step was creating that world using Family Feud game show terms to show how we’re polarized by media and politics for profit. “Have you heard the news?” is a reference to rage bait and fearmongering content used to drive higher engagement and show people more ads.
How does “Survey Says” fit into the overall evolution of Holy Death Temple’s sound since your debut?
Embracing contradiction is our art. The world is fucked, and we’re a goth band with pink as our color. We embellish the negativity of post-punk with big, sing-along choruses and pop songwriting devices. The modulation on the last chorus of “Survey Says” is a great example of defying expectations in a genre that’s been around for almost 50 years. It’s more Bon Jovi than Joy Division.
You mentioned moving away from post-hardcore to something more fun and cathartic — how did that shift affect your writing process?
Bumming people out is not very fulfilling. The goal and process are totally different now. It’s coming from the same place, with the same intensity, but it’s more self-aware, and we’re all in on the joke. I write the songs pretending we’re playing them live, getting a crowd hyped. I think of a group of people singing the chorus to each other on the dance floor. That’s how you know the song is relatable and memorable. I want it to get stuck in your head forever—whether you like it or not.
The track uses a low-end synth instead of a traditional bass guitar. How did that decision come about, and what effect were you aiming for sonically?
Songs get more interesting when you turn things off. The bass synth by itself sounds massive, and there’s so much more room for everything else. Most dance music uses a technique called sidechain compression that lets the kick and snare hit harder and makes the whole track pump. Early Daft Punk is an iconic example. It works great with synths, but not really with rock bass guitar. It’s another way of defying the post-punk standard since bass guitar is such a definitive sonic element of the genre.
Can you walk us through the collaborative dynamic between you, Amy, and Jon during the recording of this single?
I try to spare them most of the shitty ideas. Jon and Amy are super busy with other projects. I don’t show them a song until the lyrics and arrangement are 80-90% where I think they should be, and most of the demos don’t reach that point. They always have great suggestions to finalize the track. The drums are programmed, but I’ve known Jon for so long that I’m channeling him. My goal is for him to say, “Yeah, that’s what I would have done,” but I do try to throw some stuff in to fuck with him a bit.
How do you balance the darker themes in your lyrics with the energetic and danceable music style?
We made up our own genre. We came up with “goth dance punk” to give ourselves a space where those elements can coexist. We have a Goth Dance Punk Party playlist on Spotify that’s getting a great response, which is extremely validating. But I do think that finding the right balance is a reason why the songs can take so long to write. To quote Spinal Tap, “There’s a fine line between clever and stupid.”
The track’s cover art is striking and symbolic. What role does visual art play in expressing your music’s message?
Life has been reduced to small square images competing for attention. We have less than a second to make a statement. We try to keep the artwork simple to work as a two-color print on a T-shirt or a tiny digital image. A lot of thought goes into the concept, so our designer, Dina, has a good starting point, and her instincts are always spot on.
You spent about a year perfecting “Survey Says.” Were there any moments where you considered scrapping or radically changing the track?
This song almost broke me. Most of the songs go through a radical transformation at some point by experimenting with tempos, keys, beats, samples, sounds, parts, and arrangements. It’s easy to start second-guessing yourself. I had to set it aside for a few months, but I was determined to make it work because I loved the hook and concept, and those are the hardest things to come up with.
How do your live performances bring “Survey Says” to life differently compared to the studio version?
We want to go out in a blaze of glory. I immediately knew this song would close our set. That probably added some pressure to the writing process. It needed to be a classic where people go nuts when they hear the intro live. Having said that, we haven’t played live yet. Lol. But we do everything with that in mind.
What do you hope listeners feel or think about while hearing this song for the first time?
“Survey Says” is a reflection of how you see the world. It’s up to the listener to decide if it’s a “how did we get here?” or a “here’s what we should do” narrative. My intent was the former, but when I see terrible shit happening in the news, I feel the latter, which is exactly the point of the song.
The tagline “We’re fucked. Let’s party.” sums up your attitude — how do you see this mentality reflected in today’s music scene?
We celebrate the existential dread of modern life. I feel powerless as humanity devolves into cruel idiocy and accelerates toward extinction. Holy Death Temple channels that into something ironic and cathartic for myself and anyone else who feels the same way. There’s not a lot of “let’s party” in the post-punk scene, nor should there be. We love it because it’s so contrary to the original ethos and status quo.
Which artists or bands, past or present, have influenced the sound and spirit of Holy Death Temple?
I’m kind of an ‘80s goth basic bitch. I love dark and quirky bands with great hooks from that era: The Cure, Siouxsie, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, Prince and the Revolution, Sisters of Mercy, The Cars, DEVO… I was obsessed with Sigue Sigue Sputnik and the Ramones at a very early age, before I even knew what punk was. I love dance pop like Madonna, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Charli XCX. I’ve learned a lot about songwriting from country music.
How has your experience working with the doom duo Year of the Cobra influenced the rhythm and intensity of the song?
I made the first demo to get them to join the band. After the first two songs, I knew it needed to be Jon and Amy. I started writing as if they were already in the band before I even showed them the songs. We mix in a lot of sampled drums, but the heart of what we do is built on a core “live” drum sound based on how Jon plays—hard AF. Amy’s bass tone in Year of the Cobra is incredible, and that’s a big influence on the filthy synth sounds.
Finally, what’s next for Holy Death Temple after the release of “Survey Says”? Can fans expect more singles, a full-length, or something else?
Being a band now means keeping the algorithms happy. The plan is to release a single every three months, and we’re preparing a live set. Ideally, a short West Coast US tour this year and some festivals next year. But ultimately, we do things on our own terms, and we’re kind of making it up as we go. Our goals and deadlines are all self-imposed. The beauty of being an independent artist is… independence.
